Abstract: A hollow shaft is manufactured by defining a through hole axially in a shaft blank to produce a cylindrical hollow shaft blank, inserting a mandrel in the through hole of the hollow shaft blank, holding opposite ends of the mandrel concentrically with the through hole, and rotating the hollow shaft blank about its own axis while cutting an outer circumferential surface of at least one end of the hollow shaft blank concentrically with the through hole to form a reference outer circumferential surface on the at least one end of the hollow shaft blank. After the reference outer circumferential surface is formed, it is held in position, and the hollow shaft blank is rotated about its own axis while cutting a predetermined thickness of an outer circumferential surface of the hollow shaft blank over a substantially entire length thereof for thereby finishing the hollow shaft blank into a hollow shaft.

Abstract: A fitting assembly having a ceramic piece fitted to a cup-shaped metal piece filled with solder. Through the use of the difference in thermal expansion coefficients of ceramics and certain metals, an assembly for properly gripping the ceramic by the metal cup is created.

Abstract: A metal-ceramic composite fitting assembly is described in which an effective connection between a boss on the ceramic member and the metal shaft member is achieved by providing the shaft with a sleeve formed of a material having a coefficient of thermal elongation comparable to that of the ceramic member, which sleeve is joined to the shaft member and cooperates with a recess therein to engage the boss along its length and to impose thereon compressive gripping forces that increase in magnitude along the length of the boss.