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St.JOSEPHS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, CHENNAI 119.

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ME 2352 DESIGN OF TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS

III Year Mechanical Sem : VI

Unit I -Part A

01. Sketch and name the different types of compound wire ropes.
(a) Cross or regular lay ropes (b) Parallel or lang lay ropes
(c) Composite and reverse laid ropes


02. What is meant by chordal action in chain drives? (or) What is meant by chordal action of
chain? Also name a company that produces driving chains.
When chain passes over a sprocket, it moves as a series of chords instead of a continuous arc as
in the case of a belt drive. It results in varying speed of the chain drive. This phenomenon is
known as chordal action.
Some of the company names producing chains are : Rotomechanical equipments, Chennai:
Monal Chains Limited, Mumbai; Innotech Engineers Ltd., New Delhi.
03. Why tight-side of the belt should be at the bottom side of the pulley?
Because the driving pulley pulls the belt from bottom side and delivers it to the upper side. So it
is obvious that the bottom side of the belt is tight.
04. What is slack adjuster?
Slack adjuster is an arrangement of maintaining both tight and slack side tensions. Slack
adjusters are also known as belt tensioning devices. Figures a and b show the commonly used
slack adjusters.

05. Explain the term Crowning of pulley.
* The pulley rims are tapered slightly towards the edges. This slight convexity is known as
crowning. * The crowning tends to keep the belt in centre on a pulley rim while in motion.
06. In what way silent chain is better than ordinary driving chain?
Silent chain-drives preferred over ordinary driving chain for high-power, high-speed and
smooth operation.
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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07. What is the effect of centre distance and diameter of pulley on the life of a belt? (or) A
longer belt will last more than a shorter belt. Why?
The life of a belt is a function of the centre distance between the driver and driven shafts and
diameter of driver and driven pulleys. The shorter the belt, the more often it will be subjected to
additional bending stresses while running around the pulleys at a given speed. And also it will
be destroyed quickly due to fatigue. Hence the increased centre distance and diameter of pulley
will increase the belt life. Hence, a longer belt will last more than a shorter belt.
08. What are the various losses in the power transmission by belts?
The losses in a belt drive are due to : (i) Slip and creep of the belt on the pulleys(about 3%)
(ii)Bending of the belt over the pulleys (about 1%) (iii) Friction in the bearings of pulley (about
1%) and (iv) Windage or air resistance to the movement of belt and pulleys (usually negligible)
09. In what ways the timing belts are superior to ordinary V-belts?
Flat belt and V-belt drives cannot provide a precise speed ratio, because slippage occurs at the
sheaves. But certain applications require an exact output to input speed ratio. In such situations,
timing belts are used.
10. Name the four types of belts used for transmission of power.
(i) Flat belts (ii) V- belts (iii) Ribbed belts and (iv) Toothed or timing belts.
11. Why are idler pulleys used in a belt drive?
* Idler pulleys are provided to obtain high velocity ratio. * Many idler pulleys are used when it
is desired to transmit motion from one shaft to several parallel shafts.
12. What are the materials used for belt drive?
(i) Leather (ii) Fabric and cotton (iii) Rubber (iv) Balata and (v) Nylon.
13. State the law of belting.
Law of belting states that the centre line of the belt as it approaches the pulley must lie in a
plane perpendicular to the axis of that pulley or must lie in the plane of the pulley, otherwise
the belt will run off the pulley.
14. What are the factors on which the coefficient of friction between the belt and pulley
depend?
(i) Material of belt (ii) Material of pulley (iii) Slip of belt and (iv) Speed of belt.
15. What is wipping? How it can be avoided in belt drives?
* If the centre distance between two pulleys are too long then the belt begins to vibrate in a
direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of belt. This phenomenon is called as
wipping. * Wipping can be avoided by using idler pulleys.
16. What are the materials used for pulleys?
(i) Cast iron (ii) Fabricated steel (iii) Compressed paper and (iv) Wood or fibre.
17. Write any four wire rope applications.
Wire ropes are extensively used in elevators, mine hoists, cranes, conveyors and suspension
bridges.
18. How are wire ropes designated?
Wire ropes are designated (or specified) by the number of strands and the number of wires in
each strand.
19. What do you understand by 6 x 19 construction in wire ropes?
A 6 x 19 wire rope means a rope is made from 6 strands with 19 wires in each strand.

20. When do you prefer a chain drive to a belt or rope drive?
Chain drives are preferred for velocity ratio less than 10, chain velocities upto 25 m/s and for
power ratings upto 125 KW.
21. Give any three applications of chain drives.what are they limitations?
( apr 2011)
Chain drives are widely used in transportation industry, agricultural machinery, metal and wood
working machines.
Limitations :heavy height ,sudden failure, intensive wear of the links in the joints
,susceptibility to jerks and overloads.
22. What are the different types of chains?
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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(i) Link (or welded load) chains, (ii) Transmission (or roller) chains and (iii) Silent (or inverted
tooth ) chains.
23. What is the effect of chordal action in chain drives? How can you reduce that
effect?
* Chordal action results in a pulsating and jerk motion of a chain. * In order to reduce
the variation in chain speed, the number of teeth on the sprocket should be increased.
24. What do you mean by galling of roller chains?
Galling is a stick-slip phenomenon between the pin and the bushing. When the load is
heavy and the speed is high, the high spots (i.e. joints) of the contacting surfaces are
welded together. This phenomenon of welding is called as galling of roller chains.
25. Distinguish between open drive and cross drive of a belt drive.
(apr 2011)
Open belt drive: used with shafts arranged parallel and rotating in same direction
Cross belt drive: used with shafts arranged parallel and rotating in opposite direction


Part B

01. A V-belt drive is to transmit 15 KW to a compressor. The motor runs at 1150 rpm and the
compressor is to run at 400 rpm. Determine : (i) belt specifications (ii) number of belts (iii)
correct centre distance and (iv) drive pulley diameter.
02. Design a V-belt drive and calculate the actual belt tensions and average
stress for the following data. Driven pulley diameter, D = 500 mm, Driver
pulley diameter, d = 150 mm, Center distance, C = 925 mm, Speeds n
l
=
1000 rpm, n
2
= 300 rpm and Power, P = 7.5 kW.
03. Two shafts whose centres are 1 metre apart are connected by a V-belt drive. The driving pulley
is supplied with 95 kW power and has an effective diameter of 300 mm. It runs at 1000 rpm,
while the driven pulley runs at 375 r.p.m. The angle of groove on the pulleys is 40. Permissible
tension in 400 mm
2
cross-sectional area belt is 2.1 MPa. The material of the belt has density of
1100 kg/m
3
. The driven pulley is overhung, the distance of the centre from the nearest bearing
being 200 mm. The coefficient of friction between belt and pulley rim is 0.28. Estimate the
number of belts required.
04. A V-belt drive is required to transmit 16 kW power to a compressor. The motor speed is 1440
rpm and the speed reduction ratio is 3.6. Design the belt drive. Sketch the details of pulley.
05. A V belt drive is to transmit 50 kW in a heavy duty saw mill which works
in two shifts of 8 hours each. The speed of the motor shaft is 1440 rpm
with an approximate speed reduction of 2 in the machine shaft. The
peripheral speed of the belt should not exceed 24 m/sec. Design the drive.
06. It is required to design a leather crossed belt drive to connect 7.5 kW,
1440 rpm electric motor to a compressor running at 480 rpm. The
distance between the centers of the pulleys is twice the diameter of the
bigger pulley. The belt should operate at 20 m/s approximately and its
thickness is 5 mm. Density of leather is 950 kg/m
3
and permissible stress
is 5.6 MPa.
07. A leather belt 9 mm x 250 mm is used to drive a cast iron pulley 900 mm
in diameter at 336 rpm. If the active arc on the smaller pulley is 120 and
stress in tight side is 2 MPa, find the power capacity of the belt. The
density of leather may be taken as 980 kg/m
3
and coefficient of friction of
leather on cast iron is 0.35.
08. A crane is used to lift a load of 32 kN through a wire rope. Weight of crane hook is 6 kN. The
load is to be lifted with an acceleration of 1.2 m/s
2
. Neglecting self weight of the rope, design
the drive.
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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09. A workshop crane is lifting a load of 25 kN through a wire rope and a hook. The weight of the
hook etc is 15 kN. The rope drum diameter may be taken as 30 times the diameter of the rope.
The load is to be lifted with an acceleration of 1 m/s
2
. Calculate the diameter of the wire rope.
Take a factor of safety of 6 and Young's modulus for the wire rope 80 kN/mm
2
. The ultimate
stress may be taken as 1800 MPa. The cross-sectional area of the wire rope may be taken as 0.38
times the square of the wire rope diameter.
10. Select a wire rope for a vertical mine hoist to lift 10,000 kN of coal from a
depth of 750 m in each 8 hours shift. Assume a two compartment shaft
with hoisting skips in balance. Assume rope velocity 750 m/min,
acceleration and decelaration periods of each 10 sec. and rest periods of
each 10 sec. for discharging and loading. Assume skip weight to be half of
that of the load. E = 8 x 10
4
N/mm
2
.
11. A roller chain drive is used between a driver shaft running at 1000 rpm
and a driven shaft running approximately at 320 rpm. The power
transmitted is 10 kW. The drive is to be used for 2 shifts/day with 8 hours
per shift. The center distance is approximately 700 mm and the chain
tension can be adjusted by moving the motor in the rails. Design the
drive.
12. Design a chain drive to run(actuate) a compressor from a 11 kW electric motor
running at 970 rpm, the compressor speed being 330 rpm. The
compressor operates 16 hours/day. The centre distance should be
approximately(minimum) 500 mm. The chain tension can be adjusted by shifting the motor on
slides.
13. A 7.5 kW electric motor running at 1400 rpm is used to drive the input
shaft of the gearbox of a special purpose machine. Design a suitable roller
chain to connect the motor shaft to the gear box shaft to give an exact
speed ratio of 10 to 1. Assume the minimum center distance between
driver and driven shafts as 600 mm.

14. Select a flat belt to drive a mill at 250 rpm from a 10 kw, 780 rpm motor. Centre distance is to be
around 2m. The mill shaft, pulley is of 1 m diameter. (Apr 2011)

15. A truck equipped with a 9.5 kw engine uses a roller chain as the final drive to the rear axle. The
driving sprocket runs at 900 rpm and the driven sprocket at 400 rpm with a centre distance of
approximately 600 mm. Select the roller chain. (Apr 2011)

Unit II-Part A

01. Specify the conditions based on which gear cutters are selected.
The conditions are * The capacity of the machine size and shape of the gear. * Proper material
selection. * The magnitude of production range. * The production time * The technical
experience of the machinist. * The economic viability of the machine.
02. Why is dedendum value more than addendum value?
The dedendum value is more than the addendum value to provide necessary clearance between
the gears while meshing. In other words, this is to provide necessary clearance between the gears
while meshing.
03. Where do we use skew(skew helical) gears?
Skew gears are used to connect and transmit motion between two non-parallel and non-
intersecting shafts.
04. What is working depth of a gear-tooth?
Working depth is the radial distance from the addendum circle to the clearance circle. It is equal
to the sum of the addendum of the two meshing gears.
05. What factors influence backlash in gear drives?
Module and pitch line velocity.
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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06. What is interference in involute profile?
The phenomenon when the tip of tooth on the pinion undercuts the root on its mating gear(i.e. on
the wheel) and remove part of the involute profile of tooth on the wheel is known as interference.
07. How number of teeth affects the design of gears?
The number of teeth affects the design of gears, because most of the design parameters of gears
such as module, centre distance, bottom clearance, face width, tooth depth, pitch circle diameter,
tip diameter and root diameter are based on the number of teeth of the gears.
08. What are the advantages of the helical gear over spur gear?
* Helical gears produce less noise than spur gears of equivalent quality because the total contact
ratio is increased. * Helical gears have a greater load carrying capacity than equivalent size of
spur gears.. * A limited number of standard cutters are used to cut a wide variety of helical gears
simply by varying the helix angle.
09. What is Herringbone gear? State its application.
* Herringbone gear or double helical gear consists of teeth having a right and left handed helix
cut on the same blank. * Herringbone gears are used to overcome the difficulty of end thrust in
the single helical gear.
10. State the law of gearing. (or) State the conditions of correct gearing.
The law of gearing states that for obtaining a constant velocity ratio, at any instant of teeth the
common normal at each point of contact should always pass through a pitch point (fixed point),
situated on the line joining the centres of rotation of the pair of mating gears.
11. What is pressure angle? What is the effect of increase in pressure angle?
* Pressure angle is the angle between the common normal to two gear teeth at the point of contact
and the common tangent at the pitch point. * The increase of the pressure angle results in a
stronger tooth, because the tooth acting as a beam is wider at the base.
12. What are the advantages of toothed gears over the other types of transmission systems?
* Since there is no slip, so exact velocity ratio is obtained. * It is capable of transmitting larger
power. * It is more efficiency and effective means of power transmission.
13. Define transmission ratio with reference to spur gears.
It is the ratio of speed of driving gear to the speed of the driven gear.
14. Define module. (Apr 2011)
It is the ratio of the pitch circle diameter to the number of teeth.
15. In a pair of spur gears, the module is 6 mm. Determine the circular pitch and the diametral
pitch.
(i) Circular pitch, p
c
= x m = x 6 = 18.85 mm
(ii) Diametral pitch, p
d
= /p
c
= 1/m = 1/6 = 0.166 mm.
16. AGMA stands for what?
The American Gear Manufacturers Association.
17. What are the common forms of gear tooth profile? (Apr 2011)
(i) Involute tooth profile and (ii) Cycloidal tooth profile.
18. What are the standard interchangeable tooth profiles?
(i) 14
0
composite system (ii) 14
0
full depth involute system (iii) 20
0
full depth involute
system and (iv) 20
0
stub involute system.
19. What are the materials used for gear manufacturing?
Metallic gears : steel, cast iron and bronze.
Non-metallic gears : Wood, rowhide, compressed paper and synthetic resins.
20. Why is pinion made harder than gear?
Because the teeth of pinion undergo more number of cycles than those of gear and hence quicker
wear.
21. List out the various methods of manufacturing a gear.
1. Gear milling.
2. Gear generating : (i) Gear hobbing; (ii) Gear shaping.
3. Gear molding : (i) Injection molding ; (ii) Die casting (iii) Investment casting.
22. What are the main types of gear tooth failure?
1. Tooth breakage (due to static and dynamic loads).
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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2. Tooth wear (or surface deterioration) : (a) Abrasion; (b) Pitting and
(c) Scoring or seizure.
23. What are the assumptions made in deriving Lewis equation?
1. The effect of radial component, which induces compressive stresses, is negligible.
2. The tangential component is uniformly distributed across the full face width.
3. The tangential force is applied to the tip of a single tooth.
4. Stress concentration in the tooth fillet is negligible.
24. What are the conditions required for interchangeability in tooth gears?
Pressure angle and module should be same.
25. What are the effects of increasing and decreasing the pressure angle in gear design?

* Increasing the pressure angle will increase the beam and surface strengths of tooth. But gear
becomes noisy. * Decreasing the pressure angle will increase the minimum number of teeth
required on the pinion to avoid interference/ undercutting.
26. Why do you prefer helical gears than spur gears?
* Helical gears produce less noise than spur gears. * Helical gears have a greater load capacity
than equivalent spur gears.
27. A pair of helical gears consists of a 20 teeth pinion meshing with a 70 teeth gear. The
normal module is 3 mm. Find the required value of the helix angle if the centre distance is
exactly 150 mm.
Solution : Centre distance, a = (m
n
/cos) x [(z
1
+ z
2
) /z]
Or 150 = (3/cos) x [(20 + 70)/2]
Or Helix angle, = 25.84
0

28. Differentiate double helical and herringbone gears.
When there is groove in between the gears, then the gears are specifically known as
double helical gears. When there is no groove in between the gears, then the gears is known as
herringbone gears.
29. What are spiral (or skew) gears? What hands of helix are used?
* A pair of crossed-helical gears are known as spiral gears. * In most applications, the spiral
gears have the same hand.
30. Where do we use skew (or spiral) gears?
Skew gears are used to connect and transmit motion between two non-parallel and non-
intersecting shafts.
31. Why is the crossed helical gear drive mostly not used for power transmission?
As the contact between the mating teeth of crossed helical gears is always a point, these gears are
suitable only for transmitting a small amount of power. Thats why mostly these gears are not
used for power transmission.
Part B
01. Design a spur gear pair to transmit 1.5 kW at 1440 rpm from an electric motor to an air compressor
running at 720 rpm. Take the working life as 10,000 hrs. Material to be used is cast Iron grade 25
for both pinion and wheel.
02. A motor shaft running at 1440 rpm has to transmit 15 kW power to a low speed shaft rotating at
480 rpm. The pinion has 25 teeth. Both pinion and gear are made of C45 steel. Design a suitable
spur gear drives.
03. A motor shaft rotating 1440 rpm has to transmit 15 KW power to a low speed shaft rotating at 500
rpm. A 20
0
pressure angle involute tooth gear pinion is used. The pinion has 25 teeth. Design a
suitable gear drive.
04. An electric motor is to be connected to a reciprocating pump through a gear pair. The gears are
overhanging in their shafts. Motor speed = 1440 rpm. Speed reduction ratio = 5. Motor Power =
36.8 kW. The gears are to have 20 pressure angle. Design a spur gear drive.
05. Design a straight spur gear drive to transmit 8 kW. The pinion speed is
720 rpm and the speed ratio is 2. Both the gears are made of the same
surface hardened carbon steel with 55 RC and core hardness less than
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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350 BHN. Ultimate strength is 720 N/mm
2
and yield strength is
360 N/mm
2
.
06. Two shafts 300 mm apart transmitting 7.46 kW are to be connected by a
steel pinion meshing with a cast iron gear. The velocity ratio of the drive
is 3 : 1 and the pinion runs at 600 rpm. Assuming 20 involute tooth
profile, design the drive.
07. Referring to Fig. 1 spur gear A receives 3 kW at 600 rev/min through its shaft and rotates
clockwise. Gear B is an idler and gear C is the driven gear. The teeth are 20 full depth. (The
pitch circles are shown in Fig. 1). Determine(i) the torque each shaft must transmit (ii) the
tooth load for which each gear must be designed. (iii) the force applied to the idler shaft as a
result of the gear tooth loads.







08. Design a gear drive to transmit 22 kW at 1000 rpm. Speed reduction is
2.5. The centre distance between the shaft is approximately 350 mm. The
materials are : pinion - c 45, gear wheel : CI Grade 30. Design the drive.
(Use Lewis and Buckingham equations).
09. Design a pair of helical gears to transmit 30 kW at a speed reduction ratio of 4:1. The input shaft
runs at 2000 rpm. Both pinion and gear are 15Ni2crlMol5 under carburized condition.
10. Design a pair of helical gears to transmit 30 kW power at a speed reduction ratio of 4:1. The input
shaft rotates at 2000 rpm. Take helix and pressure angles equal to 25
0
and 20
0
respectively. The
number of teeth on the pinion may be taken as 30.
11. A pair of helical gears subjected to moderate shock loading is to transmit 37.5 kW at 1750
r.p.m. of the pinion. The speed reduction ratio is 4.25 and the helix angle is 15. The service is
continuous and the teeth are 20
0
FD in the normal plane. Design the gears, assuming
a life of 10,000 hours.
12. A helical gear has a normal pressure angle of 20, a helix angle of 45 and a normal module of 4
mm and has 20 teeth. Find (i) Pitch diameter (ii) The transverse, the normal and axial circular
pitches.
13 . In a spur gear drive for a stone crusher, the gears are made of (MO steel.The pinion is
transmitting 20 kw at 1200 rpm. The gear ratio is '.). Gear i.s to work 8 hrs per day, six
days a week and for 3 years. Design the drive. (Apr 2011)
14. Design a pair of helical gears to transmit 10 kW at 1000 rpm of the pinion. Reduction
ratio of 5 is required. (Apr 2011)
Unit III-Part A
01. What is virtual number of teeth in bevel gears?
An imaginary spur gear considered in a plane perpendicular to the tooth of the bevel gear at the
larger end is known as virtual spur gear. The number of teeth z
v
on this imaginary spur gear is
called virtual number of teeth in bevel gears. z
v
= z/cos where z = actual number of teeth on the
bevel gear and = pitch angle.
02. Why is the efficiency of worm gear drive comparatively low?
The efficiency of worm gear drive is lower because of power loss due to friction caused by
sliding.
03. When the number of start of a worm is increased in a worm gear drive, how it affects the
other parameters and action of the drive?
The increase in number of starts on the worm will increase the lead and lead angle of the worm.
This results in higher friction losses and hence the lower efficiency.
04. What is the specific feature of miter gear?
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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When equal bevel gears(having equal teeth and equal pitch angles) connect two shafts whose axes
intersect at right angle, then they are known as miter gears.
05. Define the following terms : (a) Cone distance (b) Face angle.
(a) Cone distance : In bevel gears, cone distance is the length of the pitch cone element. (b) Face
angle : It is the angle subtended by the face of the tooth at the cone centre.
06. In which gear drive, self-locking is available?
In the worm gear drive, self-locking is available.
07. Why is multistart worm more efficient than the single start one?
The efficiency of the worm depends mainly on pressure angle(also known as pitch angle of the
worm). For a single start worm this pressure angle will be less. In a multistart worm, this pressure
angle can be increased (of the order 45
0
). Thats why multistart worm is more efficient.
08. State true or false and justify. Mitre gears are used for connecting non-intersecting shafts.
False. Mitre gears are mounted on intersecting shafts and have a shaft angle of 90
0
.
09. State the advantages of Herringbone gear.
Herringbone gears eliminate the existence of axial thrust load in the helical gears. Because, in
herringbone gears, the thrust force of the right hand is balanced by that of the left hand helix.
10. What is the difference between an angular gear and a miter gear?
* When the bevel gears connect two shafts whose axes intersect at an angle other than a right
angle, then they are known as angular bevel gears.
* When equal bevel gears (having equal teeth and equal pitch angles) connect two shafts whose
axes intersect at right angle, then they are known as miter gears.
11. For bevel gears, define back cone distance.
Back cone distance is the length of the back cone. Back cone is an imaginary cone, perpendicular
to the pitch cone at the end of the tooth.
12. A pair of worm gears is designated as 2/54/10/5. Find the gear ratio.
Solution : ( 2/54/10/5) : (z
1
/z
2
/q/m
x
)
Therefore, Gear ratio, i = z
2
/z
1
= 54/2 = 27
13. Differentiate self-locking and overrunning worm drives.
* The drive is called self-locking, if cos . tan
* The drive is called overrunning, if < cos . tan
14. Why phosphor bronze is widely used for worm gears?
Phosphor bronze have high antifriction properties to resist seizure. Because in worm gear drive,
the failure due to seizure is more.
15. List out the main types of failure in worm gear drive.
1. Seizure 2. Pitting and rupture.
16. In worm gear drive, only the wheel is designed. Why? (Apr 2011)
Since always the strength of the worm is greater than the worm wheel, therefore only the worm
wheel is designed.
17. For transmitting large power, worm reduction gears are not generally preferred. Why?
In worm drive, meshing occurs with sliding action. Since sliding occurs, the amount of heat
generation and power loss are quite high.
18. In worm gearing heat removal is an important design requirement. Why?
Because the worm gear drives produce much heat. Unless proper heat removal is provided, the
drive may eventually fail by seizure.
19. Under what situation, bevel gears are used? (Apr 2011)
BEVEL GEARS ARE USED TO TRANSMIT POWER BETWEEN TWO INTERSECTING
SHAFTS
Part B
01. Design a pair of bevel gears for two shafts whose axes are at right angles.
The power transmitted is 30 kW. The speed of pinion is 300 rpm and of
the gear is 120 rpm. Select the materials and design the drive.
02. Design the teeth of a pair of bevel gears to transmit 18.75 KW at 600 rpm of the pinion. The
velocity ratio should be about 3 and the pinion should have about 20 teeth which are full depth
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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20
0
involute. Find the module, face width, diameter of the gears and pitch core angle for both
gears.

03. A pair of bevel gears is to be used to transmit 12 KW from a pinion rotating at 360 rpm to a gear
mounted on a shaft which intersects the pinion shaft at an angle of 70. Assuming that the pinion
is to have an outside pitch diameter of 200 mm, a pressure angle of 20, a face width of 40 mm,
and the gear shaft is to rotate at 120 rpm, determine (i) the pitch angle for the gears (ii) the.forces
on the gears and (iii) the torque produced about the shaft axis.

04. A pair of straight tooth bevel gears has a velocity ratio of 4/3. The pitch
diameter of the pinion is 150 mm. The face width is 50 mm. The pinion
rotates at 240 rev/min. The teeth are 5 mm module, 14
0
involute. If 6 kW is transmitted,
determine (i) the tangential force at the mean radius (ii) the pinion thrust force (iii) the gear
thrust force. Draw the free body diagrams indicating the forces.
05. Design a worm gear drive with a standard centre distance to transmit
7.5 kW from a worm rotating at 1440 rpm to a worm wheel at 20 rpm.
06. Design a worm gear drive for the following data: Power to be transmitted : 20 kW, Worm speed:
1440 rpm, Speed reduction: 24:1.
07. Design a worm gear drive to transmit 18 kW at a worm speed of 1440
rpm. The speed ratio is 24. The minimum required efficiency of the drive
is 85%. Check the design for heat dissipation and give your inference.
08. Design a worm gear drive to transmit 22.5 kW at a worm speed of 1440 rpm. Velocity ratio is 24
: 1. An efficiency of atleast 85% is desired. The temperature rise should be restricted to
40C. Determine the required cooling area.
09. A speed reducer wait is to be designed for an input of 11.25 KW with a transmission ratio of 20.
The speed of the hardened steel worm is 1500 rpm. The worm wheel is to be made of bronze.
The tooth form is to be 20
0
involute.
10. Design a bevel gear drive to transmit 7.36 kw at 1440 rpm for the following data. Gear ratio - 3.
Material for pinion and gear C45 surface hardened. (Apr 2011)
11. Design a worm drive for a speed reducer to transmit 15 kw at 1440 rpm of the worm shaft. The
desired wheel speed is 6 rpm. Select, suitable worm and wheel materials. (Apr 2011)

Unit IV -Part A

01. Explain the ray(saw tooth) diagram and list the advantages of geometric progression. (or)
Why G.P. series is selected for arranging the speeds in gear box?
The ray diagram is a graphical representation of the drive arrangement in general form. It serves
the specific values of all the transmission ratios and speed of all the shafts in the drive.
Advantages of geometric progression in the selection of gear box:
(i) The speed loss is minimum, if G.P. is used (ii) The number of gears to be employed is
minimum, if G.P. is used. (iii) G.P. provides a more even range of spindle speeds at each step.
(iv) The layout is comparatively very compact, if G.P. is used.
02. What is the function of spacers in a gear-box?
The function of spacers is to provide the necessary distance between the gears and the bearings.
03. What are the methods of lubrication in speed reducers?
* Splash or spray lubricating method and * Pressure lubrication method.
04. Draw the ray diagram for a six speed gear box.
A typical ray diagram for a six speed gear box, for the preferred structural formula 3(1) 2(3), is
shown below.


Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
10


05. What situations demand use of gear boxes?
Gear boxes are required wherever the variable spindle speeds is necessary.
06. Write any two requirements of a speed gear box.
* Gear box should provide the designed series of spindle speeds. * Gear box should transmit the
required amount of power to the spindle.
07. List any two methods used for changing speeds in gear boxes.
1. Sliding mesh gear box and 2. Constant mesh gear box
08. What are preferred numbers? (Apr 2011)
Preferred numbers are the conventionally rounded off values derived from geometric series.
There are five basic series, denoted as R 5, R 10, R 20, R 40 and R 80 series.
09. What is step ratio? (or) Define progression ratio.
When the spindle speeds are arranged in geometric progression, then the ratio between the two
adjacent speeds is known as step ratio or progression ratio.
10. What is kinematic arrangement as applied to gear boxes?
The kinematic layout shows the arrangement of gears in a gear box. It also provides
informations like number of speeds available at each spindle and the number of stages used.
11. What does the ray-diagram of gear box indicates?
The ray diagram is a graphical representation of the drive arrangement in general form. It serves
to determine the specific values of all the transmission ratios and speeds of all the shafts in the
drive.
12. State any three basic rules to be followed while designing a gear box.
1. The transmission ratio (i) in a gear box is limited by i 2.
2. For stable operation, the speed ratio of any stage should not be greater than 8. i.e., N
max

/ N
min
8.
3. In all stages except in the first stage, N
max
N
input
> N
min
.
13. What are the possible arrangements to achieve 12 speeds from a gear box? (Apr 2011)
The possible arrangements are : (i) 3 x 2 x 2 scheme (ii) 2 x 3 x 2 scheme and (iii) 2 x 2 x 3
scheme.
14. List out the possible arrangements to achieve 16 speed gear box.
(i) 4 x 2 x 2 scheme (ii) 2 x 4 x 2 scheme and (iii) 2 x 2 x 4 scheme
15. What is a speed reducer?
Speed reducer is a gear mechanism with a constant speed ratio, to reduce the angular speed of
output shaft as compared with that of input shaft.
Part B

01. In a drilling machine, 12 different speeds in the range of 100 rpm and 355 rpm are required.
Design a three stage gear box with a standard step ratio. Sketch the layout of the gear box,
indicating the number of teeth on each gear. The gear box receives 5 kW from an electric motor
running at 360 rpm. Sketch also the speed diagram.
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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02. In a machine tool application, 12 different speeds are required from 125 rpm to 450 rpm in the
output shaft. The motor speed is 630 rpm.
(1) Determine the 12 standard speed in G.P.
(2) Draw the ray diagram.
(3) Sketch the kinematic layout.
(4) Determine the number of teeth on the gears to be used.
03. Select speeds for a 12 speed gear box for a minimum speed of 16 rpm and maximum speed of
900 rpm. Draw a kinematic arrangement of the gear box showing the number of teeth.
04. In a milling machine, 18 different speeds in the range of 35 rpm and 650 rpm are required.
Design a three stage gear box with a standard step ratio. Sketch the layout of the gear box,
indicating the number of teeth on each gear. The gear box receives 3.6 kW from an electric
motor running at 1,440 rpm. Sketch also the speed diagram.
05. Design a ninespeed gearbox for a machine to provide speeds ranging from 100 to 1500 rpm.
The input is from a motor of 5 kW at 1440 rpm. Assume any alloy steel for the gears.
06. Design a 9 speed gear box for the following data:
Minimum speed: 100 rpm, Step ratio: 1.25. The input is from a 4 kW, 1400 rpm motor. Draw
the speed diagram and indicate the number of teeth on each gear in a kinematic diagram.
07. Draw the kinematic diagram and speed diagram of the head stock gear box of a turret lathe
having arrangement for a spindle speeds ranging from 31.5 rpm to 1050 rpm. Calculate the
number of teeth on each gear. Minimum number of
teeth on a gear is 25.
08. The minimum and maximum speed of a six speed gear box are to be 160 and 500 rpm. Construct the
kinematic arrangement, and the ray diagram of the gear box. Also find the number of teeth on all
gears. (Apr 2011)
09. Design a 12 speed gear box for an all geared headshock of a lathe. Maximum and minimum speeds
are 600 rpm and 25 rpm respectively. The drive is from an electric motor giving 2.25 k. w at.
1440 rpm(Apr 2011)

Unit V-Part A

01. Explain the desirable properties of friction material used for the lining of brake shoes.
(or) What are the desirable properties of friction material to be used for clutches?
*A high and uniform coefficient of friction * Good resiliency * The ability to withstand high
temperatures, together with good heat conductivity. * High resistance to wear, scoring and
galling.
02. Why in automobiles, braking action when traveling in reverse is not as effective as when
moving forward?
When an automobile moves forward, the braking force acts in the opposite direction to the
direction of motion of the vehicle. Whereas in reverse traveling the braking force acts in the
same direction to the direction of motion of the vehicle. So it requires more braking force to
apply brake.
03. What is the difference between a coupling and a clutch?
Couplings are used as permanent connecting elements between two power transmitting
elements whereas clutches are used as temporary connecting elements. Thus periodical
engagement is possible in clutch connection.
04. Distinguish between wet and dry operation of clutches.
* When a clutch operates in the absence of a lubricant, then that clutch is known as dry clutch.
In dry clutch the torque capacity is high, but the heat dissipating capacity is low. * When a
clutch operates wet (i.e. with lubrication), then torque capacity is low but the heat dissipating
capacity is high.
05. Classify clutches based on the coupling methods.
*Positive contact clutches * Frictional clutches * Overrunning clutches * Magnetic clutches and
* Fluid couplings.
06. What is fade?
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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When the brake is applied continuously over a period of time, the brake becomes overheated
and the coefficient of friction drops. This results in sudden fall of efficiency of the brake. This
phenomenon is known as fade of fading.
07. Why should the temperature rise be kept within the permissible range in brakes?
Because the temperature rise beyond the permissible range in brakes will cause : (i) excessive
wear (ii) distortion of the brake linings and (iii) surface cracks due to thermal stresses.
08. Name four materials used for lining of friction surfaces in clutches. (or) Name few
commonly used friction materials. (Apr 2011)
(i) wood (ii) Cork (iii) Leather (iv) Asbestos based friction materials and (v) Powdered metal
friction materials.
09. What is meant by self-energising brake?
When the moment of applied force(F.l) and the moment of the frictional force(.R
N
.c) are in
the same direction, then frictional force helps in applying the brake. This type of brake is
known as a self-energizing brake.
10. If a multidisc clutch has 8 discs in driving shaft and 9 discs in driven shaft, then how
many number of contact surfaces it will have?
Given data : n
1
= 8; n
2
= 9 Solution : Number of pair of contact surface, n = n
1
+ n
2
-1 = 8+9-1 =
16
11. What is the function of a clutch?
The clutch is a mechanical device which is used to connect or disconnect the source of power at
the operators will.
12. What is the axial force required at the engagement and disengagement of cone clutch?
W = W
n
( 1 + cot )
13. What is the difference between cone and centrifugal clutches?
Cone clutch works on the principle of friction alone. But centrifugal clutch uses principle of
centrifugal force in addition with it.
14. Compare disc clutches and cone clutches.
* In disc clutches, friction lined flat plates are used. * In cone clutches, friction lined frustum of
cone is used.

15. What is the function of a brake?
Brake is a mechanical device by means of which motion of a body is retarded for slowing down
or to bring it to rest, by applying artificial frictional resistance.
16. Differentiate a brake and a clutch.
A clutch connects two moving members of a machine, whereas a brake connects a moving
member to a stationary member.
17. What are the types of brake linings?
1. Organic linings 2. Semi-metallic linings and 3. Metallic linings.
18. What is a self-locking brake? (Apr 2011)
When the frictional force is sufficient enough to apply the brake with no external force, then the
brake is said to be self-locking brake.
19. What you meant by self-energizing brake?
When the moment of applied force (F . l) and the moment of the frictional force ( . R
N
. c) are
in the same direction, then frictional force helps in applying the brake. This type of brake is
known as a self-energizing brake.
20. Two blocks diametrically opposite to each other are used in a block brake. Why?
If only one block is used for braking, then there will be side thrust on the bearing of wheel
shaft. This drawback can be removed by providing two blocks on the two sides of the drum
diametrically opposite.


Part B
01. Design a cam for operating the exhaust valve of an oil engine. It is required to give equal
uniform acceleration and retardation during opening and closing of the valve, each of which
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
13
corresponding to 60 of cam rotation. The valve should remain in the fully open position for 20
of cam rotation. The lift of the valve is 37.5 mm and the least radius of the cam is 50 mm, the
follower is provided with a roller of 50 mm diameter and its line of stroke passes through the
axis of the cam.
02. A single plate clutch, effective on both sides, is required to transmit 25 kW at 3000 rpm.
Determine the outer and inner diameter of frictional surface if the coefficient of friction is 0.255,
ratio of diameters is 1.25 and the maximum pressure is not to exceed 0.1 N/mm
2
. Also,
determine the axial thrust to be provided by springs. Assume theory of uniform wear.
03. A plate clutch with maximum diameter 60 mm has maximum lining pressure of 0.35 MPa. The
power to be transmitted at 400 rpm is 135 kW and = 0.3. Find inside diameter and spring
force required to engage the clutch. Springs with spring index 6 and material spring steel with
safe shear stress 600 MPa are used. Find the wire diameter if 6 springs are used.
04. A dry single plate clutch is to be designed for an automotive vehicle
whose engine is rated to give 100 kW at 2400 r.p.m. and maximum
torque 500 N-m. The outer radius of the friction plate is 25% more than
the inner radius. The intensity of pressure between the plate is not to
exceed 0.07 N/mm
2
. The coefficient of friction may be assumed equal to
0.3. The helical springs required by this clutch to provide axial force
necessary to engage the clutch are 8. If each spring has stiffness equal to
40 N/mm, determine the dimensions of the friction plate and initial
compression in the springs.
05. A plate clutch has 3 discs on the driving shaft and 2 discs on the driven shaft, providing 4 pairs
of contact surfaces. The outside diameter of the contact surfaces is 240 mm and inside diameter
120 mm. Assuming uniform pressure and = 0.3, find the total spring load for pressing the
plates together to transmit 25 kW at 1575 rpm. If there are 6 springs each of stiffness 13 kN/m
and each of the contact surfaces have worn away by 1.25 mm, find the maximum power that
can be transmitted, assuming uniform wear.
06. A hydraulically operated clutch is to be designed for an automatically operated lathe. Determine
the number of plates and the operating force required for a clutch which is to transmit a
torsional moment of 35 Nm under normal operating conditions. The clutch is to be designed to
slip under 300 percent of rated torsional moment to protect the gears and other parts of the
drive. The limits for the diameters of the friction surface due to space limitations are 100 mm
and 62.5 mm. This clutch is to operate in an oily atmosphere.
07. A power of 20 kW is to be transmitted through a cone clutch at 500 rpm.
For uniform wear condition, find the main dimensions of clutch and
shaft. Also determine the axial force required to engage the clutch.
Assume coefficient of friction as 0.25, the maximum normal pressure on
the friction surface is not to exceed 0.08 MPa and take the design stress
for the shaft material as 40 Mpa.
08. An engine developing 45 kW at 1000 rpm is fitted with a cone clutch built
inside the fly wheel. The cone has a face angle of 12.5 and a maximum
mean diameter of 500 mm. The coefficient of friction is 0.2. The normal
pressure on the clutch face is not to exceed 0.1 N/mm
2
. Determine
(i) the face width required (ii) the axial spring force necessary to engage
the clutch.
09. A multiple disc wet clutch is to be designed for a machine tool driven by an electric motor of
12.5 kW running at 1440 rpm. Space restrictions limit the outside disc diameter to 100 mm.
Determine the appropriate values for disc inside diameter, total number of discs, and clamping
force.
10. Calculate the average bearing pressure and the initial and average braking powers for the block
shoe shown in Fig. 2. The diameter of the drum is 400 mm and it rotates at 200 rpm.
Coefficient of friction is 0.2 and drum width is 75 mm.
Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119
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11. In a single block brake, the diameter of the drum is 250 mm and the angle of contact is 90. If
the operating force of 700 N is applied at the end of lever which is at 250 mm from the center
of the brake block. The coefficient of friction between the drum and the lining is 0.35.
Determine the torque that may be transmitted. Fulcrum is at 200 mm from the centre of brake
block with an offset 50 mm from the surface of contact.
12. A rope drum of an elevator having 650 mm diameter is fitted with a
brake drum of 1 m diameter. The brake drum is provided with four cast
iron brake shoes each subtending an angle of 45. The mass of the
elevator when loaded is 2000 kg and moves with a speed of 2.5 m/s. The
brake has a sufficient capacity to stop the elevator in 2.75 metres.
Assuming the coefficient of friction between the brake drum and shoes as
0.2, find (i) width of the shoe, if the allowable pressure on the brake shoe
is limited to 0.3 N/mm
2
and (ii) heat generated in stopping the elevator.
13. A multi - disc clutch has three discs on the driving shaft and two on the driven shaft is to be designed
for a machine tool, driven by an electric motor of 22 kw running at 1440 rpm. The inside diameter
of the contact surface is 130mm. The maximum pressure between the surfaces is limited to
0.1/N/inm2. Design the clutch. Take =0.3, n
1
= 3; n
2
=2. (Apr 2011)
14. Determine the capacity and the main dimensions of a double block brake for the following data.
The brake sheave is mounted on the drum shaft. The hoist with its lead weights 45 kN and
moves downwards with a velocity of 1.15 m/s. The pitch diameter of the hoist drum is 1.25m. The
hoist must be stopped with in a distance of 3.25 m. The kinetic energy of the drum may be
neglected. (Apr 2011)

Prepared by T.BALAMURUGAN ,Associate professor,DoME,St.Joseph's college of engg,chennai-119