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Keys Design

Keys are used to prevent relative angular motion between mating circular members and are subjected to shearing and crushing stresses. There are various types of keys that can have constant or variable cross-sections, including square, flat, round, and Barth keys for constant cross-section and Woodruff, saddle, and gib-head keys for variable cross-section. The length of the key is determined by equating the shear strength of the key material to the torsional shear strength of the shaft material to transmit the full power capacity of the shaft.

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110 views4 pages

Keys Design

Keys are used to prevent relative angular motion between mating circular members and are subjected to shearing and crushing stresses. There are various types of keys that can have constant or variable cross-sections, including square, flat, round, and Barth keys for constant cross-section and Woodruff, saddle, and gib-head keys for variable cross-section. The length of the key is determined by equating the shear strength of the key material to the torsional shear strength of the shaft material to transmit the full power capacity of the shaft.

Uploaded by

Von Ryan Omapas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Keys Design

Key is a machine member employed at the interface of pair of mating male and female circular
cross-sectioned members to prevent relative angular motion between these mating. Keys are
used as temporary fastenings and are subjected to considerable crushing and shearing stresses.
Keyway is a slot or recess in a shaft and hub of the pulley to accommodate a key.

Classifications of Keys
1. Constant cross-section
2. Variable cross-section
3.
Types of Constant Cross-sectioned Keys
1. Square Key 3. Round Key
2. Flat Key 4. Barth Key
Square key – has a square cross-section with half of its depth sunk in the shaft and half in the
hub.
Flat key – has a regular cross section with a smaller dimension placed in the radial direction
with half sunk in the shaft and half in the hub and is used where the weakening of the shaft by
the keyway is serious.
Round Key – has circular cross-section.
Barth Key – is a square key with bottom two corners beveled.

h h
D w D w

Square Key Flat Key


𝑤 = ℎ = 𝐷/4 𝑤 = 𝐷/4

Round Key Barth Key

Types Variable Cross-sectioned Keys


1. Woodruff key - consist 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.
2. Saddle key - is a flat key used without a keyway in the shaft.
3. Gib-head key - is a flat or rectangular key with a special gib-head to facilitate easy
driving and removal of the key.
Woodruff key

Other Types of Key


1. Feather key
2. Kennedy key
3. Pin Key

1. 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 on
the shaft.
2. Kennedy key – are tapered square keys with the diagonal dimension in a circumferential
direction.
3. Pin key

Considering power transmitted by the shaft, the key may fail due to shearing or crushing.

Power of Key F
𝑃 = 2𝜋 𝑇𝑁
r
Force Transmitted, F T
𝑇 𝑇
𝐹= 𝑟=𝐷
2

Where: F = tangential force acting at the circumference of the shaft


T = torque transmitted by the shaft

Shearing Stress on the key F


h
𝐹 2𝑇
𝜏 = 𝑤𝐿 = 𝑤𝐿𝐷 --------------1 w
D

Compressive Stress on the Key

2𝐹 4𝑇
𝜎𝑐 = ℎ𝐿 = ℎ𝐿𝐷 ---------------2

Where: D = diameter of shaft


L = length of key
w = width of key
h = thickness of key and
τ = shearing stress of key
𝜎𝑐 = compressive stress
F = tangential force acting at the circumference of the shaft
T = torque transmitted by the shaft

The square key is equally strong in shearing and crushing since w = h.

Dimension of Keys made of 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 16𝑇 1
= 𝜋𝐷3 𝑥 0.75 and w = D/4
𝐷𝐿𝑤

L = 1.18 D
Where:
L = length of the key
w = width of the key
D = shaft diameter

Example:

A 76.2 mm in diameter shafting of SAE 1040 grade, cold rolled, having a yield point of 50 ksi and
with a ¾ x 5 inches key. Compute the minimum yield point in the key in order to transmit the
torque of the shaft. The factor of safety to use is 2 and τy = 0.50 σy.

Solution:
F
For key:
w = ¾” = 0.75”
L = 5”
D = 76.2 mm = 3 in
𝜎𝑦
𝜎 = 𝐹𝑆 3”

50,000
𝜎= = 25, 000 𝑝𝑠𝑖 𝑇 = 𝐹𝑟
2

16𝑇 3
25, 000 = 𝜋𝑑3 132, 535.54 𝑖𝑛 − 𝑙𝑏 = 𝐹(2 𝑖𝑛)

16𝑇
25, 000 = 𝜋(3)3 𝐹 = 88, 357.29 𝑙𝑏𝑠

T = 132, 535.94 in-lb

For Shearing of Key:


𝐹 88,357.29𝑙𝑏
𝜏 = 𝑤𝐿 = (0.75𝑖𝑛)((5 𝑖𝑛) = 23, 561.94 𝑝𝑠𝑖

𝜏𝑦 = 𝜏 𝑥 𝐹𝑆

𝜏𝑦 = 23, 561.94 𝑥 2 = 47, 120 𝑝𝑠𝑖 = 47.20 𝑘𝑠𝑖

A keyed sprocket delivers a torque of 778.8 N.m. thru the shaft of 54 mm outside diameter. The
key thickness is 1.5875 cm and the width is 1.11 cm. Compute the length of the same key. The
permissible stress value of 60 MPa for shear and 90 MPa for tension.

Solution:
𝑇
𝐹= F
𝑟

778.8
𝐹= 0.054 = 28,844.4𝑁 1.5875 cm L L 54 mm
( )
2
For shearing of key: For compression of key:
𝐹 2𝐹
𝜏 = 𝑤𝐿 𝜎 = ℎ𝐿

28,844.4 2(28,844.4)
60, 000,000 = 0.0111(𝐿) 90,000,000 = 0.015875(𝐿)

𝐿 = 0.0433𝑚 = 4.33 𝑐𝑚 L = 0.040377 m = 4.0377 cm

Therefore choose the longer length of key


𝐿 = 4.33 𝑐𝑚

Sources:

Design of Machine Elements by Faires


MachineElementsDesignSHIGLEY.pdf
MachineElementsDesignJ.K.GUPTA.pdf

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