Worm Gear Drives With Adjustable Backlash

Abstract

This article presents the design of patented worm gear drives, which allow backlash adjustment or elimination by using specially designed worms and worm wheels. Many of the presented solutions allow backlash adjustment without disassembling the drive. The proposed solutions allow reduction of both backlash and its standard deviation to as little as 7.5% and 5% of their initial values, respectively. The presented solutions are a good alternative to harmonic drives and conventional precise drives, which are currently in use. The presented drives can successfully find their application in mechanisms for precise positioning of test benches, as well as in precise technological equipment, technological instrumentation, and in the case of miniaturization—in mechanisms resistant to severe working conditions.