Gear Systems

Lecture 5
 outline

• gears
› intro and history
› applications
› types
• spur gears
› geometry and nomenclature
› force analysis

NOTE:
[1] R.C. Juvinall and K.M. Marshek, Fundamentals of Machine Component Design
[2] J.E. Shigley and C.R. Mischke, Mechanical Engineering Design
introduction and history

• gears: toothed members transmitting rotary motion

from one shaft to another
› among oldest devices/inventions
• for mechanical power transmission
› rugged
› durable
› efficient
› costly – especially for high precision gears

(Figure 15.1) [1] www.efunda.com

applications
• in lots of mechanical devices
• several important jobs
› gear reduction in motorized equipment
» e.g. small motor – fast, enough power, but not enough torque
• output speed reduced
• torque increased
› adjust direction of rotation
» e.g. differential
• RWD – power transmitted by shaft
• “turns” power 90°, applies to wheels
 types of gears
• several basic types:
› spur
› helical
› bevel
› worm

(13-1) to (13-4) [2]

spur gears

• simplest type of gear

› used to develop basic relationships
› will look at:
» geometry and nomenclature
» force analysis
» gear-tooth bending fatigue strength
» gear-tooth surface durability

(Figure 15.2) [1]

spur gear geometry
• basic requirement:

› conjugate gear-tooth action:

» “as the gears rotate, the common normal to the surfaces at the point of
contact must always intersect the line of centers at the same point, P,
called the pitch point”
» The circles through the pitch point are called pitch circle

(Figure 15.3) [1]

 spur gear geometry

• conjugate gear-tooth action

› various tooth shapes work
› currently only use “involute” (involute of the
circle)
» “curve generated by any point on a
taut thread as it unwinds from a circle,
called the base circle”

(Figure 15.4) [1] (Figure 15.3) [1]

spur gear geometry

• to understand a mating pair of involute gear teeth can

look at:
› friction drive
› belt drive
› involute gear-tooth drive

• 2 pitch circles – 2 cylinders

› no slip – rotation of one causes rotation of other
» angular velocities inversely proportional to diameters:

› smaller – pinion (p)

› larger – gear (g)

(Figure 15.5) [1]

 spur gear geometry
• With properly shaped gear teeth, the
operation of a driving gear and a driven
gear is analogous to a belt driven
mechanism between two base circles

›  is pressure angle

(Figure 15.6) [1]

spur gear geometry

• continued development of tooth geometry

(Figure 15.8) [1]

spur gear nomenclature

• further nomenclature for complete gear tooth

(Figure 15.9) [1]

spur gear relations

• specify spur gears according to following indices:

› circular pitch (p) – distance from point on tooth to same point on
adjacent tooth:
p = d/N
› module (m) – ratio of pitch diameter (d) to # of teeth (N):
m = d/N
» SI only – mm
› diametral pitch (P) – ratio of # of teeth (N) to pitch diameter (d):
P = N/d
» US only – teeth/inch
› also:
p = d/N = m
pP = 
• SI – “pitch” = circular pitch
• US – “pitch” = diametral pitch
• properly matched pinion and gear have same p, m, P
spur gear standards

• interchangeable, available in stock

› most common  is 20°
› addendum: 1/P or 1m
› dedendum: 1.25/P or 1.25m
› module, m: 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 25, 32,
40, 50
› diametral pitch, P:
» coarse: 2, 2 ¼, 2 ½, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
» fine: 20, 24, 32, 40, 48, 64, 80, 96, 120, 150, 200
• mass-produced gears for particular applications:
› e.g. automotive gears
› deviate from standards - optimization
spur gear contact ratio
• contact ratio – average number of teeth in contact as gears
rotate together
› tooth action begins and ends at intersection of 2 addendum circles with
pressure line
› if arc of action, qt, is equal to circular pitch, p
» one pair of teeth in contact
› if qt > p (qt~1.2p)
» for short period of time 2 pairs of teeth in contact
› contact ratio, CR = qt/p
› also: CR=Lab/pcos
• mc > 1.2 (min)
• mc = 2 – theoretically at least 2 pairs of teeth in contact
› smoother, quieter operation

pb = p cos

(Figure 13-15) [2]

 spur gear force analysis
• force between mating teeth at pitch
point can be resolved into 2
components:
› Ft: tangential component
» when multiplied by pitch line velocity
gives power transmitted
› Fr: radial component
» does no work
» tries to push gears apart
› related by:
Fr = Fttan
› gear pitch line velocity:
V = dn/12
» V – ft/min, d – in, n – rpm
› power transmitted (hp):
P = FtV/33,000
» Ft – lb, V – ft/min
› SI units:
V = dn/60,000
» V – m/s, d – mm, n – rpm
P = FtV
» P – W, Ft – N

(Figure 15.17) [1]

spur gear force analysis
• notation:
› 1 – frame of machine
› 2 – input gear/pinion
› 3,4… – successive gears
› a,b,c… – shafts
› x,y,z – coordinate directions
› F23 – force exerted by gear 2 on gear 3

(Figure 13.31, 13.32) [2]

spur gear force analysis

• example done in class

› Example 13-5, Shigley and Mischke, 5th edition
» similar to Sample Problem 15.2, Juvinall and Marshek, 4th
edition
questions?