Toothed gear manufacturing method

A method for manufacturing a toothed gear pair, each toothed gear having a variable diameter and variable pitch for providing a conjugate action therebetween, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a numerically controlled milling machine having a frame, a machine spindle having selectively controllable rotation for rotatably carrying a workpiece to be machined, a carriage moveably carried by the frame for rotation and reciprocation thereof with simultaneous rotation of the workpiece, and a cutter carried by the carriage for cutting the workpiece in response to a preselected control input;
• providing a preselected control input to the numerically controlled milling machine, which input includes cutter movement commands for providing a conjugate movement between toothed gears of a toothed gear pair to be manufactured;
• mounting a first variable diameter shaped workpiece on the machine spindle of the milling machine for rotation about an axis, the first variable diameter shaped workpiece having a minor diameter end and an axially opposing major diameter end;
• cutting one groove into the first variable diameter shaped workpiece by reciprocating and rotating the cutter, while simultaneously rotating the first variable diameter shaped workpiece about the axis in response to the preselected control input for providing a groove which extends along the surface of the first variable diameter shaped workpiece between the minor and major diameter ends;
• rotating the first variable diameter shaped workpiece about the axis by one circular pitch, in response to the preselected control input for providing a preselected number of teeth;
• repeating the groove cutting and rotating steps for forming a first variable diameter gear having the preselected number of teeth positioned between the grooves and extending from the minor to major diameter ends thereof, each of the teeth curved radially and axially outward while changing in pitch from the minor diameter end to the major diameter end;
• removing the first variable diameter gear from the milling machine;
• mounting a second variable diameter shaped workpiece on the machine spindle of the milling machine for rotation about an axis, the second variable diameter shaped workpiece having a minor diameter end and an axially opposing major diameter end;
• cutting one groove into the second variable diameter shaped workpiece by reciprocating and rotating the cutter, while simultaneously rotating the second variable diameter shaped workpiece about the axis in response to the preselected control input for providing a groove which extends along the surface of the second variable diameter shaped workpiece between the minor and major diameter ends;
• rotating the second variable diameter shaped workpiece about the axis by one circular pitch in response to the preselected control input for providing a preselected number of teeth;
• repeating the groove cutting and rotating steps for forming a second variable diameter gear having the preselected number of teeth positioned between the grooves and extending from the minor to major ends thereof, each of the teeth curved radially and axially outward while changing in pitch from the minor diameter end to the major diameter end, the first and second variable diameter gear-forming tools resulting from the preselected control input for forming a variable diameter gear cutting pair operable in a gear forming machine for forming a variable diameter toothed gear pair, and thus providing the variable diameter toothed gear pair.

A method for manufacturing a variable-diameter, toothed gear pair, the method comprising:

• providing a first workpiece having a minor diameter portion and a major diameter portion in spaced relation therefrom along a longitudinal axis;
• forming at least one gear cutting tooth within the first workpiece for forming at least one first gear cutting tool, wherein the at least one gear cutting tooth within the first at least one gear cutting tool curves outwardly in a radial and axial direction from the longitudinal axis, and wherein the at least one gear cutting tooth includes a width dimension which changes in size between the minor diameter and the major diameter portions;
• providing a second workpiece having a minor diameter portion and a major diameter portion in spaced relation therefrom along a longitudinal axis;
• forming at least one gear cutting tooth within the second workpiece for forming at least one second gear cutting tool, wherein the at least one gear cutting tooth within the second at least one gear cutting tool curves outwardly in a radial and axial direction from the longitudinal axis, and wherein the at least one gear cutting tooth includes a width dimension which changes in size between the minor diameter and the major diameter portions, and wherein each of the first and second at least one gear forming tools have the variable diameter and variable pitch for forming a gear pair operable with each other with a conjugate action therebetween.

A method for manufacturing a variable-diameter gear pair operable with a conjugate action therebetween, the method comprising:

• providing a first workpiece having a minor diameter portion and a major diameter portion in spaced relation therefrom along a longitudinal axis;
• forming at least one gear tooth within the first workpiece for forming at least one first gear body, wherein the at least one gear tooth within the first at least one gear body curves outwardly in a radial and axial direction from the longitudinal axis, and wherein the at least one gear tooth includes a width dimension which changes in size between the minor diameter and the major diameter portions;
• providing a second workpiece having a minor diameter portion and a major diameter portion in spaced relation therefrom along a longitudinal axis;
• and
• forming at least one gear tooth within the second workpiece for forming at least one second gear body, wherein the at least one gear tooth within the second at least one gear body curves outwardly in a radial and axial direction from the longitudinal axis, and wherein the at least one gear tooth includes a width dimension which changes in size between the minor diameter and the major diameter portions, and wherein each of the first and second at least one gear bodies have the variable diameter and variable pitch for forming a gear pair operable with each other with a conjugate action therebetween.

A method for manufacturing a hyperboloidal shaped, toothed gear pair for conjugate operation therebetween, the method comprising:

• providing a first workpiece having a hyperboloidal shape defined by a minor diameter portion in an axially spaced relation to a major diameter portion;
• forming a plurality of gear cutting teeth within the first workpiece for forming a first gear cutting tool, wherein each of the plurality of gear cutting teeth within the first gear cutting tool curves outwardly in a radial and axial direction, and wherein each of the plurality of gear cutting teeth includes a width dimension which increases in size from the minor diameter portion to the major diameter portion;
• providing a second workpiece having a hyperboloidal shape defined by a minor diameter portion in an axially spaced relation to a major diameter portion;
• and
• forming a plurality of gear cutting teeth within the second workpiece for forming a second gear cutting tool, wherein each of the plurality of gear cutting teeth within the second gear cutting tool curves outwardly in a radial and axial direction, and wherein each of the plurality of gear cutting teeth includes a width dimension which increases in size from the minor diameter portion to the major diameter portion;
• and wherein each of the first and second at least one gear forming tools have axially changing diameter and changing pitch for forming a gear pair operable with each other with a conjugate action therebetween.