WCO Explanatory Notes reproduced for reference. © World Customs Organization. Verify against official WCO publication.
84.83 Transmission shafts (including cam shafts and crank shafts) and cranks; bearing housings and plain shaft beamgs; gears and gearing; ball or roller screws; gear boxes and other speed changers, ~ncludingtorque converters; flywheels and pulleys, including pulley blocks; clutches and shaft couplings (including universal joints). Transmission shafts (including cam shafts and crank shafts) and cranks 8483.10 - 8483.20 8483.30 - Bearing housings, incorporating ball or roller bearings - Bearing housings, not incorporating ball or roller bearings; plain shaft 8483.40 - Gears and gearing, other than toothed wheels, chain sprockets and other bearings transmission elements presented separately; ball or roller screws; gear boxes and other speed changers, including torque converters 8483.50 - Flywheels and pulleys, including pulley blocks 8483.60 8483.90 - Clutches and shaft couplings (including universal joints) - Toothed wheels, chain sprockets and other transmission elements presented separately; parts. The goods covered by this heading are mainly : (i) Certain mechanical parts which are used in the transmission of power from an external power unit to one or more machines. (ii) Certain internal parts of a machine, used to transmit power to the various parts of the same machine. (A) TRANSMISSION SHAFTS (INCLUDING CAM SHAFTS AND CRANK SHAFTS) AND CRANKS These usually transmit a rotary motive power. They include : (1) Main shafts or driving shafts driven directly by the motor. (2) Counter shafts, for coupling to the main shaft by belts and pulleys or by cogs, etc.; they are used to take the drive from the main shaft to a number of machnes, or to dfferent parts of a machine. (3) Articulated shafts, consisting of two or more shafis connected by ball and socket joints, etc. (4) Flexible shafts which transmit the motion of a driving unit to, e-g., hand tools, measuring instruments (revolution counters, speedometers, etc.). (5) Cranks and crank shafts. These may be either made in one piece or assembled fxom several parts. They receive a reciprocating motion (e-g., from a piston engine) and convert it into rotary movement, or vice versa. (6) Cam shafts and eccentric shafts. The heading does not cover simple axles which do not transmit power but merely support a wheel or other revolving part. It also excludes : (a) Bars of iron or steel of uniform cross-section (heading 72.14 or 72.15). (b) Simple lengths of twisted wire for the manufacture of flexible drives, not fitted with coupling attachments (heading 73.12). (c) Oscillatin connecting-rods for transmitting motion to cutter bars of lawn mowers or grass cutters (heading i4.33). (B) BEARING HOUSINGS AND PLAIN SHAFT BEARINGS Bearing housings consist of a f'rame or block designed to house the plain, ball, roller, etc., bearing in which (or, in the case of a thrust bearin , against which) the ends of a shafi or axle turn. They usually consist of two parts which, w en fitted together, form a ring to hold the bearing. They may incorporate means of lubricating the bearing. t The also often inco orate a chair, plate, bracket, etc., by which they can be fixed to the mac ine, or to a wa 1 or other part of a building; but chairs, plates, brackets, etc., not incorporating a bearing housing (nor themselves designed to house a bearing) are classified according to the constituent material (usually heading 73.25 or 73.26). Z T Bearing housin s incorporatin ball, roller or needle roller bearings remain classified in this heading; but ba ,roller or nee e roller bearings presented separately fall in heading 84.82. di ti On the other hand plain shaft bearings are classified in this headin even if the are presented without housings. They consist of rings of anti-friction metal or o er rnateriy(e.g., sintered metal or plastics). They ma be in one piece or in several pieces clamped together, and form a smooth bearing in which a s aft or axle turns. The heading does not include graphite or other carbon bearings (heading 68.15). (C) GEARS AND GEARING INCLUDING FRICTION GEARS AND CHAIN SPROCKETS The basic gear is the toothed wheel, cylinder, cone, rack or worm, etc. In an assembly of such gears, the teeth of one engage with the teeth of another so that the rotary movement of the first is transmitted to the next, and so on. Accordin to the relative number of teeth in the separate units, the rotary movement may be transmitte at the same rate, or at a faster or slower rate; according to the e of gear and the angle at which it meshes with the next, the direction of transmission may e changed, or a rotary movement converted into a linear movement or vice versa (as with a rack and pmion). % 9' The group covers all types of ears including simple cog wheels, bevel gears, conical ears, helical gears, worms, rack an pinion gears, differential gears, etc., and assemblies o such gears. It also covers toothed and similar wheels for use with transmission chains. d B The group also covers friction gears. These are wheels, discs or cylinders, which, when mounted one on the driving shaft and one on the driven shaft, transmit the movement by friction between them. The are usually of cast iron, in certain cases being covered with leather, wood, bonded fibres or ot er material to increase the friction. E (D) BALL OR ROLLER SCREWS Ball or roller screws consist of a threaded shaft and a nut with bearing balls or rollers distributed along the path between the threads on its inner surface; these devices enable rotary motion to be converted into linear motion, and vice versa. (E) GEAR BOXES AND OTHER SPEED CHANGERS, INCLUDING TORQUE CONVERTERS These provide a range of speeds which can be varied, either by hand or automatically, according to the requirements of the machine. They include, inter alia : (1) Gear-boxes consisting of assemblies of ears which can be selected in alternative arrangements; the speed of transmission can fi,us be varied according to the arrangement of gears set. (2) Friction disc or friction cone cou lings and couplings with chains or driving belts, in which a disc, a cone, a chain or a elt is in contact mth a friction wheel whose osition, relative to the centre of the disc or the ends of the cone, can be varied autornatica y (or as required), and so controls the speed of rotation transmitted. R R (3) Variable speed fluid cou lings, including hydraulic torque converters. Variations are obtained by the rotation o vanes of the driving element in a fluid (generally oil) against fixed or movable vanes of the driven element. Power is.transmitted either by pressure (hydrostatic changers) or by flux (hydrodynamic changers or torque converters). P The heading does not cover ear boxes or other variable speed changers combined with a motor; these are classified in the same hea mng as the motor. d: (F) FLYWHEELS These are relatively large, heavy wheels, usually constructed so that the weight is concentrated near the rim. The inertia of the wheel as it turns tends to resist any change in speed of the motor and so keeps the speed constant. Fl heels may in some cases have a grooved or cogged rim, or be fitted w t h connecting-rods, so t at in certain circumstances they can act for the transmission of power (e.g., as a driving pulley or cog wheel). K" (G) PULLEYS, INCLUDING PULLEY BLOCKS Pulleys consist of wheels, sometimes with a grooved rim, which transmit r o t . movement from one to another by means of an endless belt or ro e revolving in contact between them. The conical pulleys, stepped pulleys, etc. heading covers simple pulleys, drums (wide The group also covers ower themselves but e.g., idlers and jockey P blocks for hoists, etc., and free pulleys which do not transmit any act as a guide or turning post for a transmission rope or cable used to regulate the tension of driving belts). An assembly of two or more pulley blocks (i.e.,a hoist) is, however, excluded (heading 84.25). 0CLUTCHES These are used to connect or disconnect the drive at will. They include : Friction clutches in which rotating discs, rings, cones, etc. with friction surfaces, can be engaged or disenga ed; dog (or claw) clutches in which the op osing members have projections and correspon mg slots; automatic centrifugal clutches whic engage or disengage according to the speed of rotation; compressed air clutches; hydraulic clutches; etc. d R Electro-magnetic clutches, however, are excluded (heading 85.05). (IJ) SHAFT COUPLINGS (INCLUDING UNIVERSAL JOINTS) These include sleeve couplings, flan e couplings, flexible couplings, hydraulic couplings, etc., and universal couplings (such as Car an joints and Oldham couplings). % PARTS Sub'ect to the general provisions re arding the classification of parts (see the General Exp anatory Note to Section XVI), the eading also covers parts of the goods covered by this heading. f The heading also excludes : (a) Pieces roughly shaped by forging, of heading 72.07. I (b) Transmission equipment of the kinds described above gear boxes? tsansmjssion shafts, clu.tches, hfferentials, etc.), but which are designed for use sole y or pmcipally wth vehicles or amraft (Section XVII); it should, however, be noted that this exclusion does not apply to internal parts of vehicle or aircraft engines - these parts remain classified in this heading. Thus a: crank shaft or a cam shaR remains in this heading even if it is specialised for a motor car engine; but motor car transmission (propeller) shafts, gear boxes and differentials fall in heading 87.08. It should further be noted that transmission e uiplnent of the type described in this heading remains classified here even if it IS specially des~gnedo!r slups. (c) Parts of clocks or watches (heading 91.14).
1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Millstones, grindstones or other articles of Chapter 68; (b) Machinery or appliances (for example, pumps) of ceramic material and ceramic parts of machinery or appliances of any material (Chapter 69); (c) Laboratory glassware (heading 70.17); machinery, appliances or other articles for technical uses or parts thereof, of glass (heading 70.19 or 70.20); (d) Articles of heading 73.21 or 73.22 or similar articles of other base metals (Chapters 74 to 76 or 78 to 81); (e) Vacuum cleaners of heading 85.08; (f) Electro-mechanical domestic appliances of heading 85.09; digital cameras of heading 85.25; (g) Radiators for the articles of Section XVII; or (h) Hand-operated mechanical floor sweepers, not motorised (heading 96.03). 2.- Subject to the operation of Note 3 to Section XVI and subject to Note 11 to this Chapter, a machine or appliance which answers to a description in one or more of the headings 84.01 to 84.24, or heading 84.86 and at the same time to a description in one or more of the headings 84.25 to 84.80 is to be classified under the appropriate heading of the former group or under heading 84.86, as the case may be, and not the latter group. (A) Heading 84.19 does not, however, cover : (i) Germination plant, incubators or brooders (heading 84.36); (ii) Grain dampening machines (heading 84.37); (iii) Diffusing apparatus for sugar juice extraction (heading 84.38);