CHAPTER VI

KEYS AND COUPLING

Objectives:

At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to: identify keys and coupling with
their application; calculate forces and stresses on keys and coupling; and design key.

INTRODUCTION

A key is a piece of mild 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.

DEFINITIONS:

Key - A machine member employed at the interface of a pair of mating male and female circular
cross-section members to prevent relative angular motion between these mating members.
FUNCTION:
Function is to prevent relative rotation of a shaft and the member to which it is
connected, such as the hub of a gear, pulley or crank.

Keyway – a groove in the shaft and mating member to which the key fits.

Pulley F
shaft
key
h L D

w shaft

TYPES OF KEY:
1. Square key – has a square section with half of its depth sunk in the shaft and half in the
hub.

2. Flat key – rectangular in section with the smaller dimension placed in a radial direction. It
is used where added stability of the connection is desired, as in machine tools.

3. Round key – has a circular cross-section.

4. Kennedy – are tapered square key with the diagonal dimension in a circumferential
direction.

5. Gib-head taper key – is a flat key with special gib head to facilitate easy driving and
removal of the key.

6. Barth key – is a square key with bottom two corners bevealed.

7. Saddle key – is a flat key used without a keyway in the shaft.

8. Woodruff key – consists of one-half of a circular disk fitting into a rectangular keyway in
the female member and a semi-circular keyway in the male member.

9. Feather key – is one which has a tight fit into one member and a loose sliding fit in the
mating member thus allowing the hub to move along the shaft but prevents rotation of the
shaft.

10. Sunk keys - are provided half in the keyway of the shaft and half in the keyway of the
hub or boss of the pulley.
DESIGN CALCULATION:

1. Force Transmitted; F

T
T
F= = D where: D = shaft dia
r
2

2. Shearing Stresses on the Key

2T F
Ss =0.6Sy = (in terms of T) OR Ss = (in terms of F)
wLD wL
Where:
Ss = shearing stress
T = torque; lb-in; N-mm
w = width of key; mm; in.
D = dia of shaft; mm; in.
L = length of the key; mm; in
F = applied force

3. Compressive Stress on the Key / Also Bearing Stress = this is taken according to the
weakest of the 3 members involving the SHAFT, the KEY, the HUB of the pulley

4T 2F
Sc= Sb = (in terms of T) OR Sb = Sc = hL (in terms of F)
hLD

Where:

Sc = compressive stress T = torque; lb-in; N-mm

h = thickness of key; mm; in. D = dia of shaft; mm; in.
L = length of the key; mm; in F = applied force

4. For Square Key

D
w= where: thickness; h = width; w
4

5. Dimension of Keys Made of the Same Material

When the key is made of the same material as the shaft, the length of the key
required to transmit the full power capacity of the shaft is determined by equating the
shear strength of the key to the torsional shear strength of the shaft.
2T 16 T 1 D
= x and w =
π D 0.75
3
wLD 4

Therefore: L = 1.18D

Where:
L = Length of key
D = shaft dia.
W = width of key

6. For EQUAL STRENGTH of SHAFT and KEY

L = 1.5D
Where:
L = length of the key may also be based on hub length
TYPICAL HUB LENGTHS FALL B/N 1.25D AND 2.4D
 7. Factor of Safety on Keys

S ys 0.6 S y S yc
Ss = = AND Sc =
FS=N FS=N FS=N
Where:
Sys = yield shearing Stress of the key; MPa; psi
Sys = yield strength in compression of the weakest 3 members; MPa; psi
FS = factor of safety
Ss = shearing stress
Sc = compressive stress

SUGGESTED FACTOR OF SAFETY ON YIELD STRENGTH

TYPES OF LOADING FACTOR OF SAFETY

Smooth loading 1.5
Minor loading 2.0 to 2.25
Heavy loading 4.5 up

COUPLING - A mechanical device which is used to connect lengths of shafting permanently.

TYPES OF COUPLING

1. Rigid coupling - couplings that do not allow angular, axial or rotational flexibility and
used with collinear shafts.
a. Flange coupling - type of rigid coupling which consists of two halves of flanges
connected by each other by bolts.
b. Sleeve or collar couplings – rigid coupling which is a cylindrical collar pressed over
the ends of two co-linear shafts. It is keyed to the shaft, the faces are finished normal
to the axis, the bolts, and holes are accurately finished to give a tight fit.
2. Flexible coupling – coupling which allows angularity to take care of misalignment of the
shafts.

STRESSES IN FLANGE COUPLING

1. Total Force Transmitted; F

T
F = Dbc Fb
2

2. Force per Bolt; Fb Dbc

F
Fb = n

3. Shear Stress in Bolts;Ss d shear area

Fb
Ss = π d b 2
4

1
2T
Ss = n(d ) x π (d ¿¿ b)2 ¿
bc
4
Where:
 T = torque
dbc = bolt circle dia.
N = # of bolts
db = bolt dia

4. Compressive Stress on flange; Sc

F
Sc = b
td

Where:
Dbc = bolt circle diameter
db = diameter of bolt
n = # of bolts
t = thickness of flange/web thickness

5. Bearing in the Bolt; Sb Ab // F

2T 1
Sb = n(d ) x t (d ) where: tw= web thickness
bc w b

6. Shear in the flange at hub; Ss

Fh 2T
Ss = π t d but: Fh = d
w h h

NOTE: Key dimensions can be seen from Table AT 19 pg. 594 if width, w
and thickness, h are not given.
Illustrative Problems: KEYS

1. A 63.5mm dia shaft has a key 16mm x 16mm. The shaft material rests 400MPa at yield
point. Let Sys = 0.5Sy. The factor of safety equals 2. The shaft fits into a cast iron hub for
which the working stress in compressed is 125MPa. What length of key in the hub
material will be required to carry the torque of the solid shaft? The key material is
assumed to be amply strong.
Given:

D = 63.5mm w=h=16mm N=2

Sys = 0.5Sy Sy = 400MPa Sc=Sb = 125MPa L =?

Solution:

4T 4T
Bearing in the Key: Sb = hLD Therefore; L = h S D 1 T=?
b

3
16 T π Ss D
From: Ss = 3 Therefore; T = 2 Ss =?
πD 16

S ys 0.5 S y 0.5(400)
Ss = = = = 100MPa
N N 2

From eqn. 2;

T = π ( 100 ) ¿ ¿ = 5, 027,488.27 N-mm

From eqn. 1;

4T 4 (5,027,488.27)
L = hS D = = 158.346mm //ans.
b ( 16 )( 125 ) (63.5)

2. A rectangular key was used in a pulley connected to a line shaft with a power of 125KW
at a speed of 900rpm; if the shearing stress of the shaft is 40MPa and the key to be
22MPa. Determine the length of the rectangular key if the width is ¼ that of the shaft.
Given:

w=¼D n = 900rpm Ss key = 22MPa

P = 125KW Ss shaft = 40MPa L =?

Solution:

2T
Stress in the Key: Ss key = wLD

2T 8T
2T
Therefore: L =
w( S s key )(D)
= 1 D (S )(D) = 2 1
s key D (S s key )
4
 3
16 T S πD
Stress in the shaft: Ss shaft = 3 Therefore: T ¿ s shaft 2
πD 16

Substitute eqn. 2 in eqn. 1:

3
8 ( S s shaft ) π (D ) ( S s shaft ) π (D)
L= 2 = 3
( 16 ) ( D )(S s key ) ( 2 ) (S s key )

Tn ( P)9,550,000 ( 125 ) (9,550,000)

Shaft power: P = ; T = = = 1,326,388.89 N-mm
9,550,000 n 900

Substitute T in eqn. 2;

3
( 40) π D
1,326,388.89 = Therefore; D = 55.27mm
16

Substitute D in eqn. 3;

( 40 ) π (55.27)
L= = 157.8mm //ans.
( 2 ) (22)