MountingSprocketsandPulleys

OnPilotStyleClutches

Considerations&Guidelines

www.machiii.com


Clutchesarecommonlyconnectedtoadrivesystemthroughrollerchainsandbelting.Thisrequiresthata
sprocketorpulleybemounteddirectlytotheclutch.Apilotstyleclutchismadeforthispurpose;providinga
projectionontowhichthesprocketorpulleywillseatandaseriesoftappedholesalongaboltcirclewherethe
sprocketorpulleywillbeattached.

PilotClutchCouplingClutch

Photo1:AComparisonofClutchStyles

AdapterClutch

NEMAFrameClutch

Thisdocumentdiscussesthefactorswhichmustbetakenintoconsiderationwhenselecting,machiningand
mountingasprocketorpulleyforapilotstyleclutch.Whenpropermountingandinstallationproceduresare
followed,optimalperformanceandwearlifeareassured.

www.machiii.com

Service(Safety)Factor

Whenselectingaclutchforanapplication,aservicefactormustbetakenintoconsideration.Aservicefactor
(alsoknownasasafetyfactor)istheoverloadcapacitythatacomponentcanhandlewithoutfailing.With
respecttoclutches,thistranslatestothetotalloadtheclutchcanhandlewithoutslipping.Aservicefactorof1.5
to2(50%to100%moretorquethanisrequiredtodrivetheload)isrecommendedbymostclutch
manufacturers.

Example:

Torquerequiredtodrivetheload=500poundinches

1.5ServiceFactor=500x1.5
=
750poundinches
2.0ServiceFactor=500 x2.0 =
1000poundinches

Theclutchselectedfortheapplicationshouldhaveatorquecapacityofbetween750and1000poundinches.

Sometimesoverlookediswhethertherollerchainorbeltingthatwillbeconnectedtotheclutchhasthesame
servicefactor.Whenselectingthechainorbelting,systemdesignersmustapplythesameservicefactoror
greatertothechainorbeltselectionaswasappliedtotheclutchselection.Rollerchainandbelting
manufacturersarethebestresourcefordeterminingthehorsepowerratingsoftheirproducts.

www.machiii.com

ChainClearance

Thesprocketmustbeofanadequatediametertoprovideclearancebetweenthechainandthebodyofthe
clutch.Figure1showsthedimensionsthatmustbetakenintoconsideration.Clutchmanufacturerstypically
makethiseasyforthecustomerbyprovidingreferencesthatlistminimumtoothcountsforagivenchainsizefor
theclutchesintheirproductline.AnexampleofthisisshowninFigure2.

Figure1:DimensionsNeededforDeterminingAdequateChainClearance

www.machiii.com

Figure2:SampleMinimumSprocketChart

Load

Toproperlymountasprocketorpulleyonthepilotofaclutch,thechainorbeltloadmustbetakeninto
consideration.MountingasingleorAtypesprocketisstraightforwardinthisregard,foritissimplyboredtoa
slidefitoverthepilotdiameterandisdrilledtomatchtheboltsizeandpatternofthesuppliedclutch.Multiple
strandsprockets,Btypesprockets,timingbeltandvbeltpulleys,ontheotherhand,mustbemachinedsothat
thechainorbeltloadiscenteredoverthepilotbearingsorpilotbushing.

RIGHTWRONG

Figure3A:ProperlyMountedDoubleStrandSprocket
Figure3B:ImproperlyMountedDoubleStrandSprocket

Figure3Aillustratesadoublestrandsprocketwhichhasbeenproperlymachinedforandmountedtotheclutch
pilot.Theloadiscenteredovertheballbearing.ThemountingmethodshowninFigure3B,however,produces
anoverhungload.Operatingaclutchwithanoverhungloadwillcausethebearingsorbushinginthepilotofthe
clutchtowearprematurely.Overhungloadscanbindtheinternalcomponentsofaclutchcausingdelayin
engagementanddisengagementoftheclutchorpreventingengagementordisengagementaltogether.

www.machiii.com


Load(continued)
AnothersymptomofoverhungloadcanbeseeninPhoto2.Apulley
wasinstalledonthepilotofthisclutchasillustratedbelowinFigure
4A.Theresultingoverhungloadcausedittomoveaxiallyorwalkoff
theshaft,smashingtherotaryairunionagainstthemachineframe.
Theremedyforthisproblemisamodifiedclutchwithanextended
pilotasshowninFigure4B.Theextendedpilotwillprovideproper
supportforthepulleybycenteringtheloadoverthebronzebushingin
thepilot.

Photo2:ClutchOperatingwithOverhungLoad

WRONGRIGHT

Figure4A:ImproperlyMountedPulley OverhungLoad

www.machiii.com

Figure4B:PulleyMountedCorrectly LoadCenteredOverBushing

Attachment

Asimportantasproperlycenteringthebeltorchaininassuringproperoperationandmaximumwearlifeis
properlyattachingthesprocketorpulleytotheclutch.Clutchmanufacturerswilltypicallyprovidethreaded
holesonthefaceofthepilotoftheirclutchestofacilitatethemountingofsprocketsandpulleys.Thecustomer
shouldusescrewsofthethreadsizeandlengthcorrespondingtothethreadedholeprovidedbytheclutch
manufacturer.

ScrewLength

Thelengthofthescrewusedtoattachthesprocketorpulleyis
importantfortworeasons.First,asillustratedinFigure5A,an
excessivelylongboltusedinathroughholecaninterferewiththe
movementofthedriveplates.Inthisexample,theclutchwould
eitherbestuckinafullyorpartiallyengagedposition.Ifablindholeis
providedanexcessivelylongboltwillbottomoutintheholeandfailto
clampthesprocketorpulleytightly.
Figure5A:ScrewInterferingWithClutchOperation

Second,ascrewasshowninFigure5Bthatisnotlongenoughwould
haveinadequatethreadengagementandthethreadsmayshear
underload.Itisrecommendedthatboltsbeofsufficientlengthto
utilizethefullextentofthethreadsprovidedbytheclutch
manufacturerwithoutexceedingthelengthofthehole.

Figure5B:InadequateThreadEngagement

www.machiii.com

Attachment(continued)

ScrewTightening

Thescrewswhichattachasprocketorpulleytothepilotofaclutchshouldalwaysbetightenedsequentiallyusing
atorquewrench.Thescrewsshouldbetightenedtothetorquespecificationsofthescrewmanufacturer.Refer
totheresourcelistonPage11forreferencelinks.

ScrewBreakage

Screwbreakageaftertheclutchisputintooperationisanobvioussignofaproblem.Toidentifytheproblem,
beginwithidentifyingthetypeofbreakage:

TheloadhasexceededtheShearStrength oftheScrew TheloadhasexceedtheTensileStrength oftheScrew

PossibleCauses
Inadequatelysizedscrews
Inadequatenumberofscrews

Possible Causes
Overtightened(overtorqued)screws
Excessivesideloadonthesprocketorpulley

www.machiii.com

Alignment
Keytoassuringmaximumlifeoftheclutchandthesprocketorpulleyisproperalignmentbetweenthesprocket
orpulleymountedonthepilotoftheclutchandthematingsprocketorpulleyinthedrivesystem.Similarto
overhungload,misalignmentasshowninFigure5Awillproduceprematurewearofthebearingsorbushingin
thepilotoftheclutchandaxialmovementoftheclutch(walkingofftheshaft).Additionally,theteethofan
improperlyalignedsprocketwillalsowearprematurelyasseeninPhoto3.

Photo3:SprocketWornfromMisalignment

WRONGRIGHT

Figure5A:MisalignedSprockets

www.machiii.com

Figure5B:AlignedSprockets

ChainandBeltTension

Thefinalfactorinsuccessfulinstallationofaclutchwithapilotmountedsprocketorpulleyistheuseofproper
chainorbelttension.Ifchainorbelttensionisexcessive,thebushingorbearingsintheclutchwillwear
prematurely.Excessivetensioncanalsocauseclutchestocontinuedrivingwhendisengaged.Ifchainsorbelts
aretooloosetheywillnotremainconnectedtothesprocketorpulleyandwillwearprematurely.Figure6below
showsanexampleofaproperlytensionedrollerchain.

Figure6:IllustrationofProperChainTension

Rollerchainandbeltingmanufacturersarethebestresourceforguidelinesonpropertensioningandchainlength
adjustmentprocedures.SeethereferencelistonPage11forsuggestedlinks.
www.machiii.com

10

SummaryofConsiderations&GuidelinesforMountingSprocketsandPulleysonClutches

Service(Safety)Factor

Thesameservicefactororgreatermustbeappliedtothechainorbeltselectionaswasapplied

totheclutchselection.
ChainClearance
Thesprocketmustbeofanadequatediametertoprovideclearancebetweenthechainandthebody
oftheclutch.
Load
Singlestrandsprockets,multiplestrandsprockets,timingbeltandvbeltpulleys,mustbemachined
sothatthechainorbeltloadiscenteredoverthepilotbearingsorpilotbushing.
Attachment
o ScrewLength:Iftoolong,screwsmayinterferewiththemovementoftheclutchplates.Iftooshort
andthenthescrewsmayshearunderloadduetoinadequatethreadengagement.
o ScrewTightening:screwswhichareeitherundertightenedorovertightenedaresubjectto
breakage.
Alignment
Improperalignmentbetweenmatingsprocketsorpulleysinthedrivesystemwillproducepremature
wearandpossiblyaxialmovementoftheclutchonthedriveshaft.
Chain&BeltTension
o Excessivechainorbelttensionwillcauseprematurewearofthebearings,bushing,sprocketor
pulleyandmaycauseclutchestocontinuedrivingwhendisengaged.
o Inadequatetensionisindicatedwhenbeltsandchainswearprematurelyanddisconnectfromthe
pulleysandsprockets.

ReferencesandResources
Sprockets&Chain
www.diamondchain.com

www.machiii.com

Pulleys&Belting
www.gates.com

11

Fasteners
www.unbrako.com