Keys and Couplings

Key
A key is a piece of steel inserted between
the shaft and hub or boss of the pulley to
connect these together in order to prevent
relative motion between them.
It is always inserted parallel to the axis of
the shaft.
Keys are used as temporary fastenings and
are subjected to considerable crushing and
shearing stresses.
A keyway is a slot or recess in a shaft and
hub of the pulley to accommodate a key.
Keys
Classifications
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
or gear.
Types
a. Rectangular
b. Square
c. Parallel
d. Gibhead
e. Woodruff
Rectangular Sunk Keys
Square Sunk Keys
 Parallel Sunk Keys

The parallel sunk keys may be of

rectangular or square section uniform in
width and thickness throughout. It may
be noted that a parallel key is a taperless
and is used where the pulley, gear or
other mating part is required to slide
along the shaft.
Gib head Keys
Gib head Keys
It is a rectangular sunk key with a head at one end known as gib head.
It is usually provided to facilitate the removal of key.
 Feather keys
A key attached to one member of a pair and which permits relative axial
movement of the other is known as feather key.
It is a special key of parallel type which transmits a turning moment and also
permits axial movement.
It is fastened either to the shaft or hub, the key being a sliding fit in the key way
of the moving piece.
Woodruff keys
 Woodruff Keys
The woodruff key is an easily adjustable key. It is a piece from a cylindrical disc
having segmental cross-section in front view as shown. A woodruff key is
capable of tilting in a recess milled out in the shaft by a cutter having the same
curvature as the disc from which the key is made. This key is largely used in
machine tool and automobile construction.
Saddle Keys
A flat saddle key is a taper key which fits in a keyway in the hub and is
flat on the shaft while
A hollow saddle key is a taper key which fits in a keyway in the hub and
the bottom of the key is shaped to fit the curved surface of the shaft.
Tangent Keys
The tangent keys are fitted in pair at right angles as shown. Each key is
to withstand torsion in one direction only. These are used in large
heavy duty shafts.
Round Keys
The round keys, as shown, are circular in section and fit into holes
drilled partly in the shaft and partly in the hub
Splines
Sometimes, keys are made integral with the
shaft which fit in the keyways broached in the
hub. Such shafts are known as splined shafts as
shown .These shafts usually have four, six, ten
or sixteen splines. The splined shafts are
relatively stronger than shafts having a single
keyway.
 Design of Keys
Forces acting in a KEY
(a) Forces (F1) due to fit of the key in its keyway, as in a tight fitting straight key or
in a tapered key driven in place. These forces produce compressive stresses in the
key which are difficult to determine in magnitude.
(b) Forces (F) due to the torque transmitted by the shaft. These forces produce
shearing and compressive (or crushing) stresses in the key.
Design of Keys-Parallel, Rectangular
and Square
F

h
F

w=width of key D= diameter of the shaft

L= length of key h= height/thickness of key
F=force T=Torque
τs= shearing stress σc= compressive stress
P= power transmitted N= angular speed
Design of Keys
A rectangular key was used in a pulley connected to a lineshaft with a
power of 125 kW at a speed of 900 rpm. If the shearing stress of the
shaft is 40 MPa and the key to be 22MPa, determine the length of the
rectangular key.
Design of Keys
A keyed sprocket deliver a torque of 778.8 N-m thru the shaft of 54mm
OD. The key thickness is 1.5875 cm and the width is 1.11 cm. Compute
for the length of the same key if permissible stress value for shear and
tension/compression are 60 and 90 Mpa,respectively.
Design of Keys
A belt pulley is fastened to a 7.46125 shaft, running at 200 rpm, by
means of a key 19.05mm wide and 12.7cm long. The permissible
stresses in the key are 55.1 Mpa in shear and 96.5 Mpa in compression.
Determine the power to be transmitted and required depth of the key
Design of Keys-Woodruff Keys
Design of Keys-Woodruff Keys
Design of Keys
A 1 11/16-in. shaft rotating at 200 rpm, carries a cast-iron gear keyed to
it by a ¼ x 1 ¼-in. Woodruff key; shaft material is cold-finished SAE
1045. The power is transmitted with mild shock. What horsepower may
be safely transmitted by the key, (a) if it is made of cold-drawn SAE
1118, Syt=75 ksi? (b) if it is made of SAE 2317, OQT 1000 F, Syt=79 ksi?
(c) How many keys of each material are needed to give a capacity of 25
hp? What material for the key will you choose if factor of safety is 2
with 0.24” depth in shaft?
Design of Splines
Design of Splines
A shaft for an automobile transmission has 10 splines with the
following dimensions: D = 1.25 in., d = 1.087 in., and L = 1.000 in.
Determine the safe torque capacity and horsepower at 3600 rpm of
this sliding connection.
 Couplings
Permanent couplings, often
referred to as couplings, are the
connectors of coaxial shafts and
cannot be disengaged when shafts
are running.
On the other hand, those couplings
which can be readily engaged or
disengaged when driving shaft is
running are termed as clutches.
The power is transmitted when a
clutch is engaged and not
transmitted when clutch is
disengaged.
Couplings
Flange coupling is used to
connect two strictly coaxial
shafts. The two flanges are
usually made in cast iron.
These flanges are separately
keyed to driving and driven
shafts.
 Design of Flange Coupling
Lh

Dh
D

Db

t
D=diameter of the shaft d= diameter of the bolts
Db= diameter of bolt circle Lh= length of hub
Dh=hub diameter Dh=hub diameter
t=thickness of flange
 Design of Flange Coupling
Fb= force on each bolt F= total force of the bolts
2T 2T
Fb  F
nb Db Db
τsb= shearing stress on bolts τcb=compression/bearing stress on bolts or flange
8T 2T
 sb   cb 
nbd 2 Db nbdtDb
τsh= shearing stress on flange
with hub 2T
 sh 
tDh2
Design of Flange Coupling
A flange coupling is to connect two 57mm shafts. The hubs of the
coupling are each 111m in diameter and 92mm hub length. Six 16-
mm bolts in a 165-mm diameter bolt circle connects the flanges. The
key is 14mm high, 14mm wide and 86mm long. Coupling is to
transmit 45kW at 160 rpm. For all parts, yield point value in shear is
one-half the yield point value in tension or compression that is
448MPa. Determine
a. Shearing stress of the key and its factor of safety
b. Bearing stress of the key and its factor of safety
c. Shearing stress in bolts and the factor of safety based on yield point
Design of Flange Coupling
A flange coupling has hub diameter of 125mm and connects two 40mm
shafts running at 600 rpm. There are four 16mm bolts on a 140mm bolt
circle. The radial flange thickness is 20mm. If the torsional stress in the
shaft is uniformly distributed and not to exceed 26 Mpa,
Determine
a. Power transmitted
b. Shearing stress in the bolts
c. Bearing stress in the bolts
d. Shear stress in the hub
Design of Flange Coupling
A flanged bolt coupling has 10 steel 25.4mm diameter bolts evenly
tighten around a 415 mm bolt circle. Determine the torque capacity of
of the connection if the allowable shearing stress in the bolt is 50 MPa.