Hans Renold Ltd

Renold transmission - the history.

• 1864 The Chain Making Company James Slater (later to become Hans Renold Co.) introduced the roller into chain. Prior to this time transmission chain consisted of only pins and plates.

• 1873 At the age of 21 Hans Renold, son of a burgher family in Aarau, Switzerland, came to England and found work in Manchester with a firm of machinery exporters.

• His independent and inventive spirit soon found expression in the purchase, in 1879, of a small textile-chain making business in Salford. In 1880 he invented bush roller chain and an industry was born. Thus began the enterprise of which The Institution of Mechanical Engineers was to say in a memoir: "Few realise how extensive is the influence of Renold's inventiveness on both civil and industrial life throughout the world."

• Hans Renold's vision was not restricted to the prospects in UK industry and over the following years he began the international expansion of his company.

• 1879 The Hans Renold Co. was established following the purchase of the James Slater business. This makes Renold the oldest established transmission chain company in the world, which still existed in 2005.

• 1880 Introduced the patented feature of the solid bush. This was the origin of the bush roller chain, the design of which is still used today throughout the world.

• 1885 A patent for the block chain was applied for by Hans Renold but he decided to openly give his idea to the cycle trade for all to freely manufacture. Undoubtedly he gained many friends by this charitable action.

• Brampton Brothers Co., who later became part of the Coventry Chain Company (and ultimately Renold Chains Ltd.), experimented with self-lubricating bicycle chain.

• 1888 Hans Renold Co. were riveting the bearing pins in the assembled chain.

• 1889 The company designed and manufactured a purpose built plate hole-punching machine.

• Designed and manufactured a machine for the Dry Tumbling (Jingling) of chain components.

• 1893 Hans Renold Co. were using hardened components.

• 1895 Designed and manufactured a machine for producing the Rotary Rivet on the ends of the chain bearing pins. The need for an Inverted tooth (silent chain) was apparent to Hans Renold and this resulted in his patent of 1895. Although his design of chain was superseded in later years by the silent chain with rocker joints, he made an impact in the introduction of such a chain. Designed and manufactured a machine for the Wet Tumbling (Jingling) of chain components

• 1896 Hans Renold Co. designed and manufactured a machine for the proof loading of their chain.

• Introduced the 48-hour week when the general practice in engineering was 52 or more.

• 1899 Hans Renold Co. introduced their patented feature of the end recess in the bearing pin. Brampton Brothers Ltd. patented the integral bush/inner plate chain upon which so many cycle chains have been based. Introduced a Works Canteen. Introduced the round-ended necked (i.e. shouldered) bearing pin in their 1899 patent.

• 1900 Hans Renold Co. designed and manufactured a Coning Machine.

• In the early 1900's Hans Renold Co. introduced an apprenticeship scheme.

• 1903 Hans Renold Ltd. formed.

• 1905 Renold introduced percussion testing on chain components.

• Hans Renold Ltd. designed and manufactured a Semi-Automatic Drifting Machine for use on assembled inner links.

• 1906 Renold began supplying mortise block chains (and associated equipment) which were a notable part of the business for about 60 years. During the construction of a new factory, rather than use belt drives from overhead lineshafts Renold designed, and installed, overhead chain drives. Began designing and manufacturing special - purpose machines for the assembly of chains. Began the manufacture of chain wheels. Developed a machine for centreless grinding of bearing pins. This was long before centreless grinders became the factor in machine shop practice that they are now. The Coventry Chain Company Ltd. (who later became part of the Renold group) patented the helical (spiral) roller formed by wire strip.

• 1907 The company developed a new tooth form for roller chain wheels.

• 1909 The firm introduced Torsion Testing on chain components. Began supplying transmission chain for Aircraft. Founded the Hans Renold Social Union.

• 1910 Hans Renold Ltd. designed and manufactured a Tumbler (Jingler) for the blueing of chain plates. The blue plates being a feature of the Hans Renold chain for many years.

• 1912 The company began the process of end softening of bearing pins and only now are many of Renold Competitors beginning to incorporate this feature. Supplied the chain for The Great Clock at the Palace of Westminster known more affectionately as Big Ben (which was, incidentally, built in 1856).

• 1913 Hans Renold gave the world his improved sprocket tooth profile which, with slight modification, was adopted by the United States as their Standard profile. Designed and manufactured a Fatigue Test Machine for the evaluation of chain fatigue strength.

• 1914 Designed and patented their flexible chain coupling. A product that is still used today, worldwide.

• 1915 (approx.) Hans Renold Ltd. were manufacturing high waisted chain plates and were also manufacturing chains with straight sided plates. Designed and manufactured Running-in machine for their chain. Introduced Stock Drives, something of which is taken for granted today.

• 1916 Started supplying chain with Case Hardened pins. Patented the segmental bush design of inverted tooth (silent) chain. The Coventry Chain Company Ltd. developed and manufactured track chains for use on tank vehicles.

• 1917 'Hans Renold Ltd. were still leading the world by having coned (i.e. tapered) bush bores.

• 1918 Manufactured extra strong chains for use on motor cycles.

• 1920's Early in the decade, Hans Renold Ltd. supplied bush roller chains for the first marine Diesel engines. Also designed and manufactured a series of chain test machines:

• 1921 Noise Testing

• 1922 Chain Pairing. Designed and manufactured a Bush Curling Machine.

• 1923 Chain Out Of Alignment Testing. Chain Wobble Testing. High Speed Testing. Impact Testing.

• 1925 The first acquisition of a major competitor came, when Brampton Brothers Limited, with its French manufacturing subsidiary at Calais, was purchased and the operation merged with the manufacturing facility previously established in Coventry.

• 1927 To improve bush inner/plate security Hans Renold Ltd. patented the 'keyed' bush. This feature is still used today.

• Hans Renold Ltd. were approved under the A.I.D. regulations to issue Inspection Certificates and were likewise an approved A.R.B inspection authority.

• 1930 Merger created Renold and Coventry Chain Co. Ltd.

• 1932 Chain supplied had chamfered plates some being doubled chamfered (i.e. both sides). Patented the early design of bi-planar chain, (The patent being applied for in 1928).

• 1933 Supplied chain with a notched bush.

• 1945 The Whitney Chain & Mfg. Co. (who later became part of the Renold group) obtained the patent for the tin-printer chain which is still used today throughout the world.

• Perry Chain Co. Ltd. formed.

• 1947 Renold established its first green-field manufacturing operation overseas in Melbourne, Australia, and this was followed by the establishment of other owned sales and sometimes manufacturing operations in Austria, Denmark, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland.

• 1950 Renold and Coventry Chain Co. Ltd chain plates had reamed holes.

• 1954 Company becomes Renold Chains Ltd. and introduced their improved design of bi-planar chain with their patent.

• 1956 Renold acquired Anchor Chain, Oldham, with the introduction of nuclear power at Calder Hall, Renold Chains Ltd. entered the Nuclear Age with the supply of control rod lifting chains.

1959 - Renold Chains Ltd. were innovators in the chain industry of progressive die tooling (i.e. follow-on tooling) in the manufacture of chain plates. In 1959 chain plates for pitches between 1.0" and 1.5" were being produced by this method. Smaller pitch chain plates had begun being produced by this process many years earlier.

1963 In 1963 Renold acquired Arnold and Stolzenberg GmbH of Einbeck, one of the largest and oldest-established chain manufacturers in Germany.

1964 A significant strategic development of the Renold Group was the acquisition of John Holroyd and Co Ltd in 1964, and this marked the start of the transition from purely chain manufacture to manufacture and supply of a complete range of power transmission products and precision machine tools. Further acquisitions brought more gearing, couplings, clutches, brakes, variable speed drives and various hydraulic products into the Group.

1996 Renold aquires the Holset couplings business in Halifax and renames the company Renold Hi-Tec Couplings.

1967 Company now called Renold Ltd.

Renold develops a range of Non Lub chains with sintered bushes

1960's - In the late 1960's Renold commences press extrusion of bushes and rollers for transmission chain

1970 Renold begins the cold extrusion of rollers for transmission chain using multi-station extruders

1975 Renold introduces GP Motor Cycle Chains

1977 Renold designs and manufactures a machine for hard ball drifting of plates

Renold supplies the chain for the famous Gastown Steam Clock in Vancouver, Canada 1980's - Renold begins the cold extrusion of bushes for transmission chain using multi-station extruders 1981 - Renold chain fitted to the Thames Barrier lifting application

1987 Renold becomes the first chain Company to obtain BS:5750 (later becoming ISO:9002)

Renold introduces the staked bush.

1989 - Renold introduces the coning feature in their bush cold extrusion process

1996 - Renold introduces the Smartlink data logging concept for chain

1998 In December 1998 Renold acquired Jones & Shipman plc in the UK and with it a range of precision production and tool room grinding machine tools, "superabrasive" machine tools from Edgetek in the USA and electronic control systems from Goodwin in the UK.

Renold manufactures the replacement replica chain for Big Ben Renold begins the cold extrusion of large pitch bushes and rollers Renold launches Syno low maintenance chain

2000 In March 2000 Renold acquired Jeffrey Chain a leading manufacturer of industrial chain in the USA. Jeffrey Chain has strong US brands and established relationships with major US distributors, of power transmission equipment, and original equipment manufacturers.

2001 Chain factories obtained ISO:14001

Renold patents the chain wear monitoring device

2003 Renold Synergy range relaunched with new and improved features

2004 Range of polymer bush transmission chains launched as part of Renold Syno maintenance free chain

2005 Smartlink fitted to the Thames Barrier lifting application

Today, Renold employs around 2000 people in more than 23 countries around the world.

Sources of Information

[1] The History of Renolds web site