Abstract: A cam locking assembly for an adjustable steering column. The assembly includes a tie bolt that is secured relative to the steering column. A lever member is positioned for rotation about the tie bolt. A caming unit is positioned about the tie bolt adjacent the lever member. The caming unit has a roller assembly positioned between a pair of opposed cam plates. One of the cam plates is associated with the lever member and rotates therewith and the other plate is fixed relative to such rotation. Each cam plate has a plurality of ramped recesses on its internal surface such that rotation of the one plate causes the rollers to ride up the ramps such that the plates are pushed apart. The pushed apart ramps cause clamping upon the steering column to lock its position.

Abstract: A clearance damping element for use with a telescoping shaft assembly including a shaft having a shaft outer diameter and a tube configured to receive the shaft therein. The clearance damping element comprises a tube engaging portion and a shaft engaging portion. The tube engaging portion is adapted to fixedly receive the tube and the shaft engaging portion has a body extending from the second end of the tube engaging portion. The shaft engaging portion body includes a plurality of flexible fingers with inward extending projections that define an inner diameter less than the shaft outer diameter.

Abstract: A roller bearing assembly and a method of forming a rolling bearing assembly. The bearing assembly includes a shell formed from a cold-rolled strip having a carbon content greater than 0.65%. In one aspect of the invention, the circumferential raceway has an as hardened surface hardness of at least 58 HRC without the application of a carburizing treatment to the formed shell. In another aspect of the invention, the cold-rolled strip has a carbon content greater than 0.65% and an ASTM grain size no. of 8 or finer. The circumferential raceway has an average surface roughness Ra less than or equal to 18 microinchs without the application of any finishing process to the formed shell.

Abstract: A shaft and bearing assembly comprising a soft shaft having an outer contact surface having a hardness less than 30 HRC and a bearing assembly having a plurality of rollers. The bearing assembly is configured to be positioned about the shaft with the rollers in rolling contact with the shaft outer contact surface. The rollers have a roller contact surface having a hardness less than 45 HRC.

Abstract: A bearing assembly comprising a cage, a plurality of rollers and a sleeve. The cage comprises a central portion extending between a pair of radial flanges. The central portion includes a plurality of roller retaining pockets configured to receive and prevent substantial radial movement of rollers positioned therein in a radial direction. The sleeve is positioned between the radial flanges with the radial flanges radially overlapping the sleeve. The sleeve is retained between the flanges prevents substantial radial movement of the rollers in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A gear assembly includes a gear having a cylindrical inner bore. A sleeve having a convex inner bearing surface is positioned within the gear bore and a shaft is positioned within the sleeve inner bearing surface. A plurality of rollers are positioned between the shaft and the sleeve convex inner bearing surface. The sleeve may further include a pair of opposed radially inwardly extending flanges configured to axially retain the rollers within the sleeve.

Abstract: A steering column rotary tilt locking mechanism. The mechanism includes a rod pivotally interconnecting upper and lower column members and a sleeve supported about the rod. The rod and sleeve have selectively engageable surfaces. The sleeve has opposed slots with one end of each slot having axis offset from the other slot. Upon rotation of the sleeve, the sleeve moves out of perpendicularity relative to the shaft such that the slots bind against the shaft and the sleeve moves off center relative to the rod and binds thereagainst.

Abstract: An axial actuator assembly is coupled with a cylindrical member. The axial actuator assembly includes a first ring positioned about the cylindrical member and including a first surface. A second ring is positioned about the cylindrical member and includes a first surface engaged with the first surface of the first ring. An actuator is operable to cause relative rotation between the first and second rings to spread the first and second rings apart. The axial actuator assembly can form part of a clutch assembly so that the spreading of the first and second rings operates to engage the cylindrical member with a driven member.

Abstract: A clutch assembly is provided for a vehicle having at least one primary driven axle supporting a first wheel and at least one secondary driven axle supporting a second wheel. The at least one primary driven axle is driven by a vehicle transmission. The clutch assembly includes a clutch movable between a first position, wherein the transmission engages the at least one secondary driven axle when the first wheel slips and disengages the at least one secondary driven axle when the first wheel does not slip, and a second position, wherein the at least one secondary driven axle engages the transmission to provide engine braking. A single actuator is operable to move the clutch between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A housing has a longitudinally extending aperture and at least one internal, longitudinally extending groove. At least one longitudinally extending blade is mountable on the shaft and positioned within the housing such that the blade extends radially outwardly into the longitudinal groove of the housing. A cross pin extends radially through the longitudinally extending aperture of the housing for engagement with the shaft, and a resilient material is positioned between the housing and the blade, and between the cross pin and the housing, such that the blade will transmit torque to the housing with a desired radial, axial and torsional compliance.

Abstract: A shaft connector assembly connects a first shaft with a second shaft and includes a body having a portion connectable with the first shaft, a channel configured to receive a portion of the second shaft, a first opening into the channel and a second opening into the channel generally aligned with the first opening. A retainer is disposed within the first opening and has a bore and a rod is disposable through the second opening, has a longitudinal axis and is engageable with the retainer bore. The rod displaces the retainer along the rod axis and/or rotates the retainer about the axis such that the retainer contacts the second shaft to retain the second shaft portion disposed within the body channel. Specifically, the retainer has a clamp surface that pushes against the second shaft at a position spaced from the rod axis by a substantial distance along the shaft centerline.

Abstract: A bearing assembly including an inner ring, an outer ring, a ball bearing assembly, a needle bearing assembly, and seals. The inner ring defines a ball raceway and a needle bearing raceway. The outer ring defines a ball raceway and a needle bearing raceway. A plurality of circumferentially arranged balls are received by said inner and outer ring ball raceways and a plurality of circumferentially arranged needle rollers are received by said inner and outer needle bearing raceways. The seals seal each end of the assembly.

Abstract: A thrust bearing assembly including a plurality of rollers having a given diameter d, a cage assembly configured to support the rollers, the cage assembly having a first radial edge that extends a given radial distance X beyond the rollers, and at least one thrust race member. The thrust race member includes a radial race surface, a radial flange extending from the race surface, and a radial lip extending from the flange. The lip is substantially parallel to and at a distance less than the given diameter d from the race surface. The lip has a free end at a distance from the flange greater than the given distance X.

Abstract: A rolling element bearing comprising opposed inner and outer raceways positionable in a loaded position. A plurality of substantially rigid load bearing rolling elements are positioned between and in generally point contact with the inner and outer raceways when the raceways are in the loaded position. A plurality of compressible rolling elements are positioned between the inner and outer raceways and have surface area contact with the inner and outer raceways when the raceways are in the loaded position.

Abstract: A shaft coupling element comprising a first portion configured for connection to a shaft and a second portion configured for connection to a secondary component. The first portion comprises first and second spaced apart side walls with a partial cylindrical portion extending therebetween to define a shaft receiving slot. A safety notch extends through the partial cylindrical portion adjacent the axial opening in to the shaft receiving slot to define a radial opening from the shaft receiving slot.

Abstract: A bearing assembly comprising a cage, a plurality of rollers and a sleeve. The cage comprises a central portion extending between a pair of radial flanges. The central portion includes a plurality of roller retaining pockets configured to receive and prevent substantial radial movement of rollers positioned therein in a radial direction. The sleeve is positioned between the radial flanges with the radial flanges radially overlapping the sleeve. The sleeve is retained between the flanges prevents substantial radial movement of the rollers in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A clearance damping element for use with a telescoping shaft assembly including a shaft having a shaft outer diameter and a tube configured to receive the shaft therein. The clearance damping element comprises a tube engaging portion and a shaft engaging portion. The tube engaging portion is adapted to fixedly receive the tube and the shaft engaging portion has a body extending from the second end of the tube engaging portion. The shaft engaging portion body includes a plurality of flexible fingers with inward extending projections that define an inner diameter less than the shaft outer diameter.

Abstract: A device for determining the absolute angular position of a turning device with respect to a fixed structure, including an encoder provided with a main multipolar track and a multipolar track called “top turn”, said top turn track includes M singularities which are distributed angularly so that the top turn signal (C) is arranged so as to define, in conjunction with the signals A and B, the binary sequences which are each representative of an absolute angular position of the encoder. The invention also concerns a steering system for automobiles as well as a bearing including such a device.

Abstract: A device for sensing the input shaft speed of an automotive automatic transmission that is driven by the engine through the fluid coupling of a torque converter. The speed sensor device includes circumferentially spaced markings about the transmission input shaft and a speed sensor that is placed at close proximity to the circumferentially spaced markings through a hole in the torque converter stator shaft. An electronic control unit (ECU) analyzes the sensor output signal and in the case of an active speed sensor it also functions as its power source. During vehicle operation, the transmission input shaft rotates the target wheel in front of the speed sensor causing modulation of its output signal. The electronic control unit analyzes the signal modulation and calculates the input shaft rotational speed. A variety of sensor/target-wheel options and sensor mounting techniques could be used depending on the application constraints.

Abstract: A thrust bearing assembly comprising a retainer cage and a plurality of rollers positioned in roller retaining pockets spaced about the retainer cage. At least one of the pockets is an angled pocket having a radial axis that is non-parallel relative to a retainer cage centerline passing through the angled pocket.