Bevel gear

Bevel Gear

A bevel gear is a type of gear that has conically-shaped teeth and is primarily used in situations where changes in the direction of a shaft's rotation are necessary. Bevel gears are typically mounted on shafts that are 90 degrees apart, but can be designed to work at other angles as well. The surface of the gear teeth is often hypoid or helical.

Design and Function

The design of a bevel gear is intended to handle high-speed, high-torque applications. The teeth on a bevel gear can be straight, spiral, or hypoid. Straight bevel gears have teeth that are straight and parallel to the generators of the cone. This is the simplest form of bevel gear. Spiral bevel gears have curved, oblique teeth. Hypoid bevel gears are similar to spiral bevel but the pitch surfaces are hyperbolic and not conical.

The primary function of a bevel gear is to change the direction of the axis of rotation. They are typically used in differential drives, which can transmit power to two axles spinning at different speeds, such as those on a cornering automobile.

Applications

Bevel gears are used in many different applications, including power tools, rotary engines, and differentials in automobiles. They are also used in hand drills, marine applications, and even in some types of clocks. In addition, bevel gears are used in the drive train of many vehicles including cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing process of bevel gears is complex and requires specialized machinery. The process typically involves cutting and then heat treating the gear to achieve the desired hardness. The teeth of the gear are usually cut with a milling cutter.

See Also

• Gear
• Spiral bevel gear
• Hypoid gear
• Differential (mechanical device)