>>939316669
They would jam.
Why: in the picture the big "STUDENTS" gear is meshed with both small "TEACHERS" and "PARENTS" gears, and the two small gears also touch each other. That makes a closed loop of three gears where each gear directly meshes with the other two. In any such odd-numbered mesh loop the required rotation directions conflict: if the big gear turns one way it forces the two small gears to turn the opposite way, but because the two small gears mesh with each other they must turn opposite directions from one another — a contradiction. That overconstraints the system and prevents free rotation (it either binds or breaks teeth).
How to make it work:
- Remove direct contact between the two small gears (space them so each only meshes with the big gear).
- Or insert an extra idler gear between the two small gears (or use a belt) so parity is preserved.
- Or make one of the small gears a free-spinning pulley (not toothed) so it doesn’t constrain the others.
