The Martin needle bearing idler sprocket with hardened teeth is suitable for use with the series 40 chain, 1/2” pitch. Hardened teeth offer long service life, and needle bearings allow for a compact package that can handle high radial loads and meet tight space requirements. Made from high carbon steel, this sprocket has strength and durability.

The needle bearing is a variation of the cylindrical roller bearing. The rollers are thinner but there are more of them per bearing. The larger surface area permits higher radial loads – loads transmitted at 90 degrees from the axis of the shaft or bearing – and the smaller size of the “needles” allows for a compact bearing package.

The idler sprocket has the following options: 19 teeth; an outer diameter encompassing the entire idler sprocket of 3.29”; stock bore size of 1.00”; length through bore of 1.00”; a tooth width of 0.284”; a hub diameter of 2.50”; and a weight of 1.10 lb. All Martin sprockets meet or exceed ANSI standards.

As chains wear, they elongate, which can cause issues that affect performance and wear characteristics. Idler sprockets can be used to take up slack caused by elongation, to change direction of rotation for a driven shaft, to guide chain around an obstruction, or to help provide more wrap (more teeth engaged with the chain) on another sprocket.

A sprocket is a wheel with teeth around the perimeter that meshes with a chain, track, or other perforated or indented material. Unlike gears that mesh with another gear, sprockets mesh with a chain, which then interacts with another sprocket. Gears can be used to transmit power around a corner, based on how they fit together. Sprockets with chains only work in straight lines. Some common benefits of chain-drive systems include minimal slippage, a fixed ratio between rotating shafts, and versatility with many different chain attachments and sprocket material selections. An example of a power transmission system is a standard bicycle, which has a sprocket and a chain to deliver power from the rider’s legs to the wheels making the bike move.

Martin Sprocket & Gear manufactures power transmission and conveying products. The company was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Arlington, TX. Martin provides tools that meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI), National Aerospace Standard (NAS), and Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) standards.