3.8.

GEAR FORCES
A gear is transmitting a torque through the contact between teeth. Interaction forces appear
between teeth in contact, being normal to the profiles equals but with opposite directions for pinion
(1) and for the driven wheel (2).
Neglecting the friction between teeth, normal forces are acting in the gearing plane. For
cylindrical (spur and helical) gears, the point where the normal force Fn acts, is considered the
gearing pole C, at the middle of the gear width.
In order to calculate the shafts and bearings supporting gears, it is difficult to work with the
normal force Fn. From this reason, the normal force is usually considered through its components,
depending on the type of gear (spur, helical or bevel gear).

3.8.1. Forces In Spur Gears

In the case of spur gears, the normal force Fn has two components (fig. 8.1): the tangential
force Ft – in the frontal plane, along the y axis – and the radial force Fr – inside the axial plane,
along the x axis.
The calculus relation for the tangential force Ft is
2T
Ft = ,
dw
where T is the torque
transmitted by the
gear wheel (pinion or
driven wheel), and dw
– the rolling diameter
of the same wheel.
From fig. 8.1,
the radial force is
Fr = Ft tg α w .
Between the
interaction forces
acting on pinion and
wheel, there are the
following relationships:
Ft 2 = Ft1 ; Fr 2 = Fr1 ,
usually, the forces
from the pinion, Ft1
Fig. 8.1 and Fr1 being
calculated.
• Direction of the tangential forces is established depending on the type of the gear wheel
– pinion or driven wheel – and the rotational direction. For the driving wheel (pinion 1, fig. 8.1), the
tangential force Ft1 is a resistant force (creating a resistant torque equilibrating the transmitted
driving torque coming from the shaft) and, so, the direction is opposite to the rotational direction.
For the driven wheel (wheel 2, fig. 8.1), the tangential force Ft2 is a driving force (equilibrating the
resistant torque) and has the same direction with the rotation of the wheel.
• Direction of the radial force is always from the gearing pole to the center of the gear wheel,
Fr1 – to the center of the pinion 1 – and Fr2 – to the center of the wheel 2 (see fig. 8.1).
 3.8.2. Forces In Helical Gears

Fig. 8.2
In the case of the helical gears, the interaction
force between teeth Fn is normal both to the profile and
the direction of the tooth, being contain in the gearing
plane (fig. 8.2).
Into the normal plane n–n, the normal force Fn
has two components: the force Ftn – tangent to the
rolling cylinder and perpendicular to the direction of the
tooth – and the radial force Fr – along the x axis of xCz
plane and directed to the axis of the gear wheel. In the
yCz plane, tangent to the rolling cylinder, the force Ftn
has another two components: the tangential force Ft,
along the y axis, and the axial force Fa, along the z axis.
The tangential force Ft is established with
relation (8.1), as for the spur gears. The radial Fr and
axial Fa forces are established from fig. 8.2:
F
Fr = Ftn tg α wn = t tg α wn ; (8.3)
cos β
Fa = Ft tg β , (8.4)
considering βw = β.
Between the interaction forces acting on pinion
and wheel, there are the following relationships:
Ft 2 = Ft1 ; Fr 2 = Fr1 ; Fa 2 = Fa1 , usually, the forces from
the pinion, Ft1, Fr1 and Fa1, being calculated. The forces
are considered acting on the gearing pole at the middle
of the tooth length (gear width).
• The directions of the tangential and radial
forces are established following the rules settled for the
spur gears.
• The direction of the axial force depends on
the direction of rotation, on the direction of the tooth
(left-hand or right hand) and the type of the gear wheel,
Fig. 8.3
driving or driven wheel. The methodology of establish the direction of axial forces (fig. 8.3) is
considering the fact that the axial and the tangential force, Fa and Ft, are both components of the Ftn
force – perpendicular on the direction of the tooth (see fig. 8.2, b). Starting from the known
tangential force direction Ft, the direction of the axial force Fa results by drawing it at the same side
of the tooth with the tangential force (v. fig. 8.3). For easy sketch the tangential component is drawn,
swung out with 90o, placed in a plane, parallel with the gear axis plane; in this way, the axial force is
drawn along the wheel axis, even if it acts on the gearing pole.
The effect of changing the direction of the tooth or the rotation direction over the direction of
the axial force is also presented in fig. 8.3.

3.8.3. Forces In Straight Bevel Gears

Acting along the commom normal
to the profiles in contact Fn has three
components along the three directions of a
coordonation system placed with the
origine in the gearing pole, at the midle of
the gear width. The three components are:
tangential force Ft, tangent to the pitch
circle; radial force Fr, perpendicular on the
wheel axis; axial force Fa, parallelwith the
wheel’s axis. For an ortogonal bevel gear
(Σ=900), the components are presented in
fig. 8.4.
The tangential force Ft, for all types
of bevel gears is
2T
Ft = ,
dm
where: T is the torque at the shaft
Fig. 8.4 of the wheel: dm – medium pitch diameter
of the wheel.

Fig. 8.5
Figure 8.5 is presenting the components of the normal force acting on a pinion tooth. The
force Fn, normal to the tooth profile, applied in the gearing pole C, has a tangential component Ft1
and a V1 component, perpendicular to the pitch cone generator. Calculus relations of the two
components are:
2T
Ft1 = 1 ; V1 = Ft1 tg α ,
d m1
where α is the normal profile angle.
The component V1 can also be considered consisted of the radial component Fr1,
perpendicular to the pinion axis, and the axial component Fa1, parallel with the pinion axis. These
components are established with relations:
Fr1=V1cosδ1= Ft1tgαcosδ1;
Fa1=V1sinδ1= Ft1tgαsinδ1,
where δ1 is the angle of the pinion pitch cone.
For an ortogonal bevel gear (Σ=900), there are the following relationships between the
components acting on the pinion and the components acting on the wheel: Ft2=Ft1; Fr2=Fa1; Fa2=Fr1.
Same as for the spur gears, the direction of the tangential force depends on the type of the
gear wheel – pinion or driven wheel – and the rotational direction. For the pinion 1 (see fig. 8.4), Ft1
being resistant is oposed to rotational movement, while, for the driven wheel 2, Ft2 is a driving force
and has the same direction with the rotational movement.
The radial forced Fr1,2 are always acting from the gearing pole to the center of the wheel.
The axial forces Fa1,2 are always acting from the top of pitch cones to their bottom
.
3.8.3. Establish of forces directions for speed reducers with helical gears
The design process of a speed reducer or a motor vehicle transmission involves the
knowledge of gear forces size, where and how they act on the shaft. Gear forces are considered as
acting on the shafts placed in two perpendicular planes, usually a horizontal plane [H] and another
vertical plane [V].
The steps for establishing the shaft loading with gear forces in the two perpendicular planes
(with examples for several speed reducers, presented in fig. 8.4…8.8) are:
• structural diagram of the transmission, presented in two projections;
• establish of the direction of rotation for each wheel, starting from the rotation of the input
shaft;
• establish of the tangential force directions, for each wheel, considering that the direction of
the tangential force is oposite to the rotational direction for the driving wheels and in the
direction of the rotation for the driven wheels; each force is placed in the gearing pole and
is redduced to the shaft as a force and a torque;
• establish of the radial force directions, for each wheel – from the gearing pole towards the
center of each wheel;
• establish of the axial force directions, for each wheel – depending on the direction of
rotation of the wheel, the toothe direction and the type of the wheel, driving or driven wheel
(see fig. 8.3);
• establish of the plane where each force is acting; the tangential forces are acting in the
vertical plane – in the case of transmissions with axes placed in a horizontal plane – and in
the horizontal plane – in the case of transmissions with axes placed in a vertical plane; the
radial and axial forces are acting in the same plane perpendicular with the tangential force
plane.
Gear forces and shaft loading are presented for the following speed reducers [19, 21, 36]: fig.
8.6 – common horizontal double step speed reducer; fig. 8.7 – vertical coaxial speed reducer.
 Reductor cu două trepte, cilindric orizontal
Scheme pentru stabilirea sensurilor forţelor

Tangenţiale şi radiale

Axiale

Încărcarea arborilor cu forţe

Arborele de intrare Arborele intermediar

Arborele de
ieşire

Fig. 8.6
 Reductor cu două trepte, cilindric vertical, coaxial
Scheme pentru stabilirea sensurilor forţelor
Axiale Tangenţiale şi radiale

Încărcarea arborilor cu forţe

Arborele de intrare Arborele intermediar

Arborele de
ieşire

Fig. 8.7