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Cycloid and Involute Gears Teeth

Name: Jibran Qureshi

Roll No: 2k16-MET-02
Assignment: Forms of Gears
Teeth (Cycloid & Involute
Teeth)
Submitted to: Sir M. Saqlain Noor
Date Of
Submission: 1st November, 2017
Department: Mechanical Engineering
& Technology.
Email: jibranq13@gmail.com
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Cycloid and Involute Gears Teeth

Cycloid Gear Teeth

Definition:
In the case of cycloidal gears, the addendum is a curve is an epicycloid. The
addendum curve is usually the same on both sides of the gear tooth tip in mirror-
image. ... The tip of the gear tooth must penetrate the pitch circle of the other gear to
mesh.

The cycloid gear profile is a form of toothed gear used in mechanical clocks, rather
than the involute gear form used for most other gears. The gear tooth profile is based on
the epicycloid and hypocycloid curves, which are the curves generated by a circle rolling
around the outside and inside of another circle, respectively.
When two toothed gears mesh, an imaginary circle, the pitch circle, can be drawn
around the center of either gear through the point where their teeth make contact. The
curves of the teeth outside the pitch circle are known as the addenda, and the curves of
the tooth spaces inside the pitch circle are known as the dedenda. An addendum of one
gear rests inside a dedendum of the other gear.
In cycloidal gears, the addenda of the wheel teeth are convex epicycloidal and the
dedenda of the pinion are concave hypocycloidal curves generated by the same
generating circle. This ensures that the motion of one gear is transferred to the other at
locally constant angular velocity.
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Cycloid and Involute Gears Teeth

The size of the generating circle (pinion) may be freely chosen, mostly independent of
the number of teeth.
In clockmaking, the pinion diameter is commonly chosen to be one-half the pitch
diameter of one of the gears. This results in a dedendum which is a simple straight
radial line. This is simple to polish, and the lack of any undercut strengthens the
tooth. The addenda are not complete epicycloids, but portions of two different ones
which intersect at a point, resulting in a "gothic arch" tooth profile.

Advantages of Cycloid Gears Profile:

 Teeth are stronger than involute teeth
owing to spreading in contrast to the
radial flanks of an involute teeth.
 Because of spreading flanks they have
high strength and compact drives.
 The center distance should remain the
same.
 There is no interference.
 Less wear and tear as concave flank
makes contact with convex flank. This
increases the life of the teeth as
compared to the involute teeth.

Disadvantages of Cycloid Gears Profile:

• Pressure Angle keeps on changing during the operation. The angle is maximum at
the start and end of engagement. It is zero at the pitch point.
• It is difficult to manufacture cycloid teeth due to the requirements of hypocycloid
and epicycloid.
• Velocity is effected due to the variation in center distances.
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Cycloid and Involute Gears Teeth

Involute Gears Teeth

Definition:
A gear tooth that conforms in contact profile to an involute curve, that engages
mating teeth with rolling rather than sliding friction, and that transmits motion with speed
practically independent of slight changes in center distance.

The involute gear profile is the most commonly used system for gearing today,
with cycloid gearing still used for some specialties such as clocks. In an involute gear,
the profiles of the teeth are involutes of a circle. (The involute of a circle is the spiraling
curve traced by the end of an imaginary taut string unwinding itself from that stationary
circle called the base circle.)
The angular velocity ratio between two gears of a gearset must remain constant
throughout the mesh.
This property is required for smooth transmission of power with minimal speed or
torque variations as pairs of teeth go into or come out of mesh, but is not required for
low-speed gearing.
Where the line of action crosses the line between the two centres it is called the pitch
point of the gears, where there is no sliding contact.
The pressure angle is the acute angle between the line of action and a normal to the line
connecting the gear centers. The pressure angle of the gear varies according to the
position on the involute shape, but pairs of gears must have the same pressure angle in
order for the teeth to mesh properly, so specific portions of the involute must be
matched.
While any pressure angle can be manufactured, the most common stock gears have a
20° pressure angle, with 14½° and 25° pressure angle gears being much less
common.[2] Increasing the pressure angle increases the width of the base of the gear
tooth, leading to greater strength and load carrying capacity. Decreasing the pressure
angle provides lower backlash, smoother operation and less sensitivity to manufacturing
errors.[3]
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Cycloid and Involute Gears Teeth

Most common stock gears are spur gears, with straight teeth. Most gears used in higher-
strength applications are helical involute gears where the spirals of the teeth are of
different hand, and the gears rotate in opposite direction.
Only used in limited situations are helical involute gears where the spirals of the teeth
are of the same hand, and the spirals of the two involutes are of different 'hand' and the
line of action is the external tangents to the base circles.
Advantages of Involute Gears Teeth:
• Pressure Angle remains same throughout the operation, this results in less wear and
smooth running of the gears.
• It is easier or manufacture due to convex shape (can be generated by a single curve,
i.e., face and flank).
• The velocity is not effected due to the variations of center distances.

Disadvantages of Involute Gears Teeth:

• Involute teeth are weaker as compared to cycloid teeth, hence they have less life
than that of the cycloid teeth.
• Interference takes place in involute teeth.
• More wear and tear takes place between convex surfaces.
• Involute gear curve doesn’t exist within base circle, interference is always possible if
base circle radius is larger than dedendum circle radius.

Comparison between Cycloid

& Involute Teeth
S.No Involute Tooth Profile Cycloidal Tooth Profile

Being the angle made by the common tangent
of base circles with a common tangent to pitch
1 circles at pitch point, the pressure angle
remains constant throughout the engagement.
This ensures smooth running of the gears.
Pressure angle varies continuously; being zero at
the pitch point and maximum at the point of
engagement and disengagement. This causes
continuous variation in power component and
also in bearing load. The running is less smooth.

2 Involute tooth profile consists of a single The cycloidal tooth profile consists of two curves
(involute) curve and the track cutter used for (epicycloid and hypocycloid). The method of
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Cycloid and Involute Gears Teeth

regenerating the profile has straight teeth. The manufacture is more involved and leads to
rack cutter is cheaper and the method of costlier gear tooth.
manufacture is simpler. This leads to reduction
in the cost of manufacture of involute teeth.

Perhaps the most desirable feature of involute

teeth is that a small variation in centre distance
does not change the velocity ratio. Thus
distance between shafts need not necessarily Exact centre distance is necessary to transmit
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be maintained exact as per design constant velocity ratio.
specifications. This gives great flexibility
during assembly and larger tolerances may be
permitted.

Since outside the pitch (directing) circle

Since involute curve doesn’t exist within base
epicycloidal curve exists and inside it the
circle, interference is always possible if base
4 hypocycloidal curve exists, cycloidal curve can
circle radius is larger than dedendum circle
exist everywhere on tooth profile and no
radius.
interference exists.

The radius of curvature of involute curve, near

the base circle, is quite small and contact
Cycloidal curve (hypocycloidal in particular)
stresses are likely to be very high. The tooth
5 produces a spreading flank and, for this reason,
profile in flank portion is almost radial. Both
cycloidal tooth is stronger .
the factors together produce a tooth weaker in
flank region compared to cycloidal tooth.

In cycloidal tooth profile epicycloidal shape of

In involute tooth profile gears, convex surface
face of gear tooth comes in contact with
of pinion tooth comes in contact with convex
6 hypocloidal flank portion of pinion tooth. Thus a
portion of gear tooth and this leads to more
convex flank has a contact with concave face
wear.
which results in lesser wear.