Design, generation and stress analysis of face-gear drive with helical pinion Original Research Article

Two versions of face-gear drive geometry with a helical pinion are considered. One version is based on a screw involute helicoid. The second version is a new geometry developed as envelopes of two mismatched parabolic racks of the pinion and the shaper. A face-gear drive with a spur pinion is considered as a particular case of the developed theory. A new method of grinding or cutting of face-gears by a worm of special shape has been developed. The following problems are considered: (i) generation of a grinding worm with surfaces free of singularities and (ii) generation of face-gear by a shaper with surfaces free of undercutting and pointing. Tooth contact analysis and stress analysis are applied combined with investigation of tooth bearing contact on both sides. The following advantages have been achieved for the geometry proposed: (a) existence of a longitudinal bearing contact, (b) avoidance of edge contact, and (c) reduction of contact stresses. A phenomenon of asymmetry of tooth bearing contact for the driving and coast sides has been discovered. A computerized design, generation and stress analysis for the new types of face-gear drives have been developed.