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Knu
Knu
8.1 Introduction
Knuckle joint is used to connect two rods subjected to axial tensile loads. It may also be used to support
the compressive load if the joint is guided. It is not suitable to connect rotating shafts which transmit
torque. Axes of the shafts to be joined should lie in the same plane and may coincide or intersect. Its
construction permits limited relative angular movement between rods, about the axis of the pin.
Knuckle joint is widely used to connect valve rod and eccentric rod, in the link of a cycle chain, levers, tie
rod joint for roof truss and many other links.
Knuckle Joint has mainly three components – eye, fork and pin as shown in Figure 8.1. Eye is formed on
one of the rods and fork is formed on the other. Eye fits inside the fork and the pin is passed through
both the fork and the eye. This pin is secured in its place by means of a split-pin. The ends of the rods
are made octagonal to some distance for better grip and are made square for some portion before it is
forged to make the eye and fork shapes.
L 8 fig.8.1(a)
L 8 fig.8.1
Notations Used
D = diameter of each rod (mm)
Figure 8.2 shows the free body diagrams of the three main components of knuckle joint subjected to a
tensile force P.
L 8 fig.8.2
In order to find out various dimensions of the parts of a knuckle joint, failures in different parts and at
different x-sections are considered. The stresses developed in the components should be less than the
corresponding permissible values of stress. So, for each type of failure, one strength equation is written
and these strength equations are then used to find various dimensions of the knuckle joint. Some
empirical relations are also used to find the dimensions.
L 8 eq.8.1
Total Area that resiststhe shear failure = \[2\left( {\frac{\pi }{4}{d^2}} \right)\]
L 8 eq.8.2
L 8 eq.8.4
When the pin is tight in the eye and fork, failure occurs due to shear, but when it is loose, it is subjected
to bending moment as shown in Figure 8.5. It is assumed that: Load acting on the pin is uniformly
distributed in the eye and uniformly varying in the two parts of the fork.
L 8 eq.8.5
Where,
\[I = \frac{{\pi {d^4}}}{{64}}andy = \frac{d}{2}\]
L 8 eq.8.6
L 8 eq.8.7
Some standard proportions for dimensions of the knuckle joint are taken as:
Dimensions can be determined using these empirical relations and the strength equations can be then
used as a check. By doing so the standard proportions of the joint can be maintained. The other method,
of designing it, can be making the use of above strength equations to find the dimensions
mathematically.
ii) Calculate D1 for each rod using empirical relation \[{D_1} = 1.1D\]
iii) Calculate dimensions a and b also using empirical relations a = 0.75 D & b = 1.25 D
iv) Calculate diameter of the pin by shear and bending consideration and select the diameter
which is maximum. \[\frac{P}{{2\left\{ {\frac{\pi }{4}{d^2}} \right\}}} = \left[ \tau\right]\] and
\[\frac{{My}}{{I}} = \left[ \sigma\right]\]
vi) Check the tensile, crushing and shear stresses in the eye
L 8 eq.vi
vii) Check the tensile, crushing and shear stresses in the fork
L 8 eq.vii
L 8 example
L 8 example fig