Gears that connect intersecting shafts with an equal number of teeth are called what?

Gears that connect intersecting shafts and have an equal number of teeth are known as mitre gears. These gears are designed specifically to transmit power between shafts that are at right angles to each other while maintaining the same speed and torque. The key feature of mitre gears is that their tooth counts are typically the same on both gears, allowing for a 1:1 gear ratio, which means that the input and output speeds are equal. This characteristic makes mitre gears ideal for applications where a change in direction of motion is required without altering the speed of the driven shaft.

In contrast, spur gears are used for parallel shafts and do not connect at angles, while crown gears, which can also operate at right angles, typically have significantly different numbers of teeth. Bevel gears can connect shafts at various angles and may not have an equal number of teeth, making them unsuitable for situations requiring equal tooth counts.