GEAR TRAIN

UNIT - V
GEAR TRAIN
A gear train is composed of two or more gears in mesh for the purpose of transmitting motion /
power from one shaft to another.

A gear train enables to have larger centre distance between the driving and driven shafts, provides
control on the direction of rotation of the driven gear, and facilitates increased transmission ratio with
gears of smaller sizes in a lesser space.

TYPES
❑ Simple gear train
❑ Compound gear train
❑ Reverted gear train
❑ Planetary (or epicyclic) gear train
✓ In the first 3 types, the axes of the shafts over which the gears are mounted
are fixed relative to each other.
✓ But in case of epicylic gear train, the axes of the shafts on which the gears are
mounted may move relative to each other.
SIMPLE GEAR TRAIN
Let,
Gear 1,3,5 rotates in anti-clockwise
direction and gear 2, 4 are rotating in
clockwise rotation.

o Speed Ratio is the ratio of the speed of the driving to that of the
driven shaft.
o It is –ve when input and output gears are rotating in opposite
direction and it is positive when two rotates in same direction.
o The reverse of the Speed ratio is known as Train Value of the
Gear Train.
Let,
T – No. of Teeth on a gear
N – Speed of a gear in rpm
 COMPOUND GEAR
TRAIN
• When a series of gears are connected in
such a way that two or more gears rotate about
an axis with the same angular velocity, it is known
as Compound Gear Train.
If gear 1 is the driver gear then,
REVERTED GEAR TRAIN
In a reverted gear train the first and the last gear are coaxial (same
axis). Reverted gear trains are used in automotive
transmission, lathe back gears, industrial speed reducers, and in
clocks where the minute and hour hand shafts are coaxial.
A reverted gear train as shown in figure is used to provide a speed ratio of 10. The module
of gear 1 and 2 is 3.2 mm and of gears 3 and 4 is 2 mm. Determine suitable number of
teeth for each gear. No gear is to have less than 20 teeth. The centre distance between
shaft is 160 mm.
PLANETARY OR EPICYCLIC GEAR TRAIN
A gear train having a relative motion of axes is called a planetary or
an epicyclic gear train.
In this train, one of the axis of the gears also move relative to the
frame.
o If arm a is fixed, it will constitute a simple gear train.
o If S is fixed, then arm with wheel P will rotate around S.
Hence it will constitute a Epicyclic gear train.
o Wheel P actually traces an epicyclic path that is why it is
known as Epicyclic gear train.
o If fixed wheel is annular and another wheel rolls inside it
then path traced will be a hypocycloid.
o Large speed reduction is possible if fixed wheel is annular,
a more compact unit could be obtained.
o It is used in transmission, computing devices and so on.
PROCEDURE
TABULAR METHOD
Figure shows a gear train in which gears B and C constitute a compound gear. The
number of teeth are shown along with each wheel in the figure. Determine the speed
and the direction of rotation of wheels A and E if the arm revolves at 210 rpm
clockwise and the gear D is fixed.
An epicyclic gear train is shown in figure. The number of teeth on A and B are 80 and
200. determine the speed of the arm a –
(i) If A rotates at 100 rpm clockwise and B at 50 rpm counter-clockwise.
(ii) If A rotates at 100 rpm clockwise and B is stationary.
The annulus A in the gear shown in figure rotates at 300 rpm about the axis of the fixed
wheel S which has 80 teeth. The three armed spider (only one arm a is shown in figure)
is driven at 180 rpm. Determine the number of teeth required on the wheel P.
TORQUES IN EPICYCLIC TRAINS

Note -
• In a steady-state condition (no net angular acceleration), the sum of external torques must be
zero.
• For an epicyclic gear system, each gear experiences forces due to other gears, but the combined
effect leads to an overall balanced system.
Figure shows a gear train in which gears D-E and F-G are compound gears. D
gears with A and B; E gears with F; and G gears with C. The numbers of teeth
on each gear are A = 60, B=120, C=135, D=30, E=75, F=30, G=60. If the wheel A
is fixed and the arm makes 20 revolutions clockwise, find the revolution of B
and C.
If the arm is applied a turning moment of 1kN-m, determine the turning
moment on the shaft supporting the wheel C.
BEVEL EPICYCLIC GEAR TRAIN
Figure shows a Humpage gear used in a Lathe Headstock. The number of teeth on
wheels B, C, D, E and F are 18, 54, 22, 44 and 72 respectively. If the shaft G rotates at
200 rpm, what will be the speed of the shaft H when
(i) F is held stationary
(ii) It is rotated at 30 rpm opposite to G.
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