Terms used in Gears

The following terms, which will be mostly used in this chapter, should be clearly understood at this stage. These terms
are illustrated in Fig. 28.6.

1. Pitch circle. It is an imaginary circle which by pure rolling action, would give the same motion as the actual gear.

2. Pitch circle diameter. It is the diameter of the pitch circle. The size of the gear is usually specified by the pitch circle
diameter. It is also called as pitch diameter.

3. Pitch point. It is a common point of contact between two pitch circles.

4. Pitch surface. It is the surface of the rolling discs which the meshing gears have replaced at the pitch circle.

5. Pressure angle or angle of obliquity. It is the angle between the common normal to two gear teeth at the point of
contact and the common tangent at the pitch point. It is usually denoted by φ. The standard pressure angles are 14 ½ °
and 20°.

6. Addendum. It is the radial distance of a tooth from the pitch circle to the top of the tooth.

7. Dedendum. It is the radial distance of a tooth from the pitch circle to the bottom of the tooth.

8. Addendum circle. It is the circle drawn through the top of the teeth and is concentric with the pitch circle.

9. Dedendum circle. It is the circle drawn through the bottom of the teeth. It is also called root circle.

Note: Root circle diameter = Pitch circle diameter × cos φ, where φ is the pressure angle.

10. Circular pitch. It is the distance measured on the circumference of the pitch circle from a point of one tooth to the
corresponding point on the next tooth. It is usually denoted by pc.

Mathematically,

A little consideration will show that the two gears will mesh together correctly, if the two wheels have the same circular
pitch.

Note : If D1 and D2 are

12. Module. It is the ratio of the pitch circle diameter in millimetres to the number of teeth. It is usually denoted by m.
Mathematically,

Module, m = D / T

Note : The recommended series of modules in Indian Standard are 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 25, 32,
40 and 50.

The modules 1.125, 1.375, 1.75, 2.25, 2.75, 3.5, 4.5,5.5, 7, 9, 11, 14, 18, 22, 28, 36 and 45 are of second choice.

13. Clearance. It is the radial distance from the top of the tooth to the bottom of the tooth, in a meshing gear. A circle
passing through the top of the meshing gear is known as clearance circle.

14. Total depth. It is the radial distance between the addendum and the dedendum circle of a gear. It is equal to the sum
of the addendum and dedendum.

15. Working depth. It is radial distance from the addendum circle to the clearance circle. It is equal to the sum of the
addendum of the two meshing gears.

16. Tooth thickness. It is the width of the tooth measured along the pitch circle.

17. Tooth space. It is the width of space between the two adjacent teeth measured along the pitch circle.

18. Backlash. It is the difference between the tooth space and the tooth thickness, as measured on the pitch circle.

19. Face of the tooth. It is surface of the tooth above the pitch surface.

20. Top land. It is the surface of the top of the tooth.

21. Flank of the tooth. It is the surface of the tooth below the pitch surface.

22. Face width. It is the width of the gear tooth measured parallel to its axis.

23. Profile. It is the curve formed by the face and flank of the tooth.

24. Fillet radius. It is the radius that connects the root circle to the profile of the tooth.

25. Path of contact. It is the path traced by the point of contact of two teeth from the beginning to the end of
engagement.

26. Length of the path of contact. It is the length of the common normal cut-off by the addendum circles of the wheel
and pinion.

27. Arc of contact. It is the path traced by a point on the pitch circle from the beginning to the end of engagement of a
given pair of teeth. The arc of contact consists of two parts, i.e.

(a) Arc of approach. It is the portion of the path of contact from the beginning of the engagement to the pitch point.

(b) Arc of recess. It is the portion of the path of contact from the pitch point to the end of the engagement of a pair of
teeth.

Note : The ratio of the length of arc of contact to the circular pitch is known as contact ratio i.e. number of pairs of teeth
in contact.
Terms used in Helical Gears
The following terms in connection with helical gears, as shown in

1. Helix angle. It is a constant angle made by the helices with theaxis of rotation.

2. Axial pitch. It is the distance, parallel to the axis, between similar faces of adjacent
teeth. It is the same as circular pitch and is therefore denoted by pc. The axial pitch may
also be defined as the circular pitch in the plane of rotation or the diametral plane.

3. Normal pitch. It is the distance between similar faces of adjacent teeth along a helix
on the pitch cylinders normal to the teeth. It is denoted by pN. The normal pitch may also be defined as the circular
pitch in the normal plane which is a plane perpendicular to the teeth. Mathematically, normal pitch,

pN = pc cos α

Note: If the gears are cut by standard hobs, then the pitch (or module) and the pressure angle of the hob will apply in
the normal plane. On the other hand, if the gears are cut by the Fellows gear-shaper method, the pitch and pressure
angle of the cutter will apply to the plane of rotation. The relation between the normal pressure angle (φN) in the
normal plane and the pressure angle (φ) in the diametral plane (or plane of rotation) is given by tan φN = tan φ × cos α
Classification of Bevel Gears
The bevel gears may be classified into the following types, depending upon the angles between the shafts and the pitch
surfaces.

1. Mitre gears. When equal bevel gears (having equal teeth and equal pitch angles) connect two shafts whose axes
intersect at right angle, as shown in (a), then they are known as mitre gears.

2. Angular bevel gears. When the bevel gears connect two shafts whose axes intersect at an angle other than a right
angle, then they are known as angular bevel gears.

3. Crown bevel gears. When the bevel gears connect two shafts whose axes intersect at an angle greater than a right
angle and one of the bevel gears has a pitch angle of 90º, then it is known as a crown gear. The crown gear corresponds
to a rack in spur gearing, as shown in (b).

4. Internal bevel gears. When the teeth on the bevel gear are cut on the inside of the pitch cone, then they are known as
internal bevel gears.

Note : The bevel gears may have straight or spiral teeth. It may be assumed, unless otherwise stated, that the bevel gear
has straight teeth and the axes of the shafts intersect at right angle.
Terms used in Bevel Gears
1. Pitch cone. It is a cone containing the pitch elements of the teeth.

2. Cone centre. It is the apex of the pitch cone. It may be defined as that point where the axes of two mating gears
intersect each other.

3. Pitch angle. It is the angle made by the pitch line with the axis of the shaft. It is denoted by ‘θP’.

4. Cone distance. It is the length of the pitch cone element. It is also called as a pitch cone radius. It is denoted by ‘OP’.
Mathematically, cone distance or pitch cone radius,

5. Addendum angle. It is the angle subtended by the addendum of the tooth at the cone centre. It is denoted by ‘α’
Mathematically, addendum angle,

6. Dedendum angle. It is the angle subtended by the dedendum of the tooth at the cone centre. It is denoted by ‘β’.
Mathematically, dedendum angle,

7. Face angle. It is the angle subtended by the face of the tooth at the cone centre. It is denoted by ‘φ’. The face angle is
equal to the pitch angle plus addendum angle.

8. Root angle. It is the angle subtended by the root of the tooth at the cone centre. It is denoted by ‘θR’. It is equal to the
pitch angle minus dedendum angle.

9. Back (or normal) cone. It is an imaginary cone, perpendicular to the pitch cone at the end of the tooth.

10. Back cone distance. It is the length of the back cone. It is denoted by ‘RB’. It is also called back cone radius.

11. Backing. It is the distance of the pitch point (P) from the back of the boss, parallel to the pitch point of the gear. It is
denoted by ‘B’.

12. Crown height. It is the distance of the crown point (C) from the cone centre (O), parallel to the axis of the gear. It is
denoted by ‘HC’.

13. Mounting height. It is the distance of the back of the boss from the cone centre. It is denoted by ‘HM’.

14. Pitch diameter. It is the diameter of the largest pitch circle.

15. Outside or addendum cone diameter. It is the maximum diameter

16. Inside or dedendum cone diameter. The inside or the dedendum

1. Straight face worm gear, as shown in (a),

2. Hobbed straight face worm gear, as shown in (b),

3. Concave face worm gear, as shown in (c).

Terms used in Worm Gearing

1. Axial pitch. It is also known as linear pitch of a worm. It is the distance measured axially (i.e. parallel to the axis of
worm) from a point on one thread to the corresponding point on the adjacent thread on the worm. It may be noted that
the axial pitch (pa) of a worm is equal to the circular pitch ( pc ) of the mating worm gear, when the shafts are at right
angles.

2. Lead. It is the linear distance through which a point on a thread moves ahead in one revolution of the worm. For
single start threads, lead is equal to the axial pitch, but for multiple start threads, lead is equal to the product of axial
pitch and number of starts. Mathematically,

3. Lead angle. It is the angle between the tangent to the thread helix on the pitch cylinder and the plane normal to the
axis of the worm. It is denoted by λ. A little consideration will show that if one complete turn of a worm thread be
imagined to be unwound from the body of the worm, it will form an inclined plane whose base is equal to the pitch
circumference of the worm and altitude equal to lead of the worm
4. Tooth pressure angle. It is measured in a plane containing the axis of the worm and is equal to one-half the thread
profile angle. The following table shows the recommended values of lead angle (λ) and tooth pressure angle (φ).

For automotive applications, the pressure angle of 30° is recommended to obtain a high efficiency and to permit
overhauling.

5. Normal pitch. It is the distance measured along the normal to the threads between two corresponding points on two
adjacent threads of the worm. Mathematically,

Normal pitch,

Note. The term normal pitch is used for a worm having single start threads. In case of a worm having multiple start
threads, the term normal lead (lN) is used, such that

6. Helix angle. It is the angle between the tangent to the thread helix on the pitch cylinder and the axis of the worm. It is
denoted by αW. The worm helix angle is the complement of worm lead angle,

It may be noted that the helix angle on the worm is generally quite large and that on the worm gear is very small. Thus,
it is usual to specify the lead angle (λ) on the worm and helix angle (αG) on the worm gear. These two angles are equal
for a 90° shaft angle.
7. Velocity ratio. It is the ratio of the speed of worm (NW) in r.p.m. to the speed of the worm gear (NG) in r.p.m.
Mathematically, velocity ratio,