Publishers of technology books, eBooks, and videos for creative people

Home > Articles

This chapter is from the book

This chapter is from the book

4.3 Spur Gears

Gears are an important and essential mechanical element in mechanical design. A wide range of products and applications use gears. There are various types of gears: spur, helical, bevel, spiral, worm, planetary, and rack and pinion, to name a few. A spur gear is the simplest type of gear and the type we cover here. Typical mechanical design courses in colleges cover the principles and design of gears. In this section, we cover spur gears from a CAD point of view (i.e., how we construct a gear once it is designed). While gears are standard elements that can be purchased off the shelf (they can also be inserted from the SolidWorks Toolbox into a part or assembly file), it is important to learn how to create a gear feature in a CAD/CAM system.

A gear tooth is the intricate part of a gear. Figure 4.3 shows two meshing gears. Figure 4.4A shows the conjugate line and pressure angle. Figure 4.4B shows the involute profile. Gearing and gear meshing ensure that two disks (the two gears) in contact roll against one another without slipping.

Moreover, the gear teeth should not interfere with the uniform rotation that one gear would induce in the other—a requirement known as the conjugate action. The conjugate action also ensures that the perpendicular line to a tooth profile at its point of contact with a tooth from the other gear always passes through a fixed point on the centerline connecting the centers of the two meshing gears. Figure 4.4A shows the conjugate line. The conjugate line is also known as the line of force because the driving force from the driving gear (driver) is transmitted in the direction of this line to the other gear (driven). The angle between the perpendicular radius to the conjugate line and the centerline is always constant for two meshing gears. This angle is known as the pressure angle and is shown as the angle ø in Figure 4.4A.

Figure 4.3

Figure 4.3 Meshing gears

The key to successful functional gears is the conjugate action. While various profiles can produce conjugate action, the involute profile is the best because it allows for imperfections in gear manufacturing and yet maintains the conjugate action. The imperfection may produce a slightly different distance between the two shafts of the gears from the designed value. Figure 4.4B shows how the shape of the involute profile is generated. An involute is defined as the path of the endpoint of a cord when it is pulled straight (held taut) and unwrapped from a circular disk, as shown in Figure 4.4B. The involute geometry ensures that a constant rotational speed of the driving gear produces a constant rotational speed in the driven gear. For spur gears, the teeth are cut perpendicular to the plane of the gear, where the involute profile resides.

The creation of a gear CAD model requires two basic concepts: knowledge of the gear geometry and the involute equation. The geometry is shown in Figure 4.3. The base circle is the circle where the involute profile begins. The pitch circle defines the contact (pitch) point between the two gears (see Figure 4.4A). The dedendum circle is usually the same as the base circle, as can be concluded from Figure 4.4A (dedendum d = rp – rb). The addendum circle is the circle that defines the top of the tooth as shown in Figure 4.4C (addendum a = rarp, where ra is the addendum circle radius). Typically, the addendum and the dedendum are equal. In such case, the pitch and base circle sizes determine the values for both. The root circle is smaller than the base circle to allow cutting the tooth during manufacturing. The tooth profile between the base and root circles is not an involute. It could be any geometry, such as line.

Figure 4.4

Figure 4.4 Details of a gear tooth

The creation of a gear CAD model requires two steps: Calculate the tooth angle α and the tooth involute profile. While many books on mechanical engineering design offer extensive in-depth coverage of gear analysis, we offer a simplified but accurate version that enables us to create a CAD model of the gear. We begin with the definition of circular pitch. As shown in Figure 4.4C, the circular pitch, pc, is defined as the distance along the pitch circle between corresponding points on adjacent teeth. As shown in Figure 4.4C, we use pc as the circular pitch of the gear, rp as the pitch circle radius, and α as the tooth angle. Using these variables, we can write:

where dp = 2rp is the pitch circle diameter and N is the number of gear teeth. From the tooth geometry shown in Figure 4.4C, we can write:

Substituting pc from Eq. (4.2) into Eq. (4.1) and reducing gives:

Images

The derivation of the involute equation is more complex and is not covered here. We align the involute of one tooth with the XY coordinate system as shown in Figure 4.4D, where the lowest point Pb on the involute lies on the Y axis. This orientation does not represent a limitation but rather simplifies the form of the involute equation, which is therefore given by:

where rb (the base circle radius) is given by (see Figure 4.4A):

and (x, y) are the coordinates of any point P on the involute at an angle θ, as shown in Figure 4.4D. The lowest point Pb on the involute corresponds to the value of θ = 0 and lies on the base circle. Point Pa lies on the addendum circle and does not necessarily correspond to the value of θ = θmax. We can arbitrarily select a large enough value for θmax so that the involute crosses the addendum circle and then trim it to that circle. Therefore, we create the involute profile by generating points on it using Eq. (4.4) and connecting them with a spline curve, or we input Eq. (4.4) into a CAD/CAM system.

The root circle is always less than the base circle. For simplicity, we have the root circle radius, rr, be 0.98 of the base circle radius. (There are other formulas that do not give consistent results.) Thus, we write:

The following steps summarize the calculations we need to create a gear CAD model:

  1. The input parameters we need are the pitch circle radius rp, the pressure angle Ø, and the gear number of teeth N.

  2. Calculate rb using Eq. (4.5).

  3. Calculate rr using Eq. (4.6).

  4. Calculate the gear dedendum d = rprb.

  5. Assuming that the addendum and dedendum are equal, calculate the addendum circle radius as ra = rp + a = rp + d (see Figures 4.4C and 4.4D).

  6. Use Eq. (4.3) to calculate the tooth angle α.

  7. Enter the involute parametric equation given by Eq. (4.4) into a CAD/CAM system to sketch the involute curve as a spline.

  8. Create one gear tooth and use a sketch circular pattern to pattern it to create all gear teeth.

Peachpit Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from Peachpit and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about Peachpit products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites; develop new products and services; conduct educational research; and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email ask@peachpit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by Adobe Press. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.peachpit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020