UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES FOUNDATION

(USPF)

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE

Department of Mechanical Engineering.

PLATE 4
KEYS AND COUPLINGS

Submitted by: Submitted to:

JORAQ L. YANIS ELY P. DIMAGIBA,

PME

BSME-4 INSTRUCTOR
PROBLEM 1
A pulley fastened by a rectangular key to a shaft transmits 60 kW at 600 rpm. The allowable
shearing stress in the shaft is 28 MPa and in the key is 24 MPa.

Given:

P= 60 kW Ss=28 MPa (for shaft)

N= 600 rpm Ss= 24 MPa (for key)

Solution:

a. Find the torque transmitted in kN-m.

From,

P=2 πTN

Rearrange and make T the subject

P
T=
2 πN

60 kW
T=
rev
600
2π
( )
60
min
sec
min

T =0.9549 kN ∙ m

b. Solve for the shaft diameter in mm.

From,

16 T
Ss =
π D3

kN 16 ( 0.9549 kN−m )
28 000 =
m2 π D3

1000 mm
D=0.0558 m×
1m

D=55.794 mm
 c. Find the force acting on the key in kN.

From,

T =F ( D2 )
2× ( 0.9549 kN−m)
F=
0.0558 m

F=34.23 kN

d. Applying good practice, find the width of the key in mm

From Ss in the key D= 55.794mm

D
w=
4

55.794 mm
w=
4

w=13.9485 mm

e. Find the required length of the key in mm.

F
Ss =
wL

F
L=
w ( Ss )

34.23 kN
L=
kN
(
13.9485 mm 24 × 10
−3

mm2 )
L=102.251 mm
PROBLEM 2
Enumerate and show photocopies of the different keys and types including splines, briefly
give the description and uses of each type.

There are two basic types of key:

(a)  SADDLE KEYS, which are sunk into the hub only. These keys are suitable only for
light duty, since they rely on a friction drive alone.

Hollow saddle keys are used for very light duty, fig. (a) Below.
Flat saddle keys are used for light duty, fig. (b) Below.
Round keys are used for medium duty, fig. (c) Below.

(b) SUNK KEYS, which are sunk into the shaft and into the hub for half their thickness in
each. These keys are suitable for heavy duty, since they rely on positive drive.

Feather Key is used when the hub is required to slide along the shaft. It is lightly
fitted or secured by means of screws in the shaft keyway, and is made to slide in the
hub keyway, fig. (a) below.
Rectangular and square keys can be parallel or tapered with a basic taper of 1 in 100
to prevent sliding. These keys are used for heavy-duty applications. It is advised to
use square keys for assembly-drawing solutions. Gib heads are sometimes provided
on taper keys to facilitate their withdrawal, fig. (b) and fig. (c) below.
 
Woodruff key is an almost semi-circular disc which fits into a circular keyway in the
shaft. The top art of the key stands proud of the shaft and fits into the keyway in the
parallel or tapered hub. As the key can rotate in the keyway, it can fit any tapered hole
in the hub, fig. (a) Below.
A splined shaft is used when the hub is required to slide along the shaft. These shafts
are used mostly for sliding-gear applications. The splines are usually milled and the
splined holes broached, fig (b) below.
Square-head set screws and grub screws are also used for low-torque applications,
fig. (c) Below.
If the torque to be transmitted is too great for one grubs crew or key, two may use set
at 90o to 120o around the shaft, but never at 180o.
  
TYPES OF SPLINES

There are several types of splines.

Parallel key spline- where the sides of the equally spaced grooves are parallel in both
directions, radial and axial.

Involute spline- where the sides of the equally spaced grooves are involute, as with an
involute gear, but not as tall. The curves increase strength by decreasing stress
concentrations.

Crowned splines- where the sides of the equally spaced grooves are usually involute, but the
male teeth are modified to allow for misalignment.

Serrations- where the sides of the equally spaced grooves form a "V". These are used on
small-diameter shafts.

Helical splines- where the equally spaced grooves form a helix about the shaft. The sides
may be parallel or involute. This can either minimize stress concentrations for a stationary
joint under high load, or allow for rotary and linear motion between the parts.

Ball splines- where the "teeth" of the outer part are implemented with a ball bearing to allow
for free linear motion even under high torque.
 Involute Spline Serration Helical Spline

Ball Splines

PROBLEM 3

A flange coupling is used to connect two shafts by means of five bolts on a 100mm diameter
bolt circle, the power transmitted is 60 Hp at 600 rpm. Design torsional stress for the shafts is
7500 psi, determine the following:

Given:

n= 5 N= 600 rpm

Db= 100mm Ss= 7,500 psi

P= 60 hp

Solution:
 a. Diameter of the shaft in mm.

From,

16 T
Ss =
π D3

Make T the subject,

S s D3 π
T=
16

Using,

P=2 πTN

Substitute T in equation,

2 π 2 Ss D3 N
P=
16

lb−ft lb rev
60 hp ( 33000
min
)
×12∈ ¿ =
( ¿) (
2 π 2 7500 2 D3 600 )
min
¿
1 hp 1 ft 16

25.4 mm
D=1.624 ∈×
1∈¿¿

D=41.24 mm

b. Torque transmitted in kN-m.

P=2 πTN

P
T=
2 πN

kW
60 hp ×0.746
hp
T=
rev
600
2π
60
min
sec
min
( )
T =0.7124 kN−m

c. Force acting on the bolts in kN.

Db
T =F b ( )
2

2T
F b=
Db

2 ( 0.7124 kN −m )
F b=
1m
100 mm×
1000 mm

F b=14.25 kN

d. Diameter of the bolts in mm, if the design stress of the bolt is 12 N/mm2.

Fb
Ss =
n ( π4 ) d2

Fb
d=

√ n ( π4 ) S
14.25× 103 N
s

d=

√ ( )(
5

d=17.389mm
π
4
12
N
mm
2 )

e. Width of the key in mm.

D
w=
4

41.24 mm
w=
4

w=10.31 mm