Gears

Principles of Engineering © 2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Gears
A gear train is a mechanism used for
transmitting energy, rotary motion and torque
through interlocking teeth.
A gear train is made when two or more gears
are meshed
Driver gear causes motion
Motion is transferred to the driven gear
Gears
Mating gears always
turn in opposite
directions.
An Idler Gear allows the
driver and driven gears
to rotate in the same
direction.
Mating gears always
have the same size
teeth (diametric pitch).
Gears

The rpm of the larger gear

is always slower than the
rpm of the smaller gear.
Gears locked together on
the same shaft will always
turn in the same direction
and at the same rpm.
Gear Ratios

Equations to know
GR = Gear Ratio

GR nout dout ωin τout

= = = =
1 nin din ωout τin

Gear Number Diameter Angular Speed Torque

Ratio of
Teeth
Gears
They can be used to transfer energy through
work. They do not change the amount of energy
transferred but they can be used to:
Change the speed of rotation
Change the direction of rotation
Change the amount of torque available to do
work
Gears
Since they do not change the amount of
energy you have to transfer there is a
tradeoff:

If you want to get more torque output than

what you input then you must input a higher
angular speed (rpm).

If you want to get a higher angular speed

(rpm) output than what you input then you
must input a greater torque.
Gear Ratios
Variables to know 4”

n = number of teeth
d = diameter
w = angular velocity (speed)
t = torque
Subscripts in and out are used to distinguish between gears.

nin= 6 nout = 12
din = 2 in. dout = 4 in.
win = 40 rpm wout = 20 rpm
tin = 40 ft-lb tout = 80 ft-lb
Gear Ratios

GR nout dout ωin τout

= = = =
1 nin din ωout τin

? 12 4in. 40rpm 80 ft − lb
1 6 2in. 20rpm 40 ft − lb
2
1
Gear Ratios

What is the gear ratio GR nout 12 .6

= = =
between gears A and B? 1 nin 20 1

GR nout 5 .42
What is the gear ratio = = =
between gears B and C? 1 nin 12 1

What is the gear ratio GR nout 20 4

= = =
between gears C and D? 1 nin 5 1
Gear Ratios
Idler gears don’t
affect GR!

What is the TOTAL gear 0.6 0.42 4 1

train gear ratio?
• • =
1 1 1 1
If gears A and D were directly GR nout 20 1
connected to each other, what = = =
1 nin 20 1
would the resulting gear ratio be?

If the last gear had 40 teeth, what would be the total

gear ratio?
0.6 0.42 8 2 GR nout 40 2
• • = or = = =
1 1 1 1 1 nin 20 1
Compound Gear Train

Driver

The two middle gears share

a common axle, so they
rotate at the same speed.
This allows the final gear to
rotate slower and produce
more torque than if it were
connected only to the driver
gear.
Compound Gear Ratios
D
B
C A

10 T
20 T
40 T What is the gear ratio
50 T
between gears A and B?
What is the gear ratio GR nout 40 4
= = =
between gears C and D? 1 nin 10 1
GR nout 50 2.5
= = =
1 nin 20 1
What is the gear ratio of the entire gear train?
4 2.5 10
• =
1 1 1
Simple Gear Ratios
Output Each gear is on
its OWN axle.
B
C 𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 𝐷𝐷
=
A 1 𝐴𝐴
Input

Compound Gear Ratios Some gears have

D SHARED axles.
E
Input
𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 𝐵𝐵 𝐷𝐷 𝐹𝐹
B = × ×
1 𝐴𝐴 𝐶𝐶 𝐸𝐸
F
A C
Output
Image Resources

Microsoft, Inc. (2008). Clip art. Retrieved January 15, 2008, from
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx