FACE GEARS: Geometry and Strength

摘要

There are three distinct gear types in angle drives. The most commonly used solutions are bevel and worm drives; a less-often implemented alternative is a face gear drive. This solution - with its specific advantages and disadvantages - is discussed in this document. Face gears have existed for centuries - the Chinese implemented them on wagons, and the Romans used them in water and windmills. Around the middle of the last century, much attention was given - especially in the United States - to development of the theory and machining of involute face gears. Calculations used in manufacturing proved to be extraordinarily complex. Face gears were at this time installed in relatively lightly loaded gear boxes for transmitting motion. Around 1990, an effort was undertaken in the Netherlands by Crown Gears, which produced face gears under the product name "Cylkro" drive (Ref. 1). Further development was also undertaken in the United States and Japan (Refs. 2, 3).