Triple gear

thingiverse

In a fascinating mechanism, three gears mesh together in pairs yet still turn freely. Traditionally, with three ordinary gears meshing with each other, none can move due to opposing directions. However, Triple Gear overcomes this by arranging the "gears" like interlinked rings, enabling rotation along skewed axes and eliminating the opposite direction rule. This innovative design is a collaboration between Saul Schleimer and the author, inspired by Oskar van Deventer's Knotted Gear and his Magic Gears. The paper delves into the mathematics behind Triple Gear and its development. A solid version for home printing, the Triple Gear (solid), is available along with a baseplate and axle designed for motor-driven gears. Other axles are also provided without a baseplate or motor fitting. The Triple Gear can be found on Shapeways as well. Areas of improvement include smoother motion, reduced wiggle room for the gears, and the potential to make them rotate at different speeds.