Thanks, Ted. I think I have a few new master links for 1*3/16 ROLLER chain, that my mother-in-law found somewhere and gave me. They look strange, because they are very short, just spanning the space between the close-together rollers. Those who are desperate may contact me.
thanks harvey sachs mcLean va 22101
Class time.
Are we talking 1" roller or block chain?
Diamond roller chains had the master male half of the link with the rivets
that came through the link and protruded out the other side maybe 3/32".
These two pegs not rivets had a cutout around the peg and the clip on plate
was drilled so that the holes fit into the slot with the proper dimension.
To install, one bends the chain so that the pegs get closer and the plate
falls over and locks into the slot.
The beveled edge is up or out, the sharp edge goes down or in as it were,
and that sharp edge lets the plate pop off easier when the two pegs are
"squeezed/ compressed closer.
The older Diamond chains had a "hear it snap" stamped into the locking
plate.
This was probably a Diamond copyright.
If your link has one side in the chain, and the other not, take a narrow
plier and squeeze the exposed peg and the roller where the other peg is in
the chain, and you should be able to get enuf pressure on the pegs to
compress them close enuf so that the plate can be removed.
Then you can turn the plate around and do it correctly when you put the
chain on the bike.
If you indeed do have a "block" chain, then I suspect it's not a correct
master.
I've not seen a snap link on a block chain that was later than the '10's
maybe '20's.
The English and others often used a nut and screw, where the master plate
was threaded on one side. The little screw was installed and the nut
screwed
on and then tapped with a hammer to keep the nut from coming off and the
chain from coming apart. The tightness of the master link could be adjusted
for play using the screw and nut.
Many block chain makers used a "C" clip that went into the slotted pegs.
The
loose plate was there to keep the pegs in the proper distance, the "C" clip
acted as a keeper when pushed into position.I think Diamond was the only
one
that used the little spring and plate over the two pegs.
One leg of the spring which looks like a skinny wire "C" clip in that it
also fits into the slot/channel in the pegs.
One leg went under the other like crossed legs and the keeper spring outer
leg had a little arc in it where it went over the inner leg as it crossed
over and locked into the channel.
You can interchange some of the block masters if the pegs/rivets are the
same size and the pegs are the same length to fit properly.
Some chains have different diameter pegs/rivets/studs so they are either
too
loose or too big and won't go into the rivet hole in the block.
If you have a genuine block chain and a roller master, then it won't work.
The two types aren't interchangeable because the link sizes are reversed on
block and roller chains even tho they are both 1x3/16" and will fit the
same
chainrings and cogs.
Now it's your turn to see what you have and hopefully this will help you
make it happy so you can ride it.
Happy 4th!
Ted Ernst
Palos Verdes Estates
CA USA