Design of Knuckle Joint and

Cotter Joint
 Knuckle Joint
Knuckle joint is used to
connect two rods
subjected to axial tensile
loads. It may also be used
to support the compressive
load if the joint is guided. It
is not suitable to connect
rotating shafts which
transmit torque.
Its construction permits
limited relative angular
movement between rods,
about the axis of the pin.
Knuckle joint is widely used to
connect valve rod and
eccentric rod, in the link of
a cycle chain, levers, tie rod
joint for roof truss and
many other links.
Design of Knuckle Joint
Design of Knuckle Joint
 Design of Knuckle Joint
Dimensions of Knuckle Joint
D = diameter of each rod (mm)
D1 = enlarged diameter of each rod (mm)
d = diameter of knuckle pin (mm)
d0 = outside diameter of eye or fork (mm)
d1 = diameter of pin head (mm)
a = thickness of each eye of fork (mm)
b = thickness of eye end of rod B (mm)
x = distance of the centre of fork radius R from
the eye (mm)
 Design of Knuckle Joint
Load Analysis
 Design of Knuckle Joint
Failure Stress Analysis of Knuckle Joints

(pin in eye)

(pin in fork)
(maximum bending stress in pin)
32M P b a 
b  M   
d 3 2 4 3
 Design of Knuckle Joint
Failure Stress Analysis of Knuckle Joints

(maximum tensile stress in eye)

(maximum shearing stress in eye)

(maximum tensile stress in fork)

(maximum shear stress in fork)

 Design of Knuckle Joint
Empirical relations of dimensions

D1 = 1.1 D
d=D
d0 = 2d
a= 0.75 D
b = 1.25 D
d1 = 1.5 d
x = 10 mm
 Design of Knuckle Joint
Design Procedure:
1) Calculate the Diameter of each rod using:

2) Calculate D1 for each rod using empirical relation D1 = 1.1 D

3) Calculate dimensions a and b also using empirical relations
a = 0.75 D & b = 1.25 D
4) Calculate diameter of the pin by shear and bending
consideration and select the diameter which is maximum using

5) Calculate dimensions d0 and d1 using empirical relations d0 = 2d

and d1 = 1.5d
 Design of Knuckle Joint
Design Procedure:
6) Check the tensile, crushing and shear stresses in
the eye using

7) Check the tensile, crushing and shear stresses in

the fork
 Design of Knuckle Joint
Design a knuckle joint subjected to axial tensile force
of 50 kN. Determine the dimensions for the knuckle
joint whose rods and pin are made from a selected
material, plain carbon steel (Syt=400MPa) with
factor of safety of 5 .
Design of Knuckle Joint
Design of Knuckle Joint
Design of Knuckle Joint
Cotter Joint
Cotter joint is used to
connect two rods
subjected to axial tensile
or compressive loads. It is
not suitable to connect
rotating shafts which
transmit torque.
Cotter joint is widely used to
connect the piston rod
and crosshead of a steam
engine, as a joint between
the piston rod and the
tailor pump rod,
foundation bolt etc.
Design of Cotter Joint
Design of Cotter Joint
 Design of Cotter Joint
Dimensions of Cotter Joint
d = diameter of each rod (mm)
d1 = outside diameter of socket (mm)
d2 = diameter of spigot or inside diameter of socket (mm)
d3 = diameter of spigot-collar (mm)
d4 = diameter of socket-collar (mm)
a = distance from end of slot to the end of spigot on rod-B
(mm)
b = mean width of cotter (mm)
c = axial distance from slot to end of socket collar (mm)
t = thickness of cotter (mm)
t1 = thickness of spigot collar (mm)
l = length of cotter (mm)
 Design of Cotter Joint
Load Analysis
 Design of Cotterv Joint
Empirical relations of dimensions
t = 0.31d
d3 = 1.5 d
d4 = 2.4 d
a = c = 0.75 d
t1 = 0.45d
 Design of Cotter Joint
Failure Stress Analysis of Cotter Joints

Tensile Failure of Rods:

Tensile Failure of Spigot:

Tensile Failure of Socket :

 Design of Cotter Joint
Failure Stress Analysis of Cotter Joints

Shear Failure of Spigot End:

Tensile Failure of Socket End:

Crushing Failure of Spigot End:

Crushing Failure of Socket End:

 Design of Cotter Joint
Failure Stress Analysis of Cotter Joints

Shear Failure of Spigot Collar:

Crushing Failure of Spigot Collar:

Shear Failure of Cotter :

Bending Failure of Cotter:
 Design of Cotter Joint

Design Procedure for Cotter Joint

1) Calculate the Diameter of each rod using

2) Calculate thickness of cotter using empirical

relation t = 0.31d
 Design of Cotter Joint

Design Procedure for Cotter Joint

3) Calculate diameter of the spigot on the basis
of tensile stress

4) Calculate outside diameter of the socket on

the basis of tensile stress
 Design of Cotter Joint

Design Procedure for Cotter Joint

5) Diameter of spigot collar, d3 and diameter of
socket collar, d4 are determined using
empirical relations d3 = 1.5 d and d4 = 2.4 d

6) Dimensions a and c are also determined

using empirical relations a = c = 0.75 d.
 Design of Cotter Joint

Design Procedure for Cotter Joint

7) Calculate width of cotter by shear and
bending consideration and select the
width which is maximum:

8) Check the crushing and shear stresses in the

spigot end.
 Design of Cotter Joint

Design Procedure for Cotter Joint

9) Check the crushing and shear stresses in the
socket end:
10) Calculate thickness t1 of spigot collar by the
following empirical relationship t1 = 0.45d
11) Check the crushing and shear stresses in the
socket collar: