The terminology of spur-gear teeth is illustrated in Fig. 13–5. The pitch circle is a theoretical circle upon which all calculations are usually based; its diameter is the pitch diameter. The pitch circles of a pair of mating gears are tangent to each other. A pinion is the smaller of two mating gears. The larger is often called the gear.
The circular pitch p is the distance, measured on the pitch circle, from a point on one tooth to a corresponding point on an adjacent tooth. Thus the circular pitch is equal to the sum of the tooth thickness and the width of space.
The module m is the ratio of the pitch diameter to the number of teeth. The customary unit of length used is the millimeter. The module is the index of tooth size in SI.
The diametral pitch P is the ratio of the number of teeth on the gear to the pitch diameter. Thus, it is the reciprocal of the module. Since diametral pitch is used only with U.S. units, it is expressed as teeth per inch.
The addendum a is the radial distance between the top land and the pitch circle.
The dedendum b is the radial distance from the bottom land to the pitch circle. The whole depth ht is the sum of the addendum and the dedendum.
The clearance circle is a circle that is tangent to the addendum circle of the mating gear. The clearance c is the amount by which the dedendum in a given gear exceeds the addendum of its mating gear.
The backlash is the amount by which the width of a tooth space exceeds the thickness of the engaging tooth measured on the pitch circles.
