Shafts and Associated Components

Shafts are used in almost all types of

machines and mechanical systems. A shaft,
in general, is a long narrow rotating
member, usually having a circular cross-
section, that is used to transmit power or
motion. Shafts are also used for mounting
elements such as gears, pulleys, sprockets,
flywheels, cranks, etc. and providing an axis
of rotation (or oscillation) for these
elements.
 The term axle is sometimes used interchangeably with the term shaft, such as in
automobiles for instance, though they are different. An axle by definition is a
non-rotating member that carries no torque and is used to support rotating
wheels, pulleys, and such elements.
 The term spindle is sometimes used to refer to a short shaft or to the end of a
shaft where an element such as a hub, rotor, chuck, etc. is mounted (such as in
eclectic motors and machining equipment).

Shafts may be subjected to different types of loads; torque, moment, axial force,
radial force, or any combination of them depending on the type of configuration of
the mechanical elements mounted on it. When designing a shaft, its diameter is
determined such that the shaft will be able to carry the loads imposed on it under
some given stress or deflection requirements.
In general, the two main geometric parameters used for defining a
shaft is its diameter and length. In some cases, shafts may come as
a simple circular solid or hollow rod of constant diameter (for
instance hollow shafts are used for the drive shafts of automobiles).
However, in most cases, shafts have varying diameter in order to
accommodate and provide the necessary support for the different
elements that are mounted on them. A shaft with varying diameter
is referred to as a stepped shaft.
Stepped shafts are commonly used when elements that cause axial, or thrust,
loading (such as helical or bevel gears) are to be mounted on the shaft. The shoulder
of a stepped section provides a support that prevents axial movement of such
elements. Also, the use of stepped shafts provides means for accurately positioning
the different components that are mounted on the shaft by placing them against
the shoulder. Sometimes a sleeve (a hollow cylinder that fits around the shaft) may

MENG 204 - Mechanical Drawing Lecture Notes by: Dr. Ala Hijazi

Shafts and Associated Components Page 1 of 8

be used to provide support to prevent axial
movement. Sleeves are used in situations where the
use of a step-up section is not possible (for assembly
considerations) or not practical. The figure shows an
example where a worm gear is positioned between
the shoulder of a stepped section from one side and a
sleeve from the other side.

Axial Layout of Shafts

The axial positioning of components on a shaft is often dictated by considerations
related to the intended function and the way they need to be connected with other
mating components or by the layout of the housing. The general guidelines for the
configuration of shafts are as follows:
 Shafts should be kept short to minimize bending moments and deflections.
 Some axial space between components is desirable to allow for lubricant flow
and to provide access space for disassembly of components.
 Load-carrying components should be placed near the bearings, again to
minimize the bending moment at the locations that will likely have stress
concentrations, and to minimize the deflection at the load-carrying
components.
 Load-carrying components should be positioned between bearings rather
than being cantilevered outboard of the bearings.
 Pulleys and sprockets usually need to be mounted outboard for ease of
installation of the belt or chain. In such cases, the length of the cantilever
should be kept as short as possible in order to minimize the deflection.
 Only two bearings should be used in most cases. However, for extremely long
shafts carrying several load-carrying components, it may be necessary to
provide more than two bearing supports. In this case, particular care must be
given to the alignment of the bearings.

Support and Transfer of Loads and Torque

The components mounted on a shaft must be accurately located in order to line up
with other mating components, and they must be securely held in position. In
general, a component mounted on a shaft may directly impose four types of load on
the shaft; radial load, axial load, bending moment, and torque.
The bending moment, radial and axial loads need to be supported by the shaft in
order to prevent components from moving out of position, while the torque needs
to be transmitted by the shaft to other rotating components.

MENG 204 - Mechanical Drawing Lecture Notes by: Dr. Ala Hijazi

Shafts and Associated Components Page 2 of 8

Radial loads and moments are supported by the shaft by default without the need
for any other means. However, axial loads, when present, might cause components
to slide axially along the shaft and thus some special means are needed to support
the axial loads:
 The primary means used for supporting axial loads is the shoulder of the
stepped shaft.
 Sometimes when the axial loads are reasonably low, elements such as sleeves
between components or retaining rings in grooves can be used.
 In cases where axial loads are very small, it may be feasible to rely on pins,
press fits, or setscrews to maintain an axial location.
Most shafts serve to transmit torque from an input gear or pulley, through the
shaft, to an output gear or pulley. Using press fit between the shaft and the
components provides friction that prevents relative rotation between the
components and the shaft. However, in all practical cases that friction will not be
sufficient to transfer the torque. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a means for
transferring the torque between the shaft and the components mounted on it such
as gears or pulleys. Common torque-transfer elements are; keys, splines, pins and
setscrews.

Keys
Keys are used to enable the transmission of torque
from the shaft to the shaft-supported element. A Key
is a non-permanent fastening device that is inserted
at the joint of a shaft and other component mounted
on it, such as a gear or pulley, in order to attach
them together and prevent any relative rotation.
In order to install a key, a key-seat is cut in the shaft
and a keyway is cut in the surrounding part and the
key fits tightly in between the two and prevents
motion.
There are four common types of keys (as shown in the
figure):
 Square key: it can have a square or rectangular cross-section. The key with
rectangular cross-section is sometimes referred to as flat key.
 Gib head key: it has a rectangular cross-section (sometimes the cross-section is
tapered) with a head added for easy removal from the assembly.

MENG 204 - Mechanical Drawing Lecture Notes by: Dr. Ala Hijazi

Shafts and Associated Components Page 3 of 8

  Pratt and Whitney key: it is rectangular in shape and has rounded ends in the
shape of a semicircle.
 Woodruff key: it takes the shape of a semicircle (less than a half of a circle),
with a full radius or a flat bottom.

In common practice, usually the term Parallel keys is used to refer to keys of
rectangular or square cross-section with squared or rounded ends.
Rectangular keys are specified by their height, width, and length (H × W × L).
The dimensions of keys are standardized and they are classified in different sizes in
terms of height and width (3×5, 4×6, 5×8,....., 12×36). Also, the recommended key
size is determined according to the shaft diameter and such information is usually
given in tabulated form.

Pins
Pins are used to fasten the shaft-supported elements to the shaft where they will
prevent the axial movement, that might result from thrust load, and at the same
time enable the transmission of torque.
The simplest type of pins is the Straight pin which has a circular-cross section and it
is specified by its diameter and length.
Pins can be used in different ways to fix
the shaft to the surrounding element.
The figure shows three different ways of
using pins. In the first case the pin is
used in a configuration similar to that of
keys and in such case it is referred to as a round key. The most commonly used
configuration for using pins is the radial configuration (the image in the middle).
In order to insert a pin, a hole of the same nominal diameter is drilled in the shaft
and the surrounding element, then the pin is tightly inserted (usually under
interference type of fit) through the two holes. However, it is not feasible to drill a
radial hole through a gear or a pulley, therefore the gear or pulley needs to have a

MENG 204 - Mechanical Drawing Lecture Notes by: Dr. Ala Hijazi

Shafts and Associated Components Page 4 of 8

Hub into which the pin is inserted. Otherwise, an external hub or a collar may be
used.

Pins are specified by their nominal diameter and length (d × L).

Pins are not only used for connecting shafts to the surrounding components, where
they are used for other applications as well (such as positioning components
accurately during assembly, making rotational joints between linkages, etc.).
Therefore many different types of pins are available, and these types include:
 Tapered pins: Tapered pins are typically used to fasten
hubs or collars to shafts when the loads are small.
According to ISO standards, the size of a tapered pin is
specified by to the diameter at the small end and the
length (the diameter of the large end is used to specify the pin size according to
the American standard). Tapered pins have a fixed taper angle of 1% (i.e.,
about 0.57 degree).
 Grooved pins: Grooved pins are similar to straight pins but they have axial
grooves (three groves) on their surfaces. The grooves could extend over the
entire length of the pin or part of the length.
The purpose of the grooves is to make it easier
to compress the pin such that it can be
installed tightly into smaller holes.
 Spring pins: Spring pins are hollow cylindrical pins with an
axial cut along their length. The cut makes them more
flexible and that enables them to be squeezed into smaller
holes. They are usually used for making pin joints
connecting linkages.

MENG 204 - Mechanical Drawing Lecture Notes by: Dr. Ala Hijazi

Shafts and Associated Components Page 5 of 8

  Dowel pins: Dowel pins are cylindrical or
conical in shape and they are usually used to
keep two parts in a fixed position or to
preserve the alignment during and after
assembly. They are usually used where
accurate alignment is essential. Dowel pins
are sometimes made from wood or plastic
according to the type of application in which
they will be used.
 Clevis pins: Clevis pins are used in a clevis and they are
usually held in place by cotter pins.
 Cotter pins: Cotter pins are used to keep parts in
position. A cotter pin has a round head and ends that
are bent after assembly to be locked in position. Cotter
pins are typically used with slotted nuts to keep the
nuts from being loosened. Another type of cotter pins is
the Hairpin cotter which has a preformed shape and
behaves like a locking spring to keep parts such clevis
pins in position.

Splines
Splines are axial teeth surrounding the circumference of a
shaft. A shaft having spline teeth is referred to as spline
shaft. Splines are used when the torque that needs to be
transferred between a shaft and the surrounding elements is
large proportional to the shaft diameter (such as the ends of
an automobile drive shaft).
Splines are somehow similar to keys where it is like having
multiple keys around the circumference of the shaft.
However, unlike keys, splines are integral with the shaft as well as the surrounding
element which is splined to the shaft. The use of splines is better than using keys
since they provide a more uniform circumferential
transfer of torque to the shaft than a key, and
because they are an integral part of the shaft they do
not weaken the shaft such as a key-seat does.
Several types of splines are available but the two
major types of splines used in industry are the
straight-tooth splines and the involute splines. The
straight-tooth splines (shown in the figure) are the

MENG 204 - Mechanical Drawing Lecture Notes by: Dr. Ala Hijazi

Shafts and Associated Components Page 6 of 8

most widely used because they are easier to manufacture. The main parameters
used for defining a splined shaft or hub are the major diameter "𝐷", the number of
teeth, and the tooth width "𝑊" and height "ℎ" as illustrated in the figure. According
to standards, the number of teeth could be 4, 6, 10 or 16. Also, the tooth width and
height are proportional to the major diameter and the number of teeth.
Three types of fits are used for spline shafts where they could be permanent (tight),
slide under load, or slide without load (loose).

Retaining Rings
A retaining ring is a fastening element that holds
components onto a shaft or in a housing bore.
Retaining rings are installed in circumferential
grooves that are made, in the shaft or bore, to
accommodate them. Once installed, the exposed
portion of the retaining ring acts as a shoulder that
supports the adjacent components and prevents
them from moving axially.
Retaining rings are divided into two main categories;
Internal retaining rings which fit in bores and
External retaining rings which fit around shafts. The
figure shows the two basic configurations of internal
and external rings.
A special tool (pliers) with two tips that go inside the ring holes is used to move the
two ends of the ring apart from each other or closer to each other in order to
enable the installation (or removal) of the retaining ring.
Retaining rings usually fit tightly on the circular
surface of the groove, but there will be some
clearance between side surfaces of the ring and
the groove where the width of the groove is
made to be slightly bigger than that of the ring.
There are various types of retaining rings where
each type could be more suitable for certain
types of applications. Some of the common types
of retaining rings are shown in the figure and they
are: inverted retaining rings, beveled retaining
rings, E-type retaining rings, and C-type retaining
rings. The E-type and C-type retaining rings are
sometimes referred to as clip-rings.

MENG 204 - Mechanical Drawing Lecture Notes by: Dr. Ala Hijazi

Shafts and Associated Components Page 7 of 8

Flexible Shafts
Flexible shafts offer an important
advantage over traditional solid shafts
where they can transmit power between
a motor and a driven machine whose
rotational axes are at an angle or where
the angle may change. In such cases,
flexible shafts may often be an
economical solution since otherwise it
will be necessary to resort to the use of
other types of costly mechanical elements
(belts, chains, or gears, together with bearings and supports associated with them).
Also, the use of flexible shafts for power transmission may reduce noise
considerably.
Flexible shafts are similar in construction to cables or ropes where they are made by
winding several layers of wire around a central core.

MENG 204 - Mechanical Drawing Lecture Notes by: Dr. Ala Hijazi

Shafts and Associated Components Page 8 of 8