PMC

Contact patterns of the gear mesh of planet gear 2 in the flexible pin model with and without lead modifications: (a) ring–planet (right flank) without modification, (b) sun–planet (left flank) without modification, (c) ring–planet (right flank) with slope modification, (d) Sun–planet (left flank) with slope modification, (e) ring–planet (right flank) with slope modification and crowning, and (f) sun–planet (left flank) with slope modification and crowning.

Contact patterns of the gear mesh of planet gear 2 in the original model: (a) ring–planet gear mesh (right flank), and (b) sun–planet gear mesh (left flank).

The proposed apparatus to measure the gear tooth profiles: 1: Stepper motor; 2: laser triangulation sensor (LTS); 3: gear shaft; 4: target gear and a pair of supporting journal bearings; 5: flexible shaft coupler; 6: rotary encoder; and 7: micro motion stage.

Actuating the (a) translation spur gear allows insertion and retraction as the teeth of the spur gear interact with the axial teeth of the roller gear. Actuating the (b) rotation spur gear allows bidirectional rotation about the axis of the roller gear as its radial teeth interact with those of the rotation spur gear.