On the Analytical Determination of the Nominal Stresses in Dovetail Attachments

Abstract

Simple physical models are developed for the nominal contact stresses in dovetail attachments. These nominal stresses include the pressure, the shear traction, and the bending stress in the contact region, both during loading up and unloading. The models furnish closed-form expressions for these stresses. For a specific dovetail attachment, model values are compared with verified finite element values. As a result of the simplifications introduced to make the models tractable, model values only approximately equal finite element values. Nonetheless, the models capture the essential elements of the response of nominal stresses in dovetail attachments.