A worm drive includes a worm wheel having two spaced-apart outer rims defining an annular channel therebetween for receiving at least a portion of a worm screw. Each of the rims include a set of side teeth in the annular channel extending that are spaced apart from and face the set of teeth of the other rim. The two sets of teeth capture the worm screw and mesh with the screw thread of the worm screw such that the worm screw is engaged by the teeth only on spaced-apart locations on opposite sides of the worm screw. There are no resultant forces in an axial direction of the worm wheel during operation of the worm drive. Also, the worm screw and the worm wheel are self-aligning in the axial direction of the worm wheel.

A drive gear for a generally cylindrical imaging component. The drive gear includes a body for engaging the generally cylindrical imaging component; a cylindrical shaft attached to the body, the cylindrical shaft having an end surface; and lobes extending longitudinally outward from the end surface.

A drive gear for a generally cylindrical imaging component. The drive gear includes a body for engaging the generally cylindrical imaging component; a cylindrical shaft attached to the body, the cylindrical shaft having an end surface; and lobes extending longitudinally outward from the end surface.

A ball screw (1, 10) has a bridge member (5) formed with a linking groove (5a) on its inner surface that makes the rolling track a circulating track. The bridge member (5) is fit into a bridge window (6, 9) formed on a barrel of a nut (3, 8). The bridge window (6) has a pair of opposite linear parts or walls (6a, 6a). These linear parts or walls have openings, formed by the helical screw groove, leading to the linking groove of the bridge member. The linear parts or walls are arranged so that they cross the lead angle () of the nut screw groove at a right angle.

A gearwheel pair for a spur gear unit, comprising a first spur gear and a second spur gear, which can be meshed with one another, wherein the first spur gear consists entirely or partially of metal or plastic and the second spur gear comprises an outer part having a gear rim made of a first plastic and having a number of injection-molded portions, an inlay part made of metal, and a connecting part, which is arranged between the inlay part and the outer part and is made of a second plastic for the interlocked and/or materially-bonded connection of the inlay part and the outer part and further relates to the second spur gear per se, a spur gear unit having such a gearwheel pair, and a method for producing a second spur gear, which is used for such a spur gear unit.

A gearwheel pair for a spur gear unit, comprising a first spur gear and a second spur gear, which can be meshed with one another, wherein the first spur gear consists entirely or partially of metal or plastic and the second spur gear comprises an outer part having a gear rim made of a first plastic and having a number of injection-molded portions, an inlay part made of metal, and a connecting part, which is arranged between the inlay part and the outer part and is made of a second plastic for the interlocked and/or materially-bonded connection of the inlay part and the outer part and further relates to the second spur gear per se, a spur gear unit having such a gearwheel pair, and a method for producing a second spur gear, which is used for such a spur gear unit.

A method of manufacturing gear teeth by additive manufacturing. Each tooth (20) is constructed from a predetermined number of layers (30, 31, 32) of material (e.g. steel) with each layer being formed by a predetermined number of rows (33-41) of material preferably applied by a welding head (13) or equivalent apparatus.

A method of manufacturing gear teeth by additive manufacturing. Each tooth (20) is constructed from a predetermined number of layers (30, 31, 32) of material (e.g. steel) with each layer being formed by a predetermined number of rows (33-41) of material preferably applied by a welding head (13) or equivalent apparatus.

A worm drive includes a worm wheel having two spaced-apart outer rims defining an annular channel therebetween for receiving at least a portion of a worm screw. Each of the rims include a set of side teeth in the annular channel extending that are spaced apart from and face the set of teeth of the other rim. The two sets of teeth capture the worm screw and mesh with the screw thread of the worm screw such that the worm screw is engaged by the teeth only on spaced-apart locations on opposite sides of the worm screw. There are no resultant forces in an axial direction of the worm wheel during operation of the worm drive. Also, the worm screw and the worm wheel are self-aligning in the axial direction of the worm wheel.

A torque transmitting gear includes a steel toothed annular flange having gear teeth defined on a periphery of the steel toothed annular flange. A steel hub is coaxially aligned with the steel toothed annular flange. A web is formed from a web material having a density less than or equal to 3.0 grams per cubic centimeter. The web is fixedly attached to the toothed annular flange and to the hub for rotation together with the toothed annular flange and the hub. The gear is to operatively transmit a torque of at least 500 Newton Meters for at least 6 million revolutions of the gear. An overall mass of the gear is less than two-thirds of an overall mass of a same-sized all steel gear having a solid steel web with a solid steel web thickness at least one-third of a face width of the toothed annular flange.