Keys and key ways

19
A key (Fig. 19.1), is usually made from steel and is inserted between the joint of two
parts to prevent relative movement; it is also inserted between a shaft and a hub in an
axial direction, to prevent relative rotation. A keyway (Figs. 19.2e19.4), is a recess in
a shaft or hub to receive a key, and these recesses are commonly cut on key-seating
machines or by broaching, milling, planning, shaping and slotting. The proportions
of cross-sections of keys vary with the shaft size, and reference should be made to
BS 4235 for the exact dimensions. The length of the key controls the area of the
cross-section subject to shear, and will need to be calculated from the knowledge of
the forces being transmitted or, in the case of feather keys, the additional information
of the length of axial movement required.

Square
parallel key

Round-end
parallel key

Gib-head key

Fig. 19.1 Examples and function of keys.

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252 Manual of Engineering Drawing

Fig. 19.2 Edge-milled keyway.

Fig. 19.3 End-milled keyway.

Fig. 19.4 Keyway in hub.

Sunk keys
Examples of sunk keys are shown in Fig. 19.5, where the key is sunk into the shaft for
half its thickness. This measurement is taken at the side of the key, and not along the
center line through the shaft axis. Fig. 19.5 shows useful proportions used for assembly
drawings.
Square and rectangular keys may be made with a taper of 1 in 100 along the length
of the key; Fig. 19.6 shows such an application. Note that, when dimensioning the mat-
ing hub, the dimension into the keyway is taken across the maximum bore diameter.
A gib head may be added to a key to facilitate removal, and its proportions and
position when assembled are given in Fig. 19.7.
A feather key is attached to either the shaft or the hub, and permits relative axial
movement while at the same time enabling a twisting moment to be transmitted
Keys and key ways 253

T
2

T
T
2
Rectangular key

D = Shaft diameter

W= D
4
W
T= D
6
W
2
W
2

D
Square key

Fig. 19.5 Sunk key and keyway.

Taper 1:100
on this face

Fig. 19.6 Taper key and keyway.

between shaft and hub or vice versa. Both pairs of opposite faces of the key are
parallel.
A double-headed feather key is shown in Fig. 19.8 and allows a relatively large
degree of sliding motion between shaft and hub. The key is inserted into the bore of
the hub, and the assembly is then fed on to the shaft, thus locking the key in position.
254 Manual of Engineering Drawing

Gib-head key

Taper 1:100
on top surface

1 1T
2

45°
3T
4 T

Fig. 19.7 Gib-head key.

Fig. 19.8 Double-headed feather key.

A peg feather key is shown in Fig. 19.9, where a peg attached to the key is located in
a hole through the hub.
Fig. 19.10 illustrates a feather key which is screwed in position in the shaft keyway
by two countersunk screws.

Hub

Shaft

Fig. 19.9 Peg feather key.

Keys and key ways 255

Fig. 19.10 Feather key.

Woodruff keys
A Woodruff key (Fig. 19.11), is a segment of a circular disc and fits into a circular
recess in the shaft which is machined by a Woodruff key way cutter. The shaft may
be parallel or tapered (Fig. 19.12 and 19.13) showing the method of dimensioning
shafts for Woodruff keys where the depth of the recess from the outside of the shaft
is given, in addition to the diameter of the recess. A Woodruff key has the advantage
that it will turn itself in its circular recess to accommodate any taper in the mating hub
on assembly; for this reason it cannot be used as a feather key, since it would jam.
Woodruff keys are commonly used in machine tools and, for example, between the
flywheel and the crankshaft of a small internal-combustion engine where the drive
depends largely on the fit between the shaft and the conically bored flywheel hub.
The deep recess for a Woodruff key weakens the shaft, but there is little tendency
for the key to turn over when in use.
Where lighter loads are transmitted and the cost of cutting a keyway is not justified,
round keys and flat or hollow saddle keys as shown in Fig. 19.14 can be used.
Saddle keys are essentially for light duty only, overloading tending to make them
rock and work loose on the shaft. Both flat and hollow saddle keys may have a taper of
1 in 100 on the face in contact with the hub. The round key may either be tapered or, on
assembly, the end of the shaft and hub may be tapped after drilling and a special
threaded key be screwed in to secure the components.

Fig. 19.11 Woodruff key.

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B
Fig. 19.12 Dimensions required for a Woodruff key in a parallel shaft.

A
B

Fig. 19.13 Dimensions required for a Woodruff key in a tapered shaft.

Round key
d

Hollow Flat
saddle key saddle key
W
W

T T

T= W W= D
3 4
d= D
6
Fig. 19.14 Application of round, flat and hollow saddle keys.

Dimensioning keyways (parallel keys)

The method of dimensioning a parallel shaft is shown in Fig. 19.15, and a parallel hub
in Fig. 19.16. Note that in each case it is essential to show the dimension to the bottom
of the keyway measured across the diameter of the shaft and the bore of the hub.
Keys and key ways 257

Fig. 19.15 Keyway in parallel shaft.

Fig. 19.16 Keyway in parallel hub.

Fig. 19.17 Keyway for square or rectangular parallel key in tapered shaft.

This practice cannot be used where either the shaft or hub is tapered, and Fig. 19.17
shows the method of dimensioning a keyway for a square or rectangular parallel
key in a tapered shaft, where the keyway depth is shown from the outside edge of
the shaft and is measured vertically into the bottom of the slot. Fig. 19.18 shows a
258 Manual of Engineering Drawing

Fig. 19.18 Tapered hub with parallel keyway.

Fig. 19.19 Parallel hub with tapered keyway.

tapered hub with a parallel keyway where the dimension to the bottom of the slot is
taken across the major diameter. A parallel hub utilizing a tapered key is also dimen-
sioned across the major diameter, as indicated in Fig. 19.19.