timing belt racks

[RhoTu]

Since I'm not quite a gearhead could anyone tell me if there are racks(as in rack and pinion) with the same tooth shape as timing gears/pulleys?

[Ken_Shea]

RhoTu
In the absence of a real "gearhead" :) the short answer is no, it's possible I guess that there may be a profile that comes close to complimenting itself for use as a matting profile but don't recall seeing any and if it did exist would make for a very poor rack/pinion.

Ken

[RhoTu]

Not thinking of using it in a rack and pinion manner.  Imagine more like a tank with the timing belt as the track and the earth as the rack.

[Ken_Shea]

OK, believe I understand whet you are doing now.
It's a big world so generally hesitate to say "no"  but in this case, don't believe there are any.
It would work so nothing stopping you from cutting one if you have the equipment or having one cut though.

[ArtF]

Someday you may be able to draw your own tooth profile, ( but really only a tooth based on cycloidals or involutes is a viable tooth profile..)..

Art

[RhoTu]

Thanks guys. Not trying to reinvent the wheel(gear) here but since the accuracy of timing belts with lots of teeth meshing with a rack of like profile seems desirable.

Thought someone had probably already tried it and failed/succeeded.

Art, you could draw one easily in gearotic that uses an existing belt pattern  ;D