Gear systems

• Machine elements that transmit the motion

and power between the rotating shafts by
means of successively engaging teeth .
• Compact than the other drive systems
• More accurate power transmission
• Less slippage or little backlash
 Common forms of gear configuration
• Gears for connecting parallel shafts
• Gears for connecting intersecting shafts
• Gears for connecting neither parallel nor
intersecting shafts
 GEARS
GEAR
A gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which
mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque
Gear Types: Video
Spur Gear
Helical Gear:

Spur gears are used to transmit rotary Helical gears are used to transmit motion
motion between parallel shafts. between parallel or nonparallel shafts.
 GEAR TYPES
Bevel Gears Worm Gears
Bevel gears are used to transmit rotary Worm gear sets are used to transmit rotary
motion between intersecting shafts motion between non parallel and non
intersecting shafts.
 Gear types for connecting parallel
shafts
• Spur gears (internal and external)
• Parallel helical gears
• Rack and pinion arrangement
Spur gear
Gear ratio normally is 1:1 to 1:6
 Advantages
1. Simple in construction
2. Easy to manufacture
3. Low cost
4. Excellent precision rating
5. High efficiency (98-99%)

disadvantages
1. Center distance is limited
2. Noise at high speed
3. Large amount of stress

Applications: Clocks, washing machines, gear pumps

Helical gear

Gear ratio normally is 1:1 to 1:6

 Advantages
1. Higher load carrying capacity
2. Smoother and quitter
3. Less wear and tear
4. Constant output speed due to constant meshing
5. Axis can be parallel or crossed
6. Efficiency of 96-98% for parallel and 50-90% for crossed

disadvantages
1. Center distance is limited
2. Higher cost than spur gear
3. Generation of heat
4. Required thrust bearings due to axial load

Applications: Cars gear box, Printers

 Herring bone gear

Gear ratio normally is 1:1 to 1:10

 Advantages
1. Higher Power transmission capacity
2. Shaft is free from axial load
3. 95% efficient

disadvantages
1. Manufacturing cast is more
2. Load must be equal distributed on right and
left gear
Rack and pinion
 Advantages
1. Easy way for conversion rotary to reciprocating
motion
2. Compact in size
3. Robust
4. Cheaper

disadvantages
1. Noise
2. Friction
Applications: drilling machine, steering system,
and stair left
Gears for connecting interesting shafts
• Straight bevel gear

Gear ratio normally is 1:1 to 1:10

 Advantages
1. High speed and load
2. 1:1 ratio at an angle

disadvantages
1. Complicated in design and manufacturing
2. It required more precision

Applications: Automobile Differential,

manipulation systems, packing systems
Neither interesting nor parallel

Gear ratio normally is 1:8 to 1:400

 Advantages
1. Worm gear has one or two teeth
2. Higher reduction ratio ranging from 8 to 400
3. Compact
4. Self locking feature Impossible to back drive
5. effective meshing

disadvantages
1. Heat at contact point
2. Low efficiency (Efficiency of 40-85%)
3. Manufacturing cost is more
4. High power loss

Applications: Conveyer, presses, fork lifts

 Nomenclature

Smaller Gear is Pinion and Larger one is the gear

In most application the pinion is the driver, This reduces speed
but it increases torque.
Internal Spur Gear System
NOMENCLATURE OF GEAR TEETH
Angle Φ has the values of 20 or 25 degrees. Angle 14.5 have
been also used.
Gear profile is constructed from the base circle. Then
additional clearance are given.
 Conjugate Action
When one curved surface A pushes against another
surface B the point of contact occurs where the A
two surfaces are tangent to each other (point a rA
c), The forces at any instant are directed along
the common normal ab to the two curves. The line ab, c
is called the line of action. (also called pressure
line or generating line) P b
The line of action will intersect the line of centers
O-O at some point P.
The angular-velocity ratio between the two arms is B rB
inversely proportional to their radii to the point P.
Circles drawn through point P from each center
are called pitch circles,
The radius of each circle is called the pitch
radius. Point P is called the pitch point

When the tooth profiles, or cams, are designed so as to produce a constant

angular velocity ratio during meshing, these are said to have conjugate action.
 Conjugate Action in Gear
Mating gear teeth acting against each other to produce From Wikipedia
rotary motion are similar to cams. O
A pair of gears is really pairs of cams that act through a b
small arc and, before running off the involute contour, are
replaced by another identical pair of cams.
To transmit motion at a constant angular-velocity ratio,
the pitch point must remain fixed; that is, all the lines of a
P
action for every instantaneous point of contact must pass
through the same point P.
O
This is achieved by using the involute profile, for the gear Two involute gears, the
teeth which, with few exceptions, is in universal use for bottom driving the top:
gear teeth. Blue arrows show the
contact forces between
The cams can run in either direction and are configured
gears.
to transmit a constant angular-velocity ratio. The force line (or Line of
Action) runs along ab
How Involute Profile Ensures Constant Angular Pitch point P will be
intersection of OO and ab
Velocity? base circles are
constructed tangent to ab.
 Involute Tooth Shape
• Shape of the gear tooth is
the involute curve.
• Shape you get by
unwrapping a string from
around a circle
Meshing Action
– The pitch circle is a theoretical circle upon which all calculations are usually
based; its diameter is the pitch diameter.
– A pinion is the smaller of two mating gears. The larger is often called the gear.
– The circular pitch 𝑝 is the distance, measured on the pitch circle, from a point on
one tooth to a corresponding point on an adjacent tooth.
– The module 𝑚 is the ratio of the pitch diameter to the number of teeth.
– The diametral pitch 𝑃 is the ratio of the number of teeth on the gear to the pitch
diameter.
– The addendum 𝑎 is the radial distance between the top land and the pitch circle.
– The dedendum 𝑏 is the radial distance from the bottom land to the pitch circle.
The whole depth ℎt is the sum of the addendum and the dedendum.
– The clearance circle is a circle that is tangent to the addendum circle of the
mating gear.
– The clearance 𝑐 is the amount by which the dedendum in a given gear exceeds
the addendum of its mating gear.
– The backlash is the amount by which the width of a tooth space exceeds the
thickness of the engaging tooth measured on the pitch circles.
 Nomenclature
The pitch circle is a theoretical circle upon which all calculations are usually based. The
diameter is called pitch diameter denoted by d.
Circular Pitch
D a = d + 2a = d + (2/P)
N: Number of teeth on gear
Tooth Thickness
= width of space
Module a
(d in mm)
Diametral Pitch
Teeth per inch (US Units) b

The two parameters are analogous to thread

specifications for metric and UN threads
Db= d -2 b = d - (2.5/P)
Note: Pp=π
The other two important circles are Adendum and Dedendum Circles
The backlash