 A gear is a wheel provided with teeth

which mesh with the teeth on another

wheel or on to a rack, so as to give a
positive transmission of motion from one
component to another.
 In the gear measurement it is necessary
to differentiate between the
measurement of the individual
parameters of a gear,
i.e., their individual errors and the
measurement of accumulative errors.
Helical Gear - The leading edges
of the teeth are not parallel to the
axis of rotation, but are set at an
angle. The angled teeth engage
more gradually than do spur gear
teeth. This causes helical gears to
run more smoothly and quietly
than spur gears.
Worm gear – Type of helical gear,
but its helix angle is usually
somewhat large and its body is
usually fairly long in the axial
direction; and it is these
attributes which give it screw like
qualities
 Base circle: It is the circle from which gear teeth
profiles are generated.
 Pitch circle: It is an imaginary circle which by pure
rolling action, would produce the same motion as the
toothed wheel. The size of the gear is usually
specified by the pitch circle diameter.
 Pitch point: It is a common point of contact between
two pitch circles of two meshing gear wheels.
 Pressure angle: It is the angle between the common
normal to two gear teeth at the point of contact and
the common tangent at the pitch point.
 Addendum: It is the radial distance from the pitch
circle to the tip of the tooth.
 Dedendum: It is the radial distance from the pitch
circle to the root of the tooth.
 Face : It is the part of the tooth surface which is
above the pitch surface.
 Flank : It is the part of the tooth surface which is
below the pitch surface.
 Circular pitch : It is the distance measured on the
circumference of the pitch circle from a point on one
tooth to the corresponding point on the adjacent
tooth.
 Module: It is the ratio of the pitch circle diameter in
millimeters to the number of teeth.
 Face width: It is the width of the gear tooth
measured parallel to its axis.
1. Profile error: - The maximum distance of any point on the tooth profile
form to the design profile.
2. Pitch error: - Difference between actual and design pitch
3. Cyclic error: - Error occurs in each revolution of gear
4. Run out: - Total range of reading of a fixed indicator with the contact
points applied to a surface rotated, without axial movement, about
a fixed axis.
5. Eccentricity: - Half the radial run out
6. Wobble: - Run out measured parallel to. the axis of rotation at a
specified distance from the axis
7. Radial run out: - Run out measured along a perpendicular to the axis
of rotation.
8. Undulation: - Periodical departure of the actual tooth surface from
the design surface.
9. Axial run out: - Run out measured parallel to the axis of rotation at a
speed.
10. Periodic error: -Error occurring at regular intervals
Geometrical Parameters
 Tooth Thickness
 Addendum Depth
 Tooth Spacing Over ‘X’ Number of teeth
Functional Parameters
 Pitch Variation
 Involute profile
Functional Parameters while meshing
 Runout
 Backlash
 Contact Area
 Noise
The Inspection of the gears consists of determine
the following elements in which manufacturing
error may be present.
 1. Runout.
 2. Pitch
 3. Profile
 4. Lead
 5. Back lash
 6. Tooth thickness
 7. Concentricity
 8. Alignment
 It means eccentricity in the pitch circle.
 It will give periodic vibration during each revolution of
the gear.
 This will give the tooth failure in gears.

The run out is measured by means of eccentricity

testers.

 In this testing process, the gears are placed in the

mandrel and the dial indicator of the tester posses
special tip depending upon the module of the gear
and the tips inserted between the tooth spaces and
the gears are rotated tooth by tooth and the
variation is noted from the dial indicator.
There are two ways for measuring the pitch
varriation .
 1. Point to point measurement (i.e. One
tooth point to next toot point)
 2. Direct angular measurement
 The instrument has three tips.

 One is fixed measuring tip and the second is

sensitive tip, whose position can be adjusted
by a screw and the third tip is adjustable or
guide stop.
 The distance between the fixed and sensitive
tip is equivalent to base pitch of the gear.
 All the three tips are contact the tooth by
setting the instrument and the reading on
the dial indicator is the error in the base pitch.
The methods used for profile checking is
 1. Optical projection method.
 2. Involute measuring machine.

1. Optical projection method:

 The profile of the gear projected on the
screen by optical lens and then
projected value is compared with
master profile.
It is checked by lead checking instruments.
 Actually lead is the axial advance of a
helix for one complete turn.
 The lead checking instruments are
advances a probe along a tooth
surface, parallel to the axis when the
gear rotates.
 Backlash is the distance through which a gear
can be rotated to bring its nonworking flank in
contact with the teeth of mating gear.

Numerical values of backlash are measured at

the tightest point of mesh on the pitch circle.

There are two types of backlash

 1. Circumferential backlash
 2. Normal backlash

.
 Measurement of tooth thickness by
 Gear tooth vernier caliper.
 Constant chord method.
 Base tangent method.
 Measurement by dimension over pins
 The tooth thickness can be very conveniently measured
by a gear tooth vernier.

 Since the tooth thickness varies from the tip of the base
circle of the tooth, the instrument must be capable of
measuring the tooth thickness at a specified position on
the tooth. Further this is possible only when there is some
arrangement to fix that position where the measurement is
to be taken.

 The tooth thickness is generally measured at pitch circle &

is, therefore, referred to as pitch line thickness of tooth.

 The gear tooth in the vernier has two vernier scales & they
are set for the width ‘w’ of the tooth & the depth ‘d’ from
the top, at which w occurs.
 Considering one tooth, the theoretical values of w
& d can be found which may be verified by the
instrument.

 Also the depth d adjusted on the instrument is

slightly greater than the addendum CE, & hence
the width w is called chordal thickness & d is
called chordal addendum.
From the fig, w=AB=2AD,
Now angle AOD = q = 360/4N
Where N is the number of teeth,
w=2AD=2*AO*sinq
= 2R sin (360/4N) (R=PITCH CIRCLE RADIUS)
Module, m= P.C.D/number of teeth = 2R/N
R=N*m/2
w=(N*m)*sin(360/4N)
Also from fig, d= OC-OD
OC = OE+ addendum = R+m
= (N*m/2)+m
OD = R * cosq
= N*m/2 cos(90/N)
d = (N*m/2)+m-(N*m/2) cos(90/N)
Vernier method like the chordal
thicknessand chordal addendum are
dependent upon the number of teeth.

Due to this for measuring large number of

gears different calculations are to be
made for each gear.
 So these difficulties are avoided by this
constant chord method.
 Property : - If an involute tooth is
considered symmetrically in close mesh
with basic rack form , then it is observed
that when gear rotates and all teethes
come in mesh with rack , for the given
size of tooth (same module), the contact
is always occur at point two points
 A & F as shown in fig. i.e the distance AF
remains constant and known as constant
chord.
 Property : - If an involute tooth is
considered symmetrically in close mesh
with basic rack form , then it is observed
that when gear rotates and all teethes
come in mesh with rack , for the given
size of tooth (same module), the contact
is always occur at point two points
 A & F as shown in fig. i.e the distance AF
remains constant and known as constant
chord.
Efficient for measuring large no of gears, each having
different no of teeth but same module
BD=BE=arc BE =1/4circular pitch
=1/4 X  P.C.D/N = ¼  m
In ∆ ABD, AB=BD cos
=( /4)m cos 
In ∆ BAC,AC=AB cos
=( /4)m Cos2 
C=constant cord =2AC
 W=C = 0.5m Cos2 

Now, BC=AB sin  =( /4)m cos  sin 

h= addendum-BC
 h = m – 0.25mCos Sin

 - pressure angle
 m- module
This method uses David brown tangent comparator to measure span of a
Convenient no of teeth

Advantage over gear tooth vernier is:

1)Measurement does not depend on 2 vernier reading, each being
function of other .
2)Measurement not made with an edge of measuring jaw with the face.
  = Pressure angle
S =Number of tooth spaces
contained in W
 W = arc AB + arc BC
 And when S tooth spaces are considered,
 arc BC = 2/N x S x NM/2 cos 
 AC =NM/2 cos  (tan - )
  = /2N radians
 Arc CD =Rp cos  /2N = NM/2 cos  /2N
 AB = NM cos  ( tan  – ) + /2N
 Total arc length for S spaces,
W = NM cos ((tan  – )- /2N + S/N)
David Brown Tangent Comparator – The distance(w) for S no of teeth
Calculated and set with the help of slip gauges.
The distance w theoretical and actual is verified for any difference.
 In setting of gears the centre about which
the gear is mounded should be
coincident with the centre from which the
gear is generated.
 It is easy to check the concentricity of the
gear by mounting the gear between
centres and measuring the variation in
height of a roller placed between the
successive teeth.
 Finally the variation in reading will be a
function of the eccentricity present.
It is done by placing a parallel bar
between the gear teeth and the gear
being mounted between centres.

Finally the readings are taken at the two

ends of the bar and difference in
reading is the misalignment
GEOMETRIC MEASUREMENT
POINT MEASUREMENT :
Free point, peak point, constant
intersection, mid point
(between elements of
measured data)

LINE MEASUREMENT :
Line, Tangent line,
Perpendicular line

CIRCLE MEASUREMENT :
Circle (Multipoint), Centre &
radius.
DISTANCE, ANGLE :
Distance, Step, Pitch & angle.
It can accomplish a variety of
gear measuring tasks including
the inspections of tooth data on
cylin- drical gears ( external spur
and helical gears: standard
measuring module ), shaping and
shaving cutters, as well as on
gear and worm hobs (optional).
In addition, the range of
application also extends to
inspection of worm and worm
gear, spiral, straight and helical
bevel gears (optional). These
gear measuring centres are
widely used in automobile,
machine tool, instrument
industries, as well as inspection
laboratory and modern factory
environ- ment.
 A roller is placed between a pair of teeth so that
the its centre lies on the pitch circle as shown on
slide.
 For a gear with an odd number of teeth a radial
measurement is taken with the gear between
centres using a comparator.
 OA = ¼  M cos  (OA= radius of
rollers)
 Gauging Radius: Rg = ½ NM + ¼ M
cos
 Dimensions over a pair of Rollers in
opposite tooth spaces :
Dg = M(N + ½  cos  )
 Procedure
 Two pins of equal dia are placed on
either side of tooth and reading
compared with calculated value of M.
 M=(m X nX Cos )/cos m x cos 90/N +
d
 M-Required size over wire
 ‘m – module, d-dia of wire, -pressure
angle, m – pressure angle at centre of
pin(m formula given in book)
 The master gear is fixed on vertical spindle and the gear to be
tested is fixed on similar spindle which is mounted on a
carriage.

 The carriage which can slide either side and these gears are
maintained in mesh by spring pressure.

 When the gears are rotated, the movement of sliding carriage

is indicated by a dial indicator and these variations arc is
measure of any irregularities in the car under test. Fig

 The variation is recorded in a recorder which is fitted in the

form of a waxed circular chart.
 In the gears are fitted on the mandrels and are
free to rotate without clearance and the left
mandrel move along the table and the right
mandrel move along the spring-loaded carriage

 The two spindles can be adjusted so that the axial

distance is equal and a scale is attached to one
side and vernier to the other, this enables center
distance to be measured to within 0.025mm
 If any errors in the tooth form when gears are in close
mesh, pitch or concentricity of pitch line will cause a
variation in center distance from this movement of
carriage as indicated to the dial gauge will show the errors
in the gear test.

 The recorder also fitted in the form of circular or

rectangular chart and the errors are recorded.

 Limitations of Parkinson gear tester:

 1. Accuracy±0.001mm
 2. Maximum gear diameter is 300mm
 3. Errors are not clearly identified:
 4. Measurement dependent upon the master gear.
 5. Low friction in the movement of the floating carriage.