6.1_ INTRODUCTION. ‘A combination of gears arranged for the purpose of transmitting torque end rotational motion from an input shaft to an output shaft i called 9 gear tran. Gear rains axe used t0 traasmit torque and rotary motion to an altemate location and/or change rotational speed. “The number of gears employed in a gear uain can range from 10 to several dozen [Normally gears are assembled in a sturdy housing that suppons the shats, using ball ot roller bearings. Gears aze often keyed to their shafts, and dhe housing is usually enclosed and provided with ample lubrication. In heavy-duty gear applications, the Tubsicant is circulated, tered, nd sosnetimes cocled FFigure 6.1 shows a gear train employed in lathe, where an electric motor provides a single input rotational speed, Mulple ovtput taming speeds ofthe spindle and workpiece ‘may be obtained by changing the meshed gears. ‘A gear train has at least one input shaft and one output shaft. However, a gear rain may’ be designed to accommodate muliple inputs deliver multiple outpus, or bot. gear train is characterized by is speed rati(s) between the inputs) and outputs). The size of a gear tts depends on its posver rating, which can range from @ fraction of « wat to megewalts, In this chapter, the types of gear sins are described and classified, Methods of Geter- mining speeds ofthe components are also covered. 6.1.1 Speed Ratio ‘The speed ratio of component j with respect 10 component iin a gear iain is defined as rotational speed of component j | ‘otational speed of component® © Figure 6.2 Meshing gears represented by their pitch circles: (a) extemal-extemal pai, (©) external:internal pai Positive ej; values indicate that components j and i bath turn in the same direction. Nega- tive ej, Values signify an opposite direction of rotation. Equation (6.1-1) may be applied to the overall speed ratio ofthe gear train, In that instance, j corresponds tothe output com- Ponent of the gear train, and / corresponds to the input component Figure 6.2 illustrates pitch circles of two meshing pairs of gears. For the external extemal meshing pair shown in Figure 6.2(a), the gears rotate in opposite directions, and the speed ratio is negative, For the external-internal pair, Figure 6.2(b), the gears rotate in the same direction, and the speed ratio is positive.6.1 Introduction 205 The convention defined above for speed ratio can only be applied 10 com ponents that have parallel axes of rotation. For cases where the exes of rotation are not parallel such as with wort and wheel, miter. and bevel gears, only the magnitude ofthe speeératio is defined by Equation (6.1-1), and the direction of rotation may be determined using asuit- ably prepared sketch, From Equation ( iameter. Gears in mesh must be of the same pitch. From Equation (5.5-2), the magnitude of the speed ratio of & pair of meshing gears is inversely proportional 10 the ratio of the radii. Thus, we conclude that the magnitude of the speed ratio is inversely proportional to the ratio the number of gear teeth. For the extemal-extemal meshing pair shown in Fi ure 6.2(a), having Nz and Ns teeth on gears 2 and 3, respectively, the directions of rotation sre opposite. The speed ratio of gear 3 with respect to gear? is the number of teeth on a gear is proportional to its pitch circle 1-2) the speed ratio is 6p 61-3) I is usually desired to design a gear train to provide a specific speed ratio. In instences ‘where the magnitude ofthe specified speed ratio is fraction involving small whole num- bers, for example 2/3, there isa wide selection ofthe arrangement of gears end numbers of teeth that may be employed. Such combinations would be 20 and 30, 40 ane 60, ete. Since gars must have integer numbers of teeth, some speed ratios are either imapossiale or im~ Practical to obtain exactly, For instance, a magnitude of speed rstio involving a fraction of two large prime numbers, such as 123/177, would require meshing gears with 123 and 177 teeth to provide the exact speed ratio, Alternative gear trains, however, can be de ‘oped if s small deviation inthe speed rati is allowed from the desired value. For example, ‘wo gears with 36 and 25 teeth provide a magnitude of speed ratio of 0.6944, which is very se 10 the specified value of 123/177 = 0.6949. 6.1.2 Classification of Gear Trains Gear tains may be classified into two groups: ordinary and planetary (or epicyelée), (Figure 6.3). In an ordinary gear erain, axes ofall gears are stationary relative (o the base Jink, which is normally the housing (Le. the base link) ofthe gear train. In a planetary gear Figure 6.3 Classiieation of pear tains GearTiins Co (ear) Tay eee t [Sine] [eee] [Siena] (aes)