In accordance with its charter to promote standardization within the industry, the American Chain Association has published three documents for public consumption. They are available, prepaid, from Headquarters, American Chain Association, at our Naples, Florida address:

This Design and Applications Handbook consists of 355 pages and represents a distillation of the industry's consensus engineering knowledge.
This Handbook covers the following chapter topics:

• A Brief History of the Development of Chain
• A Chain Overview: Uses and Advantages
• Chain Components and Design Considerations
• Sprockets
• Roller Chains for Drives
• Engineering Steel Drive Chains
• Silent Chain Drives
• Tension Linkage Chains
• Engineering Steel Chains for Conveying
• Roller Chain Conveyor Applications
• Chains for Bucket Elevators
• Installation, Lubrication, and Maintenance of Chains
• Glossary of terms and Index

This 16 page guide is intended to be an aid in the proper identification of leaf chain.  It explains the effects of operating environments, and provides an outline for the inspection, care, and replacement of leaf chains. Topics covered include:

• Leaf Chains
• Numbering System
• Environmental Conditions
• Dynamic Impulse / Shock Loads
• Periodic Inspection Procedures and Criteria
• Leaf Chain Disconnect Instructions
• Lubrication
• Installation
• General Cautions

This 22 page guide was written by the ACA to aid the users of these chains in identifying the types and models of roller chain, correctly installing a roller chain drive, implementing a proper lubrication and maintenance program, and inspecting roller chain drives to determine the need for replacing drive components. Topics covered include the following:

• ANSI B29-1 covers the standards for Precision Power Transmission Roller Chains, Attachments, and Sprockets.
• ANSI B29.3 covers the standards for Double-Pitch Power Transmission Chains and Sprockets.
• Roller Chain Construction
• Roller Chain Numbering
• Roller Chain Drive Installation
• Roller Chain Drive Lubrication
• Roller Chain Drive Maintenance
• Roller Chain Drive Troubleshooting Guide