1LLUSTRATED S O U R C E B O O K

of

MECHANICAL COMPONENTS

I N T R O D U C T IO N

efore the reader or user embarks upon a tour of this sourcebook or

even randomly leafs through its pages, it should be noted that both
the detailed Table of Contents (at the.beginning of each Section) and

the cross-referenced Index will serve to find specific topi?

T h e format has

been structured to insure user-friendliness.

Great effort was taken to arrange each Section and its contents to present a
logical continuity, as well as a speedy locate for specific material.

THE COAAPONENn

he building blocks of mechanical mechanisms consist of many typical individual components; just as electrons protons and neutrons are basic parts of an atom. In each case,

these pieces must be properly selected and precisely arranged in a predetermined pattern to
result in a functioning unit. As each assembly is fit into a larger and more complex device,
the individual component becomes less and less noticeable, until a malfunction occurs.
Remember the Challengers O-ring which triggered a chain of events that resulted in a
terrible accident. Think of the literally hundreds of thousands of separate components that
performed properly in the space shuttle, the support equipment and control facilities. Yet,
apparently, one individual component failed and the world focused its attention on that
specific part for months. Similar catastrophic events have been recorded reminding one of
the story that ends with the phrase, For the lack of a nail the kingdom was lost.Therefore,
the weakest link in a chain is the one that fails first and thereby instantly becomes the most
important component. Whether its an automobile that wont start or a lock that will not
open, it usually is caused by a single mechanical component gone awry. We must never
underestimate the importance of each specific component in any mechanical design and
how it fits into the total mechanism.

XIV

he origin of many classic mechanical components, illustrated in this sourcebook, date

back to the Greek and Roman civilizations. Others have their roots in the Renaissance,

while scores were developed during the modern era of industrial development. As tools and
machinery became more refined, designs of mechanical components were also improved.
Standards were organized so each typical component had fixed tolerances for manufacture;
thereby insuring common usage and interchangeability.

efore continuing our discussion, it seems prudent to pause for a moment and reflect upon
how much we are indebted to those who preceded us. Modern innovators generally owe

a debt of gratitude to those earlier and most often anonymous inventive geniuses. Most of
the building blocks on which modern technology rests are the work of unheralded engineers,
craftsmen, inventors, millwrights and artisans who left models, descriptions and drawings
as their only legacy. Hopefully, this sourcebook will instill in the reader a respect for their
invaluable contributions.
Modern wonders of design such as the jet engine, antilock brake system, computer hard-drive,
industrial robot and the multi-use laser, utilize basic mechanical components. Upon inspection

of these units, one sees springs, pins, fasteners, rings, washers, gears, cams, and many other
standard components. These individual components have an unlimited variety of applications

in larger and more complex mechanisms.

Over four centuries ago the Renaissance genius, Leonardo da Vinci, drafted hundreds of
engineering drawings and notebook sketches of his mechanical designs and technological
dreams. Fortunately for us, many have been preserved in his personal manuscripts and have
been reproduced. The emerging mechanical technology of that era certainly was a major
milestone upon which the industrial revolution sprang. It is assumed that da Vincis ingenious
ideas could not have been universally disseminated had it not been for the printed page.
Therefore, in the spirit that motivated Leonardo and others like him, this sourcebook is
dedicated to continue that tradition by preserving basic, practical and innovative design
information for dissemination.

THE DESIGN:

ood designs rarely come easy. They are generally developed over an extended period;
often through experiments, trial & error or structured research and development.

When experience is insufficient, a prudent designer consults his technical library and reference
files. Therefore, the professional designer who has a broad resource will have a distinct
advantage in arriving at a solution. Often designs that were originally developed for one
purpose can be slightly modified or easily retrofitted to serve an entirely different solution.

In the proper setting and with well illustrated reference material, the designer can review
past designs and concepts which should inspire and trigger new arrangements of mechanical
components to serve innovative uses.

THE ARm

he art of good mechanical design is a topic seldom discussed. Perhaps it is because the
main purpose is to solve a specific problem by producing a machine or mechanism.

The grace of geometry and the flow of its contour somehow is not paramount and is lost in
its higher calling. Nevertheless, it is this writers opinion that good mechanical design has an
elegance or grace that reveals an artistic expression. Everyone acknowledges the beauty of a
well designed automobile or a piece of quality furniture. In the same token, we should see the
beauty in the precision of a gear train or a mechanical watch mechanism. The splendor with
which each part interacts with its companion to blend, unassumingly, into the whole. That
mathematical and mechanical beauty which is displayed is above and beyond its function
and should be classified as a work of art.
The ability to visualize a mechanical device, containing various individual components
arranged in position to perform a task, and then accurately record that idea on paper in graphic
form, is apparently not a common skill. One must be naturally able to think in pictures and
either through training or inherited talent sufficiently skilled to draft the device on to paper.
Up until the development of modern drafting principles and the refinement of perspective
drawing, man was severely limited in his graphic representations. A combination of art,
mathematics, visual proportions, geometry, cross-sectioning, drafting aids and standardization
orthographic projection are all needed, in addition to the individual, to produce a truly
accurate presentation on paper. This vehicle carries the three dimensional concept from
one persons mind to anothers. Truly, a picture is worth a thousand words. This form of
communication is not only a technical transmitter, but on another level can be considered
an art form.

W . N , WOODRUFF.
SHAFT KEY.

P a t e n t e d +4ug, 23, 1887.

No, 368,744,

Fig. 2 .

np.4

FAY. 5.

J k y . 6.

XVI I

A good painting has mathematical balance, eye appeal, harmony, conveys a message and
pleases the viewer. A well conceived mechanical design has all of these segments. I have
viewed thousands of technical drawings during my life that have literally been a vision of
beauty. Many have inspired new concepts and mechanical innovations. The very spark that
ignited a fresh idea as if one has, for a brief moment, stepped into another mind and shared
the idea. Often, just browsing through various technical drawings, something is set in motion
in ones own mind that triggers a chain of events that is reminiscent of touring a museum of
technology; i.e. the gateway to innovation.

had the pleasure to work briefly with a fine gentlemen by the name of William Edgerton in
the early 1980s. Bill developed a section on chains & sprockets for me which was included

in the Mechanical Components Handbook that I edited. At that time, he had served 37 years as
chief engineer at Whitney Chain Company.
Upon his retirement in 1985, he wrote me praising the recent publication of MCH. In that
letter, Bill noted that Clarence Whitney purchased William Woodruffs patent and his small
factory in 1896 and was the sole producer of Woodruff keys until the patent expired. He said
that the original patent document, complete with ribbon, was given to him as a souvenir of his
decades of service to Whitney Chain. Bill was kind enough to send me a copy of Woodruffs
patent and the figure illustrations are reproduced here. Note the masterful simplicity and basic
geometry of this universal component which has stood the test of time. This is an excellent
example of a single component that revolutionized mechanical technology and continues, to
this day, as an element in countless assemblies. This is a true testimony to its inventor; whose
ame will always be tied to its identification.

THE RAIL:

n the fall of 1830, a brilliant engineer, named Robert Livingston Stevens was on a ship
crossing the Atlantic Ocean headed for England. His mission was to purchase a locomotive

and rail tracks for his familys infant Camden & Amboy Railroad which recently received a
New Jersey charter and was destined to be one of the first railways in the United States.
Robert was the second generation of a three generation lineage, known as Americas First
Family of Inventors. For three generations, the Stevenses of New Jersey displayed their

XVIII

inventive genius in naval warfare equipment, steamboats, agriculture, railroads and a

variety of other technical pursuits.
During his passage to England, Robert became concerned with the faulty design of the
rail tracks currently being produced. Most of the tracks were iron straps connected t o

wood rails. T h e straps tended to loosen and often pierced the carriage underside. This

accepted world-wide and became the industry standard. Even to this day, Stevens basic
rail design is still in use. Thus proving that a good design is universal and will stand the
test of time.

As a footnote, Stevens later designed the spike that fastens the rail to the tie and the fish
plate that connects the rail ends to each other. He also simplified railway construction by
introducing crushed rock as the embedment for wooden ties.

XIX

ASSEMBLm

he end product is the final assembly of mechanical components into a device, machine,
system or mechanism. With this in mind, several sections at the later portion of this

sourcebook illustrate many innovative and complex assemblies. As you study these assemblies,
be continually aware of the individual components and their linkage to one another.

THE S U M M A R m

- e must never forget the inheritance that was left to us by our predecessors who
struggled with technical problems and developed innovative solutions to complex

situations. This sourcebook attempts, in a small way, to honor those inventive and resourceful
individuals; many of which remain unknown. Their creative skills and adaptability have fueled
the advancement of technology for untold centuries. While most of the names remain unsung
because records are lacking, this sourcebook has made every effort to faithfully list the original
contributor of each presentation reproduced herein, if reliability available. The engineers,
designers, technicians, inventors and artisans who generously shared their ideas and took the
time to prepare the original material reveals the spirit of the true professional. They certainly
represent the heart or spark plug of technology.

ROBERT 0.
PARMLEY, P.E.
Editor-in-Chief