Chains

[RogerR]

Originally Posted by Billfred

One thing that can help is visible in that photo: those white plastic cylinders allowed us to route chain around things (such as the space the bumps that year would occupy). That year's gearbox setup was basically the guts of an AndyMark Shifter (plus another input gear as an idler to fit the third motor), so a Toughbox or CIMple Box would be even easier to implement.

The key, as ever, is good planning and starting with snug chains. I would try it out as a prototype before putting it into production on an FRC robot.

Additionally, the mounting holes for the rollers were slotted, so that they could move in and out to help tension the chain.

The axles for both the wheels and rollers were tapped at both ends; to drop them from the bottom of the drivetrain we would simply unscrew the bolts holding them in.