An assist mechanism includes: an electric motor in which a rotor has a magnet and a stator has a winding; a shaft-shaped member in which a worm engaged with a worm wheel is formed; and a coupling that couples an output shaft of the electric motor and the shaft-shaped member to each other. The smallest rotation order among rotation orders of the electric motor and a rotation order of the worm are prime to each other.

A worm drive apparatus includes a worm drive assembly having a worm engaged with a worm shaft and positioned within a housing; and a first gear engaged with the worm shaft; a worm wheel positioned within a channel created by the housing, the worm wheel engaged with a shaft extending through the channel; a friction assembly engaged with the worm wheel and the shaft, the friction assembly having a friction disk positioned adjacent to the worm wheel; a lock washer positioned adjacent to the friction disk; and a wave spring positioned adjacent to the lock washer; the friction assembly aids in preventing unwanted movement of the apparatus; and the worm wheel and first gear are to engage.

A worm drive apparatus includes a worm drive assembly having a worm engaged with a worm shaft and positioned within a housing; and a first gear engaged with the worm shaft; a worm wheel positioned within a channel created by the housing, the worm wheel engaged with a shaft extending through the channel; a friction assembly engaged with the worm wheel and the shaft, the friction assembly having a friction disk positioned adjacent to the worm wheel; a lock washer positioned adjacent to the friction disk; and a wave spring positioned adjacent to the lock washer; the friction assembly aids in preventing unwanted movement of the apparatus; and the worm wheel and first gear are to engage.

Technical solutions are described for controlling operation of a motor using a controller to: energize the motor to rotate driveshaft and a worm; drive a worm gear by the worm; stop the motor from rotating the driveshaft in response to the worm gear rotating to a given one of a plurality of first stop positions; and change the given one of the first stop positions to another one of the first stop positions. A method for controlling a machine comprises: rotating a driveshaft by a motor; driving a worm gear by a worm to cause the worm gear to rotate; stopping the motor from rotating the driveshaft in response to the worm gear rotating to a given one of a plurality of first stop positions; and changing the given one of the first stop positions to another one of the first stop positions.

Technical solutions are described for controlling operation of a motor using a controller to: energize the motor to rotate driveshaft and a worm; drive a worm gear by the worm; stop the motor from rotating the driveshaft in response to the worm gear rotating to a given one of a plurality of first stop positions; and change the given one of the first stop positions to another one of the first stop positions. A method for controlling a machine comprises: rotating a driveshaft by a motor; driving a worm gear by a worm to cause the worm gear to rotate; stopping the motor from rotating the driveshaft in response to the worm gear rotating to a given one of a plurality of first stop positions; and changing the given one of the first stop positions to another one of the first stop positions.

A gear pairing for a helical gear unit or a spur gear unit, comprising a first gear with a first toothing portion, and a second gear with a second toothing portion, wherein the first gear has a first axis and the second gear has a second axis, which enclose a shaft angle, which is between 0 and 90°, the first toothing portion and the second toothing portion can be brought into meshing engagement and, when engaged, form an involute toothing, the materials of the first and second toothing portions are chosen so that, when engaged, a material pairing metal/plastic results, and the toothing portion made of plastic has a first helix angle and the toothing portion made of metal has a second helix angle.

A gear pairing for a helical gear unit or a spur gear unit, comprising a first gear with a first toothing portion, and a second gear with a second toothing portion, wherein the first gear has a first axis and the second gear has a second axis, which enclose a shaft angle, which is between 0 and 90°, the first toothing portion and the second toothing portion can be brought into meshing engagement and, when engaged, form an involute toothing, the materials of the first and second toothing portions are chosen so that, when engaged, a material pairing metal/plastic results, and the toothing portion made of plastic has a first helix angle and the toothing portion made of metal has a second helix angle.

The invention relates to a steering gear (11) for a vehicle having a helical gear (19), the helical gear (19) having a first gear wheel (21) and a second gear wheel (22) which engages with the first gear wheel (21), a first rotation axis (23) of the first gear wheel (21) being aligned so as to be transverse to a second rotation axis (24) of the second gear wheel (22), and an axis perpendicular (25) being aligned so as to be orthogonal to the first rotation axis (23) and to the second rotation axis (24), a smallest spacing between axes (26) between the first rotation axis (23) and the second rotation axis (24) coinciding with the axis perpendicular (25), and an engagement line (33) resulting by means of common contact points (34) of the two mutually engaged gear wheels (21, 22). In order to increase the diversity in terms of variants and/or to improve the adaptation possibilities, the steering gear (11) is characterized in that the engagement line (33) is spaced apart from the axis perpendicular (25).

A tubing rotator and a drive therefor. The tubing rotator includes an input shaft to a tubing rotator gear; an electric motor including an output shaft; and a plurality of worm drives arranged in series and configured to (i) receive input from the electric motor and (ii) output torque to the input shaft of the tubing rotator. The worm drives may be identical speed reducers, such as with an input to output reduction ratio of from 25:1 to 40:1.

A tubing rotator and a drive therefor. The tubing rotator includes an input shaft to a tubing rotator gear; an electric motor including an output shaft; and a plurality of worm drives arranged in series and configured to (i) receive input from the electric motor and (ii) output torque to the input shaft of the tubing rotator. The worm drives may be identical speed reducers, such as with an input to output reduction ratio of from 25:1 to 40:1.