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> Auveco woodruff key asst. 20 sizes, 383 pcs #6065 jesco
Auveco woodruff key asst. 20 sizes, 383 pcs #6065 jesco
A Woodruff key or half-moon key, is a semicircular shaped, removable key that fits into a matching keyway cut into a shaft, leaving a protruding tab. The tab mates with a matching slot on a device mounted flush upon the shaft e.g. a pulley, thus preventing the device from freely rotating about the shaft. It is widely used in machine tools and in the automotive industry. A Woodruff key is also used as a shear pin on some power take off devices and on such implements as snowblowers. The main advantage of the Woodruff key is that avoids the milling of a keyslot near stress-concentration prone shaft shoulders.This type of key was developed by W.N Woodruff who was presented in 1888 with the John Scott Medal by the Franklin Institute for the invention.