ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears

Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC

21
From triangle O
1
NF:
Exercise problems refer presentation slides
Interference in Involute Gears
Figure shows a pinion and a gear in mesh with their center as O
1
andO
2
respectively. MN is the
common tangent to the basic circles and KL is the path of contact between the two mating teeth.
Consider, the radius of the addendum circle of pinion is increased to O
1
N, the point of contact L
will moves from L to N. If this radius is further increased, the point of contact L will be inside of
base circle of wheel and not on the involute profile of the pinion.
The tooth tip of the pinion will then undercut
the tooth on the wheel at the root and
damages part of the involute profile. This
effect is known as interference, and occurs
when the teeth are being cut and weakens the
tooth at its root.
In general, the phenomenon, when the tip of
tooth undercuts the root on its mating gear is
known as interference.
, , , ,
, ,
, ,

sin cos
sin
sin cos
) 3 (
cos
2
1
2 2 2
2
1
2 2 2
2
1
2 2 2
2
1
2
1
2
1
r r r
a
PF EP EF contact of length of Path
r r r PF racess of Path
equation the in values NF and NP ng Substituti
r r N O F O NF
a
a
a
+
+


Pitch
Circle
Pinion
Wheel
O2
O1
P
Base Circle
Base Circle
Pitch
Circle
Addendum
Circles

r
ra
RA
R
N
K
L
M
Wheel
Undercut Pinion
ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears
Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC
22
Similarly, if the radius of the addendum circles of the wheel increases beyond O
2
M, then the tip
of tooth on wheel will cause interference with the tooth on pinion. The points M and N are called
interference points.
Interference may be avoided if the path of the contact does not extend beyond interference
points. The limiting value of the radius of the addendum circle of the pinion is O
1
N and of the
wheel is O
2
M.
The interference may only be prevented, if the point of contact between the two teeth is always
on the involute profiles and if the addendum circles of the two mating gears cut the common
tangent to the base circles at the points of tangency.
When interference is just prevented, the maximum length of path of contact is MN.
Methods to avoid Interference
1. Height of the teeth may be reduced.
2. Under cut of the radial flank of the pinion.
3. Centre distance may be increased. It leads to increase in pressure angle.
4. By tooth correction, the pressure angle, centre distance and base circles remain unchanged, but
tooth thickness of gear will be greater than the pinion tooth thickness.
Minimum number of teeth on the pinion avoid Interference
The pinion turns clockwise and drives the gear as shown in Figure.
Points M and N are called interference points. i.e., if the contact takes place beyond M and N,
interference will occur.
The limiting value of addendum circle radius of pinion is O
1
N and the limiting value of
addendum circle radius of gear is O
2
M. Considering the critical addendum circle radius of gear,
the limiting number of teeth on gear can be calculated.
Let
= pressure angle
sin r MP approach of path Maximum
sin R PN recess of path Maximum
, , sin R r PN MP MN
MN contact of path of length Maximum
+ +

, ,
, ,

tan
cos
sin
R r
R r
contact of arc of length Maximum +
+

ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears

Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC
23
R = pitch circle radius of gear = mT
r = pitch circle radius of pinion = mt
T & t = number of teeth on gear & pinion
m = module
a
w
= Addendum constant of gear (or) wheel
a
p
= Addendum constant of pinion
a
w
. m = Addendum of gear a
p
. m = Addendum of pinion
G = Gear ratio = T/t
From triangle O
1
NP, Applying cosine rule
Limiting radius of the pinion addendum circle:
Pitch
Circle
Pinion
Wheel
O2
O1
P
Base Circle
Base Circle
Pitch
Circle
Max.
Addendum
Circles

r
ra
RA
R
N
K
L
M
, ,
, ,

sin sin
sin 2 1
sin 2 sin
1
sin 2 sin
90 cos sin 2 sin
cos 2
2
2 2
2
2
2 2
2
2 2 2 2
2 2 2
1 1
2 2
1
2
1
R P O PN
r
R
r
R
r
r
R
r
R
r
R r R r
R r R r
PN O PN P O NP P O N O

1
]
1

,
_

+ +
1
]
1

+ +
+ +
+ +
+

2
1
2
2
1
2
1
sin 2 1
2
sin 2 1
1
]
1

,
_

+ +
1
]
1

,
_

+ +
t
T
t
T mt
r
R
r
R
r N O
ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears
Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC
24
Addendum of the pinion = O
1
N - O
1
P
Addendum of the pinion = O
1
N - O
1
P
The equation gives minimum number of teeth required on the pinion to avoid interference.
If the number of teeth on pinion and gear is same: G=1
1. 14
O
Composite system = 12
2. 14
O
Full depth involute system = 32
3. 20
O
Full depth involute system = 18
4. 20
O
Stub involute system = 14
Minimum number of teeth on the wheel avoid Interference
From triangle O2MP, applying cosine rule and simplifying, The limiting radius of wheel addendum
circle:
Addendum of the pinion = O
2
M- O
2
P
1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

+ +

1
]
1

,
_

+ +
1 sin 2 1
2
2
sin 2 1
2
2
1
2
2
1
2

t
T
t
T mt
mt
t
T
t
T mt
m a
p
, , , ,
1
]
1

+ +

1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

+ +
1 sin 2 1
2
1 sin 2 1
2
2
1
2
2
1
2

G G
a
t
t
T
t
T t
a
p
p
, ,
1
]
1

1 sin 3 1
2
2
1
2

p
a
t
2
1
2
2
1
2
2
sin 2 1
2
sin 2 1
1
]
1

,
_

+ +
1
]
1

,
_

+ +

T
t
T
t mT
R
r
R
r
R M O
ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears
Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC
25
The equation gives minimum number of teeth required on the wheel to avoid interference.
Minimum number of teeth on the pinion for involute rack to avoid Interference
The rack is part of toothed wheel of
infinite diameter. The base circle
diameter and profile of the involute teeth
are straight lines.
Pitch
Circle
Pinion
Wheel
O2
O1
P
Base Circle
Base Circle
Pitch
Circle
Max.
Addendum
Circles

r
ra
RA
R
N
K
L
M
1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

+ + 1 sin 2 1
2
2
1
2

T
t
T
t mT
m a
w
1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

+ + 1 sin 2 1
2
2
1
2

T
t
T
t T
a
w
1
1
1
]
1

,
_

,
_

+ +

1 sin 2
1 1
1
2
2
1
2

G G
a
T
W
PITCH LINE
RACK

Pc
a
b
h
ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears
Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC
26
Let
t = Minimum number of teeth on the pinion
r = Pitch circle radius of the pinion = mt
= Pressure angle
AR.m = Addendum of rack
The straight profiles of the rack are tangential to the pinion profiles at the point of contact and
perpendicular to the tangent PM. Point L is the limit of interference.
Addendum of the rack:
Backlash:
The gap between the non-drive face of the pinion tooth and the adjacent wheel tooth is known as
backlash.
If the rotational sense of the pinion were to reverse, then a period of unrestrained pinion motion
would take place until the backlash gap closed and contact with the wheel tooth re-established
impulsively.
PITCH LINE
PINION
RACK

M
L
H
P
K
, ,

2
2
2
2
sin
2
: ce interferen
sin
2
sin
sin
sin sin
sin
R
R
A
t avoid To
mt
r
OP
OP
PL LH m A

ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears
Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC
27
Backlash is the error in motion that occurs when gears change direction. The term "backlash" can
also be used to refer to the size of the gap, not just the phenomenon it causes; thus, one could
speak of a pair of gears as having, for example, "0.1 mm of backlash."
A pair of gears could be designed to have zero backlash, but this would presuppose perfection in
manufacturing, uniform thermal expansion characteristics throughout the system, and no
lubricant.
Therefore, gear pairs are designed to have some backlash. It is usually provided by reducing the
tooth thickness of each gear by half the desired gap distance.
In the case of a large gear and a small pinion, however, the backlash is usually taken entirely off
the gear and the pinion is given full sized teeth.
Backlash can also be provided by moving the gears farther apart. For situations, such as
instrumentation and control, where precision is important, backlash can be minimised through
one of several techniques.
Let
r = standard pitch circle radius of pinion
R = standard pitch circle radius of wheel
c = standard centre distance = r +R
r = operating pitch circle radius of pinion
R = operating pitch circle radius of wheel
M'
N'
R
R'
r'
r
Base Circle
Base Circle
P
O1
O2
Wheel
Pinion
M
N
R
RA
ra
r

P
O1
O2
Wheel
Pinion
Standard
(cutting)
Pitch Circle
Standard
(cutting)
Pitch Circle
c
Standard
(cutting)
Pitch Circle
Standard
(cutting)
Pitch Circle
c
c'
Operating
Pitch Circle
'
'
Figure a
Figure b
ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears
Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC
28
c = operating centre distance = r + R
= Standard pressure angle
= operating pressure angle
h = tooth thickness of pinion on standard pitch circle= p/2
h = tooth thickness of pinion on operating pitch circle
Let
H = tooth thickness of gear on standard pitch circle
H1 = tooth thickness of gear on operating pitch circle
p = standard circular pitch = 2 r/ t = 2R/T
p = operating circular pitch = 2 r1/t = 2R1/T
C = change in centre distance
B = Backlash
t = number of teeth on pinion
T = number of teeth on gear.
Involute gears have the invaluable ability of providing conjugate action when the gears' centre
distance is varied either deliberately or involuntarily due to manufacturing and/or mounting
errors.
On the operating pitch circle:
1
]
1

1
' cos
cos
' cos
cos
'
' cos
cos
'
cos ' cos '
' ' '

c c c c c c Now
c c
c c
c
c
R
R
r
r
) 1 ( ' ' ' B H h p
Backlash thickness tooth of sum pitch Operating
+ +
+

ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears

Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC
29
Substituting h and H in the equation (1):
There is an infinite number of possible centre distances for a given pair of profile shifted gears,
however we consider only the particular case known as the extended centre distance.
Non Standard Gears:
The important reason for using non standard gears are to eliminate undercutting, to prevent
interference and to maintain a reasonable contact ratio.
The two main non- standard gear systems:
(1) Long and short Addendum system and
(2) Extended centre distance system.
Long and Short Addendum System:
The addendum of the wheel and the addendum of the pinion are generally made of equal lengths.
1
]
1

+
1
]
1

+
R
h
inv inv R H
r
h
inv inv r h
try involutome By
2
' . . ' 2 '
2
' . . ' 2 '
:


, , , ,
B inv c inv c
c
c
c
c
h p
B R r inv R r inv
R
R
r
r
h p
B
R
h
inv inv R
r
h
inv inv r p
+ +
,
_

+
+ + + +
,
_

+
+
1
]
1

+ +
1
]
1

+
' . ' 2 . ' 2
' '
'
' ' ' . 2 ' ' . 2
' '
'
2
' . . ' 2
2
' . . ' 2 '

j [
j [
j [

. ' . ' 2
'
'
2
. ' . ' 2
'
2
2
2
' 2
. ' . ' 2
'
2
inv inv c
c
c
r r
t
B
inv inv c
c
c
t
r
t
r
B
inv inv c
c
c
h p B
+
,
_

+
+
j [
j [

. ' . ' 2
. ' . ' 2
'
'
2
inv inv c B Backlash
inv inv c
r
r
r r
t
B

+
,
_

ME 44 Kinematics of Machines Chapter 4: Gears
Dr. T.V.Govindaraju. SSEC
30
Here the profile/rack cutter is advanced to a certain increment towards the gear blank and the
same quantity of increment will be withdrawn from the pinion blank.
Therefore an increased addendum for the pinion and a decreased addendum for the gear is
obtained. The amount of increase in the addendum of the pinion should be exactly equal to the
addendum of the wheel is reduced.
The effect is to move the contact region from the pinion centre towards the gear centre, thus
reducing approach length and increasing the recess length. In this method there is no change in
pressure angle and the centre distance remains standard.
Extended centre distance system:
Reduction in interference with constant contact ratio can be obtained by increasing the centre
distance. The effect of changing the centre distance is simply in increasing the pressure angle.
In this method when the pinion is being cut, the profile cutter is withdrawn a certain amount
from the centre of the pinion so the addendum line of the cutter passes through the interference
point of pinion. The result is increase in tooth thickness and decrease in tooth space.
Now If the pinion is meshed with the gear, it will be found that the centre distance has been
increased because of the decreased tooth space. Increased centre distance will have two
undesirable effects.
NOTE: Please refer presentation slides also for more figure, photos and exercise problems
References:
1. Theory of Machines and Mechanisms by Joseph Edward Shigley and John Joseph
Uicker,Jr. McGraw-Hill International Editions.
2. Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines by George H.Martin. McGraw-Hill
Publications.
3. Mechanisms and Dynamics of Machinery by Hamilton H. Mabie and Fred W.
Ocvirk. John Wiley and Sons.
4. Theory of Machines by V.P.Singh. Dhanpat Rai and Co.
5. The Theory of Machines through solved problems by J.S.Rao. New age
international publishers.
6. A text book of Theory of Machines by Dr.R.K.Bansal. Laxmi Publications (P) Ltd.
7. Internet: Many Web based e notes
Dear Staff and Students, please give the feed back to improve the contents.