Duplex Worm For Worm Gears

A duplex worm or dual lead worm is a worm gear set where the two flanks are manufactured with slightly different modules and/or diameter quotients. As a result of this, different lead angles on both tooth profiles are obtained, so that the tooth thickness is continuously increasing all over the worm length, while the gap between two threads is decreasing. This allows control of backlash.

At the worm wheel, the different modules result in different addendum modification coefficients and rolling circle diameters at both flanks. Because of this the profiles are different at the front and at the rear flank. The thickness of each tooth and the tooth gaps remain constant at the circumference of the wheel.

Backlash adjustment is done by shifting the worm axially, so that the section of the worm with the needed tooth thickness will be in contact with the wheel, giving the desired backlash (fig. 1).

This way, backlash can be easily adjusted to any desired value when mounting the gear, and even worn gears can be readjusted at any time delicately and continuously, without modifying the tooth contact or creating meshing interference.