Basic Mechanical Engineering

(ME-405)
Machine Design
Gears
 Mechanical Drives

Definition: A mechanical drive is defined as a mechanism, which is intended to transmit

mechanical power over a certain distance, usually involving a change in speed and torque.
Gear Drives
Toothed wheels
• The smaller one in a gear meshing
is called Pinion.

• Gear drive is positive drive which

means if one gear rotates then
other gear will surely rotate.

• Objective is to maintain constant

velocity ratio.

• What is the shape of the tooth?

The fundamental law of gearing
 Pitch Circle

• Pitch circle is the imaginary circle on the gear about which it may be

supposed to roll without slipping with pitch circle of another gear.
• The point of contact of two pitch circles (red circles) is the pitch point.
Shape of the tooth
Involute
• An involute is the locus of a point
on a straight line that is rolling
without slip on a circle.

• Normal at any point to an involute

is thus, tangent to the circle called
the base circle in the context of
gear.
 Involute Tooth

• The involute is present both above and below the pitch circle.
• Involute cannot be below the base circle.
• Tooth above the pitch circle is called the addendum.
Effect of changing center distance for gears with
involute teeth

Law of gearing is still

not violated . Thus
velocity ratio will be
maintained. However
pressure angle will
change.
Animated tooth contact (Involute)
Gear
Cycloid
Animated tooth contact (Cycloid)
 Spur gear

• In case of spur gears, the teeth are cut parallel to the axis of the shaft.
Terminologies for Spur Gear (Involute)
 Contact Ratio: Physical Meaning

• Considered physically, the contact ratio is the average number of teeth in

contact. If, for example, the ratio is 1.60, it does not mean that there arc
1.60 teeth in contact. It means that there are alternately one pair and two
pairs of teeth in contact, and on a time basis the number averages 1.60.

• The theoretical minimum value of the contact ratio is 1.00. This value, of
course, must be increased for actual operating conditions. Although it is
difficult to quote specific values because of the many conditions involved,
1.40 has been used as a practical minimum, with 1.20 for extreme cases. It
should be noted, however, that the lower the contact ratio, the higher the
degree of accuracy needed in machining the profiles to secure quiet
running.
Standard Proportions of Gear Systems
Classification of Gears through
Pictures
 Spur gear

• In case of spur gears, the teeth are cut parallel to the axis of the shaft.
 Helical Gear

• The teeth of helical gears are cut at an angle with the axis of the shaft. The
teeth of these gears are cut at an angle with the axis of the shaft. The angle
is called helix angle.
 Bevel gear

• Bevel gears have the shape of a truncated cone. Bevel gears are normally
used for planar shafts, which are making some angles with each other.
 Worm gear

• The worm gears consist of a worm and a worm gear/wheel. The worm is in
the form of a threaded screw, which meshes with the matching gear/wheel.
 Rack and pinion

• Rack is a gear having infinite pitch radius. Pinion is the circular gear.
External gear and internal gear
 Force Analysis

• The pressure line is nothing but

the common normal to both the
gear profiles at the contact point.
Free body diagram
 Idler Gear

• Idler gears change the direction of rotation of the last driven shaft relative
to the first driving shaft.
• Idler gears fill the space between the driving and driven gears.
• In the figure, the middle gear is the idler.
• Driver is mounted on the input shaft and driven gear is mounted on output
shaft.
One Solved Example on Force Analysis
Gear Materials