Helical, Bevel,

Worm and Worm

Gears, and Rack
and Pinion
Assemblies
ME138P-Machine Elements

Engr. Emmanuelle R. Biglete

School of Mechanical and Manufacturing
Engineering
Helical Gear Contact Pattern

Spur Gear Stepped Spur Gear Right-handed

Helical Gear
Helical Gear Nomenclature

Conceptual sketch of helical gear

Helical rack geometry

Conceptual sketch of helical rack
 Governing Equations
• For transverse plane
%&
!" = !$ =
'
• For normal plane
!( = !" cos ,

• For axial plane

!" !(
!- = =
tan , sin ,
• Relationships
!" = !( cos ,

' '
2= =
!3 !( cos ,
Bevel Gear Nomenclature
Note: Face width is
approximately one-
third of the pitch
cone length

(
! ≤ 0.3& = 0.3
2 sin -

Bevel gear pitch surface of rotating frusta

Basic sketch
Bevel Gear Tooth Proportions
 Tredgold’s Approximation
Common profiles: Octoid and Renacyle
• TREDGOLD’S APPROXIMATION- Each cone forms a portion of a spur gear whose
pitch circle radius is equal to the back cone radius of the bevel gear.
• Formative number of teeth- the number, Nb, of teeth on the spur gear in terms of the
number of teeth on the bevel gear. Usually not an integer.

!
!! =
cos !
 Worm and Worm Gears
• Usually used for large reduction ration of 1:1 up to 300:1
• WORM- resembles a power screw
• WORM GEAR- resembles a helical gear except that it is throated to partially envelop the
worm
• Lead – the axial advance on any position on
the worn thread for one revolution of the
worm, of the axial pitch of the worm
multiplied by the number of threads of the
worm

Instantaneous lines of contact on the worm

Standard Nomenclature
Worm and Worm Gears Tooth
Proportions
 Governing Equations
• For axial plane

!$ !$ -.,
!" = = !* = =
cos ( ) cos +, /,

/,
!0 =
.,

• Lead – the axial advance on any

position on the worn thread for one
revolution of the worm, of the axial
pitch of the worm multiplied by the
number of threads of the worm
5)
() = arctan ( ) = +,
-.) For worm shaft that is 900 to the gear shaft
 Rack and Pinion
Rack and pinion gear sets are commonly used to convert rotational motion to linear
motion. Cars utilize this type of gear set to convert the rotary motion of a steering
wheel into a linear left/right motion required to steer the car. This is why it is called
rack and pinion steering.