BRITISH STANDARD 3550 : 1963

SPECIFICATION FOR

INVOLUTE
SPLINES

Endorsement September 1966

BRITISH STANDARD 3550 : 1963

is endorsed as

AUSTRALIAN STANDARD
B213—1966
without Australian amendment

The endorsement was recommended by Committ ee ME/11, Gears and Splines, and
was approved on behalf of the Council of the Association on 12 September 1966.
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STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION

Gr 9
 SPECIFICATION FOR

INVOLUTE
SPLINES

B.S. 3550 : 1963

Incorporating amendment issued May 1976 (AMD 1985)

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BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION

INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER

BRITISH STANDARDS HOUSE, 2 PART ST., LONDON, W.1

TELEGRAMS: STANDARDS LONDON W.1 TELEPHONE: MAYFAIR 9000

UDC 621.824—45
 B.S. 3550:1963

THIS BRITISH S TANDA RD, having been approved by the Mechanical Engineering Industry Standards Committee and
endorsed by the Chairman of the Engineering Divisional Council, was published under the authority of the General
Council on 30th January, 1963.

The Institution desires to call attention to the fact that this British Standard does not purport to include all the
necessary provisions of a contract.

In order to keep abreast of progress in the industries concerned, British Standards are subject to periodical review.
Suggestions for improvements will be recorded and in due course brought to the notice of the committees charged with
the revision of the standards to which they refer.

A complete list of British Standards, numbering over 4000, indexed and cross-indexed for reference, together with an
abstract of each standard, will be found in the Institution’s Yearbook.

This standard makes reference to the following British Standards:

B.S. 1044. Recommended designs for plug, ring and gap gauges.
B.S. 2059. Straight-sided splines and serrations.

British Standards are revised, when necessary, by the issue either of amendment slips or of revised editions. It is
important that users of British Standards should ascertain that they are in possession of the latest amendments or
editions.

CO-OPERATING ORGANIZATIONS

The Mechanical Engineeri ng Industry Standards Commit tee, under whose supervision this Brit ish Standard was prepared consists
of representati ves fr om the foll owing Government departments and scientif ic and industr ial organizati ons:

*Admir alty *High Commission of India

Air Ministr y Instit ute of Mari ne Engineers
Associated Off ices’ Technical Committ ee Instit ute of Petr oleum
Association of Mining Electr ical and Mechanical Engineers Instit ution of Civil Engineers
Association of Consulti ng Engineers (Incorporated) Instit ution of Gas Engineers
Brit ish Chemical Plant Manufacturers’ Association Instit ution of Heati ng and Venti lati ng Engineers
Brit ish Compressed Air Society *Insti tuti on of Mechanical Engineers
*Bri ti sh Electr ical and All ied Manufacturers’ Associati on *Insti tuti on of Mechanical Engineers (Automobile
*Bri ti sh Engineers’ Association Division)
*Bri ti sh Gear Manufacturers’ Associati on *Insti tuti on of Producti on Engineers
Brit ish Internal Combusti on Engine Manufacturers’ *Locomotive and Alli ed Manufacturers’ Association of
Association Great Bri tain
*Bri ti sh Ir on and Steel Federati on Machine Tool Trades Association
Brit ish Railways, The Bri ti sh Transport Commission Ministry of Labour (Factory Inspectorate)
Crown Agents for Overseas Governments and Ministry of Power
Administrati ons Ministry of Publi c Buil ding and Works
*D.S.I.R.-Nati onal Engineering Laboratory Ministry of Transport
Electr icit y Council . The Generating Board and the Nati onal Coal Board
Area Boards in England and Wales Nati onal Physical Laboratory (D.S.I.R.)
Engineering Equipment Users’ Association Radio Industry Council
Gas Council *War Off ice
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The Government depart ments and scientif ic and industr ial organizations marked wit h an asterisk in the above li st, together wit h the
foll owing, were dir ectl y represented on the Committ ee entr usted wit h the preparation of this standard:

Association of Crane Makers Instit ution of Engineers and Shipbuil ders in Scotl and
Association of Hydrauli c Equipment Manufacturers Mill ing Cutt er and Reamer Associati on
Bright Steel Bar Associati on Ministry of Aviation
Brit ish Cycle and Motor Cycle Industri es Associati on Nort h East Coast Insti tuti on of Engineers and
Ltd. Shipbuil ders
Brit ish Internal Combusti on Engine Research Society of Bri ti sh Air craft Constructors Ltd.
Association Steel Works Plant Association
Brit ish Ship Research Association Taper Pin Manufacturers’ Association
Gauge and Toolmakers’ Associati on

The foll owing B.S.I. references relate to the work on this standard:
Commit tee references MEE/4, MEE/4/3 Draft s for comment A(MEE)8557, AA(MEE)2785

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 B.S. 3550:1963

CONTENTS

Part 1. Dimensions

Page Page
Co-operating organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6. 3/6 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7. 4/8 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . . . 20
8. 5/10 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . . 21
SPEC IFICAT ION 9. 6/12 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . . 22
1. Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 10. 8/16 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . . 23
2. Terms, definitions and symbols . . . . . . . 5 11. 10/20 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . 24
3. Types of fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 12. 12/24 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . 25
4. Formulae for basic dimensions . . . . . . . 8 13. 16/32 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . 26
5. Fillets and chamfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 14. 20/40 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . 27
6. Classes of fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 15. 24/48 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . 28
7. Spline errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 16. 32/64 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . 29
8. Effect of spline errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 17. 3/6 pitch-flat root major diameter fit . . . 30
9. Effective and actual dimensions . . . . . . 11 18. 4/8 pitch-flat root major diameter fit . . . 31
10. Use of effective and actual dimensions . 13 19. 5/10 pitch-flat root major diameter fit . . 32
11. Spline tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 20. 6/12 pitch-flat root major diameter fit . . 33
12. Drawing data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 21. 8/16 pitch-flat root major diameter fit . . 34
13. Calculation of fillets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 22. 10/20 pitch-flat root major diameter fit . 35
14. Modifications for low numbers of 23. 12/24 pitch-flat root major diameter fit . 36
splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 24. 16/32 pitch-flat root major diameter fit . 37
25. 2.5/5 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . 38
FIGU RE S 26. 3/6 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . . . 39
27. 4/8 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . . . 40
1. Terms and symbols . . . . . . ..... . . .. 7 28. 5/10 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . . 41
2. Profile errors . . . . . . . . . . ..... . . . . 11 29. 6/12 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . . 42
3. Effect of splined hole errors .. .. . . . . . 12 30. 8/16 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . . 43
4. Effect of splined shaft errors .. .. . . . . 12 31. 10/20 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . 44
5. Spline fit control . . . . . . . . ..... . . . . 13 32. 12/24 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . 45
6-12. Drawing data . . . . . . . . . . ..... . 14-17 33. 16/32 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . 46
13. Fillet for fillet root, internal .. .. . . . . . 54 34. 20/40 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . 47
14. Fillet for fillet root, external ..... . . . . 54 35. 24/48 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . 48
36. 32/64 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . 49
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TA BL ES 37. 40/80 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . 50

1. Formulae for basic dimensions . . . . ... 8 38. 48/96 pitch-fillet root side fit . . . . . . . . 51
2. Basic dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 9 39. Machining tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3. Internal (hole) and external (shaft) 40. Formulae for dimensions and
spline tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 tolerances in tables 5 to 38 inclusive . . . 53
4. Effective clearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 41. One/Two pitch basic dimensions . . . . . . 55
5. 2.5/5 pitch-flat root side fit . . . . . . . . . 18 42. Basic spline data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

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 B.S. 3550:1963

CONTENTS (continued)

Part 2. Gauging and Inspection

Page Page
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 28. Measurement with three pins . . . . . ... 69
29. Cumulative pitch error chart . . . . . . ... 70
SPEC IFICAT ION 30. Pitch readings due to eccentricity . . .. . 70
31. Typical chart record . . . . . . . . . . . ... 70
15. Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 32. Measurement change factor Ki . . . . ... 71
16. Inspection methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 33. Measurement change factor Ke . . . . ... 71
17. Inspection with gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
18. Gauges for splined holes . . . . . . . . . . . 59
19. Gauges for splined shafts . . . . . . . . . . . 61 TA BL ES
20. Gauge tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
43. Relationship between work and gauge
21. Relationship between gauge and work . . 65
tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
22. Measurement with pins . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 44. Allowable errors for gauges . . . . . . . . . 64
23. Analytical inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 45. Tolerances for actual space width and
24. Change factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 spline thickness of gauges . . . . . . . . . . 64
46. Tolerances over measuring pins: plug
gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
FIGU RE S
47. Tolerances between measuring pins:
ring gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
15. Space width and spline thickness
48. Tolerances for major and minor
inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 diameters of gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
16. GO full form plug gauge for side fit and
49. Measurements between pins for maximum
NOT GO composite plug gauge for side
actual space width, splined hole . . . . . . 72
fit and major diameter fit . . . . . . . . . . . 58 50. Measurements over pins for minimum
17. GO full form major diameter fit plug
actual spline thickness, splined
gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
shaft, Class 1 fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
18. NOT GO sector plug gauge . . . . . . . . . . 60
51. Measurements over pins for minimum
19. NOT GO major diameter fit sector plug
actual spline thickness, splined
gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 shaft, Class 2 fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
20. Ring gauge: GO full form side fit, 52. Measurements between pins for basic
NOT GO composite side fit and major
space width, splined hole . . . . . . . . . . . 75
diameter fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 53. Measurements over pins, for basic
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21. GO full form major diameter fit ring

spline thickness, splined shaft . . . . . . . . 76
gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
22. NOT GO sector ring gauge . . . . . . . . . . . 62
23. Relationship between full form and
APPEND IX
composite ring gauges and splined shafts 66
24. Relationship between full form and 54. Sevolutes of angles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
composite ring gauges and splined holes 67
25. Measurement between pins . . . . . . . . . . 68
26. Measurement over pins . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 INDE X
27. Six spline, internal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

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 AS B213-1966 Involute splines
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