What is the difference between worm gear and worm wheel?
To determine who is worm gear and worm, as long as the main component can be the worm, and the follower is worm gear, because the worm gear drive has self-locking characteristics. The parts in the wrench in thumb rotation adjustment of jaw opening is a worm, because it can move the spanner opening is not as active.
Worm gears are commonly used to transfer motion and power between two intersecting shafts. The worm gear and the worm in the middle plane are equivalent to the gear and the rack, and the worm is similar to the screw shape.
Difference1) the worm gear is equal to the gear; the worm is equal to the rack.2) the worm is an active part; the worm wheel is the follower.3) many worm gear has an interesting feature that other gear sets do not have: the worm can easily turn the gear, but the gear does not rotate the worm. This is because the screw angle is very shallow, when the gear try rotation screw, the screw will let keep friction between the gear and the screw in situ.