T22

4.7 Rack And Spur Gear

Table 4-6 presents the method for calculating the mesh of a rack and
spur gear. Figure 4-9a shows the pitch circle of a standard gear and the
pitch line of the rack.
One rotation of the spur gear will displace the rack l one circumferential
length of the gear's pitch circle, per the formula:
l = mz (4-6)
Figure 4-9b shows a profle shifted spur gear, with positive correction
xm, meshed with a rack. The spur gear has a larger pitch radius than
standard, by the amount xm. Also, the pitch line of the rack has shifted
outward by the amount xm.
Table 4-6 presents the calculation of a meshed profle shifted spur gear
and rack. If the correction factor x
1
is 0, then it is the case of a standard gear
meshed with the rack.
The rack displacement, l, is not changed in any way by the profle
shifting. Equation (4-6) remains applicable for any amount of profle shift.
3
20
Item Symbol Formula No.
1 Module m
2 Pressure Angle
3 Number of Teeth z
4 Coeffcient of Profle Shift x
5 Height of Pitch Line H
6 Working Pressure Angle

w

7 Center Distance
a
x
zm
+ H + xm
2
zm 8 Pitch Diameter d
9 Base Diameter d
b
10 Working Pitch Diameter d
w
11 Addendum
h
a
12 Whole Depth h
13 Outside Diameter d
a

14 Root Diameter
d
f
d cos
m(1 + x)
2.25m
d + 2h
a
d
a
2h
d
b

cos
w
Example
Spur Gear Rack

12


0.6

32.000
20
51.800
36.000
33.829

36.000
4.800 3.000
6.750
45.600
32.100
Table 4-6 The Calculation of Dimensions of a Profle Shifted Spur Gear and a Rack
SECTION 5 INTERNAL GEARS
5.1 Internal Gear Calculations
Calculation of a Profle Shifted Internal Gear
Figure 5-1 presents the mesh of an internal gear and external gear. Of
vital importance is the operating (working) pitch diameters, d
w
, and operating
(working) pressure angle,
w
. They can be derived from center distance, a
x
,
and Equations (5-1).
z
1

d
w1
= 2a
x
()
z
2
z
1



z
2

d
w2
= 2a
x
() (5-1)
z
2
z
1


d
b2
d
b1


w
= cos
1
()
2a
x

Fig. 4-9b The Meshing of Profle
Shifted Spur Gear and Rack
( = 20, z
1
= 12, x
1
= +0.6)
d
d
b

2
H
a
x x
m
Fig. 4-9a The Meshing of Standard
Spur Gear and Rack
( = 20, z
1
= 12, x
1
= 0)
d
d
b

2
H
a
T23
Table 5-1 shows the calculation steps. It will become a standard gear
calculation if x
1
= x
2
= 0.
If the center distance, a
x
, is given, x
1
and
x
2
would be obtained from the inverse calcula-
tion from item 4 to item 8 of Table 5-1. These
inverse formulas are in Table 5-2.
Pinion cutters are often used in cutting
internal gears and external gears. The actual
value of tooth depth and root diameter, after
cutting, will be slightly different from the
calculation. That is because the cutter has a
coeffcient of shifted profle. In order to get a
correct tooth profle, the coeffcient of cutter
should be taken into consideration.
5.2 Interference In Internal Gears
Three different types of interference can
occur with internal gears:
(a) Involute Interference
(b) Trochoid Interference
(c) Trimming Interference
(a) Involute Interference
This occurs between the dedendum of
the external gear and the addendum of the
internal gear. It is prevalent when the number
of teeth of the external gear is small. Involute
interference can be avoided by the conditions
cited below:
z
1
tan
a2
1 (5-2)
z
2
tan
w
where
a2
is the pressure angle seen at a tip of
the internal gear tooth.
d
b2

a2
= cos
1
( ) (5-3)
d
a2
and
w
is working pressure angle:
(z
2
z
1
)mcos

w
= cos
1
[ ] (5-4)
2a
x
Equation (5-3) is true only if the outside
diameter of the internal gear is bigger than the
base circle:
d
a2
d
b2
(5-5)
3
20

16

24


0 0.5
0.060401
31.0937
0.389426

13.1683

48.000 72.000
45.105 67.658

52.673 79.010

3.000 1.500
6.75
54.000 69.000
40.500 82.500




x
2
x
1
2 tan ( ) + inv
z
2
z
1
Find from Involute Function
Table
z
2
z
1


cos
( 1)
2 cos
w

z
2
z
1
( + y)m
2
zm
d cos
d
b

cos
w
(1 + x
1
)m
(1 x
2
)m
2.25m
d
1
+ 2h
a1
d
2
2h
a2
d
a1
2h
d
a2
+ 2h
m

z
1
, z
2
x
1
, x
2
inv
w

w
y
a
x
d
d
b
d
w
h
a1
h
a2
h
d
a1
d
a2
d
f1
d
f2
Module
Pressure Angle
Number of Teeth
Coeffcient of Profle Shift
Involute Function
w
Working Pressure Angle
Center Distance Increment Factor
Center Distance
Pitch Diameter
Base Circle Diameter
Working Pitch Diameter
Addendum
Whole Depth
Outside Diameter
Root Diameter
Item Symbol Formula No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

12
13
14
15
Table 5-1 The Calculation of a Profle Shifted Internal Gear and External Gear (1)
Example
External Internal
Gear (1) Gear (2)
d
b2
d
a2
d
2
d
f2
O
2
O
1

w
a
x
Fig. 5-1 The Meshing of Internal Gear and External Gear
( = 20 , z
1
= 16, z
2
= 24, x
1
= x
2
= 0.5)
Table 5-2 The Calculation of Shifted Internal Gear and External Gear (2)
Item Symbol Formula No. Example
Center Distance

Center Distance Increment Factor

Working Pressure Angle
Difference of Coeffcients of
Profle Shift
Coeffcient of Profle Shift
a
x

y

w

x
2
x
1
x
1
, x
2


a
x
z
2
z
1

m 2


(z
2
z
1
)cos
cos
1
[ ]
2y + z
2
z
1
(z
2
z
1
)(inv
w
inv)

2tan
1
2
3
4
5
13.1683

0.38943
31.0937
0.5

0 0.5
This occurs in the radial direction in that it prevents pulling the gears
apart. Thus, the mesh must be assembled by sliding the gears together with
an axial motion. It tends to happen when the numbers of teeth of the two
gears are very close. Equation (5-9) indicates how to prevent this type of
interference.
z
2

1
+ inv
a1
inv
w
(
2
+ inv
a2
inv
w
) (5-9)
z
1
Here

1 (cos
a1
cos
a2
)
2

1
= sin
1

1 (z
1
z
2
)
2

(5-10)


(cos
a2
cos
a1
)
2
1

2
= sin
1

(z
2
z
1
)
2
1

This type of interference can occur in the process of cutting an internal

gear with a pinion cutter. Should that happen, there is danger of breaking
the tooling. Table 5-3a shows the limit for the pinion cutter to prevent
trimming interference when cutting a standard internal gear, with pressure
angle 20, and no profle shift, i.e., x
c
= 0.
For a standard internal gear, where = 20, Equation (5-5) is valid
only if the number of teeth is z
2
> 34.
(b) Trochoid Interference
This refers to an interference occurring at the addendum of the external
gear and the dedendum of the internal gear during recess tooth action. It
tends to happen when the difference between the numbers of teeth of the
two gears is small. Equation (5-6) presents the condition for avoiding
trochoidal interference.
z
1

1
+ inv
w
inv
a2

2
(5-6)
z
2
Here
r
a2
2
r
a1
2
a
2

1
= cos
1
( ) + inv
a1
inv
w

2ar
a1

(5-7)

a
2
+ r
a2
2
r
a1
2


2
= cos
1
( )
2ar
a2

where
a1
is the pressure angle of the spur gear tooth tip:
d
b1

a1
= cos
1
() (5-8)
d
a1
In the meshing of an external gear and a standard internal gear =
20, trochoid interference is avoided if the difference of the number of teeth,
z
1
z
2
, is larger than 9.
(c) Trimming Interference
There will be an involute interference between the internal gear and
the pinion cutter if the number of teeth of the pinion cutter ranges from 15
to 22 (z
c
= 15 to 22). Table 5-3b shows the limit for a profle shifted pinion
cutter to prevent trimming interference while cutting a standard internal gear.
The correction, x
c
, is the magnitude of shift which was assumed to be: x
c
=
0.0075 z
c
+ 0.05.
There will be an involute interference between the internal gear and
the pinion cutter if the number of teeth of the pinion cutter ranges from 15
to 19 (z
c
= 15 to 19).
5.3 Internal Gear With Small Differences In Numbers Of Teeth
In the meshing of an internal gear and an external gear, if the difference
in numbers of teeth of two gears is quite small, a profle shifted gear
could prevent the interference. Table 5-4 is an example of how to prevent
interference under the conditions of z
2
= 50 and the difference of numbers of
teeth of two gears ranges from 1 to 8.
All combinations above will not cause involute interference or trochoid
interference, but trimming interference is still there. In order to assemble
successfully, the external gear should be assembled by inserting in the axial
direction.
A profle shifted internal gear and external gear, in which the difference
of numbers of teeth is small, belong to the feld of hypocyclic mechanism,
which can produce a large reduction ratio in one step, such as 1/100.
z
2
z
1
Speed Ratio = (5-11)
z
1
Table 5-3a The Limit to Prevent an Internal Gear from
Trimming Interference ( = 20, x
c
= x
2
= 0)
15
34
28
46
44
62
16
34
30
48
48
66
17
35
31
49
50
68
18
36
32
50
56
74
19
37
33
51
60
78
22
40
38
56
80
98
20
38
34
52
64
82
21
39
35
53
66
84
24
42
40
58
96
114
25
43
42
60
100
118
z
c
z
2
z
c
z
2
z
c
z
2
27
45
Table 5-3b The Limit to Prevent an Internal Gear from
Trimming Interference ( = 20, x
2
= 0)
z
c
x
c
z
2
z
c
x
c
z
2
z
c
x
c
z
2
15
0.1625
36
28
0.26
52
44
0.38
71
16
0.17
38
30
0.275
54
48
0.41
76
17
0.1775
39
31
0.2825
55
50
0.425
78
18
0.185
40
32
0.29
56
56
0.47
86
19
0.1925
41
33
0.2975
58
60
0.5
90
20
0.2
42
34
0.305
59
64
0.53
95
21
0.2075
43
35
0.3125
60
66
0.545
98
22
0.215
45
38
0.335
64
80
0.65
115
24
0.23
47
40
0.35
66
96
0.77
136
25
0.2375
48
42
0.365
68
100
0.8
141
27
0.2525
50
z
1
x
1
z
2
x
2

w
a

49
1.00
61.0605
0.971
1.105
48
0.60
46.0324
1.354
1.512
47
0.40
37.4155
1.775
1.726
46
0.30
32.4521
2.227
1.835
45
0.20
28.2019
2.666
1.933
44
0.11
24.5356
3.099
2.014
43
0.06
22.3755
3.557
2.053
42
0.01
20.3854
4.010
2.088
0
50
Table 5-4 The Meshing of Internal and External Gears of Small
Difference of Numbers of Teeth (m = 1, = 20)
T24
T25
In Figure 5-2 the gear train has a difference of numbers of teeth of only
1; z
1
= 30 and z
2
= 31. This results in a reduction ratio of 1/30.
SECTION 6 HELICAL GEARS
The helical gear differs from the
spur gear in that its teeth are twisted
along a helical path in the axial
direction. It resembles the spur gear
in the plane of rotation, but in the axial
direction it is as if there were a series
of staggered spur gears. See Figure
6-1. This design brings forth a number
of different features relative to the spur
gear, two of the most important being
as follows:
1. Tooth strength is improved
because of the elongated helical
wraparound tooth base support.
2. Contact ratio is increased due to the axial tooth overlap. Helical gears
thus tend to have greater load carrying capacity than spur gears of the
same size. Spur gears, on the other hand, have a somewhat higher
effciency.
Helical gears are used in two forms:
1. Parallel shaft applications, which is the largest usage.
2. Crossed-helicals (also called spiral or screw gears) for connecting
skew shafts, usually at right angles.
6.1 Generation Of The Helical Tooth
The helical tooth form is involute in the plane of rotation and can be
developed in a manner similar to that of the spur gear. However, unlike
the spur gear which can be viewed essentially as two dimensional, the
helical gear must be portrayed in three dimensions to show changing axial
features.
Referring to Figure 6-2, there is a base cylinder from which a taut
plane is unwrapped, analogous to the unwinding taut string of the spur
gear in Figure 2-2. On the plane there is a straight line AB, which when
wrapped on the base cylinder has a helical trace A
o
B
o
. As the taut plane
is unwrapped, any point on the line AB can be visualized as tracing an
involute from the base cylinder. Thus, there is an infnite series of involutes
generated by line AB, all alike, but displaced in phase along a helix on the
base cylinder.
Again, a concept analogous to the spur gear tooth development is to
imagine the taut plane being wound from one base cylinder on to another as
the base cylinders rotate in opposite directions. The result is the generation
of a pair of conjugate helical involutes. If a reverse direction of rotation is
assumed and a second tangent plane is arranged so that it crosses the frst,
a complete involute helicoid tooth is formed.
6.2 Fundamentals Of Helical Teeth
In the plane of rotation, the helical gear tooth is involute and all of the
relationships governing spur gears apply to the helical. However, the axial
twist of the teeth introduces a helix angle. Since the helix angle varies from
the base of the tooth to the outside radius, the helix angle is defned as
the angle between the tangent to the helicoidal tooth at the intersection of
the pitch cylinder and the tooth profle, and an element of the pitch cylinder.
See Figure 6-3.
The direction of the helical twist is designated as either left or right. The
direction is defned by the right-hand rule.
For helical gears, there are two related pitches one in the plane of
rotation and the other in a plane normal to the
tooth. In addition, there is an axial pitch.
Referring to Figure 6-4, the two circular
pitches are defned and related as follows:
p
n
= p
t
cos = normal circular pitch
(6-1)
The normal circular pitch is less than the
transverse radial pitch, p
t
, in the plane of rota-
tion; the ratio between the two being equal to
the cosine of the helix angle.
Consistent with this, the normal module is
less than the transverse (radial) module.
The axial pitch of a helical gear, p
x
, is the
distance between corresponding points of
adjacent teeth measured parallel to the gear's
axis see Figure 6-5. Axial pitch is related to
Fig. 6-1 Helical Gear
Element
of Pitch
Cylinder
(or gear's
axis)
Tangent to Helical Tooth
Pitch
Cylinder
Helix
Angle

Fig. 6-3 Defnition of Helix Angle

Fig. 6-4 Relationship
of Circular
Pitches
p
t
p
n

p
x

Fig. 6-5 Axial Pitch of

a Helical Gear
Twisted Solid
Involute
Taut Plane
Base Cylinder
B
B
0
A
0
A
Fig. 6-2 Generation of the Helical Tooth Profle
a
x
Fig. 5-2 The Meshing of Internal Gear and External Gear
in which the Numbers of Teeth Difference is 1
(z
2
z
1
= 1)