Method for chamfering bevel gears
View Patent ↗A chamfering method comprising defining a tooth edge utilizing theoretical data, defining an actual tooth edge utilizing the theoretical tooth edge data, defining a motion path of a chamfering tool and chamfering the actual tooth edge by moving the chamfering tool and the actual tooth edge relative to one another according to the motion path to chamfer the actual tooth edge.
1. A method of chamfering at least one edge of a tooth on a bevel gear having a plurality of teeth with a rotatable chamfering cutter having a plurality of cutting blades, said method comprising:
selecting at least one tooth edge for chamfering,
defining said at least one tooth edge by a plurality of edge points located along said at least one tooth edge,
determining an orientation of said chamfering cutter at each of said edge points,
determining a path of chamfer cutter travel between each of said edge points,
rotating said chamfer cutter and moving said chamfer cutter relative to said at least one tooth edge along said path of chamfer cutter travel to produce a desired chamfer on said at least one tooth edge, said chamfer cutter transitioning from a determined orientation at one point to a determined orientation at a successive point for all edge points along said path of chamfer cutter travel on said tooth edge,
wherein the cutting blades of said chamfer cutter include a cutting edge and a radiused cutting tip, said chamfering of said at least one edge of a tooth being conducted by said cutting edge and wherein a cutting point of said chamfer cutter remains in a fixed position on said cutting edge,
said method further including chamfering an edge of a root portion between successive teeth on said bevel gear, said chamfering of the root portion being conducted by the radiused cutting tip wherein the cutting point on said cutting edge is in motion along said radiused cutting tip during said chamfering of the root portion,
wherein said method of chamfering is carried out without a teaching step.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein during said chamfering, said chamfer cutter and said bevel gear are rotated according to a hobbing motion defined by the ratio of the number of cutting blades on said chamfer cutter and the number of teeth on said bevel gear.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said edge of a root portion is defined by a plurality of edge points located an edge of said root portion.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said bevel gear comprises one or both of a ring gear and a pinion.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said chamfer cutter is rotatable about an axis of rotation, said bevel gear is rotatable about an axis of rotation, and said chamfer cutter and said bevel gear are movable with respect to one another linearly in three mutually perpendicular directions and angularly about a pivot axis.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said chamfer cutter is rotated in a direction whereby said cutting blades exits a tooth while chamfering.