American standard chains are covered by DIN 8188, ANSI B29.1 and ISO 606. There are 8 versions:
• Simplex
• Duplex
• Triplex
• Quadruplex
• Quintuplex
• Sextuplex
• Octuplex
• Decuplex
Often referred to as ANSI standard, pitch size varies between inch to 3 inches, with the chain links having a smaller pin diameter. They are less wear resistant than European Standard chains except for the 5/8 inch which is larger.
The ANSI standard has a simple numbering system:
• The first number is the pitch size in 1/8 inch, for example 4/8 =
• The second number refers to a roller chain = 0, or a bush chain = 5
• The suffix indicates the number of strands in a chain
