Face gear manufacturing method and apparatus

A precision grinding apparatus for a face gear comprising:

• a base having a grinding means mounted thereon for generating teeth in a gear by abrasion,
• and a gear driving means mounted on said base in juxtaposition to and cooperating with said grinding means,
• a case hardened gear having preformed teeth of a predetermined size and configuration mounted on said gear driving means,
• said gear driving means having the capability of rotating said gear in a manner controlled by first CNC control means in a central axis designated as (B),
• said gear driving means also being provided with the capability of moving said gear up and down in a vertical axis designated as (W) in a manner controlled by second CNC control means,
• said grinding means comprising a grinding wheel having a grinding surface in which a worm of predetermined configuration is generated therein,
• said grinding wheel being rotatably driven and controlled by third CNC control means to control the rotation of said grinding wheel in its central axis designated as (C),
• said grinding wheel means also having fourth CNC control means to control the motion of said grinding wheel toward and away from said gear along a (V) axis,
• said CNC control means cooperating together to mesh said worm with said teeth of said gear to form teeth in said gear in a continuous grinding operation.

A precision grinding apparatus for a tapered pinion gear comprising:

• a base having a grinding means mounted thereon for generating teeth in a gear by abrasion,
• and a gear driving means mounted on said base in juxtaposition to and cooperating with said grinding means,
• a case hardened tapered pinion gear having preformed teeth of a predetermined size and configuration mounted on said gear driving means,
• said gear driving means having the capability of rotating said gear in a manner controlled by first CNC control means in a central axis designated as (B1),
• said gear driving means also being provided with the capability of moving said tapered pinion gear up and down in a vertical axis designated as (W) in a manner controlled by second CNC control means,
• said grinding means comprising a grinding wheel having a grinding surface in which a worm of predetermined configuration is generated therein,
• said grinding wheel being rotatably driven and controlled by third CNC control means to control the rotation of said grinding wheel in its central axis designated as (C),
• said grinding wheel means also having fourth CNC control means to control the motion of said grinding wheel toward and away from said tapered pinion gear along a (V) axis,
• said CNC control means cooperating together to mesh said worm with said teeth of said tapered pinion gear to form teeth in said gear in a continuous grinding operation.