Composite transmission shaft joint

A fibre reinforced composite shaft comprising a composite tube formed from layers of reinforcing fibre impregnated with a resin matrix, and a metallic end coupling having a splined inner surface attached to the outside surface of a cylindrical end region of the tube, said cylindrical end region comprising a wedge shaped inner portion tapering away from the end of the shaft and comprising further layers of reinforcing fibre impregnated with a matrix material, and a wedge shaped outer portion comprising said layers of reinforcing fibre forming the tube and extending over the wedge shaped inner portion;

• wherein:
• the wedge, shaped outer portion is tapered towards the end of the shaft and overlies the wedge shaped inner layer to form the cylindrical end region;
• the respective layers of the outer wedge portion are each exposed on the outer surface of the cylindrical end region;
• the end coupling is joined to the outer surface of the cylindrical end region through said splined inner surface, enabling transfer of torsional, axial tensile and compressive loads from the end coupling directly to each respective fibre layer of the tube exposed on the outer surface of end region.