What Is Sliding Mesh Gearbox? – Parts, Working, Application, Diagram

A sliding mesh gearbox is a type of manual transmission that uses sliding gears for gear shifting instead of a synchronizer. Learn the Main components of a Sliding mesh gearbox and how they work together, also know the Advantages of a Sliding mesh gearbox.

What Is Sliding Mesh Gearbox?

A sliding mesh gearbox is a type of manual transmission that uses gears that are able to slide along their shafts to attach different gear ratios. This allows gears to move without the use of a synchronizer. This is an old technology and is less used than synchronous gearboxes.

⭐ Learn More – What Is Constant Mesh Gearbox?

Need Of Sliding Mesh Gearbox

Sliding mesh transmission was commonly used in early automobiles and motorcycles because it was a simple and cost-effective design to achieve different gear ratios. It was also used in vehicles with low-power engines, where the absence of a synchronizer mechanism did not cause significant transfer difficulties.

However, as engines became more powerful and vehicles became more sophisticated, sliding mesh transmissions were primarily replaced by synchromesh gearboxes, which provide smoother and more efficient transfers.

The various problem solved by this type of gearbox is :

1. Fuel consumption of an automobile increases as the load on the engine is decreased or shared by the intermediate system known as the sliding mesh gearbox.
2. Due to the varying torque ratios provided by this gearbox, the automobile vehicle is made to go to the hill stations which was not possible earlier.
3. The time taken to reach the destination was decreased as the overall speed of the vehicle increased due to the high-speed ratios provided by it.
4. The reverse of the car was made possible with the introduction of this transmission system.
5. The jamming of the vehicle due to the rough road conditions was solved after the introduction of the sliding mesh gearbox.

⭐ Learn More – What Is Synchromesh Gearbox?

Components Of Sliding Mesh Gearbox

1. Main Shaft

It is the shaft used as an output shaft in a sliding mesh over which the sets of gears with internally splined grooves are arranged in an organized fashion. The outer surface of this shaft is made splined so that the gears can easily slide over this shaft in order to mesh with the appropriate gear.

2. Clutch Shaft

It is the shaft that is used to carry engine output to the transmission box with the help of engaging and disengaging the clutch which is mounting at the engine end, gear or a pair of gears is mounted over this shaft which is used to transmit rotational motion to the lay shaft.

3. Lay Shaft

It is the shaft having gears mounted over its outer surface and is in continuous rotation with the clutch shaft as one gear of this shaft is always in contact with a gear on the clutch shaft, it is used as an intermediate shaft ( between the main shaft and clutch shaft ) that provides the meshing of the gears of the main shaft to transmit appropriate output to the final drive.

4. Spur gear

This is the type of gear having straight-cut teethes over its surface, with straight teethes proving maximum meshing area.

5. Helical gear

This is the type of gear in which the teethes are cut in an angular fashion, unlike spur gears this type of gear is smooth and less noisy.

6. Gear lever

It is the selecting mechanism operated by the driver to select the appropriate gear ratio, this liver is connected to the main shaft along with the selector forks.

Working Of Sliding Mesh Gearbox

The shifting of gears is obtained by the meshing of the gears on the main shaft with the gears on the lay shaft by right or left sliding of gears on the main shaft to obtain appropriate gears, let’s understand the working of 3- speed 1-reverse transmission used in early automobile vehicles.

First Gear – The first gear provides maximum torque at low speed which is obtained when the smallest gear on the lay shaft meshes with the biggest gear on the main shaft to provide high torque.

Second Gear – The second gear provides less torque and higher speed than the first gear and is obtained when the middle size gear of the main shaft meshes with the second smallest gear on the lay shaft and high speed and second high torque is transmitted to the final drive.

Third Gear – The third gear provides maximum speed and minimum torque to the final drive and is also known as the high-speed gear or top gear in a sliding mesh gearbox, this gear is obtained when the smallest gear of the main shaft meshes with the biggest gear of the lay shaft. Or we can say that the drive obtained a maximum speed of the clutch shaft.

Reverse Gear – When the reverse gear is selected, the rotation of the output shaft is reversed which is made possible by using an idler gear between the main shaft and lay shaft that changes the rotation of the output shaft, and the vehicle starts moving in the reverse direction.

Advantages Of Sliding Mesh Gearbox

1. Simple and cost-effective design.
2. Relatively durable and reliable.
3. No need for a synchronizer mechanism.
4. Suitable for low-power engines.

Disadvantages Of Sliding Mesh Gearbox

1. Rough shifting due to the need to match the speeds of gears before shifting.
2. Increased wear and maintenance due to the sliding and meshing of gears.
3. High levels of noise and vibration.
4. Inefficient and slow shifting compared to synchromesh gearboxes.
5. Difficulty in use for inexperienced drivers.

Application Of Sliding Mesh Gearbox

1. It was used in early automobiles and motorcycles.
2. It is used in low-power vehicles.
3. It was also used in agricultural and construction equipment.
4. These were also found in Military vehicles and also Vintage and classic vehicles.

Note – Sliding mesh gearboxes are less commonly used in modern vehicles due to the advent of synchromesh gearboxes, which offer smoother and more efficient shifting.

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