involute etymology

Etymology:

Derived from the Latin word "involvere," meaning "to roll up" or "to involve."

Meaning:

  • A curve generated by tracing the path of a point on a flexible string that is unwound while keeping the string taut and in contact with a fixed curve called the base curve.
  • A mathematical function that describes the shape of a tooth profile in gears and other mechanical components.

Origin:

The term "involute" was first used in geometry by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes in the 3rd century BCE. He described the involute of a circle as the curve generated by the end of a thread that is unwound from a fixed point on the circumference of the circle.

In the 19th century, the involute curve gained practical importance in the development of gears. In 1858, the American inventor and gear designer Gleason Brown patented a method for generating involute gear teeth, which became the standard for gears in modern machinery.

Examples:

  • The gear teeth in a bicycle are involute curves.
  • The spiral ramps in a parking garage follow involute curves.
  • The cam profile in an engine is often designed using an involute curve.

involute relate terms

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