Drawing and meshing involute bevel gears in CAD

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges of drawing and meshing involute bevel gears for 3D printing using CAD software. Participants seek guidance on creating accurate gear profiles and inquire about the applicability of involute equations to bevel gears compared to spur gears.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses urgency in needing to draw bevel gears that do not intersect improperly when turning, seeking tutorials or resources for creating meshing involute gear teeth.
  • Another participant shares code in FreeBASIC that generates involute profiles based on fundamental parameters, suggesting it can be adapted for gear generation.
  • A participant questions whether the same involute profile can be applied to bevel gears as to spur gears, noting the differences in geometry.
  • Some participants clarify that while spur gears are cylindrical, bevel gears are conical, and the involute profile can be projected from the spur gear profile to define the bevel gear surface.
  • There is a discussion about the nature of the bevel gear profiles, with one participant stating that while the pinion bevel can be involute, the corresponding bevel wheel may not be.
  • Participants inquire about the specifics of the bevel gears, such as whether they are straight, spiral, skew, or hypoid, and the angles and ratios involved.
  • One participant mentions finding resources in "Dudley's Gear Handbook" and notes the capabilities of AutoCAD's gear development tool for creating teeth curves and calculating gear parameters.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the applicability of involute profiles to bevel gears, with differing views on the geometry and calculations involved. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specifics of gear profiles and their relationships.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the correct application of involute equations to bevel gears and the implications of different gear types and configurations on gear design.

Jarfi
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Hello, I urgently need to be able to draw a set of bevel gears for 3d printing. The gears I am currently drawing intersect that is their teeth are penetrating each other when the gear turns.

Currently using http://www.daycounter.com/Calculators/Bevel-Gear-Calculator.phtml to find the numbers, However I cannot seem to find any straightforward information on how to draw correctly meshing teeth.

Is there some involute bevel gear tutorial or text out there, which I can use to create a real CAD drawing of actually meshing involute gear teeth?
 
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Here is some old code written in FreeBASIC, (very similar to MS VB). You can download FB for free.
It will generate the involute profile needed when given fundamental parameters.
Extract the parts you need to generate your gear.
Code:
'=======================================================================
' Generate an involute spur gear from an ideal rack or hob.
' only the general situation without correction of undercut is modeled
'=======================================================================
Dim As Double MM = 3.5  ' MM = 25.4 / DP
Dim As Double PA = 20.  ' pressure angle in degrees
Dim As Integer n = 57 '19.  ' number of teeth

'=======================================================================
Const As Double Pi = 4 * Atn(1)
Const As Double DtoR = Atn(1) / 45
Dim As Double PD = n * MM  ' pitch diameter
Dim As Double BD = PD * Cos(PA * DtoR)  ' base diameter
Dim As Double ad =  1.00 * MM  ' addendum
Dim As Double dd =  1.25 * MM  ' dedendum
Dim As Double OD = PD + 2.00 * MM  ' outside diameter
Dim As Double RD = PD - 2.50 * MM  ' root diameter
Dim As Double CP = Pi * PD / n  ' circular pitch
Dim As Double min = 2/Sin(PA*DtoR)^2  ' minimum n without undercut
Dim As Double BL = 0.04 * MM  ' recommended backlash

'=======================================================================
Print Using "  ##.## metric module"  ; MM
Print Using "  ####.# pressure angle in degrees"; PA
Print Using "  ##### number of teeth"  ; n
Print Using "####.### pitch diameter"  ; PD
Print Using "####.### base diameter"  ; BD
Print Using "####.### addendum"  ; ad
Print Using "####.### dedendum"  ; dd
Print Using "####.### outside diameter" ; OD
Print Using "####.### root diameter"  ; RD
Print Using "####.### circular pitch"  ; CP
Print Using "####.### undercut limit"  ; min
Print Using "####.### backlash"  ; BL  ' half to each gear ?
If min > n Then Print " WARNING: generated teeth will be undercut. "

'=======================================================================
Dim As Double Rp = PD * 0.5  ' pitch radius
Dim As Double Ra = OD * 0.5  ' outer tip radius, Rp + addendum
Dim As Double Rb = BD * 0.5  ' base radius
Dim As Double Rr = RD * 0.5  ' root radius

'-----------------------------------------------------------------------
' find gamma of the pitch point
Dim As Double t = Sqr(Rp*Rp - Rb*Rb) / Rb  ' pitch point parametric value
Dim As Double ux = Cos(t)
Dim As Double uy = Sin(t)
Dim As Double px = Rb * ( ux + t * uy )
Dim As Double py = Rb * ( uy - t * ux )
print using "gamma for pitch point is##.### "; Atn(py/px) / DtoR
print using "pitch point  x=###.###  y=###.###";  px; py
' Circle(px, py), .27, 13,,,,F
dim as double tooth = 2 * Pi / n
print using "Each tooth is###.### degrees"; tooth * 180 / Pi
for r as double = Rb to Ra + 1e-6 step (Ra - Rb) / 15  ' n+1 points
  Dim As Double t = Sqr(r*r - Rb*Rb) / Rb
  Dim As Double ux = Cos(t)
  Dim As Double uy = Sin(t)
  Dim As Double px = Rb * ( ux + t * uy )
  Dim As Double py = Rb * ( uy - t * ux )
  print px, py
next r

'=======================================================================
Screenres 1000, 1000, 4
' Window (0.4*Ra, -Ra/2) - (1.2*Ra, Ra/2)
Window (0.4*Ra, -Ra/4) - (1.2*Ra, Ra/4)
Line (-2, 0)-(Ra, 0), 6
Line ( 0,-2)-( 0, 2), 6

'-----------------------------------------------------------------------
' Line ( Ra,-3)-( Ra, 3), 6
'Circle (0,0), Ra, 6
'Circle (0,0), Rp, 6
'Circle (0,0), Rb, 6
'Circle (0,0), Rr, 6

' draw all reference circles
For t As Double = 0 To 2 * Pi Step Pi * .01 / Ra
  Dim As Double ux = Cos(t)
  Dim As Double uy = Sin(t)
  Pset ( Rr*ux, Rr*uy), 7
  Pset ( Rp*ux, Rp*uy), 7
  Pset ( Rb*ux, Rb*uy), 7
  Pset ( Ra*ux, Ra*uy), 7
Next t

'-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Draw String (Rr, 0.2), " Root" , 7
Draw String (Rb, -.1), " Base" , 7
Draw String (Rp, 0.2), " Pitch", 7
Draw String (Ra, -.1), " Tip"  , 7

'=======================================================================
' draw the tooth profile
' x = Rb * Cos(a) + a * Sin(a)
' y = Rb * Sin(a) - a * Cos(a)
Dim As Integer k = 14
Dim As Double Ta = Sqr(Ra*Ra - Rb*Rb) / Rb  ' T at involute crossing addendum
Dim As Double Tp = Sqr(Rp*Rp - Rb*Rb) / Rb  ' T at pitch point on involute
For t As Double = 0 To Ta Step .001  ' t is the parametric variable
  Dim As Double ux = Cos(t)
  Dim As Double uy = Sin(t)
  Dim As Double px = Rb * ( ux + t * uy )
  Dim As Double py = Rb * ( uy - t * ux )
   
  If t > Tp Then k = 13
  Pset(px, py), k
   
Next t

'-----------------------------------------------------------------------
pset (Rb, 0), 0
for r as double = Rb to Ra + 1e-6 step (Ra - Rb) / 15  ' n+1 points
  Dim As Double t = Sqr(r*r - Rb*Rb) / Rb
  Dim As Double ux = Cos(t)
  Dim As Double uy = Sin(t)
  Dim As Double px = Rb * ( ux + t * uy )
  Dim As Double py = Rb * ( uy - t * ux )
  line -(px, py), 15
  Circle(px, py), .07, 13,,,,F
next r

'=======================================================================
Sleep
'=======================================================================
 
Baluncore said:
Try these attached files. Ask more specific questions if you want more.

Okay thank you for that info, that's a lot about involute profiles. But say I have a bevel and spur gear with the same teeth ratio, teeth numbers and gear width etc , will I be using the same profile/involute equation for bevel gears and spur gears? that is can this be applied to bevel gear teeth
 
Jarfi said:
that is can this be applied to bevel gear teeth
Yes. Spur gears are cylindrical, bevel gears are conical. The projected apex of two meshed conical gears coincide. Lines drawn from the common apex point to a spur gear involute profile define the surface of a bevel gear.
 
@ Jarfi.
Are your bevel gears cut straight, spiral, skew or hypoid?
What is the angle between the two bevel gear shafts?
What is the gear tooth count ratio?
 
Baluncore said:
Are your bevel gears cut straight, spiral, skew or hypoid?
What is the angle between the two bevel gear shafts?
What is the gear tooth count ratio?

It's a straight bevel gear, 90° angle. Gear tooth ratio is large, maybe 1:10. Pinion is 1.6cm and bevel 16cm diameter with a standard 20° Pressure angle.
 
Attached are four pages from "Dudley's Gear Handbook", 2'nd Edn, by D.P.Townsend.
 

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  • #10
Baluncore said:
Attached are four pages from "Dudley's Gear Handbook", 2'nd Edn, by D.P.Townsend.

That's a lot of information, saved if I'm getting serious

Just did some research anyways and it seems that Autocad has a gear development tool, which will create the teeth curves for bevel gears and calculate everything from max power to max RPM. Managed to make meshing internal spur gears with it which was nice, you can even choose the backlash in mm, insane.
 

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