When did the change from skiptooth to regular chain occur?

[Balloonoob]

I want to say around '54 or '55 is when the last skip tooth chains were used. CWC, Schwinn and I want to say Shelby and possibly other companies were using them into the 50s.
Prior to that, both types of chain were used simultaneously for a long time.

It seems to be a somewhat common misconception that skip tooth = pre WWII. Same goes for rear facing drop outs with adjuster screws. A few companies were still using those into the 50s as well.

Take Schwinn for example, typically using 1/2" pitch on higher end models, and 1" on lower end models.

Thanks Jay for the insight. I had known that there were exceptions to the skiptooth dating but was unaware of the backdrops. It seems that some of the common tells used to determine age should be considered guidelines..... Not necessarily rules.

 

[5760rj]

don't know if this pertains to this conversations but I was surprised to see this type of spocket used so early with the 1/2" pitch on a 1917 No.1758 world truss frame model , well I learned a little bit today thanks, after reading the other comments

 

[Archie Sturmer]

Roller chain had its benefits, but re-designing (i.e., changing) the sprockets, or the manufacturing tooling also had its costs.
For a while, rather than a cost savings, retaining existing tooling, and not taking deliberate actions for changing designs, may have been more of a cost avoidance, while still delivering performance deemed acceptable for many years prior, and perhaps still so then.

Was there an associated "change" for motorcycles?

Were the early 1/2" pitch chains considered foreign import parts, not made here (US)?

 

[GTs58]

I want to say around '54 or '55 is when the last skip tooth chains were used. CWC, Schwinn and I want to say Shelby and possibly other companies were using them into the 50s.
Prior to that, both types of chain were used simultaneously for a long time.

It seems to be a somewhat common misconception that skip tooth = pre WWII. Same goes for rear facing drop outs with adjuster screws. A few companies were still using those into the 50s as well.

Take Schwinn for example, typically using 1/2" pitch on higher end models, and 1" on lower end models.

Hmmmm, there is no such thing as a rear facing drop out. What you are describing is a rear fork or rear fork end. A typical drop out is never facing the rear, it's facing forward whether horizontal or angled somewhat downward with some types being vertical. The design of the "drop out" was for easier removal of the rear wheel not having to mess with the chain or adjusters first. Schwinn started using the drop out on a few pre war models, I believe in 1939.

 

[Jay81]

Hmmmm, there is no such thing as a rear facing drop out. What you are describing is a rear fork. A drop out is always facing forward whether it's horizontal or angled somewhat downward. The design of the "drop out" was for easier removal of the rear wheel not having to mess with the chain or adjusters. Schwinn started using the drop out on a few pre war models, I believe in 1939.

And yet, many people call them rear facing drop outs. Regardless of what anyone wants to call them, my point remains the same.

 

[Brian R.]

CCM (Canada Cycle & Motor) made the change on all models sometime between 1908 and 1915. Here is a CCM bike from a brochure known to be published between 1911 and 1915:

 

[Adamtinkerer]

Murray was probably the last in '55, they may have had more existing stock to use up.

 

[bikejunk]

I have bikes on both ends a British built bike from about 1900 with Reynolds 1/2 inch chain drive and a girls 20 inch bike from the 70's with inch pitch