CHAPTER Four: Torque Transmitting Joints: Keys, Spline Joints Pin Joints Interference Fit
CHAPTER Four: Torque Transmitting Joints: Keys, Spline Joints Pin Joints Interference Fit
• A key is a fastening
inserted into the keyway
of two mating parts,
it is used to transmit
torque from a shaft to
a hub or vice versa.
Types of Keys
1. Sunk keys
2. Saddle keys
3. Tangent keys,
4. Round keys
5. Splines.
Sunk Keys
The sunk keys are provided half in the keyway
of the shaft and half in the keyway of the hub or
boss of the pulley.
1. Rectangular sunk key. A rectangular sunk key
is shown
When the key material is same as that of the shaft, then τ = τ1.
l = 1.571 d
Effect of Keyways
•The keyway cut into the shaft reduces the load carrying
capacity of the shaft. This is due to the stress concentration
near the corners of the keyway and reduction in the cross-
sectional area of the shaft.
•It other words, the torsional strength of the shaft is
reduced. The following relation for the weakening effect
of the keyway is based on the experimental results by H.F.
Moore.
• It is usually assumed that the strength of the keyed
shaft is 75% of the solid shaft, which is somewhat
higher than the value obtained by the above relation.
• In case the keyway is too long and the key is of sliding
type, then the angle of twist is increased in the ratio kθ
as given by the following relation :
4.3 Pin Joint
safety pin
4.4 Splines
• Sometimes, keys are made integral with
the shaft which fits in the keyways
broached in the hub. Such shafts are
known as splined shafts
• These shafts usually have four, six, ten or
sixteen splines
• The splined shafts are used when the
force to be transmitted is large in
proportion to the size of the shaft as in
automobile transmission and sliding gear
transmissions.
• By using splined shafts, we obtain axial
movement as well as positive drive is
obtained
4.5 INTERFERENCE FIT
• An interference fit results in an interference between
two mating parts under all tolerance conditions.
26
Interference Fit
27
Example 1
• Design the rectangular key for a shaft of 50mm diameter. The shearing
and crushing stresses for the key material are 42MPa and 70MPa
Given:
d = 50mm; τ = 42MPa = 42 N/mm2; σc = 70MPa = 70N/mm2
Solution:
From Table , we find that for a shaft of 50mm diameter:
Width of key, w = 16mm
and thickness of key, t = 10mm
• Now the length of key is obtained by considering the key in shearing
and crushing:
Example 1
Considering shearing of the key. The shearing strength (or torque
transmitted) of the key:
T = l × w × τ × d/2 = l × 16 × 42 × 50/2
= 16 800l N-mm
The torsional shearing strength (or torque transmitted) of the shaft:
T = π/16 × τ1 × d3 = π/16 × 42 (50)3
= 1030000 N-mm
We get:
16 800l = 1030000
l = 61.31 mm
• Now considering crushing of the key.
Example 1