ICT-2012

13
th
International Conference on Tools
27 28 March 2012, Miskolc, Hungary




THE CUTTING OF CYLINDRICAL GEARS HAVING ARHIMEDIC
SPIRAL SHAPED TOOTH LINE


Mrton Mt, Dnes Hollanda


ABSTRACT
The localization of the contact patch by cylindrical gears is realized through the flank grinding
operation. This is achieved due to the continuous modification of the tooth thickness on the pitch
circle. The tooth contact by external gears will in all cases be produced between convex tooth flanks.
This paper proposes a new procedure of cutting cylindrical gears using a milling head whose cutting
edges are aligned on an Archimedic spiral. The meshing tooth results with a convex and a concave
flank. As a consequence the localization of the contact patch will be achieved by modifying the surface
curvature through variation of the parameters of the generating surface. The milling cutter produces
during the cutting motion a theoretical generating rack that moves continuously along a radial
direction. The paper presents the principle of generating, the setting parameters of the technological
gear, some of the peculiarities of the mathematical model. The contact lines on the generating surface,
the contact surface and the flanks of the cut gear are presented.

Keywords: gear-cutting, contact lines, Archimedic rack

1. THE PRINCIPLE OF GENERATING
The localization of the contact patch is necessary in case of cylindrical gears that work under
high load at high speed. Both in cases of straight or helical teeth this is realized through
grinding. As a consequence of grinding the characteristic crowned form of the tooth head
appears, where the tooth thickness became its largest value in the middle of the gear and
decreases to the margins. Applying another meshing procedure by using a curved generating
surface, the resulted teeth will couple respecting an optimal contact patch without applying a
patch localising grinding operation.
The principle of meshing presented in this paper coincides with Oliviers first principle
[1], as shown in Figure 1. It is also admitted that it may exist other meshing principles derived
from this mentioned before, considered as a basic principle. The teeth flanks of both elements
of the cylindrical gear are meshed by the same Archimedic surface. As shown in the right side
of the figure 1, when the generating surface rotates about its own axis, in a radial section
appear two generating racks having common meshing surfaces. The profiles of these in the
radial section are identical with the profile of the generating rack characterized by the
pressure angle
0
. The pitch parameter of the spiral line is equal with the pitch of the rack, or
the multiple of this if the cutting tool is realized with more than one teeth set, aligned on
angularly equal displaced spirals. The basic setting parameter of the generating spiral surface
is the basic radius R
H
that signifies the distance of the spirals reference point H to the axis of
rotation. This reference point is also the reference centre of the tooth profile, situated on the
intersection of the pitch line of the rack and the symmetry line of the rack tooth profile.
O
H
1
O
H
R
H
O
1
O
2
1
mq
R
H
r
2
r
1
r
b
1
r
b
2
r
a
1
mq
P
1
B
C
H
A

Figure 1. The principle of meshing using an Archimedic generating tool.

This cutting principle comes to generalize the classical meshing using a rack type tool. The
curved generating surface produce a concave and a convex tooth flank. When these are
coupling together, the concave flank will always contact a convex flank. The difference of the
curvatures of the contacting flanks can be realised by setting adequate values of the profile
modifications
1
,
2
, and the tangential shift q. By this, the radius of curvature of the concave
tooth flank will be larger that the corresponding radius on the convex flank and as a
consequence the theoretical contact reduces to one single point. Under load it extends to a
contact patch.
Figure 1 shows both elements of the gear pair gearing and contacting in the same time
the generating Archimedic surface. The contact elements that are presented in Figure 1 are
proper for the classical rack-involute gear pair, but as a well acceptable approximation, it can
be used to calculate the limits of the rolling angles of the generated gears. For this and all
following calculus the zero position of meshing is considered that presented in Figure 1,
where the pole of gearing P
1
is displaced to the profile symmetry centre H with the tangential
shift q, At this position the point A of the concave profile is enveloped. The figure shows the
middle of the generated gear. It is evidently that in parallel planes the generating point will be
displaced. Started from here, if the gear rotates clockwise, the rotation angle is considered
positive. The generating points situated over A arrive in meshing position for negative
(counter-clockwise) rotations. Looking the Figure 1 and the elements of the generating rack it
can be observed that the limit of the negative rotation angle appears when the generating point
arrives in C, where the addendum circle of radius r
a1
intersects the contact line. Similarly, the
positive upper limit of the rotation angle corresponds to the intersection B of the contact line
and the addendum line. The limit angles for the convex flank can be similarly calculated. For
the concave flank it results:


( ) ( ) | |

)
`

+
+
=

)
`

+ + =
1
0 1
0 0
1
*
0
*
0
1
1
1
0 1 1 0 0
1
1
tan
4 cos sin
1
tan cos
4
sin
1
r
q m
m
m c h
r
r
q m
m r r
m
r
r
high
a a a a low

. (1)

2. THE GEOMETRICAL MODEL OF MESHING
The geometrical model of meshing is based on the slideless rolling of the pitch circle of the
cut gear on the functional pitch line of the imaginary rack produced by the Archimedes
generating surface while this rotates about its own axis z
H
, as shown in Figure 2. It suits the
case of meshing by a rack only in the middle plain of the gear. While the generating surface
rotates, the fictive racks tooth curvature became smaller. It is an example when the
generating surface changes its curvature during the meshing process, a phenomenon whose
existence is denied in [2].
The following frames of reference are used: O
H
X
0
Y
0
Z
0
is fixed, O
H
x
H
y
H
z
H
is bounded
with the generating surface (i.e. the milling head) and O
1
x
1
y
1
z
1
is attached to the cut gear. The
relative positions of the frames mentioned above depend on the setting parameter values R
H,
q
and
1
and the value of rotation angles
1
and
H
bounded by the gearing ratio
1 1 1
/ 1 / z i
H H
= = . Using this and equations (1) the rotation angle limits for the generating
surface can be computed.
The transformation matrix between the systems of the generating surface and the gear is


( ) ( )
( ) ( )
|
|
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + +

+ +
=
1 0 0 0
cos sin cos sin sin cos sin
0 0 cos sin
sin cos sin sin cos cos cos
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1



m r mq R
m r mq R
M
H H H
H H
H H H
H
. (2)

The parametric equations of the generating surfaces can be written as


( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( ) ( ) | | m c h m c h v u
v v u z
u v m u m R v u y
u v m u m R v u x
H
h H
h H
kx kv
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
0
0
,
,
2
5
,
2
5
,
,
,
sin tan 25 . 0 5 . 0 ,
cos tan 25 . 0 5 . 0 ,
:
+ +
|
.
|

\
|
e

=
+ + + =
+ + + =
E



. (3)

where =-1 for the convex flank denoted by kx and +1 for the concave flank denoted by kv.

r
1

Figure 2. The geometric model of the meshing process
3. THE EQUATION OF GEARING
The equation of gearing is written as in [1], using the vectors represented in Figure 2:


( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) 0
1 , 1 1 1 , 1
= + = + =
H O H
H
O H
H
O O H O H
H
H
H H H H H
n A r n A r n v (4)

Here the expressions of the involved vectors are as follows:


( )
( )
( )
( )
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

+
=
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
+
=
|
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
u y u x
u m y
u m x
m r
q m R
z
H H
H
H
kx kv
H
H
H H
H
H
H
sin cos tan
cos 5 . 0
sin 5 . 0
; 0 ;
1
cos
sin
1
0
,
1 1
1
, 1

n A (5)

Using vectors (5), the equation of gearing can be put for both flanks in homogeneous
trigonometric form

( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) { } ( ) ( ) D e > e = + v u C B A kx kv i v u C u v u B u u A
i i i i H i H i
, 0 , , , , , , cos , ) sin( (6)

whose solutions are of type ( ) v u
H H
, = Despite that it appears simply, the computing of
the coordinates of the meshed surface becomes very difficult. The explanation is the
following. For each position of the generating surface, characterized by a certain value of
angle
H
, corresponds a peculiar subset of u for each v value (parameter v runs on the height
of profile). If trying to find the value
H
for each M
i,j
generating surface point with parametric
coordinates (u
i
,v
j
), due to the fact that equations (6) present theoretically a double infinity of
solutions is hard to predict the fitting
H
value. As a consequence the equation of gearing
must be rewritten. After laborious calculus, polynomials of 2
nd
order in v were obtained for
each flank:

( ) ( )( ) { } kx kv i C u u B v u A
i H H i H i
, , 0 , , 2 ,
1 1
2
1
e = + + (7)

For both flanks the discriminant result positive for each ) (
,
u
H
ordered pair. Here it is neces-
sary to compute the upper and lower limits of the u parameter, corresponding to the part of the
generating surface that contacts the meshing flank for a position given by parameter
H
. These
limits depend of the width B
s
of the cut gear and the radius R
H
. Intersecting the Archimedic
spiral that passes through a given point of the cutting edge with the front planes of the cut
gear result two transcendent equations:

( ) ( ) ( )
s H h
B u v m u m R 5 . 0 sin tan 25 . 0 5 . 0
0
= + + + (8)

These were solved numerically. It is to remark the quasilinear variation of the u- limits, as
shown in Figure 3. For both flanks and for each
H
value exist the interval [u
1
,u
2
] of
parameter u that limits the generating surface.


Figure 3 The evolution of limits of parameter u in dependence with
H

Lets consider a set of N
j
equidistant values for the angle
H
on its interval, and for each
Hj

| |
j Hhigh low H Hj
N j , 1 , ,
,
e e a set of N
i
of u parameter values | |
i j j ij
N i u u u , 1 , , ,
2 1
e e .
Now the form (7) of the equation of gearing can be solved for each ordered pair ( )
j i Hj
u
,
, .
Applying the solving formula for (7), a number of
j i
N N parametric coordinates ( )
ij ij Hj
v u , ,
are computed, and through this the numerical solution of the equation of gearing is output.

4. THE CHARACTERISTIC ELEMENTS OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL GEAR
The technological gear is formed of the generating tool and the cut gear. Its characteristic
elements are the contact lines on the generating surface, the contact surface and finally, the
meshing surfaces obtained through the generating process. In the following the contact lines
and the contact surface will be represented only for the concave flank. The numeric values set
for the simulation are R
H
=60 mm, m=5 mm, z
1
=21 teeth,
0
=20, =q=0. The other profile
parameters of the generating rack are set according to DIN 3990.
4.1. The contact lines on the generating surface
The contact lines on the generating surface are obtained for each
Hj
angle value, by
computing the generating surface point coordinates for each ( )
ij ij
v u , ordered pair. Using the
equation (7) for the concave flank, and coordinate functions (3) the contact lines are obtained.
Figure 4 shows the displacement of the contact lines.


Figure 4. Some contact lines on the concave generating surface

4.2. The contact surface
The contact surface is the locus of the contact points relative to the fixed frame of reference.
The contact surface is computed by applying the coordinate transformation between the fixed
and the generating frame to the contact lines. The contact surface is shown in figure 5.


Figure 5. The contact surface

4.3. The tooth surfaces
The equations of the tooth surfaces are written using transformation matrix (2) and parametric
coordinates given by equations (3) where parameter v is replaced by the v(u,
H
) solution of
the equation of gearing (7). Denoting with r
1
and r
H
the vertices of homogeneous coordinates
of the tooth flank, and the generating surface, the condensed form of the tooth flanks can be
written as follows:

( ) ( ) ( )
H H H H
u v u u , , ,
, 1 1
r M r = (9)

he coordinates were computed by applying directly the transformation described by matrix
M
1H
to the homogeneous coordinates of the contact line points. The meshing tooth flanks are
presented in Figure 6.


Figure 6. The meshing tooth- surfaces

5. CONCLUSIONS
According to the concepts and results presented above, the followings can be admitted:
an Archimedic spiral shaped generating surface can be used as generating surface for
the tooth flanks of a cylindrical gear;
the groove is delimited by a concave and a convex flank surface;
the groove and the tooth geometry facilitates the optimal localization of the contact
patch by modifying the setting parameters R
H
, q and ;

6. REFERENCES

[1] Litvin, F.L.: A fogaskerkkapcsols elmlete (Theory of gearing), Mszaki Knyvkiad,
Budapest, 1972.
[2] Szeniczei, L. ltalnos fogazs. Nehzipari Mszaki Knyvkiad, Budapest, 1958.

Mrton Mt
Sapientia University, Faculty of Technical and Human Sciences, Department of Mechanical
Engineering, Trgu Mure/Corunca oseaua Sighioarei 1C.
Mailing address: 540485 Trgu Mure, OP 9, CP 4.
E-mail: mmate@ms.sapientia.ro