Introduction:

Sometimes, two or more gears are made to mesh with

each other to transmit power from one shaft to another.
Such a combination is called gear train or train of
toothed wheels. The nature of the train used depends
upon the velocity ratio required and the relative
position of the axes of shafts. A gear train may consist
of spur, bevel or spiral gears.

Types of Gear Trains:

Following are the different types of gear trains,
depending upon the arrangement of wheels:
1. Simple gear train,
2. Compound gear train,
3. Reverted gear train, and
4. Epicyclic gear train.
In the first three types of gear trains, the axes of the
shafts over which the gears are mounted are fixed
relative to each other. But in case of epicyclic gear

trains, the axes of the shafts on which the gears are

mounted may move relative to a fixed axis.
When there is only one gear on each shaft, as
shown in Fig. 13.1, it is known as simple gear train.
The gears are represented by their pitch circles. When
the distance between the two shafts is small, the two
gears 1 and 2 are made to mesh with each other to
transmit motion from one shaft to the other, as shown
in Fig. 13.1 (a). Since the gear 1 drives the gear 2,
therefore gear 1 is called the driver and the gear 2 is
called the driven or follower. It may be noted that the
motion of the driven gear is opposite to the motion of
driving gear.
The typical spur gears as shown in diagram. The
direction of rotation is reversed from one gear to
another. It has no effect on the gear ratio. The teeth on
the gears must all be the same size so if gear A
advances one tooth, so does B and C.
A gear train is two or more gear working together by
meshing their teeth and turning each other in a system
to generate power and speed. It reduces speed and
increases torque. To create large gear ratio, gears are

connected together to form gear trains. They often

consist of multiple gears in the train.
The most common of the gear train is the gear pair
connecting parallel shafts. The teeth of this type can be
spur, helical or herringbone. The angular velocity is
simply the reverse of the tooth ratio. Any combination
of gear wheels employed to transmit motion from one
shaft to the other is called a gear train. The meshing of
two gears may be idealized as two smooth discs with
their edges touching and no slip between them. This
ideal diameter is called the Pitch Circle Diameter (PCD)
of the gear.

Gear Terminology:

The following are the important dimensions and

geometries concerned with toothed gear:

Pitch Circle:
Pitch circle is the apparent circle that two gears can be
taken like smooth cylinders rolling without friction.

Addendum Circle:
Addendum circle is the outer most profile circle of a
gear. Addendum is the radial distance between the
pitch circle and the addendum circle.

Dedendum Circle:
Dedendum circle is the inner most profile circle.
Dedendum is the radial distance between the pitch
circle and the dedendum circle.

Clearance:
Clearance is the radial distance from top of the tooth to
the bottom of the tooth space in the mating gear.

Backlash:
Backlash is the tangential space between teeth of
mating gears at pitch circles.

Full Depth:
Full depth is sum of the addendum and the dedendum.

Face Width:
Face width is length of tooth parallel to axes.

Diametral Pitch:
Diametral pitch (p) is the number of teeth per unit
volume.
p = (Number of Teeth) / (Diameter of Pitch circle)

Module:
Module (m) is the inverse of diametral pitch.

m = 1/p

Circular Pitch:
Circular pitch is the space in pitch circle used by each
teeth.

Gear Ratio:
Gear ratio is numbers of teeth of larger gear to smaller
gear.

Pressure Line:
Pressure line is the common normal at the point of
contact of mating gears along which the driving tooth
exerts force on the driven tooth.

Pressure Angle:
Pressure angle is the angle between the pressure line
and common tangent to pitch circles. It is also called
angle of obliquity. High pressure angle requires wider
base and stronger teeth.

Pitch Angle:
Pitch angle is the angle captured by a tooth.

Pitch angle = 360/T

Contact Ratio:
Contact ratio is angle of angle of action and pitch angle.

Path of Approach:
Path of approach is the distance along the pressure line
traveled by the contact point from the point of
engagement to the pitch point.

Path of Recess:
Path of recess is the distance traveled along the
pressure line by the contact point from the pitch point
to the path of disengagement.

Path of Contact:
Patch of contact is the sum of path of approach and
path of recess.

Arc of Approach:
Arc of approach is the distance traveled by a point on
either pitch circle of the two wheels from the point of
engagement to the pitch.

Arc of Recess:
Arc of recess is the distance traveled by a point on
either pitch circle of the two wheels from the point to
the point of disengagement.

Arc of Contact:
Arc of contact is the distance traveled by a point on
either pitch circle of the two wheels during the period of
contact of a pair of teeth.

Angle of Action:
Angle of action is the angle turned by a gear during arc
of contact.

COMPOUND GEAR TRAIN:

Theory
A compound gear is a number of gears fixed together.
Consequently, they rotate at the same speed.
The gears that make up a compound gear usually differ
in size and have a different number of teeth. This is
useful if there is a need to speed up or slow down the
final output.
Compound gear trains have two or more pairs of
gears in mesh, so that they rotate together. This
compound gear train has gears on three shafts. The
gear on the input shaft meshes with a larger gear on a
counter-shaft or cluster gear. The counter-shaft has a
smaller gear formed on it, in mesh with the output shaft
gear. The motion of the input is transferred through the

large gear, along the counter-shaft to the smaller gear,

to the output. The output turns in the same direction as
the input, but at a reduced ratio, depending on the
relative sizes of the gears. Since two pairs of gears are
involved, their ratios are compounded, or multiplied
together.

Diagram:

Working:

When there is more than one gear on a shaft, as shown

in Fig. it is called a compound train of gear.
We have seen in previous section that the idle gears, in
a simple train of gears do not affect the speed ratio of
the system. But these gears are useful in bridging over
the space between the driver and the driven. But
whenever the distance between the driver and the
driven or follower has to be bridged over by
intermediate gears and at the same time a great (or
much less) speed ratio is required, then the advantage
of intermediate gears is intensified by providing
compound gears on intermediate shafts. In this case,
each intermediate shaft has two gears rigidly fixed to it
so that they may have the same speed. One of these
two gears meshes with the driver and the other with
the driven or follower attached to the next shaft as
shown in Fig.

The input gear, with 12 teeth, drives its mating gear

on the counter-shaft, which has 24 teeth. This is a ratio
of 2 to 1. This ratio of DRIVEN over DRIVER at the Input
- 2 to 1 - is then multiplied by the Output ratio, which
has a DRIVEN to DRIVER ratio of 3 to 1. This gives a
gear ratio of 6 to 1 between the input and the output,
resulting in a speed reduction and a corresponding
increase in torque. Gear reductions in the lower gears

of manual transmissions can be provided by compound

gear trains.

Typical ratios are, 1st gear - 4.41 to 1 2nd gear - 2.63 to

1, and 3rd gear - 1.61 to 1. Fourth gear is normally a
ratio of 1 to 1. The input and output shafts turn at the
same speed. There is no torque multiplication. A fifth
gear is normally an overdrive ratio, typically with a
value of .87 to 1. Then the output shaft turns faster
than the input, but the output torque is reduced.
A further reduction is always provided by the final
drive gears. Their ratio is included when calculating
overall gear reduction. The overall gear ratio is the
gearbox ratio multiplied by the final drive ratio. A
gearbox ratio of 3 to 1 with a final drive ratio of 4 to 1,
gives an overall ratio of 12 to 1. 12 revolutions of the
crankshaft result in 1 turn of the driving road wheels.
Assuming 100% efficiency, the torque applied is 12
times the engine torque, although this is divided
equally between the driving wheels.

Calculation:

For large velocities ratios, compound gear train

arrangement is preferred.
The velocity of each tooth
on A and B are the same so:

tA = B tB

Since gear B and C are on the same shaft

B C
A tB tD

GR
D t A tC
Since 2 N
The gear ratio may be
written as :
N In
t
t
B D GR
N Out t A tC

Advantages of Compound Gear

Train:

A much larger speed reduction from the first

shaft to the last shaft can be obtained with small
gear.

If a simple gear trains used to give a large speed

reduction, the last gear has to be very large.

Applications:
- Any power plant that uses more than a single
steam turbine as a prime mover to transmit the power
compound gear.
- They use a compound gear train to get everything
going the same way at the same time and at the same
speed in ship for instance.

Content:
1. Introduction
2. Types of Gear Trains
3. Gear Terminology
4. COMPOUND GEAR TRAIN
a. Theory
b. Diagram
c. Working
d. Calculation
e. Advantages and Disadvantages
f. Application