A sprocket is a metal wheel with successive teeth. A series of sprockets makes up chains that can be used in a series of different mechanisms.
With the help of sprockets, equipment with crawlers, such as crawler tractors, loaders, and cranes, can travel over soft or moist surfaces without sinking.
Sprockets can also be used in systems where there is no transmission. Skid steer loaders and multi-terrain loaders are powered by hydraulic motors which are connected to a sprocket chain that distributes the power to their wheels. With the sprockets and chains, the loader is able to provide hydraulic power from the motor to the wheels while also providing gear reduction and increased torque. In this kind of system, the sprocket and chain duo is most effective when kept lubricated by oil.[1]
The sprocket is made functional when the teeth of the wheel intermesh with either a chain or track in order to create a profiling mechanism. Sprockets are not to be mistaken for gears, which directly intermesh with one another.
Sprockets come in four different configurations. They are:
- Plain plate sprocket
- Hub on one side
- Hub on both sides
- Detachable hub
A sprocket’s dimensions are found by determining the pitch of the chain, P, and the number of teeth on the sprocket, N.[2]
