Dana Corporation

Spicer Technology Inc.

John Edward Masseth

James Steven Fisher

Roland Clark Smith

Joseph Henry Bradfield

This invention is directed to a method of using a two spindle Hurth-Module multi-spindle (or similar) cutting machine to accomplish face hobbing of hypoid and spiral bevel gear sets. A first cutter mounted on a first spindle would rough cut the gears and a second cutter mounted on a second spindle would finish the gears with both cutters using a face hobbing process. According to this process, multiple cutters are used for a single gear, but on a single machine, thereby reducing cutter wear, increasing cutter life, and raising production output of the multi-spindle machine by utilizing both spindles. In one embodiment, a fine pitch cutter is used to create the initial rough-cut of the gear, and a second coarse pitch cutter is used to create the finish cut of the gear.

Face hobbing of hypoid gears using a two-spindle machine

A method for producing a cutting blade comprising the steps of obtaining a cutter head having a plurality of blade-receiving slots formed in a face thereof, positioning the cutter head in coordinate measuring machine, and inspecting a selected one of the slots using the coordinate measuring machine. Data obtained during the inspecting step is recorded on a recording medium transmitted to a computer of a numerical control grinding machine. A cutting blade blank is positioned in and ground by the computer numerical control grinding machine. The grinding step comprises the steps of generating selected finished surfaces of the cutting blade from the cutting blade blank and compensating for dimensional variations of the inspection data of the selected slot relative to dimensional design requirements of the selected slot. A plurality of the blades produced in this manner may be assembled in a cutter head so as to produce a trued face hobbing cutter head which in turn may be utilized in conjunction with a gear cutting machine to make a spiral bevel, zerol, or hypoid gear.

Method for producing cutting blades

A cutter blade for use with a face hob type cutter for producing the teeth of spiral bevel and hypoid gear members by a continuous index, face hobbing process comprises a cutter blade shank having a cutting member provided at one end thereof. The cutting member includes a tooth cutting edge having a given axial pressure angle, and a relief edge adjacent the tooth cutting edge having an axial pressure angle greater than the axial pressure angle of the tooth cutting edge. The relief edge of the cutting member simultaneously forms a relief on the tip of the tooth of the gear member as the tooth is cut by the tooth cutting edge of the cutting member.

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Fort Wayne, IN, United States of America

John Edward Masseth