Gears

Mechanical Engineering Dept. 1

 Applications of Gears
• Toys and Small Mechanisms – small, low load, low cost

• Appliance gears – long life, low noise & cost, low to

moderate load

• Power transmission – long life, high load and speed

• Aerospace gears – light weight, moderate to high load

• Control gears – long life, low noise, precision gears

Mechanical Engineering Dept. 2

Mechanical Engineering Dept. 3
 Types of Gears
Gear (large gear)

Spur gears – tooth profile is parallel to

the axis of rotation, transmits motion
between parallel shafts.

Internal gears

Pinion (small gear)

Helical gears – teeth are inclined to

the axis of rotation, the angle provides
more gradual engagement of the teeth
during meshing, transmits motion
between parallel shafts.

Mechanical Engineering Dept. 4

 Types of Gears

Bevel gears – teeth are formed on a Straight

conical surface, used to transfer bevel gear
motion between non-parallel and
intersecting shafts.

Spiral
bevel gear

Mechanical Engineering Dept. 5

 Types of Gears

Worm gear sets – consists of a

helical gear and a power screw (worm),
used to transfer motion between non-
parallel and non-intersecting shafts.

Rack and Pinion sets – a special

Pinion
case of spur gears with the gear
having an infinitely large diameter,
the teeth are laid flat.

Rack

Mechanical Engineering Dept. 6

Types of gears

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 Nomenclature of Spur Gear Teeth

Clearance
Fillet radius
Pitch circle
gear diam.
Base Circle

Backlash = (tooth spacing)driven gear – (tooth thickness)driver , measured

on the pitch circle.
Mechanical Engineering Dept. 8
 Useful Relations

P=N/d

P = diametral pitch, teeth per inch

N = number of teeth
d = pitch diameter (gear diameter)

p (circular pitch) = πd / N

Pp = π

Metric system
m (module, mm) = d / N

Mechanical Engineering Dept. 9

 Standard Tooth Specifications
Pressure angle
Base tion
of ac
circle Line
Pitch Pressure angle φ
circle
Pitch
Pitch circle
line
Base
circle
Line of centers

Standard pressure angles, 14.5o (old), 20o, and 25o

Two mating gears must have the same diametral pitch, P,

and pressure angle, φ.
Mechanical Engineering Dept. 10
Template for teeth of standard gears

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 Standard Gear Specifications
Parameter Coarse pitch Fine pitch
(pd=N/d<20) (pd=N/d>20)
Pressure angle, φ 200 or 250 (not common) 200
Addendum, a 1/pd 1/pd
Dedendum, b 1.25/pd 1.25/pd
Working depth 2.00/pd 2.00/pd
Whole depth 2.25/pd 2.2/pd+0.002
Circular tooth thickness 1.571/pd (≅circular pitch/2) 1.571/pd
Fillet radius 0.30/pd Not standardized
Clearance 0.25/pd 0.25/pd+0.002

Minimum width at top 0.25/pd Not standardized

land

Circular pitch π/pd π/pd 12

 Kinematics of Gear Trains

Conventional gear trains

ω3 N2 ω5 N4
, ω3 = ω4 ,
ω2 = N3 ω4 = N5
Speed ratio

ω5 output
= = input
ω2

mV = e = train value
Reverted gear train – output shaft is concentric
with the input shaft. Center distances of the
stages must be equal.

Mechanical Engineering Dept. 13

 Planetary (or Epicyclic) Gears

• Gears whose centers can move

• Used to achieve large speed reductions in
compact space
• Can achieve different reduction ratios by
holding different combinations of gears
fixed
• Used in automatic transmissions of cars

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Planetary gear

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Components of a planetary gear
Planet
Carrier
Input shaft

Sun gear
Ring gear

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A variant of a planetary gear

Carrier

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Connecting the main engine to the propeller
through a reduction gear

Propeller, Output flange

operates at about 100
RPM Engine
Gea
r

Engine operates at
about 400 RPM

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 Gear box
Stick shift
Synchronizers

The gear box is in first gear, second gear

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Planetary gears in automotive
transmission

Planetary gears
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