How to See Where Gear Teeth Touch Using Glowing Oil
This patent describes a method for precisely mapping where gear teeth contact each other by applying a special glowing oil mixture, rolling the gears, and then observing the resulting pattern under ultraviolet light.
Original patent title: “Recognition of tooth contact with a luminescent agent”
This patent describes a method for precisely mapping where gear teeth contact each other by applying a special glowing oil mixture, rolling the gears, and then observing the resulting pattern under ultraviolet light. Owned by Gleason Works with 31 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2041.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The method starts by taking two gears, a "first member" and a "second member" (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1), and rolling them together on a gear testing machine. During this rolling, a special "contrast agent" is applied, which is a "luminescent agent mixed with a transmission oil" (Claim 1). This mixture is preferably invisible to the human eye (AbstractabstractA short summary at the front of the patent describing the invention. Not legally binding.Read more →). As the gears continue to roll, the pressure from their contact squeezes the oil mixture away from the exact points where the teeth touch. After the gears stop and are separated, a "contact pattern" is revealed by shining "ultra-violet light" on the "tooth flank surfaces" (Claim 1). The areas where the glowing oil was removed show the precise contact zones. For example, a gear manufacturer could use this to check if newly cut gears are meshing correctly.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover methods using non-luminescent contrast agents, such as traditional bluing compounds.
- Does not cover methods where the contrast agent is not mixed with transmission oil.
- Does not cover methods where the contact pattern is revealed without using ultra-violet light.
- Does not cover methods where the luminescent agent is not removed from the contact area by the rolling pressure.
- Does not cover visual inspection of the contact pattern without the aid of a camera or image capture (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 7).
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in using a luminescent agent mixed with transmission oil that is removed by the very act of gear contact. This creates a clear, high-contrast pattern that is only visible under UV light, allowing for precise measurement without messy traditional dyes or complex surface treatments.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Gear quality control in automotive manufacturing
Testing industrial machinery gearboxes
Aerospace component inspection
Wind turbine gearbox development
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Accurately understanding how gear teeth contact each other is crucial for designing durable and efficient machinery. Poor contact patterns can lead to premature wear, noise, and failure in everything from car transmissions to wind turbine gearboxes. This method offers a precise way to visualize these patterns, helping engineers optimize gear design and manufacturing processes.
Filed
May 17, 2021
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Gleason Works, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is a global leader in gear technology, manufacturing gear production machinery and related tools. They continue to develop and refine methods for gear inspection and quality control, likely incorporating or building upon such techniques in their advanced gear testing equipment.
Market impact
This patent offers a more precise and potentially cleaner alternative to traditional gear contact pattern analysis methods, such as using marking paste. It could lead to more accurate gear manufacturing, reducing warranty claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → and improving product lifespan across industries relying on precision gearing, from automotive to heavy machinery.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The method starts by taking two gears, a "first member" and a "second member" (Claim 1), and rolling them together on a gear testing machine. During this rolling, a special "contrast agent" is applied, which is a "luminescent agent mixed with a transmission oil" (Claim 1). This mixture is preferably invisible to the human eye (Abstract). As the gears continue to roll, the pressure from their contact squeezes the oil mixture away from the exact points where the teeth touch. After the gears stop and are separated, a "contact pattern" is revealed by shining "ultra-violet light" on the "tooth flank surfaces" (Claim 1). The areas where the glowing oil was removed show the precise contact zones. For example, a gear manufacturer could use this to check if newly cut gears are meshing correctly.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in using a luminescent agent mixed with transmission oil that is removed by the very act of gear contact. This creates a clear, high-contrast pattern that is only visible under UV light, allowing for precise measurement without messy traditional dyes or complex surface treatments.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover methods using non-luminescent contrast agents, such as traditional bluing compounds.
- Does not cover methods where the contrast agent is not mixed with transmission oil.
- Does not cover methods where the contact pattern is revealed without using ultra-violet light.
- Does not cover methods where the luminescent agent is not removed from the contact area by the rolling pressure.
- Does not cover visual inspection of the contact pattern without the aid of a camera or image capture (Claim 7).
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$72K – $230K
Midpoint $144K · 14.7 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
31 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Stadtfeld, H. J. How to See Where Gear Teeth Touch Using Glowing Oil (U.S. Patent No. 20,230,168,149). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20230168149/recognition-of-tooth-contact-with-a-luminescent-agent
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How to See Where Gear Teeth Touch Using Glowing Oil cover?
This patent describes a method for precisely mapping where gear teeth contact each other by applying a special glowing oil mixture, rolling the gears, and then observing the resulting pattern under ultraviolet light.
Who owns patent US 20230168149?
This patent is owned by Gleason Works.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on May 17, 2041, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 20230168149 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Accurately understanding how gear teeth contact each other is crucial for designing durable and efficient machinery. Poor contact patterns can lead to premature wear, noise, and failure in everything from car transmissions to wind turbine gearboxes. This method offers a precise way to visualize these patterns, helping engineers optimize gear design and manufacturing processes.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover methods using non-luminescent contrast agents, such as traditional bluing compounds.
Patent monitoring