Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
In a pair of toothed gears, mating teeth formed to have active profiles perpendicular to the pitch line of said pair which have at least one culmination point substantially removed from said pitch line, said profiles of at least one of said pair having a variable-curvature portion with curvature that increases with distance from the pitch surface of said one of said pair, one of said active profiles having a convex portion engaging a concave portion on the other of said active profiles, said concave portion having a slightly larger radius of curvature at said culmination point than said convex portion, the evolute of said variable-curvature portion being tangent to a line passing through said culmination point and the pitch point of said pair at a point adjacent to said pitch point.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
In a pair of toothed gears, mating teeth formed to have active profiles perpendicular to the pitch line of said pair which have at least one culmination point substantially removed from said pitch line, said profiles of at least one of said pair having a variable-curvature portion with curvature that increases with distance from the pitch surface of said one of said pair, one of said active profiles having a convex portion engaging a concave portion on the other of said active profiles, said concave portion having a slightly larger radius of curvature at said culmination point than said convex portion, the evolute of said variable-curvature portion being tangent to a line passing through said culmination point and the pitch point of said pair at a point adjacent to said pitch point.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 1 wherein said teeth extend across the rims of said gears at a sufficient angle with respect to said pitch line to produce at least one tooth overlap in the face width of said pair.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 1 wherein the relative radius of curvature for points on said profiles at equal distances from said culmination point is substantially constant.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 1 wherein said variable-curvature portion comprises a curve of the form r 1 = C/s.sup. m, where r is the radius of curvature, s is the distance along the curve from the origin, m is an exponent greater than zero, and C is a constant.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 4 wherein said exponent is unity.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 4 wherein said profiles of both of said pair have a variable-curvature portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 6 wherein said variable-curvature portion of said profiles of both of said pair comprises a curve of said form.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 7 wherein the value of said constant C and said exponent m is the same for both said profiles, said curve defining said convex profile being rotated through a greater angle with respect to a plane containing the axes of said pair than said curve defining said concave profile.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 8 wherein said exponent m is unity.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 1 wherein said profiles have a relative radius of curvature at said culmination point that produces areas of contact between mating teeth that are substantially tangent to the addendum surfaces of said teeth when said gears are transmitting the maximum allowable torque.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 1 wherein said profiles extend on opposite sides of the pitch surfaces of said pair, and are oppositely curved on opposite sides of said pitch surfaces.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 11 wherein said profiles have two culmination points, one on each side of the plane containing the axes of said pair.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
69 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 12 wherein said profile portions extending on opposite sides of the pitch surface of each of said pair each have a continuous curved evolute that is tangent to a line passing through each said culmination point and the pitch point of said pair at a point adjacent to said pitch point when each said profile portion is in the culmination position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A pair of toothed gears according to claim 13 wherein said profile portions meet at a point of infinite radius of curvature and said evolutes have a common asymptote.