A jackshaft is an integral part of many machines and works to help transfer and synchronize force of a machine that is rotating.
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What is a Jackshaft?
A jackshaft, this can also be called a countershaft, is a part in common machines that is used to help transfer and then synchronize the force of a rotating machine part. It’s a torque converter in short.
Jackshafts are designed as a shot stub that has bearings on both ends and having two pulleys, some gears and possibly cranks that are attached to it to help transfer the rotational power.
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A jackshaft is a term that is somewhat blanket like as it can apply to any shaft that is used to transfer power and transmit it from the drive shaft that is moving to another shaft or another part of the engine or machine.
The earliest occurrence of a jackshaft that was recorded goes all the way back to New England and water wheels and even stationary steam engines in some cases.
What is the Purpose of a Jackshaft?
The purpose of a jackshaft is to transfer power from a moving part to a non-moving part. A great example might be a go-kart that has been outfitted with a jackshaft.
The typical go-kart has a crankshaft that comes from the motor and is connected directly to the back axle that then moves the wheels and propels the go-kart.
With a go-kart that has a jackshaft, the jackshaft is going to be in between the crankshaft that is coming off the motor and the back axle of the go-kart. This jackshaft is going to work to transfer the power from the crankshaft to the back axle to move it.
The main reason for this set up in a go-kart is to make it possible for the power source for the go-kart to be in a different place, it does not have to be aligned with the crankshaft as it would be if there was no jackshaft. It really gives a bit more freedom in this case.
Not all engines and not all motors have a jackshaft and not all of them actually need a jackshaft. A jackshaft is more of a transitional or an intermediate shaft that is going to make it possible to move power from the motor to other parts of the machine.
What Machines Use Jackshafts?
- Farm machinery
- Motorcycles
- Snowmobiles
- Factories
There are tons of different machines that use jackshafts to run and operate. Jackshafts are often used in farm machinery to help power accessories that are not part of the main machine and that cannot run directly off of the power source.
With tractors and farm machinery, the jackshaft is used to move power from the motor to these added accessories like the disking wheels that are used to help till up the soil for planting.
These accessories are going to need power to run, but they are not necessarily going to be able to draw directly from the engine, this is where the jackshaft helps.
Motorcycles also commonly use jackshafts. A jackshaft in a motorcycle has to do with the position of the engine.
By using a jackshaft, the motorcycle builder can then move the engine and place it where it is going to help the overall function of the motorcycle rather than placing it so that it can send power to the wheels.
By using a jackshaft, a builder can place the engine in the middle of the frame where it is centered and where the bike can be better balanced rather than having to put it right by the wheel that it is going to be driving.
This makes for a better ride, a better bike that can be easier to maneuver and easier to ride overall. Jackshafts offer a bit of freedom when it comes to the overall construction.
With snowmobiles, the jackshaft, again, helps to make it possible to place the power and the engine where it is going to be best protected and best fit, but still be able to deliver power to the other parts of the snowmobile where it is needed. The engine in a snowmobile is in the rear with the drive belt being located on one side.
The jackshaft then runs across the snowmobile and then attaches to the drive gear and the driven gear than then connects to the track. The jackshaft allows the engine to be placed where it is going to be protected but still deliver power where it needs to be.
Jackshafts are also commonly used to help deliver power to individual stations in factories that use an assembly line style design.
This means that if you work in a factory that has a central machine or a central power source, they might use a jackshaft to power each individual station that is used off of the assembly line. This allows the factory to create stations that are not necessarily aligned with the main power source.
Are Jackshafts Necessary?
Not all machines and not all engines need a jackshaft. They are not something that is present in every engine and are not something that is necessary to keep an engine running like a primary drive shaft is.
There are some engines that do use a jackshaft to run properly. In most cases, a jackshaft is only going to be necessary and are only going to be required if the engine and the rear axle of the vehicle or machine are not aligned in a way that the drive shaft can deliver power on its own.
This is most common in the machines that we have already discussed. This means that may cars and trucks do not use a jackshaft since vehicle manufacturers are able to place the engine in a way that allows the drive shaft to align with the wheels that are going to be driving the vehicle. The drive shaft in a vehicle is far easier to align than in something like a snowmobile.
With a vehicle, the driveshaft runs vertically along the bottom of the vehicle from the engine to the rear wheels. Since the frame of a vehicle is rigid and does not sway or move, you do not need to place the engine in any place that might not be easy to align.
With a snowmobile, the front of the snowmobile articulates or moves, so the engine cannot stay in line with the axles.
Jackshafts make it easy to actually deliver power where it is needed instead of having to limit the design and structure of the vehicle or the placement of the engine or power source.
Those machines that use jackshafts are not typically built where they can keep the power source in line with the wheels or the parts that they are moving, making a jackshaft necessary to help the machine run more efficiently and actually do what you need it to do in order to work for
