HANDBOOK OF

GEAR SECOND EDITION

M
Formerly Manager, Design Department
Rourkela Steel Plant
Rourkela

Tata Publishing Company Limited

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Tata Hill
A of The

1994, 1989, Tata Publishing Company Limited

Fifth reprint 200 1

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No part of this publication can be reproduced in any form or by any means

without the prior written permission of the publishers

This edition can be exported India only by the publishers,

Tata Publishing Company Limited

ISBN 0-07-460237-3

Published by Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited,

7 West Nagar, New Delhi 110008, typeset at
Aksharshrec, Vishwas Nagar, Shahdara, Delhi 110 032, and printed at
Ram Book Binding House. New Delhi 1 10 020.
 Memory of My Mother
and
Gratitude to My Father
Preface to the
Second Edition
In the present era of sophisticated machinery, gear technology has evolved to a high degree
of perfection. Several developments leading to advanced leve! design and manufacture of
gear and gearing systems have taken place. These developments have prompted me to revise
the first edition.
The first edition was a practical reference fulfilling the requirements of design engineers
and technicians. In the new edition I have updated and broadened the scope of application
with additional discussions on spiral bevel gear systems, more methods for checking gear-
tooth and design of gear-tooth profile.
I have been greatly encouraged by the tremendous response from the professionals from
the industry and also from academicians based in India and abroad. I take this opportunity
to thank my friends, colleagues and the readers of the first edition for their appreciation and
feedback. I will welcome suggestions and constructive criticism on the second edition leading
to its improvement.

M
 Preface to the
First Edition
Prima facie, a gear a n ordinary machine element, yet such is the modern demand and
importance of this seemingly simple engineering component that the science and a r t of gear
engineering is continuing to develop new, highly efficient and unusual forms of gear systems,
gear mechanisms and arrangements to meet the exacting and ever-increasing requirements of
present-day technology. Today gears represent a high level of achievement in engineering
behind their seemingly simple facade.
Rapid developmentshave taken recent the design, manufacturingprocesses,
heat-treatment and other strength-improving procedures, inspection, checking and
control of gears. I n the present era of sophisticated technology, mass production and high-speed
machinery, gear design has evolved to a high degree of perfection. The design and manufacture
of precision-cut gears, made from materials of high strength, have made it possible to produce
gears which are capable of transmitting extremely large loads at extremely high circumferential
speeds with very little noise, vibration and other undesirable aspects of gear drives.
It is, therefore, imperative that students and engineers alike must keep themselves abreast
of the latest, rapidly changing gear-design techniques.
While books on gear design are galore in industrially developed countries, there is dearth of
such books in India which take cognizance of the pragmatic approach towards subject and
which conform to the Indian Standards and use the SI units of measurements. The basic
concepts of gear design and their practical use have been exhaustively dealt with in this book.
Existingtreatises, foreign or indigenous, are normally restricted to sophisticated clientele or are
too detailed in nature. This book is intended to present the technology of gearing in a lucid
manner to help the engineering student a s well a s the design engineers, technicians and other
skilled personnel working in the industry, so that they can 'easily appreciate the underlying
principles and practice of the subject. During my tenure a s a design engineer in industries at
home and abroad, 1have gained considerable experience in the practical side design and
this volume is, therefore, written with a n emphasis and bias towards the practical approach. At
the same time, it h a s been supplemented by a sufficient account of the theoretical aspects. This
would be profitable for the readers wishing to probe into thejustification ofthe design techniques
involved.
Since the subject of gear technology is vast, I have felt impelled to discuss the subject in the
broadest terms within the scope available. Aspects of different types of gears, gearing systems
and allied subjects which are normally encountered in gear design have been discussed in this
book. For those readers who wish t o pursue the subject in even greater depth and detail, copious
references are alluded to at relevant pages.
Acknowledgements are due mostly to the authors ofthe numerous books and technical papers
I have consulted while preparing this book,I will be thankful if the errors t h a t might have crept
in inadvertently are pointed out. Any suggestions leading to the improvement of the book will
be gratefully received.
M
Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the permission granted by the Bureau of Indian Standards
for reproducing the following standards. These standards are available for sale from the
Bureau of Indian Standards, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi and from its regional
and branch at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Bombay, Calcutta,
Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Madras and Trivandrum.

IS: 2535-1978
IS: 4460-1967
IS: 7443-1974
5037-1969
IS: 7403-1974
IS: 2048-1975
IS: 2293-1974