a pole or rod that forms the handle of a tool or weapon:
shaft of His fingers tightened around the shaft of the golf club.
a beam of light: A shaft of (sun)light came through the open door.
A shaft is a rotating machine element,
usually circular in cross section,
which is used to transmit power from one part to another,
or from a machine which
produces power to a machine which absorbs power.
The drive shaft (also called propeller shaft or prop shaft
) is a component of the drive train in a vehicle,
with the purpose of delivering torque from
the transmission to the differential,
which then transmits this torque to the wheels in order to move the vehicle.
The shaft in a motor is a cylindrical component that
extrudes out from the motor and its housing.
The purpose of the shaft is to convert energy from
the motor into the end use application.
Precision pins and shafts
operate as a function of speed vs torque.
In civil engineering a shaft is
an underground vertical or inclined passageway.
Shafts are often entered through a manhole and
closed by a manhole cover. They are constructed for a number of reasons including:
For the construction of a tunnel.
For ventilation of a tunnel or underground structure,
aka ventilation shaft.