Method for manufacturing a high strength, non-metallic transmission chain

A method for making a high strength non-metallic chain including a plurality of overlapping chain sidebars connected by chain pins, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a wide flattened filament wound tube, the step of forming the wide flattened filament wound tube including
• providing a continuous strand of high strength filamentary material wetted with an uncured resin,
• convolutely winding the wetted strand under tension onto a mandrel, each winding of the wetted strand forming an elongated loop with elongated generally parallel sides joined at their ends by symmetrical and identical curved ends, and with the wound strands being substantially parallel and evenly distributed across the width of the mandrel, the winding of the wetted strand being achieved by rotating the mandrel about an axis of rotation and the wetted strand being maintained under tension and defining a substantially consistent angle of approximately 90.degree. with respect to the axis of rotation of the mandrel,
• curing the resin of the flattened filament wound tube to form a matrix fixing the strand to form a hardened filament wound tube,
• (b) cutting the formed wide flattened filament wound tube into a plurality of parallel chain sidebars, the cuts extending parallel to the direction of winding of the strand, each of the sidebars having opposite curved ends,
• (c) providing cylindrical chain pins comprised of high strength, corrosion resistant material, providing bushings comprised of a non-metallic, corrosion resistant material characterized by a low coefficient of friction relative to the material of the sidebars and chain pins, disposing one of the bushings in each of the opposite curved ends of the sidebars, assembling the chain sidebars, bushings, and chain pins to form a chain, the bushings being joined together by the chain pins such that a first pair of chain sidebars are joined to a second pair of chain sidebars in overlapping relation to form a chain with the bushings disposed between the connecting pins and sidebars for free rotation of the bushings relative to the pins, providing means for retaining the bushings and thereby the chain sidebars on the cylindrical chain pins, and causing the retaining means to retain the bushings and thereby the chain sidebars on the chain pins.