MEASUREMENT OF GEARS
*Gears are mechanical drives which transmit power through toothed wheel. In this gear drive, the driving wheel is in direct contact with driven wheel.
*The accuracy of gearing is very important factor when gears are manufactured. The transmission efficiency is almost 99% of gears.
*So, it is very important to test and measure the gears precisely.
*The most commonly used forms of gear teeth are
i) Involute
ii) Cycloidal
Types of Gears
1. Spur Gear
2. Spiral Gear
3. Helical Gear
4. Bevel Gear
5. Worm and Worm wheel
6. Rack and Pinion
GEAR TERMINOLOGY
1.Pitch Circle
Pitch circle is an imaginary circle that divides the gear teeth in two portion i.e. top lands and bottom lands or we can also say that pitch circle divides the gear teeth in addendum and dedendum.
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2.Pitch circle diameter
Diameter of pitch circle is called as pitch circle diameter, how you will measure the pitch circle diameter?
We can measure the diameter of pitch circle by measuring the distance between top of one gear tooth to bottom of opposite gear tooth.
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3.Pitch point
During meshing of two gears, pitch circle of both gears will meet at a point with each other and that point is known as pitch point.
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4.Top land
Top land is the top portion of gear tooth which will be extended above the pitch circle.
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5.Bottom land
Bottom land is the bottom portion of gear tooth which will be extended below the pitch circle.
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6.Addendum (a)
Addendum is basically the radial distance between pitch circle and top land.
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7.Addendum Circle
Addendum circle is basically an imaginary circle that passes through the addendum of gear teeth.
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8.Dedendum (b)
Dedendum is basically the radial distance between pitch circle and bottom land.
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9.Dedendum Circle
Dedendum circle is basically an imaginary circle that passes through the addendum of gear teeth.
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10.Base circle
Base circle is a circle from where involute portion of tooth profile will be produced.
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11.Circular Pitch
Distance which is measured along the pitch circle from a point on a gear tooth to the corresponding point on the adjacent gear tooth is called as circular pitch.
Circular pitch, PC= π. D/N = π m
Where, m is module (we will discuss module below)
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12.Circular thickness
Distance which is measured along the pitch circle from one side of gear tooth to opposite side of gear tooth i.e. the thickness of gear tooth will be called as circular thickness.
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13.Face width
Face width is called as the length of tooth in axial direction.
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14.Width of space
Width of space is basically the space, measured along pitch circle, between two teeth of a gear.
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15.Backlash
When two gear meshes with each other, the difference between the width of space between teeth and circular thickness of mating gear teeth is called as backlash.
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16.Module
Module is basically defined as the ratio of pitch circle diameter to the number of teeth
m= D/N
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17.Diametral pitch
Diametral Pitch is defined as the number of teeth per unit pitch circle diameter or the ratio of number of teeth to pitch circle diameter will be called as diametral pitch.
Pd = N/D
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18.Outside diameter
Outside diameter is the major diameter in a gear.
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19.Root circle
Root circle is basically a circle that passes through the root of gear teeth and the diameter of root circle is called as root circle diameter.
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20.Whole depth
Whole depth is basically the sum of addendum and dedendum of gear teeth.
Ht= a +b
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21.Working depth
Working depth is basically the depth of engagement, when two mating gear meshes with each other. Working depth is expressed by HW.
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21.Clearance
Clearance is basically defined as the difference between the whole depth and working depth
C= Ht – HW
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22.Pressure Line
Pressure line is basically a common normal line at a point of contact of two mating gears and driving gear tooth will exert the force to the driven gear tooth along this common normal line.
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23.Pressure angle
Pressure angle is basically defined as the angle between pressure line and common tangent line at pitch circle of two mating gears. Sometimes we also say this angle as angle of obliquity.