Chapter 17

Keys and keyways

A key, Fig. 17.1, is usually made from steel and is

inserted between the joint of two parts to prevent relative
movement; it is also inserted between a shaft and a
hub in an axial direction, to prevent relative rotation.
A keyway, Figs. 17.2, 17.3 and 17.4, is a recess in a
shaft or hub to receive a key, and these recesses are
commonly cut on key-seating machines or by broaching,
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planing, shaping and slotting. The proportions
of cross-sections of keys vary with the shaft size, and
reference should be made to BS 4235 for the exact Fig. 17.3 End-milled keyway
dimensions. The length of the key controls the area of
the cross-section subject to shear, and will need to be
calculated from a knowledge of the forces being
transmitted or, in the case of feather keys, the additional
information of the length of axial movement required.

Square Fig. 17.4 Keyway in hub

parallel key

Sunk keys
Examples of sunk keys are shown in Fig. 17.5, where
Round-end
parallel key
the key is sunk into the shaft for half its thickness.
This measurement is taken at the side of the key, and
not along the centre line through the shaft axis. Figure
17.5 shows useful proportions used for assembly
drawings.
Square and rectangular keys may be made with a
taper of 1 in 100 along the length of the key; Fig. 17.6
shows such an application. Note that, when
Gib-head key
dimensioning the mating hub, the dimension into the
keyway is taken across the maximum bore diameter.
Fig. 17.1 A gib head may be added to a key to facilitate
removal, and its proportions and position when
assembled are given in Fig. 17.7.
A feather key is attached to either the shaft or the
hub, and permits relative axial movement while at the
same time enabling a twisting moment to be transmitted
between shaft and hub or vice versa. Both pairs of
opposite faces of the key are parallel.
A double-headed feather key is shown in Fig. 17.8
and allows a relatively large degree of sliding motion
between shaft and hub. The key is inserted into the
bore of the hub, and the assembly is then fed on to the
Fig. 17.2 Edge-milled keyway shaft, thus locking the key in position.

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 Keys and keyways 135

T W
2

T
T
2

Rectangular key

Fig. 17.8 Double-headed feather key

D = Shaft diameter

W= D A peg feather key is shown in Fig. 17.9, where a

4
W
peg attached to the key is located in a hole through the
T= D
6 hub.
Figure 17.10 illustrates a feather key which is screwed
W
2

in position in the shaft keyway by two countersunk

screws.
W
2

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Hub

D
φ Square key

Fig. 17.5 Shaft

Taper 1:100
on this face
Fig. 17.9 Peg feather key

Fig. 17.6
Gib-head key

Taper 1:100 Fig. 17.10 Feather key

on top surface

Woodruff keys
A Woodruff key, Fig. 17.11, is a segment of a circular
disc and fits into a circular recess in the shaft which is
machined by a Woodruff keyway cutter. The shaft may
be parallel or tapered, Figs 17.12 and 17.13 showing
the method of dimensioning shafts for Woodruff keys
where the depth of the recess from the outside of the
shaft is given, in addition to the diameter of the recess.
A Woodruff key has the advantage that it will turn
itself in its circular recess to accommodate any taper
1 1T
2 in the mating hub on assembly; for this reason it cannot
45°
be used as a feather key, since it would jam. Woodruff
3T

keys are commonly used in machine tools and, for

4

example, between the flywheel and the crankshaft of a

small internal-combustion engine where the drive
T

depends largely on the fit between the shaft and the

Fig. 17.7 conically bored flywheel hub. The deep recess for a

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 136 Manual of Engineering Drawing

hub. The round key may either be tapered or, on

assembly, the end of the shaft and hub may be tapped
after drilling and a special threaded key be screwed in
to secure the components.

Dimensioning keyways
Fig. 17.11 Woodruff key (parallel keys)
The method of dimensioning a parallel shaft is shown
A in Fig. 17.15, and a parallel hub in Fig. 17.16. Note
that in each case it is essential to show the dimension
B

to the bottom of the keyway measured across the

diameter of the shaft and the bore of the hub. This
practice cannot be used where either the shaft or hub
is tapered, and Fig. 17.17 shows the method of
dimensioning a keyway for a square or rectangular
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Fig. 17.12 Dimensions required for a Woodruff key in a parallel shaft parallel key in a tapered shaft, where the keyway depth
is shown from the outside edge of the shaft and is
measured vertically into the bottom of the slot. Figure
A 17.18 shows a tapered hub with a parallel keyway
where the dimension to the bottom of the slot is taken
B

across the major diameter. A parallel hub utilizing a

tapered key is also dimensioned across the major
diameter, as indicated in Fig. 17.19.

Fig. 17.13 Dimensions required for a Woodruff key in a tapered shaft

Round key
φd
Fig. 17.15 Keyway in
Flat
parallel shaft
Hollow
saddle key saddle key
Fig. 17.16 Keyway in parallel hub
W
W

T T

Fig. 17.17 Keyway for

square or rectangular
T= W W= D
3 4 parallel key in tapered
d= D
shaft
6
Fig. 17.14

Woodruff key weakens the shaft, but there is little

tendency for the key to turn over when in use.
Where lighter loads are transmitted and the cost of
cutting a keyway is not justified, round keys and flat
or hollow saddle keys as shown in Fig. 17.14 can be
used.
Saddle keys are essentially for light duty only,
overloading tending to make them rock and work loose
on the shaft. Both flat and hollow saddle keys may Fig. 17.18 Tapered hub with Fig. 17.19 Parallel hub with
have a taper of 1 in 100 on the face in contact with the parallel keyway tapered keyway

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