Tooth milling cutter and method for milling the teeth of toothed gear elements

A method of milling a row of teeth of a toothed gear element with a straight tooth configuration, with a milling cutter which is rotatable about a milling cutter axis and has at its periphery interchangeable cutting inserts which are so arranged that when the milling cutter is approached to the toothed gear element the cutting inserts engage into the gaps between adjacent teeth or generate those gaps, wherein a milling cutter is used, in which the cutting inserts in their condition of being mounted to the milling cutter have at least one cutting edge extending radially and perpendicularly relative to the milling cutter axis,

• wherein upon milling of the tooth profile the milling cutter axis is oriented in a plane perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of the tooth back and during the engagement movement of the cutting inserts which rotate about the milling cutter axis into the surface or tooth gaps of a toothed gear element the milling cutter axis is pivoted in said plane over an angular range which covers the range of all normals to the profile surface of the tooth to be produced,
• wherein the cutting inserts project radially from the outer periphery of the milling cutter main body and on mutually opposite sides have parallel cutting edges perpendicular to the milling cutter axis, and
• wherein the mutually opposite cutting edges are respectively used successively for generating the flanks of adjacent teeth, which flanks are in opposite relationship at a tooth gap.