Mechanical Drives 1 Lap 7

MECHANICAL
LEARNING
DRIVES 1 ACTIVITY
PACKET
MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES
TM
B502-XC
LEARNING ACTIVITY PACKET 7
MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES
INTRODUCTION
In the last LAP, you learned about gear drives which only have two gears. In this
LAP, you will continue your study of gear drives by exploring the operation and
applications of gear drives which have more than two gears. Multiple pairs of gears can
be used to drive multiple output shafts, create higher gear ratios, and reverse the direction
of rotation of output shafts which are on the same axis as the input shaft. These setups are
quite common in gear reducers and other machinery.
Also, this LAP will continue your study of couplings by learning about solid
couplings. Solid couplings are used both for very small and very large motors. They are
also used to extend the length of a shaft by connecting it to another shaft. The major
disadvantage of solid couplings is that they can tolerate no misalignment.
ITEMS NEEDED
Needed Amatrol Supplied
Items
950-ME1 Mechanical Drives 1 Learning System
Amatrol or School Supplied

Assorted Hand Tools
FIRST EDITION, LAP 7, REV. B

Amatrol, AMNET, CIMSOFT, MCL, MINI-CIM, IST, ITC, VEST, and Technovate are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Amatrol, Inc. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective companies.
Copyright © 2006, 2005 by AMATROL, INC.
All rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, or transmitted in any form or by any
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recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner.
Amatrol,Inc., P.O. Box 2697, Jeffersonville, IN 47131 USA, Ph 812-288-8285, FAX 812-283-1584 www.amatrol.com
B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Copyright  2006 Amatrol, Inc. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SEGMENT 1 MULTIPLE SHAFT GEAR ANALYSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

OBJECTIVE 1 Describe how to calculate the speed and torque output in a multiple shaft gear drive
SKILL 1 Calculate the shaft speed and torque of a multiple shaft gear drive system
OBJECTIVE 2 Describe the function of a compound gear drive system and give an application
OBJECTIVE 3 Describe how to calculate the torque and speed output of a compound gear drive system
SKILL 2 Calculate the torque and speed output of a compound gear drive system
SEGMENT 2 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVE INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

OBJECTIVE 4 Describe how to determine the direction of rotation of a gear drive
SKILL 3 Determine the direction of rotation of a gear given its position in a gear drive
OBJECTIVE 5 Describe how to install and align a multiple shaft drive system
SKILL 4 Install and align a multiple shaft drive system
SEGMENT 3 SLEEVE COUPLINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

OBJECTIVE 6 Describe the function of a solid coupling and list two types
OBJECTIVE 7 Describe the operation of a sleeve coupling and give an application
OBJECTIVE 8 Describe the alignment procedure of a sleeve coupling
SKILL 5 Install and adjust a sleeve coupling and shaft

SEGMENT 1
MULTIPLE SHAFT GEAR ANALYSIS
OBJECTIVE 1 DESCRIBE HOW TO CALCULATE THE SPEED AND TORQUE

OUTPUT IN A MULTIPLE SHAFT GEAR DRIVE
dT
his Gear drives can have more than two gears in the gear train. These
Rea
additional gears act either as idlers or to drive an additional output shaft.

As mentioned in an earlier LAP, idler gears are used mainly to change
the direction of rotation or to transfer the power to a shaft which is
located further away from the driver shaft.
INPUT
GEAR
IDLER
GEARS OUTPUT
GEAR
10
TEETH
20
30 TEETH
TEETH
60
TEETH
Figure 1. Idler Gears

An example of a multiple output shaft gear drive is the lathe shown
in figure 2. For each shaft driven, a separate gear is needed.
Figure 2. Lathe Gear Drive

In either case, the method used to determine the speed and torque
output of a gear drive with more than two gears is basically the same. To
understand how to do this, it is first important to note that idler gears do
not affect either the torque or the speed of the driven shaft. To
understand why, look at the example in figure 3. If you were to calculate
the gear ratio by multiplying the ratios of each pair of neighboring gears
together, the effect of the idler gears is canceled out as follows:
Formulas now looks like:
A B C
R = × ×
B C D
60 10 20 60
R = × × =
10 20 30 30
Notice that the number of teeth of both idler gears are used twice in
the formula. Therefore, they cancel each other out as shown.
This calculation results in a gear ratio of 2:1. This is the same gear
ratio you would get if you calculated the gear ratio without accounting
for the idler gears (60 / 30 = 2). Since the idler gears do not affect the
gear ratio, they do not affect the speed or torque. The same formulas
used in the previous LAP to calculate the speed and torque of two gears
can therefore be used to calculate the output of a gear drive with multiple
gears.
OUTPUT
A GEAR
IDLER
INPUT GEARS
GEAR
D C
B
10
TEETH
20
30 TEETH
TEETH
60
TEETH
Figure 3. Effect of Idler Gears

The speed of any driven gear is therefore determined by calculating
the gear ratio using the driven gear as the output gear along with the
input gear and ignoring all other gears in between. For example, the gear
drive shown in figure 4 has three output gears, each of which drive a
separate shaft with a separate load. It also has one true idler gear. The
gear ratios of the three output gears are as follows:
R1=30/20=1.5
R2=10/20=0.5
R3=60/20=3.0
The speed of each output shaft can now be calculated separately
using its own gear ratio. The idler gear has no effect on the speed of any
output shaft. Also, the speed of one output shaft has no effect on the
speed of the other output shafts because they act like idlers with respect
to the other shafts.
OUTPUT OUTPUT
OUTPUT
SHAFT 1 SHAFT 2
SHAFT 3
TORQUE TORQUE
TORQUE = 20 in-lbs
30 in-lbs 15 in-lbs
INPUT
GEAR
20 TEETH
OUTPUT OUTPUT OUTPUT

GEAR 1 GEAR 2 GEAR 3
30 TEETH 10 TEETH 60 TEETH
IDLER
MOTOR GEAR
15 TEETH
TOTAL INPUT
TORQUE
Figure 4. Gear Drive with Three Output Shafts
The total torque required from the input shaft is calculated by

summing the torques that would be required to drive each output shaft by
itself. The torque created at the driver shaft by each output shaft is found
by dividing the output torque by the gear ratio.
Output Torque
Input Torque =
Gear Ratio
For example, the torque created at the driver shaft by gear 3 is found
by dividing shaft 3’s output torque by its gear ratio as follows:
T3 = 20/3 = 6.7 in-lbs.

The same goes for the torque created by shafts 2 and 1:
T2 = 15/0.5 = 30 in-lbs.
T1 = 30/1.5 = 20 in-lbs
The total torque created on the driver shaft is then calculated by
summing the individual torques as follows:
T=T1+T2+T3
=20+30+6.7
Total Input Torque = 56.7 in-lbs
SKILL 1 CALCULATE THE SHAFT SPEED AND TORQUE OF

A MULTIPLE SHAFT GEAR DRIVE SYSTEM
Procedure Overview
In this procedure, you will use the formulas just
described to determine speed and torque of either the
driver or the driven shaft of a gear drive which has more
than one output gear.
This ❑ 1. Calculate the driven shaft speeds of the two output gears of the
Do
gear drive system shown in figure 5.

Gear 1 Shaft Speed ________________________________(RPM)
Gear 2 Shaft Speed ________________________________(RPM)
INPUT GEAR 1 IDLER GEAR GEAR 2

GEAR 20 TEETH 10 TEETH 20 TEETH
10 TEETH 200 in-lbs 150 in-lbs
500 RPM
Figure 5. Gear Drive System
The solution is:

Gear 1=250 RPM
Gear 2=250 RPM

❑ 2. Calculate the driver shaft torque created by gears 1 and 2 in the
gear drive shown in figure 5.
Driver Shaft Torque _______________________________(in-lbs)
The solution is 175 in-lbs.
❑ 3. Calculate the driver shaft speed of the gear drive system shown in
figure 6.
Driver Shaft Speed ________________________________(RPM)
INPUT IDLER
(DRIVER) 10 TEETH
15 TEETH
OUTPUT
(DRIVEN)
IDLER
10 TEETH
20 TEETH
1000 RPM
500 in-lbs
The solution is 667 RPM.

❑ 4. Calculate the driver shaft torque of the gear drive shown in figure
6.

❑ 5. Calculate the driven shaft speed of the gear drive system shown in
figure 7.
Output Shaft 1 Speed_______________________________(RPM)
Output Shaft 2 Speed_______________________________(RPM)
INPUT
GEAR
10 TEETH
OUTPUT 1
30 TEETH
200 in-lbs
400RPM
20 TEETH
200 RPM
OUTPUT 2
15 TEETH
500 in-lbs
20 TEETH
The solution is Output 1 = 133 RPM.

The solution is Output 2 = 267 RPM.
❑ 6. Calculate the total torque at the input gear.
Input Torque _____________________________________(in-lbs)

OBJECTIVE 2 DESCRIBE THE FUNCTION OF A COMPOUND GEAR DRIVE
SYSTEM AND GIVE AN APPLICATION
dT
his A compound gear drive is a type of gear train that has two or more
Rea
gears mounted on one shaft, as shown in figure 8. These gears can be
mounted anywhere on the shaft, either next to each other or on opposite
sides of the shaft.
COMPOUND
GEAR 1
INPUT
OUTPUT
Figure 8. Compound Gear Drive

Compound gear drives are used in several types of applications. Two
such applications are driving two output shafts at different speeds and
driving an output shaft which is offset from the driver shaft, as shown in
figure 9.
OUTPUT
SHAFT 1 OUTPUT
SHAFT 2
INPUT
GEAR
COMPOUND
SHAFT
MOTOR
Figure 9. Compound Gear Drive Applications
A third type of application for the compound gear drive is to create a

gear reduction between two shafts which are located on the same axis, as
shown in figure 10. This is called a reverted gear drive.
COMPOUND
SHAFT
INPUT
SHAFT
OUTPUT
SHAFT
MOTOR
Figure 10. Reverted Gear Drive

OBJECTIVE 3 DESCRIBE HOW TO CALCULATE THE TORQUE AND SPEED
OUTPUTS OF A COMPOUND GEAR DRIVE SYSTEM
dT
his The concepts which were used to calculate speed and torque of
Rea
simple multiple-gear gear drives can also be applied to compound gear
drives with one minor change. The gear ratio of any gears that are
mounted on the same shaft must be included in the calculation. In effect,
these gear ratios must be combined as shown in the following formula:
FORMULA: COMPOUND GEAR DRIVE SPEED
Driver Speed (RPM ) Pitch Dia.Driven   Pitch Dia.Com Input 

= x
Driven Speed (RPM )  Pitch Dia.Driver  Pitch Dia.ComOutput 
OR
Driver Speed (RPM ) No .Teeth Driven   No .TeethCom Input 

= x
Driven Speed (RPM )  No .Teeth Driver  No .TeethComOutput 
Where: Com Output = Compound Output Gear

Com Input = Compound Input Gear
As you can see, the formulas for speed are the same as the simple
gear drive except that they are multiplied by the gear ratio of the
compound gears. Like a simple gear drive, idler gears have no effect of
the output speed.

To give an example of how these formulas work, look at the
compound gear drive shown in figure 11. In this case, the gear ratio of
the driven to driver gears is 3:1 and the gear ratio of the compound gears
is 1:2. This means that the combined or compound gear ratio is 3:2. The
speed of the output gear is therefore 1200 RPM given an input speed of
1800 RPM.
The drive in figure 11 is called a double reduction gear drive because
it reduces the speed using the combination of 2 gear ratios. A triple
reduction would use 3 gear ratios and have 2 compound gear sets.
DRIVEN GEAR
COMPOUND 30 TEETH
OUTPUT GEAR
20 TEETH
DRIVER COMPOUND
GEAR INPUT GEAR
10 TEETH 10 TEETH
1800 RPM
MOTOR
Figure 11. Compound Gear Drive Application
In a similar way, the torque output is also determined by combining

the two gear ratios. These formulas are as follows:
FORMULA: COMPOUND GEAR DRIVE TORQUE
DrivenTorque Pitch Dia.Driven   Pitch Dia.Com Input 

= x
Driver Torque  Pitch Dia.Driver  Pitch Dia.ComOutput 
OR
DrivenTorque No .Teeth Driven   No .TeethCom Input 

= x
Driver Torque  No .Teeth Driver  No .TeethComOutput 

SKILL 2 CALCULATE THE TORQUE AND SPEED OUTPUTS OF
A COMPOUND GEAR DRIVE SYSTEM
Procedure Overview
In this procedure, you will use the formulas just
described to determine speed and torque of either the
driver or the driven shaft of a compound gear drive.
This ❑ 1. Calculate the driven shaft speed of the compound gear drive
Do
system shown in figure 12.

Driven Shaft Speed ________________________________(RPM)
DRIVEN GEAR
COMPOUND 30 TEETH
OUTPUT GEAR
20 TEETH
DRIVER
GEAR COMPOUND
15 TEETH INPUT GEAR
1500 RPM 20 TEETH
750 in-lbs
MOTOR

❑ 2. Calculate the driven shaft torque of the compound gear drive
shown in figure 12.
Driven Shaft Torque _______________________________(in-lbs)
❑ 3. Calculate the driver shaft speed of the compound gear drive system
shown in figure 13.
DRIVEN GEAR
COMPOUND
10 TEETH
OUTPUT GEAR
1850 RPM
20 TEETH
250 in-lbs
DRIVER COMPOUND
GEAR INPUT GEAR
25 TEETH 10 TEETH
MOTOR

❑ 4. Calculate the driver shaft torque of the compound gear drive
shown in figure 13.
❑ 5. Calculate the driver shaft speed of the compound gear drive system
shown in figure 14.
2000
COMPOUND
GEAR 3
1000 20 TEETH
COMPOUND
OUTPUT GEAR 2
20 TEETH
COMPOUND
GEAR 1
10 TEETH COMPOUND
DRIVER GEAR 4
GEAR 10 TEETH
10 TEETH
DRIVEN
GEAR
20 TEETH
MOTOR
OUTPUT
SHAFT
2000 RPM TORQUE 400 in-lbs
SPEED 1000 RPM

❑ 6. Calculate the driver shaft torque of the compound gear drive
shown in figure 14.

SEGMENT 1
SELF REVIEW
r This
we
Ans
1. __________ gears only change the direction in which a
driven gear rotates. It has no affect on the speed and torque
that is transferred from driver to driven shafts.
2. To calculate the speed and torque of a multiple shaft drive,

you only need the gear ratio of the output gear and the driver
gear. All other gears are ______________ ____________.
3. A _____________ shaft drive has a driver gear and several

output gears.
4. ____________ torque is found by summing all of the torque

that would be required to drive each output shaft by itself.
5. When calculating the speed and torque of a

______________ drive, you need to apply all gears that are
mounted to the same shaft.
6. _______________ gear drives have more than one gear

mounted on the same shaft.

SEGMENT 2
MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVE INSTALLATION
OBJECTIVE 4 DESCRIBE HOW TO DETERMINE THE DIRECTION OF

ROTATION OF A GEAR DRIVE
his
dT
Each gear which is added to a gear train causes the driven gear’s
Rea
rotation direction to change. When there are only two gears, the driven
gear turns in the opposite direction to the driver gear, as shown in figure
15. If one gear is added, either an idler gear or another driven gear, the
direction of rotation of the first driven gear will be the same as the driver
gear.
EVEN NUMBER OF GEARS
INPUT OUTPUT
CW CCW
ODD NUMBER OF GEARS

INPUT OUTPUT
CW CW
Figure 15. Effect of Multiple Gears on Rotation of Output Gear

To determine the direction of rotation of a gear drive, you can
remember that an even number of gears in the drive causes the driven
gear to turn in the opposite direction, and an odd number of gears causes
the driven gear to turn in the same direction.
The exception to the even/odd rule is for compound gear drives. In
this case, you should treat gears which are on the same shaft as one gear.
For example, the compound gear drive in figure 16 has four gears. Since
two gears are on the same shaft, the number of gears to use with the
even/odd rule is three. Therefore, the output turns in the same direction
as the input In this case, it is clockwise.
TURN CCW
FROM THIS
SIDE
COMPOUND
OUTPUT GEAR
DRIVEN
GEAR
MOTOR CW
DRIVER INPUT
GEAR COMPOUND
GEAR
VIEW
DIRECTION
CW
Figure 16. Effect Compound Gears on Rotation of Output Gear
A final point to remember about the direction of rotation is that these

rules are based on looking at the rotation of the output shaft from the
same side from which you viewed the input shaft. If you are viewing the
output shaft from the opposite side, the direction of rotation is reversed.
For example, the output shaft in figure 16 turns CW when you look at
the shaft from the side indicated by the arrow. From the opposite side the
shaft turns CCW.

SKILL 3 DETERMINE THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF A GEAR
GIVEN ITS POSITION IN A GEAR DRIVE
Procedure Overview
In this procedure, you will use the even/odd rule to
determine the direction of rotation of various gear drives.
This is a basic skill you will need in order to understand the
operation of gear-driven machinery. You will also apply
this skill when designing or modifying existing gear drives.
This ❑ 1. Determine the direction of rotation of the output shaft of the gear
Do
drive system shown in figure 17. Give your answer as either

clockwise (CW) or counterclockwise (CCW) while looking at the
end of the shaft indicated by the arrow shown in the figure.
Direction of Rotation___________________________(CW/CCW)
CW
MOTOR

❑ 2. Determine the direction of rotation of the input shaft of the gear
OUTPUT
MOTOR CW
INPUT
❑ 3. Determine the direction of rotation of the output shaft of the gear

OUTPUT
MOTOR
CW
INPUT

CW
OUTPUT
MOTOR

OUTPUT
MOTOR
CW
In each of the above cases, you should have found the resultant
direction of rotation to be counterclockwise (CCW).

OBJECTIVE 5 DESCRIBE HOW TO INSTALL AND ALIGN A MULTIPLE
SHAFT DRIVE SYSTEM
his
dT Each shaft in a multiple shaft drive system must be individually
Rea
aligned. The alignment procedures for each shaft are the same as those
for a single shaft drive system. Although each shaft in the system must
be individually aligned, there is a certain order in which to align the
shafts. Normally, the order of alignment is to start with the last output
shaft in the drive and work backwards toward the driver shaft.
For example, in figure 22, generator #2 and the motor should be
aligned first and generator #1 and the motor last. For the first alignment,
the motor is the moveable machine. For the second alignment it is the
stationary machine while generator #1 acts as the moveable machine.
MOVEABLE
MOVEABLE STATIONARY
MACHINE/
MACHINE MACHINE
STATIONARY
MACHINE
GENERATOR GENERATOR
MOTOR
#1 #2
Figure 22. Alignment of Multiple Shaft System
Before you start the installation and alignment procedure, determine

the actual height of each shaft. To allow for shims to be added to align
the shaft during the alignment procedure, the driven shaft of each
component should be slightly higher than the driver shaft. The amount of
difference in height depends on how uneven the surface is. A good
height difference to start with is 0.010 to 0.015 inches. This means that
each shaft must be progressively lower than the one downstream.

The alignment example shown in figure 22 addresses in-line shafts.
For in-line shafts, the centerlines of the two shafts must be in line with
each other.
For adjacent shaft power transmission, the centerlines of the two
shafts only have to be parallel with each other, as shown in figure 23.
The shaft heights can be different to a certain degree without affecting
the operation.
SIDE VIEW
GEAR 2
GEAR 1
H2
H1
OVERHEAD VIEW
GEARS
BEARING
PARALLEL
AXES
Figure 23. Adjacent Shaft-to-Shaft Alignment

SKILL 4 INSTALL AND ALIGN A MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVE SYSTEM
Procedure Overview
In this procedure, you will assemble and align a spur
gear drive which uses multiple gears. First, you will
assemble a simple gear system which uses two gears and
an idler. Then you will assemble a compound drive. In
addition to learning how to align a multiple shaft system,
this skill will allow you to verify the speed and torque
characteristics of multiple shaft drives.
This ❑ 1. Perform the following safety checkout to prepare for working with
Do
power transmission equipment. Make sure that you are able to

answer yes to each item before proceeding.
YES/NO SAFETY CHECKOUT
Wearing safety glasses
Wearing tight fitting clothes
Ties, watches, rings, and other jewelry are removed
Long hair is tied up or put it in a cap or under shirt
Wearing heavy duty shoes
Wearing short sleeves or long sleeves are rolled up
Floor is not wet
❑ 2. Perform a lockout/tagout on the Motor Control Unit’s safety

switch.

❑ 3. Place the following panels on the Mechanical Drives System’s
overhead rack.
• Shaft Panel 1
• Shaft Panel 2
• Gear Panel 1
❑ 4. Perform the following substeps to mount and level the Variable
Speed Gear Motor.
A. Locate the Variable Speed Gear Motor and place it on the work
surface.
B. Select four Gear Motor Risers from Shaft Panel 2.
C. Make sure that the motor base, risers, and mounting area of the
work surface shown in figure 24 are free of dirt, rust, and burrs.
D. Position the Gear Motor over the set of holes on the 950-ME
work surface, as shown in figure 24.
The outlines of the other components to be mounted are also
shown.
SHAFT 4 (8") GEAR 3

GEAR 1
SHAFT 3 (12")
SHAFT 2 (6")
GEAR 1
GEAR 2
SHAFT 1 (12")
Figure 24. Positioning of Motor on 950-ME Work Surface
E. Place one Gear Motor Riser under each of the motor feet.
F. Locate four bolts with the specifications 5/16-18UNC-2A x 2-1/2
Hex Head, along with compatible flat washers, lock washers, and
nuts.
G. Fasten the motor base and risers to the work surface by
assembling bolts, washers, and nuts.
Use a criss-cross pattern to tighten the bolts.

H. Check the shaft for run-out. Record below the amount of
run-out.
Run-out: _____________________________________(in/mm)
The run-out should be less than 0.002 inches.
I. Check for motor shaft end float.
End Float ____________________________________(in/mm)
It should be less than 0.002 inches.
J. Check the level of the motor shaft. Shim the motor feet as
needed.
Feeler Gage Leaf Thickness______________________(in/mm)
Effective Level Length _________________________(in/mm)
Mounting Bolt Distance_________________________(in/mm)
Shim Ratio _________________________________________
Shim Thickness _______________________________(in/mm)
❑ 5. Perform the following substeps to mount Shaft No. 1 and its pillow
block bearings.
A. Select four Bearing Standoffs from Shaft Panel 1.
B. Make sure that the standoffs, pillow block mounting surface,
and mounting area of the work surfaces, shown in figure 24, are
free of dirt, rust and burrs.
C. Place the four standoffs on the 950-ME work surface over the
hole locations shown for Shaft 1.
D. Remove two pillow block bearings from Shaft Panel 1.
E. Place the pillow block bearings on the standoffs.
F. Locate four bolts with the specifications of 3/8-16UNC-2A x
4-1/2 Hex Head, along with the compatible flat washers, lock
washers, and nuts.
G. Fasten the pillow block bearings and the standoffs to the work
surface by assembling the bolts, washers, and nuts.
Hand tighten only.
H. Select a 12-inch long shaft from Shaft Panel 1.
I. Slide the shaft through the two pillow block bearings. Position
it as shown in figure 24.
J. Tighten the set screws on each bearing collar to lock the collar
and prevent it from turning.
K. Tighten the pillow block bearing mounting bolts.
L. Turn the shaft by hand to make sure it turns freely.
If not, loosen the bolts and adjust the positions of the bearings.
M. Check the driven shaft for run-out.
Run-out: _____________________________________(in/mm)
The shaft should have no more than 0.002 inches run-out.

N. Level the driven shaft. Shim the bearing standoffs as needed.
Place the shims between the work surface and the standoffs.
Shim Ratio _________________________________________
❑ 6. Repeat Step 5 in a similar manner to mount Shafts 2 and 3 on their
pillow block bearing, as shown in figure 24. Note the shaft length
specified in figure 24 for each shaft.
❑ 7. Mount the prony brake.
❑ 8. Obtain Gears 1 (Quantity 2), 2, and 3 from the Gear Drive Panel 1.
Inspect them and clean if needed.
❑ 9. Attach the gears to the following shafts, as shown in figure 25.
Loosen the mountings on Shafts 1 and 2 if needed.
Gear 1 (36N) - Shaft 1
Figure 25. Gear and Shaft Setup

❑ 10. Adjust the position of Shaft 3 so that Gears 1 and 3 mesh smoothly
and have a minimum of backlash.
Shaft 4 is considered the stationary shaft. For this skill, you will
adjust the backlash by feel rather than by indicator measurement.
This is being done to save time, but it is an acceptable method for
many applications, especially those that drive in one direction
only.
❑ 11. Use a straight edge to align Gears 1 and 3 (mounted to shafts 3 and
4), as shown in figure 26. Then tighten the mounting bolts for
Shaft 3.
Figure 26. Aligning the Gears
❑ 12. Now adjust the position of Shaft 2 so that Gears 2 and 3 mesh
smoothly and have a minimum of backlash.
❑ 13. Use a straight edge to align Gears 1, 2, and 3. Then tighten the
mounting bolts on Shaft 2.
❑ 14. Adjust the position of Shaft 1 so that Gears 1 and 2 mesh smoothly
and have a minimum of backlash. Now Shaft 2 is the stationary shaft.

❑ 15. Use a straight edge to align Gears 1, 2, 3 , and 1. Then tighten the
mounting bolts on Shaft 1.
Figure 27.
❑ 16. Perform the following substeps to couple the Variable Speed

Motor to the shaft.
A. Loosen the bolts on the Variable Speed Motor and pull the
motor back away from the shaft and pillow block bearings.
B. Obtain the flexible jaw hub for the Variable Speed Motor,
located on the Shaft Panel 2.
It is the same as the coupling hub you used with the Constant
Speed Motor, except that the bore is 1/2 inch instead of 5/8 inch.
C. Slide the hub onto the Motor Shaft and lock it on the shaft by
turning its set screw.
D. Locate one of the two flexible jaw coupling hubs which have a
5/8-inch bore and slide it on the shaft. Lock it into place using
the set screw.
E. Place the spider on one of the hubs.
F. Move the motor forward so that the two hubs engage.
G. Set the gap to 0.5 inches using a rule.
H. Tighten the motor mounting bolts.
I. Use the straight-edge and feeler gage method to align the
coupling.
e This NOTE
tic
No
Review LAP 3 if needed for the details of this procedure.
J. Apply a small piece of reflective tape to the faces of both #1

gears.

❑ 17. Lightly apply Teflon lubricant to the gears.
❑ 18. Perform the following substeps to start the Variable Speed Motor
to the Shaft.
A. Make sure that the safety switch power cord is plugged into a
wall outlet.
B. Connect the Gear Motor’s power cord to the Motor Control
Unit through the Motor Port.
C. Adjust the speed control knob on the Motor Control Unit to
zero (fully CCW).
D. Make sure that the Motor Power switch is in the OFF or down
position.
E. Install the guard.
WARNING
ning
ar Do not operate the mechanical drive system without the guard
W
in place. Also, do not attempt to open or bypass the guard at

any time during operation. Performing any of these actions will
create a hazard situation.
F.Remove the lockout/tagout.

G.Turn on the safety switch.
H.Make sure that no one is near the motor.
I.Turn on the Gear Motor by moving the Motor Power switch to
the ON or up position.
The motor should run slowly or not at all.
❑ 19. Gradually increase the motor speed by turning the speed control
knob clockwise.
❑ 20. Measure the speeds of the driver shaft (Shaft 1) and the driven
shaft (Shaft 4).
Driver Rotation Direction _______________________(CW/CCW)
Driven Rotation Direction_______________________(CW/CCW)
Compare these readings to the data you took in the previous LAP.
You should see that the speed is unaffected by the idler gear. But
notice that the rotation direction of the driver and driver gear is the
same.
❑ 21. Reduce the speed to minimum and turn off the motor.
❑ 22. Perform a lockout/tagout and remove the guard.

❑ 23. Now rearrange the shafts and gears so that it forms the compound
gear drive shown in figure 28.
Start your alignment from shaft 4 and work backwards and apply
small pieces of reflective tape to the faces of gears 3 and 7.
SHAFT 4
8"
GEAR 7
SHAFT 3
GEAR 2 12"
SHAFT 2 GEAR 6
6"
GEAR 1 GEAR 3 SHAFT 1

12"
Figure 28. Compound Gear Drive
Your setup should be as shown in figure 29.

Figure 29. Current Setup
❑ 24. Install the guard.

❑ 25. Remove the lockout/tagout.
❑ 26. Start the motor and increase the speed to the maximum.
❑ 27. Record the speed and direction of rotation of the drives and driven.
Driver Rotation Direction _______________________(CW/CCW)
Driven Rotation Direction_______________________(CW/CCW)
❑ 28. Reduce the speed to minimum and turn off the motor.
❑ 29. Perform a lockout/tagout.
❑ 30. Remove the guard.
❑ 31. Calculate the theoretical output speed given the actual driver speed
you measured in step 27 and given the following:
Gear 1: 36 Teeth
Gear 2: 24 Teeth
Gear 3: 48 Teeth
Gear 6: 64 Teeth
Gear 7: 80 Teeth
Theoretical Output Speed ___________________________(RPM)
How does this compare with your actual readings?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
❑ 32. Disassemble the components and store them.

SEGMENT 2
SELF REVIEW
r This
we
Ans
1. Each gear that is added to a gear train causes the direction of
rotation to _____________.
2. An even number of gears in a train causes the driven shaft to

rotate in the direction _____________ to that of the driver
shaft.
3. An odd number of gears in a gear train causes the driven

shaft to rotate in the _______________ direction as the
driver shaft.
4. The exception to the even/odd gear rules is found in

______________ gear drives.
5. Each shaft in a multiple shaft drive must be individually

__________________.
6. The order of alignment of a multiple shaft drive is to start

with the ___________ shaft first.

SEGMENT 3
SLEEVE COUPLINGS
OBJECTIVE 6 DESCRIBE THE FUNCTION OF A SOLID COUPLING

AND LIST TWO TYPES
his
dT Solid couplings rigidly connect two shafts together to make them a
Rea
rigid unit. They are used when it is necessary to either extend the length
of a shaft or provide a means of disconnecting the shaft. Solid couplings
are rarely used to connect motors to driven components such as pumps
and gearboxes because they do not allow any misalignment. The only
exception is when there is the need for absolute alignment.
SOLID
SHAFT 1 COUPLING SHAFT 2
Figure 30. Connection of Two Shafts Using a Solid Coupling

The two most common types of solid couplings are sleeve couplings
and flange couplings, as shown in figure 31.
Figure 31. Sleeve and Flange Couplings
OBJECTIVE 7 DESCRIBE THE OPERATION OF A SLEEVE COUPLING

AND GIVE AN APPLICATION
dT
his Sleeve couplings can either be solid or split. The solid sleeve
Rea
coupling is a solid cylinder of metal which is designed to slide over the

two shafts and clamp them together by means of a set screw on each
shaft, as shown in figure 32. To install this type, the two shafts must be
able to be moved away from each other.
Figure 32. Solid Sleeve Couplings

The split sleeve coupling clamps the two shafts together using two
half-round pieces which clamp to each other using bolts, as shown in
figure 33. The split feature allows them to be removed without moving
the two shafts away from each other. It usually has ribs on its outer
casing, as shown in figure 33.
Figure 33. Split Sleeve Couplings
Sleeve couplings are mainly used on smaller shafts having diameters

less than 6 inches, while larger shafts use flange couplings. Since they
do not allow any misalignment, they are mainly used on longer shafts.
This is due to the fact that any misalignment in longer shafts can be
compensated by the distance between the bearings.

OBJECTIVE 8 DESCRIBE THE ALIGNMENT PROCEDURE OF
A SLEEVE COUPLING
his
dT The basic procedure for installing and aligning a sleeve coupling is
Rea
first to level the two shafts and make them the same height. Before doing
this, place the sleeve coupling on one of the two shafts to be coupled and
to slide it back on the shaft, as shown in figure 34. Then level and align
the shafts. The process is completed by sliding the coupling onto the
other shaft and clamping it to each shaft.
LEVEL
SOLID
COUPLING
Figure 34. Shaft Alignment for Sleeve Coupling Installation
In some cases, the sleeve coupling is used to extend the length of a

shaft by connecting another shaft which is not independently supported,
as shown in figure 35. Here, there is not any alignment to be done.
Simply extend each shaft through the bearing on its end, slide the sleeve
onto one end of the shaft, bring the two shafts together to so that each
shaft is inserted into the coupling and the gap between the two shafts is
approximately 0.125 inches.
Figure 35. Sleeve Coupling Connection of Two Shafts

Another application of this concept is a floating shaft which is not
supported directly by any bearings, as shown in figure 36. This shaft
connects two other shafts using two solid couplings.
FLOATING
SHAFT
SOLID SOLID
COUPLING COUPLING
Figure 36. Floating Shaft

SKILL 5 INSTALL AND ALIGN A SLEEVE COUPLING AND SHAFT
Procedure Overview
In this procedure, you will attach the Constant Speed
Motor to a drive shaft using a solid sleeve coupling. The
alignment method used will be a variation of the straight
edge and feeler gage method.
This ❑ 1. Perform the following safety checkout to prepare for working with
Do
power transmission equipment. Make sure that you are able to

answer yes to each item before proceeding.
YES/NO SAFETY CHECKOUT
Wearing safety glasses
Wearing tight fitting clothes
Ties, watches, rings, and other jewelry are removed
Long hair is tied up or put it in a cap or under shirt
Wearing heavy duty shoes
Wearing short sleeves or long sleeves are rolled up
Floor is not wet
❑ 2. Perform a lockout/tagout on the Motor Control Unit’s safety

switch.
❑ 3. Place Shaft Panel 1 on the 950-ME Mechanical Drives System’s
overhead rack.

❑ 4. Perform the following substeps to mount and level the Constant
Speed Motor.
A. Locate the Constant Speed Motor and place it on the work
surface.
B. Select four Constant Speed Motor Risers from Shaft Panel 1.
C. Make sure that the motor base, risers, and mounting area of the
work surface shown in figure 37 are free of dirt, rust, and burrs.
D. Position the Constant Speed Motor over the set of holes on the
950-ME work surface, as shown in figure 37.
The outlines of the other components to be mounted are also
shown.
SLEEVE
COUPLING
Figure 37. Location of Components on 950-ME Work Surface
E. Place one Constant Speed Motor Riser under each of the motor
feet.
F. Locate four bolts with the specifications 5/16-18UNC-2A x
1-1/2 Hex Head, along with compatible flat washers, lock
washers, and nuts.
G. Fasten the motor and risers to the work surface by assembling
bolts, washers, and nuts.
Use a criss-cross pattern to tighten the bolts.

H. Check the shaft for run-out. Record below the amount of
run-out.
Run-out: _____________________________________(in/mm)
The run-out should be less than 0.002 inches.
I. Check for motor shaft end float.
End Float ____________________________________(in/mm)
It should be less than 0.005 inches.
J. Check the level of the motor shaft. Shim the motor feet as
needed.
Shim Ratio _________________________________________
❑ 5. Perform the following substeps to mount the shaft and pillow
block bearings.
A. Select four Bearing Standoffs from Shaft Panel 1.
B. Make sure that the standoffs, pillow block mounting surface,
and mounting area of the work surfaces, shown in figure 37, are
free of dirt, rust and burrs.
C. Place the four standoffs on the 950-ME work surface in the
location shown in figure 37.
D. Remove two pillow block bearings from Shaft Panel 1.
E. Place the pillow block bearings on the standoffs.
F. Locate four bolts with the specifications of 3/8-16UNC-2A x
4-1/2 Hex Head, along with the compatible flat washers, lock
washers, and nuts.
G. Fasten the pillow block bearings and the standoffs to the work
surface by assembling the bolts, washers, and nuts.
Hand tighten only.
H. Select a 12-inch long shaft from Shaft Panel 1.
I. Slide the shaft through the two pillow block bearings. Position
it as shown in figure 37.
J. Tighten the set screws on each bearing to lock the bearing.
K. Tighten the pillow block bearing mounting bolts.
L. Turn the shaft by hand to make sure it turns freely.
If not, loosen the bolts and adjust the positions of the bearings.
M. Check the driven shaft for run-out.
Run-out: _____________________________________(in/mm)
The shaft should have no more than 0.002 inches run-out.

N. Level the driven shaft. Shim the bearing standoffs as needed.
Place the shims between the work surface and the standoffs.
Shim Ratio _________________________________________
❑ 6. Perform the following substeps to prepare the sleeve coupling to
be mounted.
A. Locate the sleeve coupling, as shown in figure 38, from Shaft
Panel 2.
Figure 38. Amatrol Sleeve Coupling
B. Use a hex key wrench to back out the two set screws on the
coupling so that it can slide smoothly over the shaft.
C. Clean the shafts’ keyseats and the coupling’s keyseat with a
wire brush to make sure that no dirt or burs are in the keyseats.
D. Obtain two 3/16-inch x 1-inch long square keys
E. Make sure the keys fit by sliding each key into the keyseat of
one shaft and one side of the coupling.
They should slide in without forcing and have no play.
F. Remove the keys from the keyseats and set them aside for
now.
G. Slide the coupling without the keys onto one of the shafts and
pull it back from the shaft as far as it will go.
You will complete the mounting of the coupling after you have
aligned the shafts.

❑ 7. Perform the following substeps to align the two shafts.
A. Slide the motor forward until the ends of the shaft are within
about 1/8 inch of each other.
B. Tighten the motor mounting bolts.
C. Rotate the shafts so that their keyseats line up with each other
at the 90 degree position, as shown in figure 39.
D. Place a straight edge across the two shafts and measure the gap
on the lower shaft with a feeler gage at two points, as shown in
figure 39.
Gap at Point 1_________________________________(in/mm)
Gap at Point 2_________________________________(in/mm)
FEELER SOLID
GAGE STRAIGHT EDGE
COUPLING
3 2 1
POINT POINT
1 2
Figure 39. Measurement of Vertical Alignment

E. If the gap is the same, the shafts are in vertical angular
alignment and you can proceed to substep F. If the gap is
different, shim two of the motor’s feet so that the gaps are the
same.
The shims needed can be calculated by multiplying the shim
ratio by the difference in gaps at the two points. The shim ratio
in this case uses the length between the points where the gap
was measured and the length between the motor mounting
bolts, as shown in figure 40.
3 2 1
L
E
L LB
B SHIM RATIO =
L
E
Figure 40. Calculation of Shim Ratio

F. Measure the gap again and shim the motor’s four feet equally
by the amount of the gap. This corrects for vertical parallel
alignment.
G. Recheck the vertical alignment again by placing the straight
edge across the two shafts again.
The straight edge should rest on top of the two shafts with no
daylight showing between the straight edge and the shafts. If
there is, correct it with shims.
3 2 1
Figure 41. Shafts in Vertical Alignment, Both Angular and Parallel

H. Now check the horizontal alignment by placing a straight edge
against the sides of the two shafts at 270 degrees, as shown in
figure 42.
If there is no gap along the straight edge, you are done with the
alignment. Proceed to substep J. If there is a gap, go to substep
I.
OVERHEAD VIEW
STRAIGHT
EDGE
3 2 1
Figure 42. Measurement for Horizontal Alignment
I. Loosen the motor mounting bolts and adjust the motor position
so that the two shafts are in horizontal alignment.
J. Tighten the motor mounting bolts.
K. Recheck the vertical alignment again to make sure it is still
good. Correct it if needed.
❑ 8. Perform the following substeps to mount the coupling.
A. Rotate the two shafts so that their keyseats are positioned at 0
degrees.
B. Slide a key into the keyseat of each shaft and line up each key
flush with the end of its shaft.

C. Grasp the sleeve coupling and line up its keyseat with the keys.
Then slide the coupling over the keys until it is positioned
equally over each shaft, as shown in figure 43.
SOLID
COUPLING
Figure 43. Mounting Position of Sleeve Coupling
D. Tighten coupling’s two set screws onto the keys to complete

the assembly.
❑ 9. Perform the following substeps to connect and start the Constant
Speed Motor.
A. Make sure that the safety switch power cord is plugged into a
wall outlet
B. Connect the Constant Speed Motor’s power cord to the Motor
Control Unit through the Motor Port.
C. Make sure that the Motor Power switch is in the OFF or down
position.
D Install the guard.
WARNING
ning
ar Do not operate the mechanical drive system without the guard
W
in place. Also, do not attempt to open or bypass the guard at any

time during operation. Performing any of these actions will create
a hazardous situation.
E. Remove the lockout/tagout.

F. Turn on the safety switch.
G. Make sure that no one is near the motor.
H. Turn on the Motor by moving the power switch to the ON or
up position.
You should observe that the motor accelerates quickly to full
speed. The coupling should hold. There should be no more
vibration than with the flexible jaw coupling.

❑ 10. Turn off the motor and allow it to coast to a stop.
❑ 11. Perform a lockout/tagout.
❑ 12. Remove the guard.
❑ 13. Disassemble the components and store them.
❑ 14. Remove the lockout/tagout.

SEGMENT 3
SELF REVIEW
r This
we
Ans
1. A ________________ coupling is used when it is necessary
to extend the length of a shaft or to provide a means of
disconnecting a shaft.
2. Sleeve and flange couplings are two types of

_______________ couplings.
3. A _______________ coupling can either be split or solid.
4. The two halves of a split-sleeve coupling allow it to be

___________ without moving the shafts away from each
other.
5. Sleeve couplings do not allow any __________________.


Mechanical Drives 1 Lap 7

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MECHANICAL

MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

950-ME1 Mechanical Drives 1 Learning System

Amatrol or School Supplied

FIRST EDITION, LAP 7, REV. B

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

SEGMENT 1 MULTIPLE SHAFT GEAR ANALYSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

SEGMENT 2 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVE INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

SEGMENT 3 SLEEVE COUPLINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

OBJECTIVE 1 DESCRIBE HOW TO CALCULATE THE SPEED AND TORQUE

additional gears act either as idlers or to drive an additional output shaft.

Figure 1. Idler Gears

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Figure 2. Lathe Gear Drive

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Figure 3. Effect of Idler Gears

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

OUTPUT OUTPUT OUTPUT

Figure 4. Gear Drive with Three Output Shafts

The total torque required from the input shaft is calculated by

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

SKILL 1 CALCULATE THE SHAFT SPEED AND TORQUE OF

gear drive system shown in figure 5.

INPUT GEAR 1 IDLER GEAR GEAR 2

Figure 5. Gear Drive System

The solution is:

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Figure 6. Gear Drive System

The solution is 667 RPM.

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Figure 7. Gear Drive System

The solution is Output 1 = 133 RPM.

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Figure 8. Compound Gear Drive

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Figure 9. Compound Gear Drive Applications

A third type of application for the compound gear drive is to create a

Figure 10. Reverted Gear Drive

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

FORMULA: COMPOUND GEAR DRIVE SPEED

Driver Speed (RPM ) Pitch Dia.Driven   Pitch Dia.Com Input 

Driver Speed (RPM ) No .Teeth Driven   No .TeethCom Input 

Where: Com Output = Compound Output Gear

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Figure 11. Compound Gear Drive Application

In a similar way, the torque output is also determined by combining

FORMULA: COMPOUND GEAR DRIVE TORQUE

DrivenTorque Pitch Dia.Driven   Pitch Dia.Com Input 

DrivenTorque No .Teeth Driven   No .TeethCom Input 

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

system shown in figure 12.

Figure 12. Gear Drive System

The solution is 750 RPM.

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Figure 13. Gear Drive System

The solution is 370 RPM.

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

Figure 14. Gear Drive System

The solution is 2000 RPM.

B502-XC LAP 7 MULTIPLE SHAFT DRIVES

2. To calculate the speed and torque of a multiple shaft drive,

3. A _____________ shaft drive has a driver gear and several