Method for measuring gears and system for machining and measuring gears

A method for measuring a gear which comprises:

• rotating a gear and moving a grindstone in an axial direction at a lead angle that corresponds to a helix angle of a tooth trace of the gear by utilizing control functions of the NC gear grinding machine to thereby measure the tooth trace of the gear,
• attaching the gauge heads to the grindstone holder of the NC gear grinding machine so as to be on a grindstone side of the gear when measuring the workpiece,
• abutting the gauge heads against a tooth flank, located between the grinder and the gear, at a location which is one of on or near the pitch circle of the gear to measure the gear pitch, and
• indexing the gear when the grindstone holder is retracted.

An NC grinding system combined with a gear measuring device which comprises:

• an NC gear grinding machine which includes a grindstone holder for a grindstone and a gear holder,
• a ground gear mounted on said gear holder,
• at least one gauge head attached to the grindstone holder on a grindstone side of the gear when measuring said gear so that the gauge head is located between the grindstone and the gear and contacts a tooth flank of the ground gear, when measuring said gear and
• a mechanism for retracting said gauge head to a position such that said gauge head does not interfere with the gear and the grindstone during grinding operation.