GEAR TRAINS

A gear train is any collection of two or more meshing gears. A simple gear train is one in which each shaft
carries only one gear. The velocity ratio (sometimes called train ratio) of this gear-set is found by
expanding equation:

Consider a simple gear train with four gears in series. The expression for this simple train's velocity ratio is:

mv = (-N1/N2) (-N2/N3) (-N3/N4) = -N1/N4

It may be noted that when the number of intermediate gears are odd, the motion of both the gears is like.
But if the number of intermediate gears are even, the motion of the driven or follower will be in the
opposite direction of the driver. These intermediate gears are called idle gears.
“Simple Gear Trains are limited to a ratio of about
10: 1”.

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When there are more than one gear on a shaft, it is called a
compound train of gear. Since the idle gears, in a simple train of
gears do not effect the speed ratio of the system. But these gears
are useful in bridging over the space between the driver and the
driven.
To get a train ratio of greater than about 10:1 with spur, helical, or
bevel gears (or any combination thereof) it is necessary to
compound the train.

The speed ratio of compound gear train is obtained as:

mv = (-N1/N2)x(-N3/N4)x(-N5/N6)

“The advantage of a compound train over a simple

gear train is that a much larger speed reduction from
the first shaft to the last shaft can be obtained
with small gears.”

*Since gears 2 and 3 are mounted on one shaft B, therefore N2 = N3. Similarly
gears 4 and 5 are mounted on shaft C, therefore N4 = N5.”

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When the axes of the first gear (i.e. first driver) and the last gear (i.e.
last driven or follower) are co-axial, then the gear train is known as
reverted gear train
Let T1 = Number of teeth on gear 1,
r1 = Pitch circle radius of gear 1, and
N1 = Speed of gear 1 in r.p.m.
Similarly,
T2, T3, T4 = Number of teeth on respective gears,
r2, r3, r4 = Pitch circle radii of respective gears, and
N2, N3, N4 = Speed of respective gears in r.p.m.
Since the distance between the centers of the shafts of
gears 1 and 2 as well as gears 3 and 4 is same, therefore
r1 + r2 = r3 + r4
mv = N1/N4 = T2 xT4/T1x T3

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The conventional gear trains described in the previous sections are all
one-degree-of-freedom (DOF) devices. Another class of gear train has
wide application, the epicyclic or planetary train. This is a two-DOF
device. Two inputs are needed to obtain a predictable output.
The epicyclic gear trains are useful for transmitting high velocity
ratios with gears of moderate size in a comparatively lesser space.
They are used in the back gear of lathe, differential gears of the
automobiles, hoists, pulley blocks, wrist watches etc.

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 1. Tabular method
TA = Number of teeth on gear A
TB = Number of teeth on gear B.
Suppose that the arm is fixed.
Therefore, the axes of both the gears are
also
fixed relative to each other. When the
gear A makes one revolution
anticlockwise, the gear B will make TA /
TB
N B / N A = TA / T B
Since NA = 1 revolution, therefore
N B = TA / T B
Assuming the anticlockwise rotation as
positive and clockwise as negative.
 2. Algebraic method
In this method, the motion of each
element of the epicyclic train
relative to the arm is set down in
the form of equations. The number
of equations depends upon the
number of elements in the gear
train. Let the arm C be fixed in an
epicyclic gear train as shown in Fig
Therefore,
Seed of the gear A relative to
the arm C= N(A)-N(C)
Speed of the gear B relative to
the arm C= N(B) –N(C)
➢ to connect gears where a large center
distance is required

➢ to obtain desired direction of motion of the

driven gear ( CW or CCW)

➢ to obtain high speed ratio

➢ A much larger speed reduction from
the first shaft to the last shaft can be
obtained with small gear.

➢ If a simple gear trains used to give a

large speed reduction, the last gear has to
be very large.
➢ The reverted gear trains are used in automotive
transmissions, lathe back gears, industrial speed
reducers, and in clocks (where the minute and hour
hand shafts are co-axial).
➢They have higher gear ratios.

➢Theyare popular for automatic transmissions in

automobiles.

➢They are also used in bicycles for controlling power

of pedaling automatically or manually.

➢They are also used for power transmission between

internal combustion engine and an electric motor.