ABSTRACT
The basic function of a coupling is to connect two shafts together that are used in a variety of applications, such as connecting a motor to either a pump or a generator. Couplings may be either rigid or flexible and be able to compensate for shaft misalignment; there may be a requirement to reduce shock loading and vibration. There are a wide variety of commercially available shaft couplings, ranging from simple keyed rigid coupling to complicated flexible designs requiring a complicated procedure to select and size. The types of shaft misalignments generally encountered are shown in Figure 40.1.
