A cutter build and truing machine (22) comprising a mechanism (52, 54) to position cutting blades (98) by moving the blades in either direction in a mounting slot (96) of a cutter head (94). The machine further includes a torque spindle (62) and driver (66) to automatically tighten or loosen clamp bolts (102).

A bevel gear set and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The bevel gear set may include a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear. The first and second bevel gears may be spiral bevel gears or hypoid spiral bevel gears. The first and second bevel gears may each have a gear tooth surface having a plurality of teeth formed thereon, such that the teeth of the first bevel gear and the teeth of the second bevel gear are configured to engage in a meshing engagement. The teeth are machined onto the respective gear tooth surface via a face milling process. Each tooth includes a tooth top, a plurality of meshing surfaces, and at least one chamfer. The chamfer may be formed at an abutment edge disposed between the tooth top and a respective meshing surface via a brushing process directly following the machining of the teeth.

A method for manufacturing a sintered gear comprising the steps of: preparing a cylindrical green compact; gear-cutting the green compact with a hob; and sintering the gear-hobbed green compact, wherein the hob is such that a ratio of a number of cutting edges thereof per round to a number of starts thereof exceeds 8.

A method of manufacturing a gear drive for a seat adjuster assembly may include applying a cutting process to a worm gear blank to cut gear teeth into the worm gear blank and form a single-enveloping worm gear; forming a worm with a helical thread that includes a pitch surface that is configured to mesh with the gear teeth of the single-enveloping worm gear. A longitudinal crown is created on the pitch surface of the helical thread of the worm such that the pitch surface has an arcuate profile moving from a proximal end of the worm to a distal end of the worm. In addition, a crowned tooth profile is created on the helical thread of the worm that extends in an angular direction between a top land and a bottom land of the helical thread. The crowned tooth profile bows outwardly along a convex curve.

A method of manufacturing a gear drive for a seat adjuster assembly may include applying a cutting process to a worm gear blank to cut gear teeth into the worm gear blank and form a single-enveloping worm gear; forming a worm with a helical thread that includes a pitch surface that is configured to mesh with the gear teeth of the single-enveloping worm gear. A longitudinal crown is created on the pitch surface of the helical thread of the worm such that the pitch surface has an arcuate profile moving from a proximal end of the worm to a distal end of the worm. In addition, a crowned tooth profile is created on the helical thread of the worm that extends in an angular direction between a top land and a bottom land of the helical thread. The crowned tooth profile bows outwardly along a convex curve.

A bevel gear set and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The bevel gear set may include a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear. The first and second bevel gears may be spiral bevel gears or hypoid spiral bevel gears. The first and second bevel gears may each have a gear tooth surface having a plurality of teeth formed thereon, such that the teeth of the first bevel gear and the teeth of the second bevel gear are configured to engage in a meshing engagement. The teeth are machined onto the respective gear tooth surface via a face milling process. Each tooth includes a tooth top, a plurality of meshing surfaces, and at least one chamfer. The chamfer may be formed at an abutment edge disposed between the tooth top and a respective meshing surface via a brushing process directly following the machining of the teeth.

A cutter build and truing machine (22) comprising a mechanism (52, 54) to position cutting blades (98) by moving the blades in either direction in a mounting slot (96) of a cutter head (94). The machine further includes a torque spindle (62) and driver (66) to automatically tighten or loosen clamp bolts (102).

A method for manufacturing a sintered gear comprising the steps of: preparing a cylindrical green compact; gear-cutting the green compact with a hob; and sintering the gear-hobbed green compact, wherein the hob is such that a ratio of a number of cutting edges thereof per round to a number of starts thereof exceeds 8.

The inventive device includes a work supporting portion for supporting a work rotatably about a first axis, a cutter supporting portion for supporting a cutter rotatably about a second axis different from the first axis and a moving portion for moving the cutter along a reference line extending through the first axis. The second axis is slanted relative to a reference plane oriented perpendicular to the first axis and a blade edge of the cutter is caused to come into contact with the work at an offset position offset from the reference line. The work and the cutter are driven in synchronism and the cutter is moved along the reference line.

There is provided a tool for efficiently cutting a face gear to be meshed with a helical gear. When a circular tooth thickness of a tooth tip of a cutting edge portion is represented as S.sub.atSC, a circular tooth thickness on a virtual outside diameter of a tooth profile of the helical gear in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to an axis is represented as S.sub.at, a helix angle on the virtual outside diameter of the tooth profile of the helical gear in a cross-sectional view by a plane perpendicular to the axis is represented as .sub.a, and a face width of the cutting edge portion is represented as b.sub.sc, $b_{\mathrm{SC}}\frac{s_{\mathrm{at}}-s_{\mathrm{atSC}}}{\tan {}_a}$
is satisfied.