Spur Gears

(Part 1)
Ardi Noerpamoengkas, ST., MT.
Machine Elements 3

Spur Gears (Part 1)

Terminology
Velocity Ratio
Gear Contact
Standard
Tooth Loads

Terminology
Used to transmit power and rotary motion
between parallel shafts
The smaller of two gears in mesh is called the
pinion, and the larger is designated as the
gear.
The pinion is the driving element whereas the
gear is the driven element.
There are external and internal spur gears.

Terminology

Terminology

Terminology
p (circular pitch) is defined as the distance, on
the pitch circle, from a point on a tooth to
corresponding point of adjacent tooth.

p circular pitch (inch), d pitch circle diameter

(inch), Nt number of teeth.

Terminology
P (diametral pitch) is defined as the number of
teeth of the gear divided by the pitch circle
diameter.

P diametral pitch (inch-1), p circular pitch

(inch), d pitch circle diameter (inch), Nt
number of teeth.

Terminology
The diametral
pitch determines
the relative size of
gear teeth.
The two meshed
gears must have
the same pitch
(diametral pitch
and circular pitch)

Terminology
c, the center distance or the distance between
the centers of the two gears is equal to one
half the sum of their pitch diameters.

c center distance (inch), d1 pinion diameter

(inch), d2 gear diameter (inch).

Terminology
Backlash is the
difference
between tooth
space and tooth
width. The space
must be made
larger than the
gear teeth width
(measured on
the pitch circle)

Velocity Ratio
Determining the velocity ratio is indicated be
the following equation.

rv velocity ratio, angular velocity (rad/s), n

angular velocity (rpm), Nt number of teeth, d
pitch circle diameter (inch), subscript 1 refers
to driver, 2 to driven gear.

Velocity Ratio
In the several gearbox catalogue, we often
meet the reduction velocity ratio more than 1.

For reducing velocity, i value is more than 1

whereas rv between 0 and 1.

Gear Contact
DE is the line of
action or the
pressure line.
The angle is
the pressure
angle.

Gear Contact
The addendum
circle is the place
the tips of gear
teeth lie.
Contact occurs at
point A and ends
at point B.
Contact length
value is

Gear Contact
Contact ratio is
employed to
indicate how many
teeth are in
contact.
a addendum, pb
the base pitch

Gear Contact
Interference
(nonconjugate action) will
occur when the actual
addendum circle radius
exceeds the value as
calculated by the
following equation.
ra addendum circle radius
(inch),c center distance
(inch), pressure angle
(deg), rb base circle radius
(inch)

Standard

Tooth Loads
The power to be transmitted from one gear to
another can be calculated from the following
equation.

hp input horsepower, T torque (lb.in), n

angular velocity (rpm)

Tooth Loads
Ft, the tangential force (lb) can be obtained from
the torque by using the following equation.

Then, Fn, the normal force (lb) is the force exerted

by the follower gear tooth on the driver gear
tooth. The driver tooth would exert a force equal
to Fn in magnitude, but in the opposite direction.

Tooth Loads
The relation of tangential force, radial force,
and normal force is illustrated as the below.

Tooth Loads
The normal force (Fn) can be resolved into 2
components, the tangential force (Ft) and the
radial force (Fr)

Tooth Loads
The pitch line velocity (feet/minute).

The tangential force and the pitch line velocity

Tooth Loads

The References
Machine Design, Aaron Deutschman.