worm gear and worm wheel

The arrangement of gears seen above is called a worm and worm wheel. The worm, which in this example is certainly brown in colour, only has one tooth nonetheless it is like a screw thread. The worm wheel, coloured yellowish, is like a normal equipment wheel or spur gear. The worm always drives the worm wheel round, it is never the opposite way circular as the worm gear and worm wheel system will lock and jam