Patent ID: 7427251

Claim:
A method of assembling a bicycle roller chain having a plurality of outer chain links having outer link plates, a plurality of inner chain links having inner link plates, a plurality of tubular pins joining the outer and inner chain links and having first and second ends, each of the outer and inner link plates having two broader ends, a hole for receiving the tubular pin and a narrower middle part joining the two broader ends, and a plurality of rollers arranged around the pins, the rollers interact with tooth gaps of a tooth system of a least one gear, the holes in the outer chain links having an outwardly-opening conical contour, the pins made from tube stock, the method comprising the steps of: assembling the pin in the roller chain; providing a stamping tool having first and second punches; inserting the first punch into the first end of the tubular pin and the second punch into the second end of the tubular pin; deforming the pin heads radially outwardly along the outwardly-opening conical contour of the outer chain links with an expansion cone of the first and second punches; and deforming the pin heads axially with a calibration surface of the first and second punches, the calibration surface controlling the depth of penetration of the first and second punches within the tubular pin to define the deformed length of the pin.