ME-321: Design of machine elements Lecture 4

Cycloidal tooth profile

Cycloid
The curve traced by a point on the circumference of a circle which rolls without
slipping on a fixed straight line.

Epicycloid and Hypocycloid

The curve traced by a point on the circumference of a circle when it rolls without
slipping outside another fixed circle is called epicycloid. If it rolls inside a fixed circle
then the traced curve is called hypocycloid.

The fixed circle is called base circle and the rolling circle is called generating circle.
In case of cycloid gear tooth profile, pitch circle acts as base circle. The construction
of a cycloid tooth profile of a gear is shown in Fig. 4.1.

Fig. 4.1. Construction of a cycloid tooth

When the circle E is rolled without slipping outside the base circle, point P on the
circle E traces epicycloid PAP which represents face of the cycloid tooth. For
generating hypocycloid, circle D of the same dia is rolled inside the base circle. Then
point P on the circle D traces the hypocycloid PBC which represents flank of the tooth
profile.

For a mating pair of cycloid gear, dia of generating circle must be same. The dia of
base circles may be different to obtain the desired gear ratio.

Hypocycloid Equation
C1,C2: Centres of rolling circles, O: Centre of fixed circle, P: point on rolling circle

Fig. 4.2. Mathematical modeling of cycloid gear

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ME-321: Design of machine elements Lecture 4
When the rolling circle turns through an angle  in a clockwise direction, C1 traces an
arc C1 C1 of angular width  in a counterclockwise direction. The coordinates of P1
which is new position of point P are

x = (R − r )cosθ + rcos
y = (R − r )sinθ − rsin

Coordinates of C1 w.r. to O are x = (R − r )cosθ , and y = (R − r )sinθ

Coordinates of P1 w.r. to C1 are x = rcos(360 - ) , and y = rsin (360 - )

The angles  and  are not independent because as the motion progresses, the arcs of
the fixed and moving circle that come in contact are equal i.e. PQ = QP1 or R = r(
+ ).

R−r
Or,  =  θ
 r 

Hence final parametric equations of hypocycloid are

R−r
x = (R − r )cosθ + rcos θ
 r 
(4.1)
R−r
y = (R − r )sinθ − rsin  θ
 r 
Epicycloid Equation

In this case arcs of the fixed and rolling circle that come in contact are

PQ = R
QP2 = r( + 180 - )

R+r
As explained earlier in Hypocycloid case both are equal. Hence  =  θ − 180
 r 
Coordinates of C2 w.r. to O are x = (R + r )cosθ , and y = (R + r )sinθ
Coordinates of P2 w.r. to C2 are x = rcos , and y = rsin

Therefore parametric equations for epicycloid are

 R + r  
x = (R + r )cosθ + rcos  θ − 180 
x = (R + r )cosθ + rcos  r  
or
y = (R + r )sinθ + rsin  R + r  
y = (R + r )sinθ + rsin   θ − 18 0 
 r  

 R+r 
x = (R + r )cosθ + rcos180 -  θ 
  r  
i.e. or
 R+r 
y = (R + r )sinθ − rsin 180 −  θ 
  r  

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ME-321: Design of machine elements Lecture 4
R+r
x = (R + r )cosθ − rcos θ
 r 
(4.2)
R+r
y = (R + r )sinθ − rsin  θ
 r 
The global equations can be written as
X = xcosα − ysinα and Y = xsin α + ycosα (4.3)

where  is angle between local and global axes x-y and X-Y. Fig. 4.3 shows the
complete profile generated using equations 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3.

Fig. 4.3. A cycloid gear profile consisting of epicycloid and hypocycloid curves

The angular width * of tooth at pitch circle is given as * = /T

The profile of gear is obtained by alternatively generating epicycloid and hypocycloid

curves each of angle *.

After calculating r, R, and * parametric Eqns. (4.1) and (4.2) can be used for
generating gear profile by incrementing  in very small steps 0    * and
calculating x and y coordinates of very closely spaced points on the cycloid curves.

If starting point is at  angle then use Eqn. (4.3).