Surface Geometry of Variable Pitch Cylindrical Cams with Conical Meshing Elements

This paper presents mathematical expressions for the surface geometry of variable pitch cylindrical cams with four conical meshing elements based on the theory of conjugate surfaces. The unit normal of the element is derived, with given surface geometry of the meshing element, by differential geometry. The contact lines of the conjugate surface are defined according to the equation of meshing and the specified input-output relation. By the coordinate transformation of contact lines, we have the complete profile of the variable pitch cylindrical cam. The results of this work are instrumental in computer-aided manufacturing of variable pitch cylindrical cams for industrial applications.