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Epiphany Drives

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Gears: Basic Definitions

What is a Gear?

Conjugate Action

A Gear is a Toothed Wheel, when meshed with its mating part, transfers Power (Speed and Torque) form Driver to Driven shaft.

Conjugate Action

Conjugate Action

In the Conjugate Action or Gearing:

  • Speeds at the Pitch Circles of the Gears in Mesh are Equal
  • Angular Velocities of the Gears in Mesh are Constant

Line of Action

Gear - Line of Action

  • 'AB' - The line Passing through the Pitch Point and Tangent to the Base Circles of the Mating Gears
  • This is path along which the Gearing action takes place
  • This Line 'AB' is also the Common Normal to the mating teeth

Law of Gearing

Common Normal to the Point of Contact (for the Teeth in Mesh) must pass through the Pitch Point.

Contact Length

Basic Pressure Angle

Gear - Contact Ratio. Transverse Contact Ratio.
Contact Ratio of a Gear.

  • This is the Length for which the Gear Teeth remain in Contact
  • 'CD' is the Contact Length'
  • Green Lines depict the Tip Circle Diameters of the Mating Gears 

Basic Pressure Angle

Basic Pressure Angle

Gear - Contact Ratio. Transverse Contact Ratio. Pitch Point.

- Angle between:

  • Common Tangent to the Base Circles of the Gears in Contact & Line Tangent to the Pitch Circle Diameters of the of Mating Gears 
  • Angle between 'AB' and ' EF'

- It is the Angle along which the Force is exerted

- Pressure Angle at each Roll Angle on the Tooth is   Different

- The Pressure Angle generally mentioned is the Pressure Angle at the Nominal Pitch Diameter of the Gear

Base Circle Diameter

Gear Base Diameter. Gear Root Diameter.
Base Diameter of Gear. Root Diameter of Gear.

  • Diameter at which Involute Starts
  • If the gear tooth extends below base diameter, the profile will be non-involute


Root Diameter

Gear Base Diameter. Gear Root Diameter.
Base Diameter of Gear. Root Diameter of Gear.

  • This denotes the Root of the Gear Tooth
  • Ideally for the involute profile, Root Diameter > Base Diameter
  • If Root Diameter < Base diameter, then the portion of the tooth profile below Base Diameter will be non-involute


Form Diameter

  • Form Diameter is where Root Fillet Merges with the Involute
  • For a Gear with Root Dia. > Base Dia., Form Dia. will be above Base Dia.
  • Even for a Gear with Root Dia. < Base Dia., Form Dia. can be above BCD
  • Involute or True Involute Profile/Form will be above Form Diameter
  • Adding a Fillet means deviating from Involute curve
    • Fillet is must to avoid Stress Concentration at Root
    • Else Pre-mature Bending Failure will be observed


Tip Diameter

Gear Tip Diameter. Tip Diameter of a Gear.

  • As the name suggests, it is the diameter of Gear Tip
  • Gear Outside Diameter
  • Minimum Tip Thickness: 

             0.2 * Normal Module

Pitch

Base Pitch

  • Distance between points at the same Roll Diameter on the adjacent Teeth


Base Pitch

Base Pitch

  • Pitch of the Gear @ Base Circle Diameter

Addendum

Gear Addendum

  • Portion of the flank above the Pitch Circle Diameter

Dedendum

Gear Dedendum

  • Portion of the Flank below the Pitch Circle Diameter

Basic Gear Mesh Requirement

Basic Gear Mesh Requirement

  • For 2 Gears to Mesh
    • Their pressure Angle must be same
    • Their Module must be same
  • Base Pitch must be same, which is calculated using:
    • Pressure Angle
    • Module

Diametral Pitch

Basic Gear Mesh Requirement

  • Number of Teeth (T) / Pitch Circle  Diameter (PCD)
  • Number of Teeth per unit Pitch Circle Diameter (Generally in inches)

Fillet Radius

Gear Tooth Fillet. Gear Tooth Radius. Fillet Radius.

Interference

  • When a Gear Tooth Mates with its Mating Gear Tooth @ Non-Involute Portion, it is called Interference
  • If Root of a Gear Tooth extends below the Base Circle, the Portion of the involute below the Base Circle will be Non-Involute
  • For A Tooth with Fillet Radius (fillet radius is a must), any contact below Form Diameter will be Interference


Undercut

Intentional Undercut

When Root Diameter lies below Base Circle Diameter (BCD) 

  • With Form Diameter also lying below BCD
  • Profile below BCD will be Non-Involute
  • Any contact with this Non-Involute Profile will be Interference
  • For this, a deeper Fillet Cut is given (than required), called “UNDERCUT”

For a Normal Gear:

  • In ideal conditions, Involute is Tangent to the Root Fillet at the Form Dia. Transition Point

For an Undercut Gear:

  • The Root Fillet Curve lies inside the Involute Curve 
  • A deeper cut
  • Weakens the Tooth

Intentional Undercut

Intentional Undercut

To Prevent Notch after Finishing (Grinding) 

  • Hobbed Gears are manufactured with Undercut
  • For free movement of Finishing Tool
  • Without Undercut, Finishing Operation will Create a notch

Undercut: Pictorial Explainer

Gear Undercut. Gear Tooth Undercut. Undercutting.

Protuberance

  • Protruded Hob Tip
  • Provided on Hob
  • To Undercut the Unfinished Gear
  • To prevent notch creation during finishing operation

Roll Angle and Diameter

  • Position of each point on the Gear Involute can be identified by it's Roll angle or Roll Diameter
  • The Picture depicts the Roll angle and Diameter of a Specific Point "A" on the Involute

Roll angle = ξA = [sqrt (rA^2 - rb^2)]/rb  --- in Radians

ξA: Roll Angle of Point "A"

rA: Radius of intended Point "A"

rb:  Radius of Base Diameter

Pressure Angle @ a Particular Point

  • Each point on the Involute has its discrete Pressure Angle
  • The picture depicts Pressure Angle of point "A"

ξA = tan αA    ---- in Radians

ξA: Roll Angle of Point "A"

αA: Pressure Angle of Point "A"

Helix Angle

Spur and Helical Gear. Spur vs Helical Gear. Spur Gear. Helical Gear.

  • Angle between the Gear Tooth and Gear Axis
  • At each Roll Angle, Helix Angle will be different

Normal Module

  • Inverse of Diametral Pitch
  • PCD/T or D/T inches
  • (D/T) * 25.4 mm
  • This gives an insight into the size of the Gear
  • In the Direction Normal to the Teeth
  • Transverse and Normal Direction is same for Spur Gears

Transverse Module

Helical Gear Nomenclature. Gear Transverse Direction. Gear Normal Direction. Gear Axial Direction.

  • Helical Gears
  • In the Direction Tangential to the Gear Cylinder
  • Normal Module / Cos (helix angle)

Axial Pitch

Gear Pitch Definitions. Transverse Pitch. Normal Pitch. Axial Pitch.

Normal Pitch

  • Distance between 2 adjacent Teeth (same flank) Normal to Teeth

Transverse Pitch 

  • Distance between 2 adjacent Teeth (same flank) in Transverse Direction

Axial Pitch

  • Applicable to Helical Gears
  • Draw a line Parallel to Axis from a Point of a Tooth to it's Adjacent Tooth
  • Length of the Line will denote the Axial Pitch

Contact Ratio (Transverse)

Contact Ratio (Transverse)

  • Ratio of Contact Length and Base Pitch
  • It depicts the Number of Teeth in Contact
  • High Contact Ratio is desirable
  • More Teeth in Contact means less load on one particular tooth, hence higher life
  • Higher Contact Ratio also helps with Gear NVH Characteristics

Axial Contact Ratio

Contact Ratio (Transverse)

  • Also called Overlap Ratio
  • Depicts how much the mating teeth overlap each other
  • Function of Gear Face Width and Helix Angle
  • Face Width / Axial Pitch

Total Contact Ratio

Total Contact Ratio

Total Contact Ratio

  • Transverse Contact Ratio + Axial Contact Ratio
  • For Spur Gears: Axial Contact Ratio = 0


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