Gear cutter blade

A circular face hob cutter for cutting a gear member having a plurality of gear teeth each having a pair of opposite side surfaces and a topland surface, said circular face hob cutter comprising:

• a circular face hob cutter head carrying a plurality of gear cutter blades for producing said gear member with uniform depth teeth by a continuous face hobbing process, each said gear cutter blade comprising:
• a shank;
• a central axis;
• and
• a cutting member formed at a distal end of said shank;
• said cutting member having a tip and a cutting edge including a first section dimensioned to cut at least one of said side surfaces of one of said gear teeth, and a second section adjacent to said first section and dimensioned to cut at least a substantial portion of a topland surface of said one gear tooth;
• said first section of said cutting edge extends from said distal end of said shank at a given axial pressure angle;
• said second section of said cutting edge is substantially straight and extends substantially perpendicularly to said central axis of said cutter blade;
• wherein an axial distance from said tip of said cutting member to an intersection of said first section of said cutting edge and said second section of said cutting edge is substantially equal to the whole depth of said gear teeth.

A method for producing a gear member by a continuous index face hobbing process, said gear member having a plurality of teeth each having opposite side surfaces and a topland surface, said method comprising the steps of:

• rotating a circular face hob cutter head carrying a plurality of gear cutter blades;
• rotating said gear member in a timed relationship with said cutter head;
• and
• providing a relative feed motion of said cutter head and said gear member so that successive gear cutter blades engage successive tooth slots as said gear member is being cut, wherein each of said gear cutter blades has a central axis and includes a cutting member having a cutting edge including a first section extending from said distal end of said shank at a given axial pressure angle and dimensioned to cut at least one of said side surfaces of one of said gear teeth of said gear member, and a second section substantially perpendicular to the central axis of said cutter blade and dimensioned to cut at least a substantial portion of said topland surface of said one gear tooth so that said second section simultaneously forms at least a substantial portion of said topland surface of said one tooth of said gear member as said one tooth is cut by said first section of said cutting edge of said cutting member.