Gears & Levers

Lever
A rigid bar resting on a pivot (or fulcrum), used to move heavy or firmly fixed load with
one end when a force is applied to the other

Unrestricted

Class 1 lever
The fulcrum (pivot point) is
between the load and force.
The nearer the fulcrum is to
the load the less force is
needed to move it.
LOAD
Three classes of Levers
Class 2 lever
The load and the force are
on the same side of the of
the fulcrum.
The nearer the load is to
the fulcrum the less force is
needed to move it.
LOAD
Class 3 lever
The force is acting between
the fulcrum and the load.
Unlike class 1 and class 2
levers a class 3 lever
delivers no Mechanical
Advantage
LOAD
 Examples of class 1 Lever

Class 1 lever
The fulcrum (pivot point) is
between the load and force.
The nearer the fulcrum is to Fulcrum
the load the less force is
needed to move it. Input
Force

Fulcrum

LOAD
Output
Force
 Examples of class 2 Lever

Input
Class 2 lever Force
The load and the force are
on the same side of the of Fulcrum LOAD
the fulcrum.
Input
The nearer the load is to Force
the fulcrum the less force is
needed to move it.
Output
Force

LOAD
 Examples of class 3 Lever
Input
Class 3 lever Force
The force is acting between Fulcrum
the fulcrum and the load.
Unlike class 1 and class 2 Output
Force
levers a class 3 lever
Input Output
delivers no Mechanical Force Force
Advantage
Fulcrum

LOAD

Input Output
Force Force
 Examples of class 3 Lever

Class 3 lever 1
The force is acting between
the fulcrum and the load.
Unlike class 1 and class 2
levers a class 3 lever
delivers no Mechanical 2 1
Advantage 2
1
LOAD 2
2
EXAMPLE 100N
Load 500N

Effor
Mechanical Advantage = =5
Effort 100N

t
L2 500N LOAD L2
Mechanical Advantage =
L1 L1

Effor
distance moved by effort

t
Velocity Ratio =
distance moved by load LOAD
d1

Effort
LOAD

d1 d2
d2
 Gears
A gear is a toothed wheel that can be fixed on an axle or shaft.
Types of gears and terminology 60 teeth
15 teeth

Gear ratio: is the input speed relative to the output speed.

If the smaller gear is the driver (input)
number of teeth on output gear 60
Gear ratio = = 4
number of teeth on input gear 15 Input

Gear ratio typically displayed as 4 : 1

This means the driver gear (input) rotates four times
to make the driven gear (output) rotate once.
- Gear ratio is also known as velocity ratio.
 EXAMPLES
Calculate the velocity ratio in:

a). b)

50 teeth 140 teeth

25 teeth 60 teeth

Input Input

number of teeth on output gear number of teeth on output gear

Gear ratio = Gear ratio =
number of teeth on input gear number of teeth on input gear

50 140
Velocity ratio = = 2 Velocity ratio = = 2.33
25 60
EXERCISE
Refer to progress 10 pp 94