INTRODUCTION: A knuckle joint is generally used to connect rods subjected to axial

tensile load. Sometimes, if it is required to be used to support compressive loading, we must

provide guide to constrain the motion of rod. It facilitates easy assembly and disassembly and
also permits limited relative motion between the two fastened components (rods).
In above fig , Knuckle joint is shown in which Two or more rods subjected to tensile and
compressive forces are fastened together. Their axes are not in alignments but meet in a
point. The joint allows a small angular moment of one rod relative to another. It
can be easily connected and disconnected.

Constructional details and Applications: A knuckle joint which consists of

mainly three parts and five in all is shown below. The end of one rod is forged to form an eye
while the other is made in the form of fork and thus called as eye and fork ends respectively.
These two ends are held together with the help of a cylindrical pin driven through the holes of
eye and fork ends. These three part are secured by means of a small lock pin through a collar to
complete the knuckle joint. It is recommended that the hole is drilled and pin is machined to get
the better fitting and improved performance of the joint. The other rubbing surfaces of the fork
and eye end must be machined. The end of the rods are made octagonal to some distance for firm
grip and then it is square for some portion before it is forged into eye and fork shapes. This type
of joint is widely used in practice to connect valve rod and eccentric rod, levers, tie bars of truss,
links of suspension chains, elevator chains and many other links. The knuckle joint is also used
for fastening more than two rods intersecting at a single point.
Design Procedure
The design of the knuckle joint is also based on the basic direct stress equations as it was for the
cotter joint. As the knuckle joint is used for tensile loading only, the minimum data required for
design problem of a knuckle joint is the magnitude of the load. Steps followed are:
Selection of material for each component Note the required material properties such as S y , S ys ,
Su , Sus for each selected material.
Choose proper factor of safety n
Calculate design stresses for each component
Now, to design the joints, the resistance offered in possible modes of failure is equated with the
external load (required capacity) of the joint and then the desired dimension is obtained.
Following are the possible failure modes:
Tensile mode of failure of the solid rod, tearing resistance
This failure mode is used to calculate the diameter of the rod by calculating the tearing resistance
of the rod considering the tearing failure.

Tearing resistance = Failure area × Design stress

For design to be safe in this mode, tearing resistance > F (external load or design load)

Find d and modify it as per R20 series or with standard size table. The shearing failure mode of
the pin; Shearing resistance.
Cross section of rod is shown below:

The pin may fail in double shear and hence the design equation is

Find d1 and standardize it as per R20 series. The tearing failure mode of the square section;
tearing resistance. The failure area is shown in the Figure below under the action of tensile
force F .

Failure area = h12 and F = h12 σd

Find h1 and round off to next higher integer.

Tearing failure mode of fork end before pin hole; tearing resistance
Failure area = 2t3h1 . The design equation F= 2 t3 h1 σd

Find t3
The crushing failure mode of fork and pin; crushing resistance
The fork and the pin may crush under the action of external load. The force distribution on the
fork and the pin is shown in the Figure , hence the projected area is to be considered for
computing the crushing resistance.

Projected Area= 2 d1 t1 and Design equation F = 2t1d1Ƭd

The tearing failure mode of fork through pin hole; tearing resistance

Failure area from above figure is = 2 (d3 – d1)t1 and Design equation F = 2 (d3 – d1)t1σd
Find d3 and round off to next integer
Tearing failure mode of eye end through pin; tearing resistance Refer fig below for loading
and failure area.

The Design equation is F =h3 (d3 – d1) σd. Find h3 and round off to next integer.

Checks

The above failure modes are sufficient to give all the dimensions of the knuckle joint. But all
three components may fail in some other modes and the resistance of those modes must be
calculated to ensure the safe design.

Crushing failure (crushing failure mode) of eye through pin

The projected area is considered. The crushing resistance is given by FC = h3 d1 σcd

For failure safe design Fc > F

If this inequality is not satisfied, we have two options other than change of material; increase h3
or increase d1 . The increase in d1 is associated with the reduction in the resistance of fork and
eye in tearing as per above Equations. Hence we will use first option of increasing h3 .

Shearing resistance (shearing failure mode) of eye end through pin

The shearing failure of eye end shown in Figure below. The shearing resistance is given by

FS = 2(d3 – d1) h3Ƭd

For Failure safe design FS > F

If not satisfied, we can increase h3 , increase d3 or reduce d1 . The reduction in d1 reduces the
strength of the pin. Hence any of first two options can be used.

Bending of pin
The pin may bend under the assumed force distribution as shown in the Figure The bending
moment diagram is shown in Figure .
The maximum bending moment acts at the centre of the pin and the expression of this is given by

The maximum stress due to this maximum bending moment is given by

3
Where Z = section modulus = 1/32 d1 .
The maximum stress induced due to bending in the pin must be less than the design stress for
safe design. Hence the following must be satisfied

If this is not satisfied, then to reduce the stress due to bending in the cotter we can increase either
d1 other than the change of material.

Other dimensions

Diameter of pin head, d2 = 1.5 d1

Diameter of collar, d2 = 1.5 d1

Diameter of lock pin hole, d4 = 0.25d1

Length of eye and fork end, L = 4.0 d

Length of octagon shape, l = 2 d

Second method of design

We can decide all the dimensions of the knuckle joints based on the proportion given in Table
below and then the capacity of joint is checked in all possible failure modes (mode 2 to 10). For
safe design the calculated capacity of each possible failure mode should be more than the
capacity (external load) of the joint.

Symbol Proportions Symbol Proportions

d1 d h2 1.1d
d2 1.5d h3 1.2d
d3 2.0d l 2d
d4 0.25d1 L 4d
h1 1.2d t1 0.75d
t2 0.5d
Materials and factor of safety
The materials used for the components of the knuckle joint are similar to the components of
cotterjoint as forging is done to form the rod in eye and fork ends. Hence, C15Mn25, C20, C25,
C30 and CI are the commonly employed materials for parts of knuckle joint. When rods are
subjected to high stresses or any specific conditions, material is to be selected accordingly. A
factor of safety of 3 to 4 should be used for steel based on yield strength where as factor of safety
of 7 to 8 is recommended for CI based on ultimate strength.

Other Applications: These knuckle joints are also used in :

1. Elevator chains

2. valve rods

3. Chain industries

4. windshield wiper

Refrences:

1. www. vkjadon.com/vkj/courses/pdf/md/lecture-4.pdf

2. www.scribd.com/doc/13187166/12-Cotter-and-Knuckle-Joint

3. web.iitd.ac.in/~akdarpe/courses/MEP201/.../pin&joints_200607.ppt

4. www.thefreedictionary.com/knuckle+joint