Method of producing power transmission chain and press-fitting apparatus used in said method

A press-fitting apparatus for use in the production of a power transmission chain comprising a plurality of links, and a plurality of pins interconnecting the links arranged in a chain width direction, wherein each of the pins is fixed to the links by press-fitting;

• that said apparatus comprising:
• a first retaining jig of a disk-shape having a required number of pin insertion holes into which generally longitudinally half portions of said pins can be inserted, respectively;
• a second retaining jig of a disk-shape having a required number of pin insertion holes into which one end portions of said pins can be inserted, respectively;
• and
• a pressing jig for pressing each link into a predetermined position relative to said pins,
• wherein, after a generally one half of a required number of links, arranged in the chain width direction, are successively press-fitted by the pressing jig to all of said pins which are inserted into the pin insertion holes in the first retaining jig over a range from longitudinally-central portions of said pins to one end portions thereof,
• said pins having the generally one half of said links press-fitted thereto are inverted such that the one end portions and other end portions of the pins are reversed, and the one end portions of the pins are inserted into the pin insertion holes in the second retaining jig, and
• the remainder of the required number of links, arranged in the chain width direction, are successively press-fitted by the pressing jig to all of said inverted pins over a range from the longitudinally-central portions of said pins to the other end portions thereof.