Power Transmission Devices

RAHUL PRAJAPATI
 MODULE-III

Basic Power transmission devices:

Belt, Rope, Gear drives.Coupling, clutch, brakes.
(Working principle only)
Introduction to Robotics:
Robot anatomy, joints and links and common robot configurations
Power Transmission

• Power transmission is a process to transmit motion from one shaft to another by

using some connection between them like belt, rope, chain, and gears. To connect
the shafts, mainly two types of connectors are used, one is flexible and other is
rigid. In flexible types of connection, there is relative velocity between shaft and
connectors due to slip and strain produced in the connectors. But in case of rigid
connection, there is no relative velocity between the connector and shaft..
• Belt, rope, and chain are flexible connectors where gears are rigid connectors.
Generally, belt, rope, and chain drives are used when the distance between the shafts
is large and gears are used when distance between the shafts is very small.
• Efficiency of gear drive is much more than that of belt, rope, and chain drive due to
absence of slipping effect.
BELT DRIVE

• In belt drive, the velocity of two shafts can be varied by variation in diameter of pulley on
which belt is mounted.
• If an unstretched belt is mounted on the pulleys, the outer and inner faces of belt are
subjected to tension and compression, respectively.
• The effective radius of rotation of a pulley is obtained by adding half the belt thickness to
the radius of the pulley.
 No need to draw this
diagram

Flat Belt Drive

Type of Belt Cross-sections

• In the flat belt drive, rim of pulley is slightly crowned which helps to keep the belt running
centrally on the pulley rim.
• For the V-belt drive, grooves are made on rim of pulley for wedging action. The belt does
not touch the bottom of the groove
• Owing to wedging action, V-belts need little
adjustment and transmit more power, without
slip, as compared to flat belts. In multiple
V-belt system, more than one belt on the
pulleys can be used to increase the power
transmission capacity.

(a) Flat Belt and (b) V-Belt

 Velocity Ratio

Velocity ratio is the ratio of speed of the driven pulley to that of the driving pulley.
Let, N1 is rotational speed of the driving pulley
N2 is rotational speed of the driven pulley
D1 is diameter of driving pulley
D2 is diameter of driven pulley
t is thickness of the belt
i.e., D 1 N 1 = D 2 N 2 , where t is very small in comparison to D, therefore it can be neglected
Slip

• The effect of slip is a decrease in the speed of belt on driving shaft and then driven shaft.
Let ω 1 is angular velocity of driving pulley

ω 2 is angular velocity of driven pulley

S 1 is percentage slip between driving pulley and belt

S 2 is percentage slip between driven pulley and belt

S is total percentage slip

Example 1

• The speed of a driving shaft is 100 rpm and the speed of the driven shaft is 150 rpm.
Diameter of the driving pulley is given as 500 mm, find the diameter of driven pulley in the
following cases:
(i) If the belt thickness is negligible.
(ii) If the belt thickness is 6 mm.
(iii) If total slip is 5% considering thickness of belt.
(iv) If a slip is 2% on each pulley considering thickness of belt.
Open-belt Drive

• In open belt drive belt passes from top surface of the driver pulley to the top surface of the
driven pulley and then again through bottom surface of the driven pulley to the bottom
surface of the driving pulley.
• Open-belt drive is used to provide same direction of rotation to driven shaft as the direction
of rotation of driving shaft.
Let, L is length of belt for open drive
r is radius of smaller pulley
R is radius of larger pulley
C is centre distance between pulleys
b is angle subtended by each common tangent on centre of pulley (CD) or (EF)
AB is the line joining the centres of pulleys
Crossed-belt Drive

• In cross belt drive belt passes from top surface of the driver pulley to the bottom side of
driven pulley then again through bottom surface of the driven pulley to the top surface of the
driver pulley
• Cross-belt drive is used to provide reverse direction of rotation to driven shaft as the
direction of rotation of driving shaft.
Example 2

• Two shafts drive are arranged parallel to each other at a distance of 5 m. If the pulley
diameters mounted on the shafts are 500 mm and 750 mm. Determine the difference in
length of the belts for opposite direction of rotation and same direction of rotation.
Creep

• When belt passes from slack to tight side, a certain portion of belt extends and again
contracts when belt passes through tight to slack side. Due to fluctuation in length of the
belt, there is relative motion between belt and pulley surface. This relative motion is known
as creep.
• Considering the creep, velocity ratio can be expressed by,

where N 1 and N 2 are the speeds of driving and driven pulleys, respectively; D 1 and D 2 are the
diameters of driver and driven pulleys, respectively; σ 1 and σ 2 are the stresses developed in tight and
slack side of belt, respectively; and E is the modulus of elasticity of belt materials.
ROPE DRIVE

• Rope drive is very similar to belt drive. It is classified as:

 Fibre ropes
 Wire ropes
• Fibre ropes are made of manila or cotton. Wire ropes are made of steel wires. A number of
wires make a strand and strands make a rope as shown in Figure. Each strand is twisted with
other strands. Rope may have three strands or nine strands, and each strand may have 7–19
wires, depending on its application.
GEAR DRIVE

• Gears are compact power transmission device that controls the speed, torque, and direction
of rotation of driven shaft. Gears may be classified into five main categories: spur, helical,
bevel, hypoid, and worm.
• Shaft orientation, efficiency, and speed determine the application of gear drive.
• Gears are toothed disc which transmit power from one shaft to other shaft by meshing with
teeth of other gear.
Gear Terminology

• All the important gear terminologies are shown in Figure

 Gear Terminology

• Pitch Point: The point of contact between pitch circles of two gears is known as pitch point .

• Pitch Circle: The circle passing through point of contacts of two gears is known as pitch circle.
• Pitch Diameter, D: Diameter of pitch circle is known as pitch diameter.

• Circular Pitch, Pc: It is the distance measured along the circumference of the pitch circle from a point
on one tooth of the corresponding point on the adjacent tooth.
Gear Terminology

• Diametral Pitch, Pd: It is the number of teeth per unit length of the pitch circle diameter .

• Module, m: It is ratio of pitch diameter to the number of teeth.

 Gear Terminology
• Gear Ratio: It is the ratio of number of teeth on gear and pinion.

• Velocity Ratio: It is ratio of angular velocity of the driving gear to driven gear .

Here, subscripts 1 and 2 are used for driving and driven gears, respectively.
• Addendum Circle: It is a circle passing through the tips of the teeth.
• Addendum: It is the radial height of tooth above the pitch circle. Its standard value is one module.
• Dedendum Circle: It is a circle passing through roots of the teeth.
• Dedendum: It is a radial depth of a tooth below the pitch circle. Its standard value is 1.157
m.
• Face: It is the tooth surface between the pitch circle and the top land.
• Flank: It is the curved portion of the tooth flank at the root circle.
 GEAR TRAINS

• Gear trains are various types of combination of gears to transfer power from one shaft to another.

• Gear trains can be classified as follows:

• Simple gear train.
• Compound gear train.
• Reverted gear train.
• Planetary gear train.
• Sun and planet gear
 Simple Gear Train

• In this gear train, all the gears are mounted on their separate shafts and the gear axes remain fixed in a
frame. All the paired gears are moved in opposite directions. All the gears can be in straight line or in zig-
zag manner.
 Simple Gear Train

• No need to draw this diagram

 Compound Gear Train

• When two or more gears rotate about same axis and have same angular velocity, it is known as compound
gear train.
Compound Gear Train

No need to draw this diagrams

Compound Gear Train
 Reverted Gear Train

• If axes of the first and the last wheels of a compound gear coincide , it is called reverted gear
train.
Reverted Gear Train
 CLUTCHES

• Clutch is a device which is used to engage and disengage the driven shaft from driving shaft during
the motion to change the gears meshing without stopping the driving shaft. Its operation is based on
the friction between two surfaces; friction torque is applied by driving shaft on driven shaft.
Clutch may be classified as follows:
1. Single plate clutch or disc clutch.
2. Multi-plate disc clutch.
3. Conical clutch.
4. Centrifugal clutch.
SINGLE PLATE CLUTCH
 SINGLE PLATE CLUTCH Working principle

• In a single plate clutch, a flywheel ‘A’ is bolted to a flange on the driving shaft B.
• The friction plate C is fixed to a hub which can slide on the spline, i.e., driven shaft ‘D’.
• Two rings of friction material are riveted to flange ‘A’ and the plate ‘C’. The pressure plate ‘E’ is
bushed internally, so as to revolve freely on shaft D and is integrated with withdrawal force F.
• A spiral springs is arranged around the clutch at ‘S’ as shown in Figure, which provides axial
thrust between friction surfaces.
• When the withdrawal force is removed, the spring forces the pressure plate ‘E’ against the ring G.
The friction between the contact surfaces of rings ‘G’ and plate ‘C’ transmits a torque on ‘D’ and
driven shaft starts to rotate.
MULTI-PLATE DISC CLUTCH
 MULTI-PLATE DISC CLUTCH

• A multi plate disc clutch as shown in the figure may be used when a large torque is to be transmitted.
• The inside disc or plate are fastened to the driven shaft permit axial motion except for the last disc. Last
disc is bushed to the driven shaft and hence it can slide freely as well as shaft can rotate freely
• The outside disc (friction disc) are held by Bolt and are fastened to the housing which is connected to the
driving shaft.
• When the the force is applied then there is no connection between disc, friction disc and flywheel and each
of these components can move freely.
• When the force is released the spring pusses the last disc towards the flywheel and finally the disc, friction
disc and flywheel attached together and now friction discs are rotating with the flywheel. As the discs are
connected to the splined output shaft therefore output shaft start rotation.
CONE CLUTCH
• A cone clutch as shown in the figure was extensively used in automobile but now a days it has been
replaced completely by the disc clutch.
• It consists of one pair of friction surface only.
• In a cone clutch the driver (A) is connected with driving shaft and has a inside conical surface for face
which exactly fits in to the outside conical surface of the driven (B) .
• The driven member resting on the the driven shaft may be shifted along the shaft by a forked lever
provided at the driven shaft in order to engage the clutch by bringing the two conical surfaces in contact.
• Due to the frictional resistance set up at this contact surface the torque is transmitted from one shaft to
another.
• In some cases a spring is placed around the the driven shaft in contact with the hub of the driven this spring
holds the clutch faces in contact and maintain the pressure between them and, forked liver is used only for
disengagement of the clutch.
CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH
 CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH

• Centrifugal clutch works on the principle of centrifugal force.

• When driving shaft rotates at high speed, the shoes move radially outward. The outer surfaces of the
shoes are covered with friction material which engages the pulley. Thus, pulley rotates with driving shaft.
• The engagement of shoes with pulley is shown in Figure . This type of clutch is generally used in motor
pulley. The spring force resists the centrifugal force, thus prevents the engagement at lower speed .
 BRAKES

• Brake is a device which is used to bring the body into rest while it is in motion
or to hold a body in a state of rest by applying resisting force. There are four
types of brakes as given below:
1. Block or shoe brake.
2. Band brake.
3. Band and block brake.
4. Internal expanding shoe brake.
 Block or Shoe Brake
• In this brake, a shoe or block is pressed against the drum.
• The friction between the block and the whale causes tangential braking force to act on the wheel, which
retired the rotation of the wheel.
• The block is pressed against the wheel by a force applied to one end of a lever to which the block is rigidly
fixed and force can be increased by using a lever as shown in the figure.
• In block brake force is applied at at one end and the other end is pivoted at the fulcrum point
• The brake lining for friction is made of softer materials so that it can be replaced easily after wearing.
• This type of a break is commonly used on railway trains and tram cars.
• Due to pressure applied by single shoe, there is a side thrust on the shaft of the drum. To counter balance
the side thrust, two shoes may be used opposite to each other. In this case, braking torque becomes double
which is shown in figure C.
 Band Brake

• Band brake consists of a band in the form of belt, rope, or steel band. When force is applied at the free
end of lever, the brand is pressed against the external surface of the drum.
• The effectiveness of braking force varies according to the direction of rotation of drum, ratio of length a
and b, and the direction of force applied at the end of lever.
Band and Block Brake

The band brake may be lined with blocks of wood or other material. The friction between the
blocks and the drum provides braking action. 
Internal Expanding Shoe Brake
 Internal Expanding Shoe Brake

• An internal expanding brake consists of two shoes S1 and S2. The outer surface of the shoes
are lined with some friction material (usually with Ferodo) to increase the coefficient of
friction and to prevent wearing away of the metal.
• Each shoe is pivoted at one end about a fixed fulcrum O1and O2 and made to contact a cam
at the other end.
• When the cam rotates, the shoes are pushed outwards against the rim of the drum. The
friction between the shoes and the drum produces the braking torque and hence reduces the
speed of the drum.
• The shoes are normally held in off position by a spring . The drum encloses the entire
mechanism to keep out dust and moisture. This type of brake is commonly used in motor
cars and light trucks.
COUPLING

• The term coupling is a device used to connect two shafts together at their ends for
transmitting the power. There are a number of coupling devices used to couple two shafts but
in this chapter only few important couplings have been introduced for understanding of the
students. There are two general types of couplings:
1. Rigid
2. Flexible
RIGID COUPLING

Rigid Flange Coupling

• Rigid couplings are designed to draw two shafts together tightly so that no relative motion can occur between them.
• This design is used for some special kinds of equipment in which precise alignment of two shafts is required. In
such cases, the coupling must be capable of transmitting the torque in the shafts.
• Rigid couplings should be used only when the alignment of the two shafts can be maintained very accurately, not
only at the time of installation but also during operation. If significant angular, radial, or axial misalignment occurs,
stresses that are difficult to predict and that may lead to early failure due to fatigue will be induced in the shafts.
• The load path is from the driving shaft to its flange, through the bolts, into the mating flange, and out to the driven
shaft.
• It consists of two metal flanges which are keyed to the shafts to be joined as shown in Figure . The flanges are
brought together and are bolted in the annular space between the hub and the protecting flange. The protective
flange is provided to guard the projecting bolt heads and nuts. The bolts are placed equispaced on a bolt circle
diameter and the number of bolt depends on the shaft diameter d.
 Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages of rigid flange coupling

• It has high torque transmission capacity.
• It is easy to assemble and disassemble.
• It has simple design and is easy to manufacture.
Disadvantages of rigid flange coupling
• It cannot tolerate misalignment between two shafts.
• It can be used only where the motion is free from shocks and vibrations.
• It requires more space than that of other coupling like muff coupling.
FLEXIBLE BUSHED COUPLING

• In a rigid coupling, the torque is

transmitted from one half of the coupling
to the other through the bolts and in this
arrangement shafts need be aligned very
well. However, in the bushed coupling
the rubber bushings over the pins (bolts)
(as shown in figure) provide, flexibility
and can accommodate, some
misalignment. Because of the rubber
bushing the design for pins should be
considered carefully.

Flexible Bushed Coupling

 Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages of flexible bushed coupling

• It can bear 0.5 mm of lateral or axial misalignment and 1.5° of angular misalignment.
• It prevents transmission of shock from one shaft to the other and absorbs vibrations.
• It is used for transmission of high torque.
• It is easy to assemble and disassemble due to simple design.
Disadvantages of flexible bushed coupling
• Its cost is higher than the rigid flange coupling.
• It requires more radial space.
UNIVERSAL JOINT
• To accommodate misalignment between mating shafts for more than the 3°, a universal
joint is used.
• Angular misalignments of up to 45° are possible at low rotational speeds with single
universal joints.
• It consists of two yokes, a centre bearing block, and two pins that pass through the block
at right angles.
• Approximately 20°–30° is more reasonable for speeds about 10 rpm.
• Since universal joints have the disadvantage that the rotational speed of the output shaft
is non-uniform in relation to the input shaft.
• A double universal joint allows the connected shafts to be parallel and offset by large
amounts. Furthermore, the second joint cancels the non-uniform oscillation of the first
joint so the input and the output rotate at the same speed.