40 Roller Chain — Strand-Count Comparison
40 is ANSI B29.1 standard roller chain (ISO 08A), 0.5" pitch (12.7 mm). Compare all strand variants below — pitch and outer dimensions are identical across strands; load capacity scales roughly N× with strand count.
Shared Dimensions (all strands)
ANSI B29.1 pins these dimensions to manufacturer-independent values — single- and multi-strand variants of 40 share identical pitch, roller, pin, and plate geometry.
| Designation | ANSI 40 / ISO 08A |
| Pitch | 0.5" (12.7 mm) |
| Roller diameter | 0.312" |
| Width between plates | 0.312" |
| Pin diameter | 0.156" |
| Plate thickness | 0.06" |
| Plate height | 0.472" |
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Per-Strand Load & Mass
Load capacity and mass scale roughly linearly with strand count. The sprocket must match (multi-strand sprockets carry N parallel tooth tracks). A dash (—) means the manufacturer doesn't publish that value for that strand variant.
| Canonical PN | Strands | Min tensile (lb) | Avg tensile (lb) | Allowable load (lb) | Mass (lb/ft) | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40-1 | single-strand | 3,125 | 4,290 | 810 | 0.43 | 40-1 → |
| 40-2 | double-strand | 6,250 | 8,580 | 1,370 | 0.85 | 40-2 → |
| 40-3 | triple-strand | 9,376 | 12,870 | 2,020 | 1.28 | 40-3 → |
| 40-4 | 4-strand | 12,500 | 17,160 | 2,670 | 1.7 | 40-4 → |
| 40-5 | 5-strand | 15,625 | 21,450 | 3,150 | 2.12 | 40-5 → |
| 40-6 | 6-strand | 18,750 | 25,740 | 3,720 | 2.55 | 40-6 → |
Same-Pitch Cross-Series
Other chain families with identical pitch but different plate geometry — NOT directly interchangeable, but commonly mistaken for each other. The sprocket fits the pitch; the chain envelope differs.