Spur gear to interconnect rack and worm

• US 6,584,867 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Penn Troy Machine Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Penn Troy Machine Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Kennedy, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, William C
• Application Number:
  US09/885,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 744/22, 744/25, 744/58, 744/62, 74/891.7, 251/249.5, 251/250
• US Class Current: 74/89.17
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 19/04 comprising a rack
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/17 Toothed wheels worm wheels F16H55/22; chain wheels F16H55/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/22 for transmissions with crossing shafts, especially worms, worm-gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18808 with rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1967 Rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19828 Worm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19953 Worm and helical

Abstract

A gear for use as the pinion in a rack and pinion gear includes spur gear teeth that have an upper portion of the face cut in a worm cut so the gear is effective as a worm wheel for a worm gear while retaining involute curved faces so it is effective as the pinion for the rack. The rack, pinion, and worm driver are connected. When the worm gear connected to a shaft, power is transmitted from the shaft to the rack via the worm driver and pinion with all gears making line contact instead of point contact. This improvement turns one gear piece into two gears. The rack pinion can be geared to a worm gear while it is also matched up with a straight cut rack. In this way the gear translates force between the two different types of gears.

Claims

1. A telescoping valve comprising:

a rack held in place by guide bushings;

a spur gear that meshes with said rack, wherein said spur gear has a top land cut to interface with a worm gear, and wherein upper portions of a face of said spur gear that interfaces with said worm gear are concave cut to match convex thread sides of said worm gear; and

said worm gear being affixed to a rotating shaft, such that rotating said shaft rotates said worm gear, which in turn meshes with said spur gear, which meshes with said rack, such that power is transmitted from said shaft to said rack with all of said gears making line contact instead of point contact.

2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said spur gear is self-braking.

3. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said spur gear has an involute curve.

4. A valve according to claim 3, wherein said spur gear is self-braking.

5. A telescoping valve comprising:

a rack held in place by guide bushings;

a spur gear, comprising

a wheel; and

a plurality of teeth spaced around said wheel, wherein each tooth includes opposing faces cut in a shaped curve, such that said shaped curve satisfies the fundamental law of gear tooth action;

an upper portion of each said face cut having a worm cut; and

a top land cut in a worm cut,

wherein said spur gear meshes with said rack, and wherein said top land cut interfaces with a worm gear, and wherein upper portions of a face of said spur gear that interfaces with said worm gear are concave cut to match convex thread sides of said worm gear.

6. A valve according to claim 5, wherein said gear is self-braking.

7. A valve according to claim 5, wherein said shaped curve is an involute curve.

8. A valve according to claim 7, wherein said gear is self-braking.