What is a Gear?

A rotary circular machine with a tooth in its structure and is used to transfer torque and speed
from one shaft to another is called a gear.

Gears are also known as cogs and have cut teeth in the cogwheel or gear wheel. These teeth
mesh together, and are used to transfer torque and speed. Gears are mechanical devices that
work on the level principle. The direction, speed and torque of the power device can be
changed by the presence of gears. Gears are simple machines that can be different sizes and
produce a different amount of torque, giving a mechanical advantage. The speed depends on
the rotational speed and diameter of two meshed structures attached to it. The shape of teeth
in all the gears are the same and evenly spaced. The teeth provide torque and prevent slipping
gears. If two or more meshing gears are working in a sequence, it is called transmission or
gear train. A linear toothed pack is called a rack and if the mesh works in a linear direction, it
produces translation.

Parts of a Gear
Gears are used to transmit rotation from one axis to another axis and to change the output
speed of a shaft. They are commonly used for high loads because their teeth allow for fine
control in the movement of a shaft.

Addendum - The teeth of gears extend outward for external gears and inward for internal
gears from the pitch circle. This projection of gears is the radial distance between the pitch
diameter and the diameter of the gear, which is referred to as the addendum with the tops of
the gear teeth forming the addendum circle.

Axis - The axis controls the direction of gear movement and how that motion is translated.
Parallel axes are the most common form of axis where two axes are parallel. With
intersecting axes, the axes are perpendicular to each other and are used to change the
direction of motion. Although parallel and intersecting are the most common form of axes,
there are gears that are not parallel and do not intersect.

Base Circle - The base circle is a theoretical construct that is used to generate the involute
curve for the creation of tooth profiles.

Circular Pitch - The circular pitch is the distance from a fixed point on one tooth to the same
fixed point on an adjacent tooth, which is measured along the pitch circle. The measure is in
the form of an arc and not line due the curve of a gear. In order for gears to mesh properly,
the circular pitch, also referred to as the space between the teeth, of both gears must be equal.
Since the formula for calculating circular pitch includes pi (ℼ), module, a unit for gear tooth
size, is used to avoid cumbersome calculations. Modules of gears are easier to handle than
circular pitch, because it is a rational number.

Dedendum - The dedendum is the depth of a gear tooth between the pitch circle and the
minor or inside diameter.

Diametral Pitch (DP) - The diametral pitch is the ratio of the number of teeth to the pitch
diameter. In order for gears to mesh properly, they must have the same diametral pitch. It is
expressed in the United States and the United Kingdom as the number of teeth per inch. As
the number of teeth per inch increases, the profile of the teeth gets smaller. The larger the DP
value, the size of the teeth of a gear get smaller.

Fillet - The gear tooth fillet, also known as the trochoid, is the byproduct of the gear cutting
motion and is located just before the cutter tip impression on a gear tooth.

Form Diameter - The form diameter is an imaginary circle that is produced by connecting
the trochoid or fillet curve of the teeth of a gear, is known as the involute form diameter (TIF)
and is less than the base circle diameter.

Gear Ratio - The gear ratio indicates how many times a gear must turn for another gear to
turn once. It is a direct measurement of the ratio of the rotational speeds of two or more
interlocking gears. If the drive gear that is receiving power is bigger than the driven gear, the
latter will turn quicker. If taken in reverse and the powered gear is smaller than the driven
gear, the former will turn faster.

Pitch Circle - The pitch circle defines the size of a gear and needs to be tangent to another
gear in order to mesh. It is an imaginary circle that goes through each of the teeth of a gear
with a radius that makes it possible to make contact with a similar circle.

Pitch Diameter - The pitch diameter, identified by dm or d2, is the diameter of the pitch
circle and is used to calculate how far away two gears should be from one another. It is equal
to the widths of the threads and grooves. The pitch diameter is the width of the cylinder as it
intersects the major and minor diameter or pitch line. It is an important part of determining
the compatibility of gears and used as a frame of reference for thread measurement.

Pressure Angle - The pressure angle is an angle formed by a line that is tangent to the pitch
circle and a normal line to the tooth profile at the pitch circle. It is determined by the tool that
is used to form the involute curve of the gear teeth. Standard pressure angles are 14.5o, 20o,
and 25o. The pressure angle determines how gears make contact and the amount of force that
is distributed along the teeth. For two gears to mesh, they must have the same pressure angle.
Teeth - Teeth of a gear project outward or inward depending on the design of the gear. When
they project outward, the teeth on the circumference of the gear are used to transmit rotation.
When they are on the inside of the gear, they are referred to as internal gears, which are
matched with an external gear and commonly used for planetary gear drives.

Types of Gears
An important part of gear selection is having a clear understanding of the different gear types
to be able to provide the proper force transmission in a mechanical design. A factor related to
choosing a gear is its dimensions in terms of module, number of teeth, angle, and face width.

A gearbox, known as a gear drive, is designed to increase torque from a drive motor, reduce
the speed generated by a motor, and change the rotational direction of rotating shafts.
Equipment or motors are connected to the gearbox by couplings, belts, chains, or shafts. As
can be assumed, the heart of a gearbox is its gears, which operate in pairs by engaging with
each other to transmit power.

Gears are essential for the proper functioning of processes, equipment, machines, and
complex mechanisms. They seamlessly transfer motion, force, power, and torque between
different parts, smoothly and efficiently. Gears are divided by types, classes, and how they
maximize their actions. Understanding the types of gears and their parameters helps in
efficiently planning the operation of equipment and mechanisms.

Bevel Gears

Bevel gears are conical in shape and the teeth of this gear are placed around its conical
surface. These gears are used in applications where there is a need for change around its axis
of rotation. These gears transmit energy and power to the intersecting shafts by changing its
rotation. The configuration angles that are required for bevel gears is usually 90 degrees
though not always. Bevel gears are made with cast steel, plain carbon steel, and alloy steels.
All have different characteristics and can be used according to their applications.

Crown Bevel Gears

Crown bevel gears, also known as face gears and contrate gears, have helical teeth in the
form of a spiral with a pitch angle that is equal to 90°. They mesh with other bevel gears, spur
gears, and a pinion system to change rotary motion at a right angle. The projection of the
teeth at a right angle to the plane of the wheel gives them the appearance of being a crown.
Unlike conical bevel gears, crown bevel gears are cylindrical to be paired with other gears
according to tooth design.

The use of crown gears is due to the decentralization of drive technology, which has become
more important with industrial operation’s flexibility and the increasing number of drives.
Hypoid Bevel Gears

Hypoid bevel gears are able to transmit rotational power between two shafts at right angles
and are mostly used in the drive trains of heavy duty trucks. Sets of hypoid gears do not
intersect because the smaller gear shaft, pinion, is offset from the larger gear shaft or crown.
The axis offset allows the pinion diameter to be larger and have a greater spiral angle, which
increases the contact area and tooth strength.

The spiral angle feature allows the pinion and crown to mesh smoothly. The increased tooth
strength and contact area make it possible to have a wider range of gear ratios and enables the
transmission of higher amounts of torque. The benefits of the design include reduced wear,
lower friction, less energy loss, and exceptional efficiency.

Miter Bevel Gears

Miter gears are used as right angle drives with a 1:1 gear ratio between intersecting shafts and
used in conditions that require high efficiency. The meshing between miter gears requires that
both gears have the same number of teeth, pitch, and pressure angle with more than two miter
gears capable of being used in sets. The thrust of miter gears causes them to separate and
necessitates the use of ball bearings or sleeve bearings to absorb the backward thrust. All
miter gears are mounted at right angles with hardened miter gears providing 50% more
horsepower capacity and can endure greater wear than miter gears that are not hardened.

Spiral Bevel Gears

Spiral bevel gears have a curved angle of teeth placement. It is more angled and also provides
gradual teeth to teeth contact than that of straight bevel gears. This gradual engagement of
teeth greatly reduces the vibration and the noise that is produced even at high velocities.
Spiral bevel gears are also available in left and right hand angled teeth. Spiral bevel gears are
difficult to manufacture and have a structure. However they have greater tooth strength,
smooth operations, and low noise during operations.

Straight Bevel Gears

Straight bevel gears are the most commonly used gears in many industries, because the tooth
design is so simple and can be manufactured easily. The teeth of straight bevel gears are
designed so that when a perfectly matched straight bevel gear comes in contact, it fits with
each other at once and not gradually. This adjustment of teeth produces lots of noise while
working and also increases the stress that is produced on the gear’s teeth. All these reduce the
lifespan and durability of the gear and machine.

Zerol Bevel Gears

Zerol gears are the combination of both spiral and straight gears. These gears have all the
characteristics of both kinds of gears. Zerol gears have curved teeth that are placed straight on
the conical surface. This means that zerol gears are used in the same applications as that of
straight gears, however, zerol gears are much quieter and have less friction compared to
straight gears. Additionally zerol gears are not placed at any angle therefore, these can rotate
in any direction and are also available in both left hand and right hand design.

Internal Gears

Internal gears are the ones which have teeth that are placed on the inside of the diameter of
the cylinder. Internal gears are the best to use for high transmission of energy in small areas,
low noise production, less vibration, low speed reduction, and low cost. Internal gears are
also called ring gears and are ideally used for areas where there are space issues. The mating
of external gears results in rotation in opposite direction and if there is mating of external and
internal mesh then the rotation will be in the same direction.

Helical Gear

A helical gear is a type of gear that has parallel configuration. This type of gear is also used
for non parallel and non intersecting configuration. The teeth of helical gears are twisted
around the cylindrical body and angled towards the gear face. Helical gears are designed with
left and right hand angled teeth. Each gear pair is composed of a right and left hand gear of
the same helix angle. This angled tooth design gives helical gear an advantage because it can
mate with other gears differently than those of straight cut teeth. If the mated pair is perfectly
matched to each other then the contact level between the corresponding teeth is at a
maximum and at intervals, rather than the whole tooth engagement at once. This engagement
will help in reducing the noise created from machines and also lower the impact on the teeth.

Double Helical Gear Design

Left handed and right handed helical gears that have the same twist angle are referred to as
double helical gears, which transmit rotational motion between two parallel shafts. They have
the same advantages as other helical gear, including strength and low resonance, with the
added advantage of being able to cancel thrust forces with their combination of right and left
hand twists. The unfortunate aspect of double helical gears is the extra amount of effort that
is necessary to manufacture them.

Herringbone Gears
Herringbone gears are double helical gears that have adjoining gear teeth.
As with double helical gears, the teeth on herringbone gears are right and
left hand gear teeth that have the appearance of the letter V and are
designed to cancel out their mutual thrust. Like most helical gears,
herringbone gears operate quietly, smoothly, and at high speeds. One of
their main characteristics, like most helical gears, is the engagement of
multiple teeth during each rotation, which distributes the load and is the
reason for their quiet operation.

Screw Gears

Screw gears are also a sub type of helical gears and they are used for non
parallel and non intersecting configurations. Herringbone gears are
employed as right hand and left hand pairs but screw gears are employed
for the same hand pair. These types of gears are usually low capacity and
low efficiency and cannot be used for high power applications.

Single Helical Gear Design

Single helical gears have a single row of teeth that are cut at an angle to
the axis of the gear along a spiral path in a single left hand or right hand
helix. They are able to develop axial thrust and radial thrust with low
power transmission. The common helix angle for single helical gears is
between 15o and 45o since high helix angles cannot be used. Single
helical gears mate slowly, which results in reduced vibrations, noise, and
teeth wear. Like spur gears, single helical gears are used to transmit
motion and power between parallel shafts. Unlike spur gears, single
helical gears have to be used in pairs due to the angle of their teeth.

Plastic Gears
Different types of plastic gears are now widely used in the engineering
industry for manufacturing gears. Plastic gears are becoming the first
choice of many industries due to their wide range of applications and its
availability to work in all types of configuration. Plastic gears are used in a
parallel axis configuration such as helical cylindrical gears, double helical
gears, and spur cylindrical gears. It is also available for non parallel
configuration such as bevel gears, screw gears, and worm gears. Plastic is
also used in gears that are used for special applications such as internal
gears and rack and pinion gears.

Rack and Pinion Gears

Rack and pinion is a gear pair and it consists of a gear rack and a gear that
is cylindrical in shape known as pinion. The gear rack is a flat bar that has
infinite radius and it also has straight teeth that are inserted on the
surface of the bar. The configuration of these gears is dependent on the
type of pinion gear with which these are mated. If it is mated with a spur
gear then it is parallel and if it is mated with a helical gear then it is angled.
Both these designs can be used in a rack. The rotational movement can be
changed into linear one and linear can be changed into rotational one.
One rack and pinion gear advantage is the design of this gear. It is also the
simplest to manufacture and is also low in cost. But there are some
limitations to this design in that the transmission of energy cannot
continue in one direction for infinite time. The motion can be limited by
the length of the rack, and a great space present between the mated pair
which will create a lot of friction and stress on the teeth of the gear.

Spur Gears
Spur gears are the most common type of gear. They have a circular or
cylindrical body with teeth that are cut straight and are aligned parallel to
the gear shafts. Mated pairs of spur gears are placed in a parallel axis
configuration for transmission of motion and power. The mating of spur
gears depends on their application, since they can be mated with other
spur gears, internal gears, or a planetary gear.

External Spur Gear

The distinctive feature of external spur gears is the placement of their

teeth on the external circumference of the gear with the teeth jutting out
and away from the center of the gear. The teeth of an external gear are
cut on the outside surface of the cylinder, pointing away from the center.
During motion and transmission of power, the input and output shafts
move smoothly in opposite directions as the external gear teeth mesh.

Internal Spur Gear

Unlike external gears, internal gear teeth point inward, toward the center
of the cylinder. The teeth have the same shape as that of other spur gears
with the differentiating factors being their location and their direction. The
appearance of an internal gear is that of a smooth circle with teeth cut
into the inner portion of the circumference of the circle. This view of
internal gears has led to them being named ring gears due to their
resemblance to a special form of ring.
Worm Gears

Worm gears are also called cylindrical gears or screw shaped gears. It
consists of a worm wheel and a worm or screw shaped gear. These gears
are manufactured to work with non parallel and non intersecting
configurations. The design and angle of these gears is such that the worm
can make the wheels rotate but the wheels cannot change the rotation of
the screw or worm. This mechanism works in machines that require self
locking ability. These gears have a high gear ratio and capacity making
them suitable for work in a quieter environment and producing less noise.
Some disadvantages include low transmission power and a lot of friction
that is produced during functioning. This friction requires lots of
lubrication for these gears to run smoothly.

Differential Gears
Differential gears are made up of two halves of an axle with a gear placed
on the ends of each half, which are connected by a third gear to form
three sides of a square. In some instances, a fourth gear is added to
complete the square. To complete the set, a ring gear is added to the
differential casing that holds the three or four core gears in place, which is
connected to the drive shaft by a pinion to power the wheels.

Industrial Gears
The term industrial gears covers a wide range of gears that transfer power
between systems, allow for a variety of speeds and loads, and achieve a
fixed range of input speeds and loads. The list of industrial gears includes
all of the gears described above each of which is included in a system,
process, or special configuration.

Nylon Gears
There are several factors that distinguish nylon gears from traditional
metal gears with their lubricity and noise reduction being two of their
most outstanding qualities. Nylon is a strong engineering plastic with
exceptional wear qualities and properties. It is often used for the
manufacture of bearings and bushings due to its lubricity.
planetary Gears
Planetary gears, also known as epicyclic gears, are a multi-gear set that
includes an internal gear, a central gear or sun, a planetary carrier, and
one or more other gears known as planets. All of the gears in the set are
spur gears, including the internal gear. The multiple gears in a planetary
gear make it easy to adjust, change, and convert gear ratios. The
engineering of the components provides stability due to the even
distribution of mass and rotational stiffness.

Rear End Gears

Rear end gears provide mechanical leverage that multiplies torque to help
engines move machines. As the gear ratio gets higher, rear end gears
provide more leverage to help with acceleration. The gear ratio of a rear
end gear refers to the gear ratio between the driven gear or ring and the
drive gear or pinion, which is calculated by dividing the number of teeth of
the ring gear by the number of drive gear teeth.

Small Gears
Small gears turn very quickly with less force and are used to increase the
force of other, larger gears. They rotate at a faster speed and require less
force. The principle of gear transmission ratio is when two gears of
different diameters mesh and rotate together, the gear with the larger
diameter will rotate slower than the smaller gear. How the gears are
arranged, small to large or large to small, determines the amount of speed
that will be generated by their connecting.

Spline Gears
Spline gears are rods, such as drive shafts, that have teeth to transfer
torque between machine parts by meshing with the teeth on a mating
piece internal spline shaft. They are like gears in that they have teeth
along their exterior that lock in place with the teeth of their mated internal
spline shaft. Spline gears are unlike gears in that they use all their teeth to
transfer torque while gears transfer torque one tooth at a time. They
mesh with an equal number of teeth with their mating piece.
Sprockets
Sprockets are wheels with teeth or notches around their circumference
that are able to engage chains or belts that have the same thickness and
pitch. They have the appearance of gears but are not designed to mesh
with one another. Sprockets are commonly seen on bicycles and
motorcycles as the chain drive. They are made from steel and aluminum
with steel being the more durable and long lasting.