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Originally Posted by Adam Y.
So anyone care to explain to me what is special about square and elliptical gears? I know the gear ratio must be chaning but I want to know how. Also, please do not say that there is no such thing because there is. I saw it in a musuem.
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Adam,
I see you are from Long Island so I don't know if you have been to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. They have several unusual gear clusters on display in the stairwells. There are square, elliptical, and I believe triangular gears as well as linear motion convertors. If this is the exhibit to which you are referring, the gearsets shown are for demo and are not practical. As you have pointed out the ratio is variable as the the two gears mesh at different diameters as they rotate. The noise output is very high and the engagement clearance seemed to be very high as well, so backlash was pretty bad. The demonstrations were prepared for the Chicago World's Fair in 1933 according to the museum site. I know they have been on display since the 1950's.
Is it possible these are the gears you saw?