A drift pin is a tool made of steel used to hold a gear or pulley to a shaft. It is driven into a hole in the shaft and is designed to fail if there is interference between the gear or pulley, protecting the machine. This method is more reliable than using a bolt and is widely used in machinery. It requires minimal maintenance and downtime.
A drift pin is a device used to hold a pulley or gear to a shaft. The drift pin is a small, thick hollow pin made of tool steel. It is placed into a hole drilled through the pulley or gear flange and driven into a hole drilled through the crankshaft with a hammer.
Often, a drift pin is used to permanently locate the drift pin. The branch pin is typically hollow and split on one side; this allows the pin to compress as it is driven into the hole in the shaft that is a fraction smaller than the diameter of the shunt pin.
The drift pin seats in the shaft and holds the gear or pulley in place by nothing more than an interference fit. There is nothing beyond a tight fit of the pin in the shaft to maintain the fit. In many cases, the pin is designed to fail if there is interference between the gear or pulley. By breaking the shunt pin, the machine is protected from further damage as the mechanical device can spin continuously. By removing the obstruction and replacing the pin, the machine can resume normal operation.
The drift pin method of securing an object to a shaft is much more reliable than attempting to secure a gear or pulley with a bolt. Tightening a bolt against a drive shaft will eventually result in a slip situation. The square face of the bolt does not properly match the round shape of a shaft, and machining a flat surface into the shaft removes some of the shaft’s strength.
Widely used on agricultural machinery, manufacturing machinery, and transportation systems, the drift pin remains an effective and easy-to-maintain method of fastening equipment and machine components together. In the event that a downshift is required, simply moving the pin out of position, removing the cog, placing a new cog on the shaft and installing a new pin is all that is required. Equipment is repaired with minimal downtime.
From the huge harvesting machines found on the farm to the smallest fishing reel, fishing pins are incorporated to secure the integral parts when they cannot be moved. Never requiring adjustment or lubrication, branch pins provide valuable service with minimal effort.
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