Rack and pinion

Rack and Pinion

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Rack and pinion

A rack and pinion is a pair of gear

Gear

A gear is a component within a Transmission device that transmits rotational force to another gear or device. A gear is different from a pulley in that a gear is a round wheel that has linkages that mesh with other gear teeth, allowing force to be fully transferred without slippage....
s which convert rotational motion into linear motion. The circular pinion
Pinion

A pinion is a round gear used in several applications:*usually the smallest gear in a Gear train. In many cases, such as remote controlled toys, the pinion is also the drive gear, although in the case of John Blenkinsop The Salamanca, the pinion was rather large....
engages teeth on a flat bar - the rack. Rotation

Rotation

A rotation is a movement of an object in a circular motion. A two-dimensional object rotates around a center of rotation. A Three-dimensional space object rotates around a line called an axis....
al motion applied to the pinion will cause the rack to move to the side, up to the limit of its travel. For example, in a rack railway

Rack railway

A cog railway, pens and rails railway, rack-and-pinion railway or rack railway is a railway with a toothed rack and pinion, usually between the running Rail tracks#railway rail....
, the rotation of a pinion mounted on a locomotive

Locomotive

A locomotive is a Rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin language loco - "from a place", Ablative case of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine,....
or a railcar

Railcar

A railcar is a self-propelled Rail transport vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single Coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends....
engages a rack

Rack railway

Train

A train is a connected series of vehicles that move along a track to rail transport from one place to another. The track usually consists of two rail tracks, but might also be a monorail or magnetic levitation train guideway....
along a steep slope

Slope

Slope is used to describe the steepness, incline, gradient, or grade of a line . A higher slope value indicates a steeper incline. The slope is defined as the ratio of the "rise" divided by the "run" between two points on a line, or in other words, the ratio of the altitude change to the horizontal distance between any two point...
.

The rack and pinion arrangement is commonly found in the steering

Steering

Steering is the term applied to the collection of components, linkages, etc. which will allow for a vessel or vehicle to follow the desired course....
mechanism of car

Automobile

An automobile or motor car is a wheeled motor vehicle for transportation passengers, which also carries its own car engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally f...
s or other wheel

Wheel

A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines....
ed, steered vehicles.

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Encyclopedia

A rack and pinion is a pair of gear

Gear

Rotation

Rack railway

Locomotive

Railcar

Rack railway

Train

Slope

Steering

Steering is the term applied to the collection of components, linkages, etc. which will allow for a vessel or vehicle to follow the desired course....
mechanism of car

Automobile

Wheel

A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines....
ed, steered vehicles. This arrangement provides a lesser mechanical advantage

Mechanical advantage

In physics and engineering, mechanical advantage is the factor by which a mechanism multiplies the force or torque put into it. Generally, the mechanical advantage is calculated as follows:...
than other mechanisms such as recirculating ball

Recirculating ball

Recirculating ball, also known as recirculating ball and nut or worm and sector, is a steering mechanism commonly found in older automobile and some trucks....
, but much less backlash and greater feedback

Feedback

Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence the same event/phenomenon in the present or future....
, or steering "feel". The use of a variable rack was invented by Arthur E Bishop, so as to improve vehicle response and steering "feel" on-centre, and that has been fitted to many new vehicles, after he created a hot forging

Forge

A forge is the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith. A forge is sometimes referred to as a smithy.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals....
process to manufacture the racks, thus eliminating any subsequent need to machine the form of the gear teeth.

For every pair of conjugate involute profile, there is a basic rack. This basic rack is the profile of the conjugate gear of infinite pitch radius.

A generating rack is a rack outline used to indicate tooth details and dimensions for the design of a generating tool, such as a hob or a gear shaper cutter.

External links

of the rack and pinion mechanism.