Toothed tool and device for chipless generation of gears

Claim 2

Apparatus for forming an irregular contour onto the surface of a workpiece by imposing pressure thereon, comprising: work holding means; a single toothed tool having means providing a plurality of separate peripheral pressure applying surfaces, saiD surfaces being spaced from each other on the teeth of the tool in a first direction and in a second direction, said directions being angular to each other; means for moving said tool and workpiece support toward and away from each other; further means for rolling said tool along relative to said workpiece, whereby said spaced pressure applying surfaces will apply pressure to said workpiece sufficiently to cause flow of the material thereof and said pressure applying surfaces will apply such pressure successively to localized zones following along both the direction of the rolling motion and laterally thereto.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said spaced zones are arranged both circumferentially and axially spaced with respect to each other.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said spaced pressure surfaces are arranged with respect to each other to define at least one helix on a periphery of said tool.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said spaced pressure surfaces are arranged to define a plurality of helices around the circumference of said tool.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both said tool and said workpiece are circular for the purpose of forming a gear from said workpiece.

Claim 7

Apparatus for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: first rotary means for mounting a gear blank for rotation about an axis of rotation; second rotary means comprising a tool mounted for rotation, said second rotary means having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof; drive means for at least one of the first and second rotary means; means for radially and laterally roll-forming each tooth on the periphery of said first rotary means without the production of chips or shavings, said means including means defining interruptions on the tooth surfaces dividing said tooth surfaces into successive and alternate effective surface portions and ineffective surface portions, said effective surface portions on successive teeth being axially offset from each other with receding surfaces interconnecting said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions; and means for changing the spacing between the axes of said first and second rotary means.

Claim 8

Apparatus for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: first rotary means for mounting a gear blank for rotation about an axis of rotation; second rotary means comprising a tool mounted for rotation, said second rotary means having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof; drive means for at least one of the first and second rotary means; means for radially and laterally roll-forming each tooth on the periphery of said first rotary means without the production of chips or shavings, said means including means defining interruptions on the tooth surfaces dividing said tooth surfaces into successive and alternate effective surface portions and ineffective surface portions, said effective surface portions on successive teeth being axially offset from each other with receding surfaces interconnecting said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions; and means for changing the spacing between the axes of said first and second rotary means.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said means for changing the spacing between the axis of said first rotary means and said surface to be worked effects by rolling a circumferentially progressive forming of said teeth on said second rotary means simultaneous with said lateral formation of said teeth.

Claim 10

Apparatus for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: first rotary means for mounting a gear blank for rotation about a first axis of rotation; second rotary means comprising a tool mounted for rotation about a second axis parallel to said first axis, said second rotary means having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof, the tooth surfaces of said plurality of teeth having means defining interruptions therein to divide said tooth surfaces into spaced and alternate effective surface portions and ineffective surface portions, said effective surface portions on successive teeth being axially offset from each other with receding surfaces interconnecting said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions, the edges defined by said effective surface portions and said receding surfaces lying in planes perpendicular to the axis of said second rotary means; drive means for at least one of the first and second rotary means; and means for changing the spacing between said axes of said first and second rotary means to effect an engagement of said first rotary means with said second rotary means to effect a formation of teeth on the periphery of said first rotary means, said receding surfaces cooperating with said first rotary means to prevent a formation of chips or shavings during said rolling.

Claim 11

Apparatus for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: first rotary means for mounting a gear blank for rotation about a first axis of rotation; second rotary means comprising a tool mounted for rotation about a second axis parallel to said first axis, said second rotary means having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof, the tooth surfaces of said plurality of teeth having means defining interruptions therein to divide said tooth surfaces into spaced and alternate effective surface portions and ineffective surface portions, said effective surface portions on successive teeth being axially offset from each other with receding surfaces interconnecting said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions, the edges defined by said effective surface portions and said receding surfaces lying in planes perpendicular to the axis of said second rotary means; drive means for at least one of the first and second rotary means; and means for changing the spacing between said axes of said first and second rotary means to effect an engagement of said first rotary means with said second rotary means to effect a formation of teeth on the periphery of said first rotary means, said receding surfaces cooperating with said first rotary means to prevent a formation of chips or shavings during said rolling.

Claim 12

Apparatus for forming teeth on the peRipheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: first rotary means for mounting a gear blank for rotation about a first axis of rotation; second rotary means comprising a tool mounted for rotation about a second axis coplanar with said axis of said first rotary means, said second rotary means having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof, the tooth surfaces of said plurality of teeth having means defining interruptions therein to divide said tooth surfaces into spaced and alternate effective surface portions and ineffective surface portions, said effective surface portions on successive teeth being axially offset from each other with receding surfaces interconnecting said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions, said receding surfaces cooperating with said first rotary means to prevent a relative sliding motion between said first and second rotary means in a longitudinal direction of said tooth surfaces; drive means for at least one of the first and second rotary means; and means for changing the spacing between the axes of said second rotary means and the surface to be worked on said first rotary means to effect an engagement of said first rotary means with said second rotary means to effect a formation of teeth on said first rotary means, said receding surfaces further cooperating with said first rotary means to prevent a formation of chips or shavings during said rolling.

Claim 13

Apparatus for forming teeth on the peRipheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: first rotary means for mounting a gear blank for rotation about a first axis of rotation; second rotary means comprising a tool mounted for rotation about a second axis coplanar with said axis of said first rotary means, said second rotary means having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof, the tooth surfaces of said plurality of teeth having means defining interruptions therein to divide said tooth surfaces into spaced and alternate effective surface portions and ineffective surface portions, said effective surface portions on successive teeth being axially offset from each other with receding surfaces interconnecting said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions, said receding surfaces cooperating with said first rotary means to prevent a relative sliding motion between said first and second rotary means in a longitudinal direction of said tooth surfaces; drive means for at least one of the first and second rotary means; and means for changing the spacing between the axes of said second rotary means and the surface to be worked on said first rotary means to effect an engagement of said first rotary means with said second rotary means to effect a formation of teeth on said first rotary means, said receding surfaces further cooperating with said first rotary means to prevent a formation of chips or shavings during said rolling.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said second rotary means comprises a single gearlike tool member.

Claim 15

A gearlike tool for use in machines for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: a rotary member in the form of a gear having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof; means on said rotary member adapted to laterally roll form each tooth on the periphery of said gear blank, said means defining interruptions on the tooth surfaces of said plurality of tool teeth to thereby divide said tooth surfaces into spaced and alternate effective surface portions and ineffective surface portions, said effective surface portions on circumferentially successive teeth being axially offset from each other, and receding surfaces interconnecting said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions, the edges defined by said effective surface portions and said receding surfaces lying in planes perpendicular to the axis of said rotary member.

Claim 16

A gearlike tool for use in machines for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: a rotary member in the form of a gear having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof; means on said rotary member adapted to laterally roll form each tooth on the periphery of said gear blank, said means defining interruptions on the tooth surfaces of said plurality of tool teeth to thereby divide said tooth surfaces into spaced and alternate effective surface portions and ineffective surface portions, said effective surface portions on circumferentially successive teeth being axially offset from each other, and receding surfaces interconnecting said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions, the edges defined by said effective surface portions and said receding surfaces lying in planes perpendicular to the axis of said rotary member.

Claim 17

A tool according to claim 11, wherein the edges of the tooth surfaces of said teeth are dull to prevent a cutting of the material of said gear blank.

Claim 18

A tool according to claim 11, wherein said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions on one tooth are at least partially opposed to the respective ineffective surface portions and the effective surface portions on an adjacent tooth.

Claim 19

A tool according to claim 11, wherein said effective surface portions and said ineffective surface portions on circumferentially successive teeth are arranged in a helical pattern.

Claim 20

A tool according to claim 14, wherein a new helical pattern begins after every third successive tooth.

Claim 21

A tool according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the opposed receding surfaces are positioned parallel to a plane of rotation for said tool.

Claim 22

A tool according to claim 11, wherein the opposed receding surfaces converge in direction of said ineffective surface portions to thereby prevent a collection of material of said gear blank at said receding surfaces.

Claim 23

A tool according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said receding surfaces is parallel with said plane of rotation of said tool.

Claim 24

A tool according to claim 17, wherein said opposed receding surfaces on opposite sides of a theoretical angle bisector which bisects the angle defined by said converging opposed receding surfaces and which is parallel to the plane of rotation, each define an acute angle with said angle bisector.

Claim 25

A tool according to claim 11, Wherein the sum of the effective surface portions of a tooth surface is less in the zone adjacent the sides of the teeth than in the central zone of the teeth.

Claim 26

A tool according to claim 11, wherein the effective surface portions are narrower in the zone near the sides of the teeth than in the central zone of the teeth.

Claim 27

A tool according to claim 11, wherein the width of the effective surface portions is the same over the width of the tooth and the separation between the effective surface portions is larger in the zone adjacent the sides of the teeth than in the central zone of the teeth.

Claim 30

A method according to claim 23, wherein the movement of the workpiece and the tool toward each other terminates in a dwell at the smallest distance between the axes of the tool and the workpiece.

Claim 31

Apparatus for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: first rotary means for mounting a gear blank for rotation about an axis of rotation; second rotary means comprising a tool mounted for rotation, said second rotary means having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof; drive means for at least one of the first and second rotary means; means for changing the spacing between the axes of said first and second rotary means; and means for radially and laterally progressively roll-forming each tooth on the periphery of each gear blank in response to said change in the spacing between the axes of said first and second rotary means.

Claim 32

Apparatus for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: first rotary means for mounting a gear blank for rotation about an axis of rotation; second rotary means comprising a tool mounted for rotation, said second rotary means having a plurality of teeth around the periphery thereof; drive means for at least one of the first and second rotary means; means for changing the spacing between the axes of said first and second rotary means; and means for radially and laterally progressively roll-forming each tooth on the periphery of each gear blank in response to said change in the spacing between the axes of said first and second rotary means.

Claim 33

A gearlike tool for use in machines for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: a rotary member in the form of a gear having a plurality of tool teeth around the periphery thereof, the face width of one tool tooth being less than the face width of the gear blank; said tool teeth being circumferentially and laterally spaced to laterally incrementally roll form each tooth on the periphery of said gear blank, the sum of the widths of the tool teeth being at least as wide as the gear blank.

Claim 34

A gearlike tool for use in machines for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: a rotary member in the form of a gear having a plurality of tool teeth around the periphery thereof, the face width of one tool tooth being less than the face width of the gear blank; said tool teeth being circumferentially and laterally spaced to laterally incrementally roll form each tooth on the periphery of said gear blank, the sum of the widths of the tool teeth being at least as wide as the gear blank.

Claim 35

A gearlike tool for use in machines for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: a rotary member in the form of a gear having a plurality of tool teeth around the periphery thereof, each tool tooth having at least one effective surface width which is less than the width of said gear blank, said effective surface widths on adjacent tool teeth being circumferentially and laterally spaced, the sum of the effective surface widths on a plurality of said tool teeth being equal to at least said width of said gear blank.

Claim 36

A gearlike tool for use in machines for forming teeth on the peripheries of gear blanks by rolling, comprising: a rotary member in the form of a gear having a plurality of tool teeth around the periphery thereof, each tool tooth having at least one effective surface width which is less than the width of said gear blank, said effective surface widths on adjacent tool teeth being circumferentially and laterally spaced, the sum of the effective surface widths on a plurality of said tool teeth being equal to at least said width of said gear blank.

Claim 37

Apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said tool has a cylindrical shape.