Chapter 15: Helical, Bevel, and Worm Gears

Chapter
15: Helical, Bevel, and

Worm Gears
Just stare at the machine. There is
nothing wrong with that. Just live
with it for a while. Watch it the way
you watch a line when fishing and
before long, as sure as you live, you'ʹll
get a liFle nibble, a liFle fact asking in
a timid, humble way if you'ʹre
interested in it. That'ʹs the way the
world keeps on happening. Be
interested in it.

Robert Pirsig,
Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance
A combined helical and worm gearset speed
reducer. Source: Courtesy of Boston Gear.
Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

© 2014 CRC Press
Schmid, Hamrock and Jacobson
Helical Gear
Tangent to helical tooth
Pitch cylinder
Element of pitch Helix

cylinder (or angle, s
gear's axis)
(a) (b) (c)
Figure 15.1: Helical gear. (a) Illustration of meshing helical gears; (b) front view; (c) side
view.

© 2014 CRC Press
Gear Design Considerations
Gear type Advantages Disadvantages
Spur Inexpensive, simple to design, no thrust load is de- Can generate VLJQLÀFDQt noise, especially at high
veloped by the gearing, wide variety of manufac- speeds, and are usually restricted to pitch-line ve-
turing options. locities below 20 m/s (4000 ft/min).
Helical Useful for high speed and high power applications, Generate a thrust load on a single face, more expen-
quiet at high speeds. Often used instead of spur sive than spur gears.
gears for high speed applications.
Bevel High efÀFLHQFy (can be 98% or higher), can transfer Shaft alignment is critical, rolling element bearings
power across nonintersecting shafts. Spiral bevel are therefore often used with bevel gears. This
gears transmit loads evenly and are quieter than limits power transfer for high speed applications
straight bevel. (where a journal bearing is preferable). Can be ex-
pensive.
Worm Compact and cost effective designs for large gear Wear by abrasion is of higher concern than other
ratios. EfÀFLHQFy can be as high as 90% or as low as gear types, can be expensive. Generate very high
50%, and is lower than for other gear sets. thrust loads. Worm cannot be driven by gear; worm
must drive gear.
Table 15.1: Design considerations for gears.

© 2014 CRC Press
Helical Gear Pitches
cn
p
s s
pc pa
(a) (b)
Figure 15.2: Pitches of helical gears. (a) Circular; (b) axial.

© 2014 CRC Press
AGMA Equations for Helical Gears
W t pd K o K s K m K v K b
σt =
bw Yh
1
σc = pH (Ko Ks Km Kv ) 2
Correction factors are determined as in Chapter 14, except for geometry
factor. This can be approximated from
Yh = Ya Ym

© 2014 CRC Press
Helical Gear Geometry Factor
0.70
0.65 500
150
Geometry factor, Ya
0.60
60
0.55
30
0.50
20
0.45 Number of teeth
in mating gear
0.40
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Helix angle, s (°)
Figure 15.3: Helical gear geometry factor as a function of helix angle when mating with
a 75-‐‑tooth gear. Source: Courtesy of the American Gear Manufacturers Association.

© 2014 CRC Press
Correction Factor vs. Helix Angle
1.05
500
Geometry factor modifier, Ym

150
1.00 75
50
0.95 30
20
Number of teeth in mating gear
0.90
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Helix angle, s (°)
Figure 15.4: Helical gear geometry correction factor as a function of helix angle. Source:
Courtesy of the American Gear Manufacturers Association.

© 2014 CRC Press
Types of Bevel Gears
(a) (b) (c) (d)
Figure 15.5: Types of bevel gears; (a) a straight bevel gear set; (b) a Zerol gear set; (c)
spiral bevel gear set; (d) hypoid bevel gear set. Source: Courtesy of ATI Precision
Gearing.

© 2014 CRC Press
Bevel Gear
Pitch apex to back
Crown to back
Pitch apex
Terminology
to crown
n ce ) Crown
a h
d ist widt
e e ne
c on fac r co e Pitch
c
u ter cted Innestan apex
O roje di Dedendum Pinion
(p e
c Face angle
Fa idth angle
w Shaft
angle
Root angle
Pitch
angle
Front Gear
Back angle
angle
Pitch diameter
Outside diameter
Back
cone
angle Back cone
distance
Figure 15.6: Terminology for bevel gears.

© 2014 CRC Press
Gear Mounting
(a)
(b)
Figure 15.7: Schematic illustration of the two basic forms of gear mounting. (a) Straddle
mounting, where the gear is located between bearings; (b) overhang mounting. Note
that deep groove rolling element bearings are shown, but often a bearing beFer suited
for thrust load support is required in at least one location.

© 2014 CRC Press
Bevel Gear Forces
Straight bevel gears:
Wt T
W = =
cos φ rave cos φ

Wa = Wt tan φ sin α
Wr = Wt tan φ cos α

Spiral bevel gears:
Wt
a cos ψ (tan φ sin α − sin ψ cos α)
W =
Wt
Wr = (tan φ cos α + sin ψ sin α)
cos ψ
Figure 15.8: Forces acting on a bevel gear.
where the ± refers to different rotation
directions or spiral direction.

© 2014 CRC Press
AGMA Equations for Bevel Gears
�
2Tp pd Ko Kv Ks Km Tp E �
σt = σc = Ko Kv Km Ks Kx
bw d p Kx Yb πbw d2p Ib
Ko and Kv are defined as for spur gears.

The load distribution factor is:
�
Kmb + 0.0036b
�
2
� for bw in inches
K m = w
Kmb + 5.6 × 10−6 b2w for bw in mm

The crowning factor is, for contact stress:
�
1.5 for properly crowned teeth
K =
x
2.0 (or larger) for non-crowned teeth
And for bending: � �q
Kx = 0.211
rc
+ 0.789
Am
0.279
q=
log(sin ψ)
© 2014 CRC Press
Size Factor
Outer transverse module, met Face width, bw, mm
1.6 5 10 20 30 40 50 25 50 75 100 125

1.0
Ks = 1.0 for bw > 114.3 mm (4.5 in.)
1.00
0.9
Ks = 0.4867 + 0.2133/pd
Size factor, Ks
= 0.4867 + 0.008399 met
Size factor, Ks
0.8
0.75
0.7
0.6 0.50 Ks = 0.00492 bw + 0.4375 (bw in mm)

= 0.125 bw + 0.4375 (bw in in.)
0.5 Ks = 0.5 for bw < 12.7 mm (0.5 in.)
Ks = 0.5 for met < 1.6 (pd < 16 in.-1)
0.4 0.25
16 5 2.5 1.25 0.8 0.6 0.5 0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
Outer transverse pitch, pd, in.-1 Face width, bw, in.
(a) (b)
Figure 15.9: Size factor for bevel gears. (a) Size factor for bending stress; (b) size factor
for contact stress or piFing resistance. Source: From AGMA [2010].

© 2014 CRC Press
Geometry Factor for Contact Stress
(Straight Bevel Gears)
Number of gear teeth
50 60 70 80 90 100
50
45
40
Number of pinion teeth
40
35
30
30
25
20
20
15
10
0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.10 0.11
Geometry factor, Ib
Figure 15.10: Geometry factors for straight bevel gears, with pressure angle ϕ=20° and
shaft angle = 90°. (a) Geometry factor for contact stress Ib. Source: From AGMA [2010].

© 2014 CRC Press
Geometry Factor for Bending
Number of teeth in mate
100
Number of teeth on gear for which geometry factor is desired 13 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50
40
30
20
10
0.16 0.20 0.24 0.28 0.32 0.36 0.40
Geometry factor, Yb
Figure 15.10: Geometry factors for straight bevel gears, with pressure angle ϕ=20° and
shaft angle = 90°. (b) geometry factor for bending Yb. Source: From AGMA [2010].

© 2014 CRC Press
(SpiralBevel Gears) Number of teeth in gear
50 60 70 80 90 100
50
45
40
40
35
30
30
25
20
20
15
10
0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0.12 0.14 0.16
Geometry factor, Ib
Figure 15.11: Geometry factors for spiral bevel gears, with pressure angle ϕ=20°, spiral
angle ψ= 25° and shaft angle = 90°. (a) Geometry factor for contact stress Ib. Source: From
AGMA [2010].

© 2014 CRC Press
Geometry Factor for Bending Stress
100
12 20 30 40 50
90
Number of teeth on gear for which
80
geometry factor is desired
70
60
60 80
50
100
40
30
20
10
0.12 0.16 0.20 0.24 0.28 0.32 0.36
Geometry factor, Yb
Figure 15.11: Geometry factors for spiral bevel gears, with pressure angle ϕ=20°, spiral
angle ψ= 25° and shaft angle = 90°. (b) geometry factor for bending Yb. Source: From
AGMA [2010].

© 2014 CRC Press
(Zerol Bevel Gears)
Number of gear teeth
50 60 70 80 90 100
50
45
40
40
35
30 30
25
20 20
15
10
0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.10 0.11
Geometry factor, Ib
Figure 15.12: Geometry factors for Zerol bevel gears, with pressure angle ϕ=20°, spiral
angle ψ = 25° and shaft angle = 90°. (a) Geometry factor for contact stress Ib. Source:
From AGMA [2010].

© 2014 CRC Press
Geometry Factor for Bending Stress
(Zerol Bevel Gears)
13 15 20 25 30 40 50
100
90
Number of teeth in gear for which

80
geometry factor is desired

70
60
50 60 70 80 90 100
40
30
20
10
0.16 0.20 0.24 0.28 0.32 0.36 0.40
Geometry factor, Yb
Figure 15.12: Geometry factors for Zerol bevel gears, with pressure angle ϕ=20°, spiral
angle ψ = 25° and shaft angle = 90°. (b) geometry factor for bending Yb. Source: From
AGMA [2010].

© 2014 CRC Press
Design Procedure 15.1: Bevel Gear
Synthesis
This design procedure will assist in the selection of preliminary bevel gear
geometries where the application'ʹs load, speed, and desired gear ratios are
known. The discussion will be limited to spiral bevel gears. The approach
is also restricted to 90° shaft angles.
1.  An estimate for the required pinion diameter can be obtained from the
pinion torque and gear ratio using Fig. 15.14 for surface piFing and Fig.
15.13 for bending strength. For precision finished gears (which have a
cost penalty), the pinion diameter from piFing resistance can be
multiplied by 0.80. From the two pinion diameter estimates, the larger
value should be selected for further evaluation.
2.  The pinion diameter selected in Step 1 is based on using case hardened
steel with a hardness of 55 HRC, and other materials will require a
modification in the pinion diameter. Table 15.2 lists material
modification factors for selected materials. An updated pinion diameter
can be obtained by multiplying the estimate obtained from Step 1 by
the materials factor from Table 15.2.

© 2014 CRC Press
Design Procedure 15.1 (continued)
3.  Figure 15.15 provides an estimate for the number of teeth that should
be machined into the pinion. Spiral bevel gears can maintain a higher
contact ratio than straight or Zerol bevel gears, so departure from the
recommendation in Fig. 15.15 is not uncommon. Also, note that Fig.
15.15 is for a 35°spiral angle, so that a high contact ratio can be
preserved for fewer teeth (see Step 6).
4.  The outer transverse diametral pitch, pdo, can be obtained from Eq.
(14.5) as the ratio of the number of teeth in the pinion to the pinion
diameter.
5.  The face width of the spiral bevel gear can be obtained from Fig. 15.16
as a function of pinion pitch diameter and gear ratio. The face width
should not exceed 10/pdo, however.

© 2014 CRC Press
6.  The spiral angle should be selected based on a face contact ratio of 2.0.
AGMA [2003] recommends higher values for smooth and quiet
operation, or high speed applications. Face contact ratios below 2.0 can
be tolerated for some applications, but this is a reasonable value for
preliminary design synthesis. The face contact ratio is given by
Ao pdo bw tan ψ
Crf =
so that Am π
πCrf Am
tan ψ =
pdo bw Ao
where\
Ao = outer cone distance (see Fig. 15.6).
Am = mean cone distance
pdo = other transverse diametral pitch
bw = net face width
ψ = mean spiral angle at the pitch surface.
© 2014 CRC Press
Design Procedure 15.1 (concluded)
7.  The most common pressure angle for bevel gears is 20°, and is
recommended for initial design synthesis. However, higher or lower
pressure angles can be used. Lower pressure angles increase the contact
ratio, reduce axial and separating forces, and increase the tooth slot
widths. However, lower pressure angles increase the risk of undercut
gear teeth and associated high stress concentrations.

The results from this Design Procedure generally are a reasonable starting
point for gear design. As is usually the case, results from this approach
must be modified slightly to produce a useful result. For example, if Fig.
15.15 suggests 32.2 teeth should be used, clearly one should specify 32 or
33 teeth. Also, it is good practice to use blanks that are of standard size, etc.

© 2014 CRC Press
Pinion Diameter vs. Torque
Pinion torque, Nm
1.13 11.3 113 1130 11,300 113,000
100 2500
Ng
Gear ratio =
Np
Pinion pitch diameter, mm

1
Pinion pitch diameter, in
2
10 4 250
10
1 25
0.1 2.5
10 102 103 104 105 106
Pinion torque, lb in
Figure 15.17: Estimated pinion pitch diameter as a function of pinion torque for a
number of gear ratios, and based on piFing resistance. Source: From AGMA [2003].

© 2014 CRC Press
Materials Factor
Gear Pinion
Material Hardness Material Hardness Material factor
Case hardened steel 58 HRC Case hardened steel 60 HRC 0.85
Case hardened steel 55 HRC Case hardened steel 55 HRC 1.00
Flame hardened steel 50 HRC Case hardened steel 55 HRC 1.05
Flame hardened steel 50 HRC Flame hardened steel 50 HRC 1.05
Oil hardened steel 375-425 HB Oil hardened steel 375-425 HB 1.20
Heat treated steel 210-300 HB Case hardened steel 55 HRC 1.45
Cast iron – Case hardened steel 55 HRC 1.95
Cast iron – Flame hardened steel 55 HRC 2.00
Cast iron – Annealed steel 160-200 HB 2.10
Cast iron – Cast iron – 3.10
Table 15.2: Material factor for pinion diameter estimate for selected gearset materials.
Source: From AGMA [2003].

© 2014 CRC Press
Pinion Pitch Diameter vs. Torque
Pinion torque, Nm
1.13 11.3 113 1130 11,300 113,000
100 2500
Ng
Gear ratio =
Np 1
Pinion pitch diameter, mm

2
Pinion pitch diameter, in
4
10 10 250
1 25
0.1 2.5
10 102 103 10 4 105 106
Pinion torque, lb in
Figure 15.18: Estimated pinion pitch diameter as a function of pinion torque for a
number of gear ratios, and based on bending strength. Source: From AGMA [2003].

© 2014 CRC Press
Number of Teeth vs. Pinion Pitch
Diameter
Pinion pitch diameter dp, mm
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
40
Ng Ng
Approximate number of pinion teeth, Np

Gear ratio = =1
Np Np
30 2
3
4
6
20
10
10
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Pinion pitch diameter dp, in.
Figure 15.19: Approximate number of teeth for a spiral bevel gear as a function of
pinion pitch diameter for various gear ratios. Source: From AGMA [2003].

© 2014 CRC Press
Spiral Bevel Gear Face Width
Pinion pitch diameter dp, mm
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
9 225
10 6 5
Ng
8 Gear ratio = 200
Np
7 4 175
Face width bw, mm

Face width bw, in
6 150
3
5 125
4
2 100
3 75
1
2 50
1 25
0 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Pinion pitch diameter dp, in.
Figure 15.20: Face width of spiral bevel gears operating at a 90° shaft angle. Source:
From AGMA [2003].

© 2014 CRC Press
Number of Wormgear Teeth
Pressure angle Minimum number of

, deg wormgear teeth
14.5 40
17.5 27
20 21
22.5 17
25 14
27.5 12
30 10
Table 15.3: Suggested minimum number of wormgear teeth for customary designs.
Source: From ANSI/AGMA [1993].

© 2014 CRC Press
Worm Gear Contact
Figure 15.21: Illustration of worm contact with a worm gear, showing multiple teeth in
contact.

© 2014 CRC Press
Worm Forces
Wsw
Wtw into paper

y
Wag out of paper Wsg Waw

W
Wtw
Waw Wtg
Wsw
z
x
(a) (b)
Figure 15.22: Forces acting on a worm. (a) Side view, showing forces acting on worm
and worm gear. (b) Three-‐‑dimensional view of worm, showing worm forces. The worm
gear has been removed for clarity.

© 2014 CRC Press
AGMA Equations for Wormgears
ωWt dg ωWf dwm
Input power rating: hpi = +
2Z 2 cos λ

where 
 C s d 0.8
gm bw Cm Cv English units
Wt = C s d 0.8
gm bw Cm Cv
 SI units
75.948

See the text for Cm and Cv. Wf is given by:
µWt
W f =
cos λ cos φn

and

 0.150 vt = 0 ft/min
� �
µ= 0.124 exp �−0.074vt0.645 � 0 < vt ≤ 10 ft/min

0.103 exp −0.110vt0.450 + 0.012 10 ft/min < vt

© 2014 CRC Press
Materials Factor
Manufacturing Pitch Units for pitch diameter

Process diameter in. mm
Sand casting d 64 mm (2.5 in.) 1000 1000
d 64 mm 1190 ï 476.5 log d 1859 ï 476.5 log d
Static chill cast d 200 mm (8 in.) 1000 1000
or forged d > 200 mm 1412 ï 455.8 log d 2052 ï 455.8 log d
Centrifugally cast d 625 mm (25 in.) 1000 1000
d > 625 mm 1251 ï 179.8 log d 1504 ï 179.8 log d
Table 15.4: Materials factor, Cs, for bronze worm gears with the worm having surface
hardness of 58 HRC. Source: From AGMA [2010a]

© 2014 CRC Press
Materials Parameter
Mean gear pitch diameter, d (mm) Center distance, cd (mm)
63.5 127 254 508 720 1016 1524 2286 20 30 40 50 60 70 75
1000 1000
Ce n
St trifu
gall
900 at y
ic
Materials factor, Cs
ch
Materials factor, Cs
ill
c 900
Sa
800 as
to
nd
rf
ca
or
s
g
t
ed
700
800
600
500 700
2.5 5 10 20 30 40 60 90 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Mean gear pitch diameter, d (in.) Center distance, cd (in.)
(a) (b)
Figure 15.23: Materials parameter Cs for bronze worm gears and worm minimum
surface hardness of 58 HRC. (a) Materials factor for center distances cd greater than 76
mm (3 in.); (b) Materials factor for center distances cd less than 76 mm (3 in.). When
using part (b), the value from part (a) should be checked, and the lower value used. See
also Table 15.4. Source: From AGMA [2010a].

© 2014 CRC Press
Design Procedure 15.2: Worm Gear
Synthesis
The approach is restricted to coarse pitch cylindrical worm gears operated at
right angles. It is recognized that high power transmission at high speeds
will require fine-‐‑pitch teeth. It is assumed that the worm and worm gear
speeds are known, as is the input power.

1.  A pressure angle needs to be selected based on the design application.
Higher pressure angles lead to higher tooth strength, but have the
drawback of higher bearing reaction loads and worm bending stress, as
well as resulting in fewer teeth in contact. Lower pressure angles are
beFer suited for high speed and quiet operation. Table 15.3 lists the
customary pressure angles for worm gears.
2.  The minimum number of teeth in the worm gear is given in Table 15.3.
More teeth can be selected if the center distance is not a design constraint.
3.  The number of teeth in the worm is then obtained from Eq. (15.36).

© 2014 CRC Press
4.  The worm pitch diameter usually falls between the following ranges:
c0.875 c0.875
d
≤ dw ≤ d English units
3.0 1.6
c0.875 c0.875
d
≤ dw ≤ d SI units
2.0 1.07
Where cd is the the center distance between the axes of the worm and
worm gear.
5.  The worm gear pitch diameter is calculated as
dg = 2cd − dw
6.  The axial pitch of the worm gear is
πdg
px =
Ng

© 2014 CRC Press
7.  Fig. 15.20 illustrates the required face width of the worm, which is given
as �� 2 � �2
dgt dg
bww = 2 − −a
2 2
A slightly larger face width should be used to allow for manufacturing
and assembly tolerances. However, most worm gears have between two
and three teeth in contact at all times, so using bww = 5px gives a
reasonable face width, allowing an extra axial pitch before and after
contact.
8.  If px ≥ 0.160 in. ~ (4.06 mm), the worm gear face width can be determined
from 2
bwg = dw
3
9.  and if px < 0.160 in. ~ (4.06 mm),
�
2 2
bwg = 1.125 (do + 2c) − (do − 4a)
© 2014 CRC Press
Worm Face Width
dg dgt
-a
2 2
bww
Figure 15.24: Worm face width.

© 2014 CRC Press
Mixer Gears
Speed Torque
Tmax=
20 ft-lbf
Maximum
current
Motor current, A
Figure 15.25: The gears used to transmit Figure 15.26: Torque and speed of motor
power from an electric motor to the as a function of current for the industrial
agitators of a commercial mixer. Source: mixer used in the case study.
Courtesy of Hobart, Inc.

© 2014 CRC Press

Chapter 15: Helical, Bevel, and Worm Gears

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Chapter

15: Helical, Bevel, and

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Element of pitch Helix

(a) (b) (c)

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Table 15.1: Design considerations for gears.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Geometry factor modifier, Ym

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Figure 15.6: Terminology for bevel gears.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Ko and Kv are deﬁned as for spur gears.

1.6 5 10 20 30 40 50 25 50 75 100 125

0.6 0.50 Ks = 0.00492 bw + 0.4375 (bw in mm)

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Number of teeth in gear for which

geometry factor is desired

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Pinion pitch diameter, mm

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Pinion pitch diameter, mm

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Approximate number of pinion teeth, Np

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Face width bw, mm

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Pressure angle Minimum number of

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Wtw into paper

Wag out of paper Wsg Waw

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Manufacturing Pitch Units for pitch diameter

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Figure 15.24: Worm face width.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

Fundamentals of Machine Elements, 3rd ed.

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