GEAR ENGINEERING

Various drives that are used for transmitting rotary

motion from one shaft to other shaft are ,
1) Different types of couplings
i.e. Muff coupling, Flexible coupling, Flange
coupling, Oldham's coupling ,Universal coupling
Limitation of these at the most driver speed can be
transmitted to driven
either over drive or speed reduction are not
possible

2) Belt and Rope drives

3)Timing belt and Chain drives

4) Gear drives
Belt Drives -Non Positive

Timing Belt Drive – Positive

 Positive Drive : A drive which gives exact velocity
ratio without fail and without any fluctuation.

Non Positive Drive : A drive which does not give

exact velocity ratio without fail and without any
fluctuation.

Belt Drive – Non Positive Drive

Slip and Creep are main factors responsible for being non
positive
 Timing Belt Drive - Positive

Though they are positive drives they cannot

be used for very large powers and small
distances
CHAIN DRIVE
Pitch Cylinders(Friction
Discs)
Toothed Gears

1) In early days pitch cylinders were used to

transmit power
2) Power transmitting capacity depended on
friction
3) Not suitable for higher power transmissions
4) Slip may occur

Gear Drive In order to come out of these limitations

and to transmit definite power
projections on discs known as teeth were
provided.
They are known as toothed gears
They can be positive drives.
SPUR GEARS
 GEARS ARE USED IN
VARIOUS MACHINES
CLOCKS MARINE REDUCTION
ENERGY METERS GEAR BOX
GEAR PUMP ROLL MILL OR M/C
CENTRIFUGE DIFFERENTIAL GEAR
AUTOMATIC VENDING BOX
MACHINE FLOOD GATE
HOISTS,CRANES OPERATING M/C
AUTOMOBILE GEAR COAL PULVERISER
BOX WIRE DRAWING M/C
Gear can be defined as a machine element used
to transmit motion or power by means of
progressive engagement of projections called
teeth.
Motion or power is transmitted from one to other
when projections on one gear mesh with
recesses on the other.
Gears can be used either for motion transmission or power
transmission.

Motion Transmission Power Transmission

Flood Gate in dams operated by Differntial gear box of a

BEVEL GEAR pair four wheeler
Advantages and Disadvantages of gear drives
Advantages :
1) Can transmit definite motion or power (positive drive)
(exact VR )
2) Can transmit large powers which are beyond the scope of
belt rope and chain
3) More compact drive construction
4) More reliable service
5) Very high efficiency
6) Can be used for extreme low speeds where other drives
cannot be recommended

Disadvantages :
1) Manufacturing – costly
2) High maintenance cost
3) Manufacturing requires special tools and equipment
4) Error in cutting teeth may cause noise and vibrations during
operations
5) Requires careful attention for lubrication and cleanliness
6) Requires precise alignment of the shafts
 Classification of Gears
a) Based on type of mesh

External Gears Internal Gears

b) Based on peripheral velocity of gears

1) Low Velocity Gears : Upto a peripheral velocity of 3 m/s
2) Medium Velocity Gears : Upto a peripheral velocity of 3 to
15 m/s

3) High Velocity Gears : Peripheral velocity of more 15 m/s

c) Based on position of shaft axis :
 Spur Gears
• Combination of two or more meshed
gears. Used to change the rate of
rotation, the direction of rotation,
and the amount of torque.
Used for parallel shafts.
 SPUR GEARS

Smaller-Pinion
Larger-Wheel
SPUR GEARS
Gear for cement industry
 Rack and Pinion
• Used to convert rotational
motion into linear motion, or
vice-versa.
RACK AND PINION
Rack and Pinion

Scale used to measure the force

Helical Gears
Used to connect parallel shafts
 ADVANTAGES
Helical gears have better contact ratio
(C.R.) as compared to spur gears.(C.R. =
number of pairs of teeth in mesh)
If more teeth are in mesh load of
transmission is shared by them.
This results in smoother and noise
free, vibration free power transmission.
They are more efficient .

DISADVANTAGES
 An axial pull or axial thrust in the direction of helix
is induced on to the bearings holding the shaft on
which these gears are mounted
Gearbox for coal pulveriser
Hobbing a single helical gear (Northern Tool Gear) - the hob is situated
above the operator's left thumb
Industrial gearbox - the oil spray head is located
just to right of nearest pinion
 Gear Transmissions
Output
Shaft

Two Stage, parallel shaft, helical

Ball
gearset -
Bearing
from the SKIL electric drill

Bushing

Input Pinion
 Herringbone or Double Helical Gears

Herringbone gears are used to connect two parallel shafts

A double helical high speed gear on a 5.5 m hobbing machine
Hobbing a double helical gear
Advantage: Since they are formed by two helical gears
opposite hand on the same shaft the axial thrust on one side
is nullified or counter balanced by equal amount of axial
thrust on the other side.

This results in
1) Greater power transmitting capacity.
2) Ensures noise free transmission.
3) Smoother transmission.
4) Vibration free transmission.
5) Induce even loads on the bearings.
6) High efficiency
BEVELS
 Bevel Gears
• Used for intersecting shafts.
• Most transmissions occur at right angles but
shaft angles can be any value.
SPIRAL BEVEL GEARS
 Straight Bevel
Teeth are straight

Shaft Angle=900

Spiral Bevel Gear

Teeth are curved
Bevel pinion axis
passes through
the centre of the
bevel gear

Shaft Angle= 900

Hypoid Bevel Gear
Teeth are curved
Bevel pinion axis
is offset to the centre
of the bevel gear

Shaft Angle=900
Straight bevel gears and spiral bevel gears as well are used
for the shaft angle of 900 .

If bevel pinion axis passes through the center of the bevel

gear they are known as spiral bevel gears.
If bevel pinion axis does not pass through the center of the
bevel gear they are known as hypoid bevel gears.

Advantage of Spiral Bevel over Straight Bevel

Because of the spiral angle contact ratio (C.R.) (no. of pairs

of teeth in mesh) is enhanced resulting in smoother and
efficient transmission.
C.R.=No.of pairs of teeth in mesh
WIRE DRAWING BENCH
Spiral gears or Crossed helical gears (Skew gears)

They are used to connect two non parallel non

intersecting shafts (skew shafts)
SPIRAL OR CROSSED HELICAL GEARS
WORM GEARS
 Worm Gears
• Used to change speed and direction of
rotation.
• Used for connecting skew shafts
(usually 90 degrees)
• High gear ratios.
• Higher load capacity.
 Types of Worm Gears

Non Throated or
Single Throated or Double Throated or
Non Enveloped
Single Enveloped Double Enveloped
Surface Contact
Line Contact Point Contact
A hob (cutter) for generating gear teeth
 Gear Ratio
Number of Driver Teeth
Gear ratio =
Number of Driven Teeth

• Gear ratio is also called “Mechanical

Advantage”
 Types of Gears
• Spur gears

• Worm gear

• Rack and pinion

• Bevel gears
A selection of small gears
 RACK AND PINION
SPUR HERRINGBONE

BEVEL WORM HYPOID

 In Spur , Helical and Herringbone In Rack and Pinion

Gear Action = One cylinder rolling Gear Action = One cylinder rolling
on the other on rectangular block

Bevel Gears
Gear Action = One frustum
of cone rolling on the other
frustum of cone
Gear Terminology
GEAR TERMINOLOGY
Gear Terminology
BACKLASH
Pitch Cylinder: Two imaginary friction cylinders
that can transmit same amount of power by
virtue of surface roughness as that of gear
drives are called pitch cylinders.

Pitch surface: The surface of the imaginary rolling

cylinder
Pitch circle: A right section of the pitch surface.
Pitch Circle Diameter (PCD): Diameter of pitch circle is
called pitch circle diameter
Pitch Point (P): Point of intersection of pitch circle
Circular pitch (Pc): is the distance from a point on one
tooth to the corresponding point on the next tooth,
measured around the pitch circle.
Pc = π D / T = π d / t
Module: Ratio of PCD to No. of teeth.
m=D/T=d/t
Diametral Pitch (Pd): Ratio of No. of teeth to PCD
Pd = T / D = t / d
The addendum circle: is that which contains the tops of the
teeth and its diameter is the outside or blank diameter.

The dedendum or root circle: is that which contains the

bottoms of the tooth spaces and its diameter is the root
diameter.

Addendum: The radial distance between the pitch circle

and the addendum circle.
Addendum = 1 module.

Dedendum: The radial distance between the pitch circle

and the root circle.
Dedendum = 1.25 module
Clearance (Radial clearance): The difference
between the dedendum of one gear and the
addendum of the mating gear.

Clearance = Dedendum - Addendum

Tooth width: The thickness of the tooth measured

on the pitch circle.

Tooth space: The distance between adjacent teeth

measured on the pitch circle.
Backlash (Circumferential clearance): The difference
between the circle thickness of one gear and the
tooth space of the mating gear.

Backlash = Tooth Space – Tooth Width

The whole depth (Total depth): of a tooth is the sum of the
addendum and the dedendum.
The working depth: of a tooth is the maximum depth that
the tooth extends into the tooth space of a mating gear. It
is the sum of the addenda of the gear.
The pressure angle (Φ): The angle between the line of
action and the common tangent to the pitch circles at the
pitch point is the pressure angle.

Fillet : The small radius that connects the profile of a tooth

to the root circle.
Pinion: The smaller of any pair of mating gears. The larger
of the pair is called simply the gear.
Top land: It is surface on the top of the tooth.
Bottom land: It is the surface between two teeth.
Base circle: It is the circle from which involute profile
begins.
The tooth face: is the surface of a tooth above the pitch
circle, parallel to the axis of the gear.
The tooth flank: is the tooth surface below the pitch
circle, parallel to the axis of the gear. If any part of the
flank extends inside the base circle it cannot have
involute form. It may have ant other form, which does not
interfere with mating teeth, and is usually a straight
radial line.
The line of action: Contact between the teeth of meshing
gears takes place along a line tangential to the two base
circles. This line passes through the pitch point and is
called the line of action.
Path of contact: It is the path traced by the point of
contact between two teeth from the beginning to end of
the engagement.

Length of path of contact: It is the length of the common

normal intercepted between beginning of the engagement
and end of the engagement.

Length of path of approach: It is the length of the common

normal intercepted between beginning of the engagement
and pitch point.

Length of path of recess: It is the length of the common

normal intercepted between pitch point and end of the
engagement.
Arc of contact: It is the path traced by a point on the
pitch circle from the beginning of the engagement and
end of the engagement.

Arc of approach: It is the path traced by a point on the

pitch circle from the beginning of the engagement and
pitch point.

Arc of recess: It is the path traced by a point on the pitch

circle from the pitch point and end of the engagement.
Standard tooth system for spur gears. (Shigley & Uicker 80)
CONJUGATE ACTION OR LAW OF GEARING
• Consider the two rigid bodies 1
and 2 which rotate about fixed
centres, O1 & O2with angular
velocities ω1 & ω2The bodies touch
at the contact point, C, through
which the common tangent and
normal are drawn.
• The absolute velocity v of the
contact point reckoned as a point
on either body, is perpendicular to
the radius from that body's centre
O to the contact point. For the
bodies to remain in contact, there
must be no component of relative
motion along the common normal,
so that from the velocity triangles :
• v2 cosθ2 = v1 cosθ1
where v1 = ω1 . O1C ;
v2 = ω2 . O2C
Similar triangles v2
cosθ2 = v1 cosθ1
O1C1P & O2C2P
ω2 .O2C cosθ2=ω1 .O1C cosθ1
O1C1 / O2C2 = O1 P / O2 P ω2 .O2C O2C2 / O2C =
ω1 .O1C O1C1 / O1C
= PC1 / PC2 hence
ω1 / ω2 = O2C2 / O1C1
= O2 P / O1 P

ω1 / ω2 = O2 P / O1 P
 CONJUGATE ACTION OR LAW OF GEARING

LAW OF GEARING STATES THAT TO OBTAIN A CONSTANT VELOCITY

RATIO A COMMON NORMAL DRAWN AT ANY POINT OF CONTACT

BETWEEN TWO MATING TEETH INBETWEEN beginning OF TOOTH

ENGAGEMENT TILL END OFTOOTHMUST PASS THROUGH A FIXED

POINT KNOWN AS PITCH POINT WHICH IS ALWAYS LOCATED ON

THE LINE JOINING THE CENTRES OF ROTATIONS OF THE GEARS

ω1 / ω2 = O2 P / O1 P
 Velocity of Sliding of Teeth

Velocity of sliding is
velocity of one tooth
relative to the other along
common tangent at the
point of contact.

Components of velocity of sliding of tooth surfaces

along common tangent are v2 sinθ2 , v1 sinθ1
Velocity of sliding of tooth surface 2 with respect to
1 at the point of contact is given by

vs = v2 sinθ2 - v1 sinθ1

vs = ω2 . O2C . C2 C / O2 C - ω1 . O1C . C1 C / O1C

vs = ω2 .(C2 P + P C) - ω1 .(C1P – P C)
vs = ω2 .(C2 P + P C) - ω1 .(C1P – P C)
Similar triangles

O1C1P & O2C2P

O1C1 / O2C2 = O1 P / O2 P = PC1 / PC2 = ω2 / ω1

Hence

ω2 .C2 P = ω1 .C1P
Hence

vs = (ω1 + ω2 ) . C P
Velocity of sliding is product of algebric sum of
angular velocities and distance of the point from
pitch point.
INVOLUTE CURVE
 CYCLOIDS
DEFINITION : A cycloid is the path or locus of
a point on the circumference of a circle which
rolls without slipping along a straight line.
Imagine a bicycle wheel with only one spoke
rolling along a straight line, if the path of the
end of the spoke was traced as the wheel rolls
along, this path would be a cycloid and is shown
below.
EPICYLOID HYPOCYCLOID
Generation of an Involute by a
Knotted Taut Cord Unwinding
from a Base Cylinder
C
C
 Contact Ratio
If C.R = 1.2
= length of arc of contact / Pc

i.e. Length of arc of contact = 1.2 Pc

By the definition of circular pitch

arc 1a 1b = Pc

By the definition of the arc of contact

arc 1a 2b = arc of contact

Arc 1a 2b = 1.2 x circular pitch

This means for 20% of the cycle two

teeth would be in contact and for 80 %
of the cycle one tooth would be in
contact
 FORMULAE ( GEARS )

N1 / N2 = G = ω1 / ω2 = T / t = R / r = D /d = Gear Ratio

Law of gearing

Where KP = dist. of
contact point from
pitch point
 MAXIMUM
APPROACH POSSIBLE LENGTH OF

MAXIMUM POSSIBLE LENGTH OF RECESS

MAXIMUM POSSIBLE LENGTH OF PATH OF CONTACT

= + +
WHEN TIP OF TOOTH ENTERS INSIDE THE BASE CIRCLE OF THE OTHER
INTERFERENCE TAKES PLACE.