Patent · US Expired

One-way gear

US4911032A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
12References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 3, 1988
Grant dateMar 27, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 3, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T74/19972
  • WIPO fieldMechanical elements
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A modified gear operates in one direction only. The modified gear can be driven in either direction by a standard gear, but will drive another gear in only one direction. Every other tooth of the modified gear is partly cut away to form a step. The remaining sides are cut away to delay engagement with a driven gear. The sides of the teeth preferably have the shape of an involute curve, and each tooth is preferably cut along a line segment beginning at the midpoint of the top land of the tooth, and continuing along a path generally parallel to one side of the tooth. The step is located at a predetermined radial distance from the top land, this distance being a certain fraction of the total depth of the tooth. The modified gear can be used to drive, or be driven by, a conventional unmodified gear. It can also drive, or be driven by, another gear which has been modified in the manner described above.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.