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richarddurgee
| | Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2003 - 12:25 pm: | 
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Reading old eng catalogs etc such as this 1911 Fairbanks-Morse, it refers to securing the flywheel with " Whitney Keys"
Not being a machinist My terminolgy of basic keys are
A. standard or straight
B.Gib
C.Feather ( I also see this key refered to as a
Pratt & Whitney)
D. Woodruff
My question is Pratt & Whitney was founded in 1925
so where did the tern "Whitney key" come from in 1911 ? and is a feather key the same ? .
Thanks Richard |
richarddurgee
| | Posted on Saturday, November 15, 2003 - 02:10 pm: |
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Reading into machine tool history, Eli Whitney inventor of the cotton gin, and gun mfg'r, was a pioneer in the process of mass production, and invented the milling machine. maybe machine key was named after him ?? |
Bill Schaller
| | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2003 - 08:13 am: |
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I don't believe for a second pratt and whitney was founded in 1925. that is when a group of engineers from wright came over and started building engines, p and w was probably around 30 years before that. |
Bill Schaller
| | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2003 - 08:15 am: |
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For the closest of accuracies, you can depend on Pratt & Whitney calibration instruments. Measuring linear dimensions with 50 nanometer (2 microinch) accuracy in metrology laboratories throughout the world, these high precision gages have been providing reliable measurements in aerospace, automotive, aviation, machine tool, military/defense, power generation, medical, telecommunications, and calibration service companies since 1860. |
Bill Schaller
| | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2003 - 08:19 am: |
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1860 Pratt and Whitney Company is founded by Francis Pratt and Amos Whitney.
click on link
p and w |
richarddurgee
| | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2003 - 10:18 pm: |
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Bill,
Great info on Pratt & Whitney, quite a significant Co.in American industrial history.
There is a large P & W aircaraft plant here in Palm Beach county.
I'm trying to find an early 1900's machinist handbook, to see how they named machine keys back then.
Thanks Richard |
Keith
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 08:14 am: |
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Richard,
I have a 1919 Machinist Handbook and it list Pratt & Whitney Co.s system of keys. The following is taken from the description. "A system of round-end feather keys has been developed by P&W and is used in their plant. The system is also being adopted by many other manufactures." I would think the key for the Fairbanks would be of the P&W design, for it restrains the key from sliding or working out.
Keith |
Richard Day
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 - 05:23 pm: |
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But don't forget with a tapered or straight shaft there would have to be a nut or something to keep the flywheel from sliding off the key in the shaft. |
richarddurgee
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 12:35 am: |
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Keith
Thanks for looking that up for me , the description makes it clear.
Richard |
rbprice
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 08:42 pm: |
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My two cents confirms Keith's comments as to the founding of P&W and the so called "feather" key. While it does positively retain the key in the shaft it takes a bit more skill and somewhat more time to machine the keyway since a center cutting end mill must be used. And of course, the time to round the ends of the key add to the installed cost.
See also American Machinists' Handbook by Colvin and Stanley, 2nd Ed. 1914, page 335 for "feather keys" named as Pratt & Whitney keys. And in Roe's book, English and American Tool Builders, he states that Francis A. Pratt and Amos Whitney set up a shop in 1860 to do machine work "on their own account" (they were both working at the Colt firearms factory)
Bob Price |
Richard Day
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 09:02 pm: |
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Can anyone explain what a blind key is?? |
richarddurgee
| | Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2003 - 06:51 pm: |
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Dick
When looking at web sites about shaft keys this was only one that might apply ???
http://www.focalpoint.freeserve.co.uk/anvil/how2keyway.html |
sapphireblue22@
| | Posted on Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 12:06 am: |
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I have a Pratt & Whitney Co. Small tool Department Catalog from 1911. It states it is No. 6 catalog. |
JT Petrillo
| | Posted on Monday, April 26, 2004 - 04:03 pm: |
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They have updated their history page. At the bottom of the page are pdf files for a copy of the book "Accuracy for Seventy Years 1860-1930". It is a long download though.
The address is:
http://www.prattandwhitney.com/history.htm |
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