What is a Gear? Main Features

A mesh or gear is a mechanism used to transmit mechanical power from one element to another, through rotary or reciprocating movements.

The gears are cogwheels of different sizes that fit together, and through this mechanical complement the transmission of movement to the rest of the machinery occurs.

Gears are frequently used to transmit movement from the main axis of a mechanism to complementary parts located at a certain distance from said axis..

This type of application can be observed in engines, for example. The main gear or motor gear is in charge of transmitting the movement to the rest of the structure, through the driven gear.

Gear characteristics

Gears are used in engineering as fundamental pieces of mechanical design, in order to transmit mechanical power from one application to another..

To fulfill this function, they must have certain characteristics, which are detailed below:

They are made up of toothed wheels

The gears generally consist of two toothed wheels, one small and the other large, called pinion and crown respectively..

The teeth of the wheels can vary, and have a straight or helical shape, depending on the mechanical application.

In turn, if the system consists of more than two sprockets, the gear system is called a gear train.

Sprockets have similar parameters

The teeth of the wheels that make up the gear have the same dimensions. This allows the perfect coupling between both parts, and consequently, the adequate transmission of movement..

The sprockets move in the opposite direction

The toothed wheels that make up the gear move in the opposite direction with respect to each other. This mechanism facilitates the transmission of movement between both parts.

They don't slide off each other

Gear drives do not slip or slip relative to each other, as in the case of pulleys.

This favors an exact power transmission ratio between gear parts, ensuring that the result and impact of movement within the system is always the same.

They can be of different types

Depending on the arrangement of the axes of rotation, the gears can be parallel, perpendicular or oblique..

Parallel gears, in turn, can be cylindrical or helical. In contrast, perpendicular gears are bevel, helical, or worm gear. Oblique gears have mixed configurations.

They take up little space within the design

It is an extremely efficient mechanism that guarantees the transmission of movement within the system, using an extremely reduced space within the application..

They can be loud

If the system is not properly lubricated, the gears can be very noisy while the power transmission process is carried out in the system..

They are used in multiple applications

The use of gears has spread in all kinds of automotive, industrial and general engineering applications. They are also used on a small scale in fine watchmaking, toys, household appliances, among others..

References

1. Gears (s.f.). Recovered from: dim.usal.es
2. Gears (s.f.). Recovered from: edu.xunta.es
3. Pérez, Á., Haya, D., Sánchez, R., et al. (2005). Gears Recovered from: groups.unican.es
4. Pérez, J. (2017). Definition of Gear. Recovered from: definicion.de
5. What is a gear? (s.f.). Recovered from: idr.mx
6. Gear Tutorial (s.f.). Recovered from: electronicaestudio.com
7. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2017). Gear. Recovered from: es.wikipedia.org.