Shaft

Coupling
 A coupling is a device used to connect two shafts together
at their ends for the purpose of transmitting power

 The primary purpose of couplings is to join two pieces of

rotating equipment while permitting some degree of
misalignment or end movement or both.
• Shafts are usually available up to 7
meters length due to inconvenience in
transport.
• In order to have a greater length, it
becomes necessary to join two or more
pieces of the shaft by means of a
coupling
• Shaft couplings are used in machinery for several purposes,

• To provide for the connection of shafts of units that are

manufactured separately such as a motor and generator
and to provide for disconnection for repairs or alternations.
• To provide for misalignment of the shafts or to introduce
mechanical flexibility.
• To reduce the transmission of shock loads from one shaft
to another.

• To introduce protection against overloads.

• Requirements of a Good Shaft Coupling

• 1.It should be easy to connect or disconnect.

• 2. It should transmit the full power from one shaft to

the other shaft without losses.

• 3.It should hold the shafts in perfect alignment.

• 4.It should reduce the transmission of shock loads from

one shaft to another shaft.
 Types of Shafts Couplings
• 1. Rigid coupling 2. Flexible coupling

1. Rigid coupling : It is used to connect two shafts

which are perfectly aligned.
• types of rigid coupling are
• a)Sleeve or muff coupling.
• b)Clamp or split-muff or compression coupling,
• c)Flange coupling
• 2.Flexible coupling : It is used to connect two
shafts having both lateral and angular
misalignment.

• Types of flexible coupling are

• a)Bushed pin type coupling,

• b)Universal coupling, and
• c)Oldham coupling
a. Sleeve or Muff-coupling
• It is the simplest type of rigid coupling, made of
cast iron.

• It consists of a hollow cylinder whose inner

diameter is the same as that of the shaft (sleeve).

• It is fitted over the ends of the two shafts by

means of a gib head key, as shown in Fig.

• The power is transmitted from one shaft to the

other shaft by means of a key and a sleeve.
• SHAFT - (d, T)
d = diameter of the shaft , T= torque

• SLEEVE – (D, L)
D= Outer diameter of the sleeve

• KEY- RED
• l= length, w= width, t=thickness
 1. Design for sleeve
• The usual proportions of a cast iron sleeve
coupling

• Outer diameter of the sleeve, D =2d + 13 mm

length of the sleeve, L=3.5d

Where d = diameter of the shaft

• The sleeve is designed by considering it as a

hollow shaft.
• T=Torque to be transmitted by the coupling
• τc=Permissible shear stress for the material of
the sleeve which is cast rion.
• τc = 14 MPa.
• Torque transmitted by a hollow section
T = (π/16)×τc×(D4-d4)/D
= (π/16)×τc×D3(1-K4)
... (∵k = d / D)
• From this expression, the induced shear stress
in the sleeve may be checked
 2. Design for key
• The length of the coupling key =
sleeve ( i.e. . 3.5d ).
• The coupling key is usually made into two
parts
• length of the key in each shaft
l= L/2=3.5d/2
• After fixing the length of key in each shaft, the
induced shearing and crushing stresses may
be checked. We know that torque transmitted,
• T = l× w×τ ×(d /2)
(Considering shearing of the key)

• T = l × t/2 × σC × (d /2)
(Considering crushing of the key
b. Clamp or Compression Coupling
• the muff or sleeve is made into two halves and are bolted together.

• The halves of the muff are made of cast iron.

• The shaft ends are made to a butt each other

• a single key is fitted directly in the keyways of both the shafts.

• One-half of the muff is fixed from below and the other half is placed from
above.

• Both the halves are held together by means of mild steel studs or bolts
and nuts.

• The number of bolts may be two, four or six.

• The advantage of this coupling is that the position of the shafts need not
be changed for assembling or disassembling of the couplings
 1. Design of muff
• The usual proportions of a cast iron sleeve coupling

• Outer diameter of the sleeve, D =2d + 13 mm

• length of the sleeve, L=3.5d

Where d = diameter of the shaft

• The sleeve is designed by considering it as a hollow

shaft.
• T=Torque to be transmitted by the coupling
• τc=Permissible shear stress for the material of
the sleeve which is cast iron.
• τc = 14 MPa.
• Torque transmitted by a hollow section
T = (π/16)×τc×(D4-d4)/D
= (π/16)×τc×D3(1-K4)
... (∵k = d / D)
• From this expression, the induced shear stress
in the sleeve may be checked
 2. Design for key

• The length of the coupling key = length of the

sleeve ( i.e. . 3.5d ).
• The coupling key is usually made into two
parts
• length of the key in each shaft
l= L/2=3.5d/2
• After fixing the length of key in each shaft, the
induced shearing and crushing stresses may
be checked. We know that torque transmitted
• T = l× w×τ ×(d /2)
(Considering shearing of the key)

• T = l × t/2 × σC × (d /2)
(Considering crushing of the key
 3. Design of clamping bolts

• T =Torque transmited by the shaft,

• d =Diameter of shaft,
• d b=Root or effective diameter of bolt
• n=Number of bolts,
• σt =Permissible tensile stress for bolt material,
• µ=Coefficient of friction between the muff and
shaft, and
• L=Length of muff.
• force exerted by each bolt (F) =(π/4) (d 2) σt
b

• Force exerted by the bolts on each side of the

shaft (F)= (π/4) (d 2 ) (σt )(n/2)
b

• (P )be the pressure on the shaft and the muff

surface due to the force, then for uniform
pressure distribution over the surface

• P=Force/Projected area

• P= (π/4) (d 2 ) (σ
t )(n/2)/(1/2)Ld
b
• ∴Frictional force between each shaft and
muff,

F =µ× pressure × area

• F=(µ × (π/4)(d 2 )(σt )(n/2)/(1/2)Ld )
b
× π (1/2) d L

• F= µ × (π2/8)(d 2 )(σ
t )(n)
b
• Torque that can be transmitted by the
coupling

T=F × d/2
T=µ × (π2/8)(d 2 )(σ
t )(n)×d/2
b
• From this relation, the root diameter of the
bolt (d b )
may be evaluated . µ=0.3
 c. Flange coupling
• A flange coupling usually applies to a coupling
having two separate cast iron flanges.
• Each flange is mounted on the shaft end and
keyed to it.
• The faces are turned up at right angle to the axis
of the shaft
• Flange coupling are
• 1.Unprotected type flange coupling
• 2. Protected type flange coupling
• 3. Marine type flange coupling
1.Unprotected type flange coupling
• In an unprotected type flange coupling each
shaft is keyed to the boss of a flange with a
counter sunk key and the flanges are coupled
together by means of bolts.

• Generally, three, four or six bolts are used

 Design of Unprotected type Flange
Coupling
• The usual proportions for an unprotected type cast iron
flange couplings
• d = diameter of the shaft or inner diameter of the hub
• D= Outside diameter of hub D=2d
• Length of hub, L= 1.5d
• Pitch circle diameter of bolts, D1=3d
• Outside diameter of flange,
D2= D1+ ( D1– D) = 2 D1– D= 4d
• Thickness of flange tf =0.5d
• Number of bolts =3, ford upto 40 mm
=4, for d upto 100 mm
=6, for d upto 180 mm
• d =Diameter of shaft or inner diameter of hub,
• τs =Allowable shear stress for shaft,

• D=Outer diameter of hub,

• tf =Thickness of flange
• τc=Allowable shear stress for the flange material

• d 1=Nominal or outside diameter of bolt,

• D1 =Diameter of bolt circle,
• n=Number of bolts,
• τb= Allowable shear stress for bolt
• σ cb,, =Allowable crushing stress for bolt

• τk= Allowable shear stress for key material

• σ ck= key material
 1. Design for hub
• The hub is designed by considering it as a
hollow shaft,
• transmitting the same torque (T ) as that of a
solid shaft
T= T = (π/16)×τc×(D4-d4)/D
The outer diameter of hub is usually taken as
twice the diameter of shaft.
• The length of hub ( L ) = 1.5d
 2. Design for key

The material of key is usually the same as that of

shaft. The length of key is taken equal to the
length of hub
l=L
• T = l× w×τ ×(d /2)
(Considering shearing of the key)

• T = l × t/2 × σC × (d /2)
(Considering crushing of the key
 3. Design for flange

• T =Circumference of hub × Thickness of flange

× Shear stress of flange × Radius of hub

• T= π D × tf × τc × D/2
T= π × tf × τc × D2/2
The thickness of flange is usually taken as half
the diameter of shaft
 4. Design for bolts
• Load on each bolt (F)=
(π/4) (d 12 ) (τb)
• Total load on all the bolts (F) =
(π/4) (d 12 ) (τb)(n)
• The bolts are subjected to shear stress due to
the torque transmitted
(T)= (π/4) (d 12 ) (τb)(n) (D1/2)

From this equation, the diameter of bolt (d 1 )

may be obtained.
• We know that area resisting crushing of all the
bolts = n× d 1 × tf

• crushing strength of all the bolts

= n× d 1 × tf × σCb
Torque = n× d 1 × tf × σCb × (D1/2)

• From this equation, the induced crushing

stress in the bolts may be checked
Protected type flange coupling
• the protruding bolts and nuts are protected by
flanges on the two halves of the coupling, in
order to avoid danger to the workman

(tp ) =0.25d

The design of unprotective type is same

process of protective type
Marine type flange coupling
• In a marine type flange coupling, the flanges are forged
integral with the shafts .
• The flanges are held together by means of tapered
head less bolts.
• numbering from four to twelve depending upon the
diameter of shaft.
• Shaft diameter No. of bolts
• 35 to 55 4
• 56 to 150 6
• 151 to 230 8
• 231 to 390 10
• Above 390 12
• The other proportions for the marine type
flange coupling
• Thickness of flange =d /3
• Taper of bolt= 1 in 20 to 1 in 40
• Pitch circle diameter of bolts, D1= 1.6d
• Outside diameter of flange, D2= 2.2d
Bushed-pin Flexible Coupling
 a modification of the rigid type of flange
coupling.
• The coupling bolts are known as pins. The
rubber or leather bushes are used over the
pins.
• The two halves of the coupling are dissimilar
in construction.
• A clearance of 5 mm is left between the face
of the two halves of the coupling.
• the proportions of the rigid type flange
coupling
• the bearing pressure on the rubber or leather
bushes and it should not exceed 0.5 N/mm2
Pin and bush design
• l=Length of bush in the flange,
• d 2=Diameter of bush,
• pb=Bearing pressure on the bush or pin,
• n=Number of pins,
• D1=Diameter of pitch circle of the pins
 Pin and bush design

• bearing load acting on each pin,

• W = pb×d 2×l
• ∴Total bearing load on the bush or pins
• W × n= pb×d 2×l ×n
• torque transmitted by the coupling=
T= W × n × (D1 /2)
T= pb×d 2×l ×n × (D1 /2)
• Direct shear stress due to pure torsion in the
coupling halve
• τ=W/[ (π/4) (d 12 )]
• maximum bending moment on the pin
• M =W (l/2 +5mm)
• bending stress
σ= M / Z
= W (l/2 +5mm)/ (π/32) (d 13)
• Maximum principal stress
= 1/2[σ +(σ+4τ2 ) 1/2]
• maximum shear stress on the pin

= 1/2(σ+4τ2 ) 1/2

• The value of maximum principal stress varies

from 28 to 42 MPa