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KEYS, COTTER and JOINTS

Keys:

- These are temporary fasteners.

- Used to hold pulleys, wheels, gears etc on the
rotating shafts, such that there is no relative rotary
motion between the pairs.
- Functions of keys:
o It is an agent in transmission of power,
motion, torque between the pairs.
o It is also used as a safety feature. When
overloading occurs, the key will fail before the
actual parts.
o Keys are easy to replace and costs less.

Classification of keys:

Depend chiefly upon the load to be transmitted:

(1) Heavy duty keys
a. Sunk key
- A key which goes in the key seat. The key seat is a
sort of groove to hold the key. Key seat is machined
partly in the shaft and partly in the part supported.
- Sunk key is mostly of rectangular or square key.
These two can be parallel or taper keys.
- Drawing proportions:
o Rectangular key: W=0.25D and
T=0.66W.
 o Square key: W=0.25D and
T=W.

(b) Gib head key

- Key is provided with a head at one end to
facilitate withdrawal of the key.
(c) Splines
- The key is actually the solid integral part of the
shaft and corresponding grooves/ keyways are
made on the supported parts.
- There can be number of keys on the
circumference of the shaft.

(2) Light duty keys:

a. Flat saddle key.
 - It is flat on the shaft.
- As it is liable to slip on shaft, so it is used for
light duty.

b. Hollow saddle keys:

- The key is curved to fit on the shaft.
- It increases friction.

c. Round or pin key

- It is a circular pin.
- It is fitted in a hole drilled partly in the end
of a shaft and partly in the supported part.
d. Woodruff key
- It is a segmental disc with a flat or round bottom.
- The keyway is also of disc type.
- It is an self adjustable key.
COTTERS

- These are again the temporary fasteners.

- It is a wedge shaped piece of mild steel, tapered on
one or both side (1:20-50).
- It is tapered so as:
o Facilitate the positioning and withdrawing of
the cotter.
o For lateral adjustment.
- Used to hold two parts where the parts are
subjected to axial forces only.
- Usually driven perpendicular to the axis of the
connected parts.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEYS AND COTTERS

 - Keys are driven parallel to the axis but cotters
perpendicular to axis.

- Keys are used where parts are subjected to torque

but cotters are used where parts are subjected to
tensile or compressive forces.

- Keys resist shear over a longitudinal section but

cotter resist shear over two transverse sections.

COTTERED JOINTS

- Joints formed by using a cotter are called cottered

joints.

(1) Spigot and socket cottered joint

- Used for round rods.
2. Sleeve and cotter joint.
3. Gib and cotter joint

- used for square rods.

- Gib is a piece of mild steel having the same
thickness as cotter and is used in combination of
cotter.

- Uses of
gib:

(a) When
the cotter is
driven in
position, it
has the
tendency to
bend the
lower part
of the fork end away from rod. It is prevented by using
a gib.
(b) To increase the bearing area of contact between the
mating parts.
PIN JOINT OR KNUCKLE JOINT
- Joint allows a small angular movement of the rods
relative to each other.
- Joint is capable of transmitting rotary and
transverse motion.