Jamila Colleen M.

Briones October 26,

2009
III – Helium Ms. Tayamora

Homework
Lego Mindstorms Gears

What are Lego Gears?

In Lego, gears are mostly used to transfer the drive of motor to final
mechanism. The essential purpose of gears is to transform the properties of
a motor to suit our purposes in the best way possible. In short, gears are
used to either decrease or increase the torque.

LEGO GEARS
Type of Lego Gear: Functions:
1. 8-tooth Ordinary Gear It is the smallest gear and is the
most fragile. This gear is mostly used
for gearing down since it is the
smallest and the most efficient at
that work.

2. 12-tooth Single Bevel Gear This is the smallest bevel gear.

It’s not that useful in gearing up or
down but it is sought after when
there is a need to transfer the drive
in a perpendicular manner in a
limited space. Also needed in
differential mechanisms.
3. 12-tooth Double Bevel Gear It is stronger and more durable
than its single bevel counterpart and
is used with the 20-tooth gear, for
almost the same purposes as the
single bevel one.
4. 14-tooth Ordinary Gear Most originally designed for
differential mechanisms. It is
however weak and is most commonly
replaced with the single bevel 12-
tooth gear.
5. 16-tooth Regular/Ordinary Gear A strong and useful gear. It is the
smallest gear that can be operated
with Lego chain.
6. 16-tooth Gear with Clutch It is a gear designed specifically
for gear boxes. It is weaker than the
regular version and doesn’t work well
with the Lego chain. Instead, it has
the unique characteristic to be
engaged and disengaged by the
transmission driving ring.
7. 20-tooth Single Bevel Gear A larger version of the 12-tooth
single bevel gear and has the same
functions as it, it is unpopular
thought because it is so thin that it
snaps under high torque.

8. 20-tooth Double Bevel Gear Most commonly used with a 12-

tooth bevel gear to gear up or gear
down. It is strong and reliable in high
torque instances.

9. 24-tooth Regular Gear This gear is strong and reliable

and has the characteristic of being
one of the strongest gears. It does
not snap under high torque
conditions and so it is used when
torque is to be increased.

10. 24-tooth Gear with Clutch Has the ability to slip

harmlessly around the axle if a
sufficiently high torque is applied.
Mostly used in end-to-end
applications, that is application when
motor only runs until it reaches a
certain point.

11.24-tooth Gear with Crown One of the oldest gears which

could be meshed in a perpendicular
manner. Seldom used because it
somewhat weak, mostly though, it
shape could be taken advantage of
and used in low torque conditions.
12.Worm Gear This gear can only be used as
the driver gear, never as a follower
gear. It comes useful in conditions
where something has to be lifted up
and be kept lifted. Also, it is very
efficient for gearing down.

13.36-tooth Double Bevel Gear The largest bevel gear. It is rare

but strong enough to carry out
systems with a moderately high
torque. Effective in gearing up but
not much use in gearing down.

14. 40-tooth Ordinary/Regular The biggest gear in a Lego set.

Gear It is however, rarely used because of
its immense size although it is very
useful when it comes to high torque
conditions.