Rod, Axle, Shaft, Or Roller Patents (Class 148/572)
  • Patent number: 11054251
    Abstract: A heating system includes a power source connected to a heater to heat a workpiece via the heater and a controller. The controller is configured to receive the first temperature measurement signal, the first temperature measurement signal corresponding to a first temperature of the workpiece. The controller is to turn on the power source to activate the heater to heat the workpiece, receive the second temperature measurement signal in response to heating the workpiece, the second temperature measurement signal corresponding to a second temperature of the workpiece. The controller calculates a change in temperature of the workpiece based on the first and second temperatures, and determines a physical characteristic of the workpiece based on the change in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin McWithey, Paul Verhagen
  • Patent number: 10486215
    Abstract: A die apparatus including a first die element and a second die element is provided. The first die element is arranged with the second die element for disposal of a blank therebetween and includes a coolant channel and a trim groove for alignment with a trim line of the blank. A groove insert is disposed within the trim groove arranged to support a portion of the blank extending thereover and to reduce a cooling rate of the blank. The groove insert may be of a material including reflective radiation characteristics to reduce heat transfer from portions of the blank adjacent the trim line. The first die element may include a cavity aligned with a pierce region of the blank so that the pierce region does not contact an adjacent die element surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Raj Sohmshetty, Rohit Telukunta, Darryl Leigh Young, Varinder Singh Saini, Torsten Hallfeldt
  • Patent number: 10383180
    Abstract: An inductor device, including: blocks of electrically conducting material which are electrically isolated from each other, a block of electrically insulating material supporting respective induction coils, an integrated shower and a hydraulic circuit partly obtained within the blocks of electrical conducting material and including: a first branch for feeding a cooling fluid to the induction coils which hydraulically connects all the induction coils in parallel and mechanically in sequence to each other. A second branch hydraulically connects only a first induction coil with a first return outlet of the hydraulic circuit. A third branch for each induction coil in addition to the first, each third branch including a second return outlet separated from the first outlet and being hydraulically connected with only one single induction coil other than the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventor: Marco Perricone
  • Patent number: 10005116
    Abstract: Provided is a high frequency induction heating apparatus capable of quenching a workpiece having an outward flange, over the whole circumference by means of a frequency with which a penetration depth of an electromagnetic wave is larger than a sheet thickness of the workpiece The high frequency induction heating apparatus includes a high frequency induction heating coil used for heating a long hollow steel workpiece having a closed cross section and an outward flange, in 3DQ in which a bending member is manufactured from the workpiece The high frequency induction heating coil includes a magnetic material core facing each other between which both faces of the outward flange are interposed, having a distance from both faces, and an induction heating coil connected to the magnetic material core and arranged surrounding an outer circumference of a general portion where the outward flange is excluded from the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Okada, Atsushi Tomizawa, Hiroaki Kubota
  • Patent number: 9283908
    Abstract: A method of making a beam-box crash management system comprises forming a first shell (100a) from a first sheet metal blank by a hot forming process. The first shell has a high tensile strength beam portion (102a) and integrally formed there-with a first low yield strength crash box portion (104a) proximate a first end of the beam portion and second low yield strength crash box portion proximate a second end of the beam portion. The first shell also has an open face extending continuously along the beam portion and each of the first and second crash box portions (104a, 106a). A closing element (100b) is formed from a second sheet metal blank, and is fixedly secured adjacent to the open face of the first shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Cosma Engineering Europe AG
    Inventors: Michael Blumel, Christian Hengst, Ernst Lindtner
  • Patent number: 8920296
    Abstract: A forged roll for use, inter alia, in the cold rolling industry and a method of producing a forged roll as described. The roll has a steel composition, by weight, with 0.8 to less than 1% C, 0.2 to 0.5% Mn, 0.2 to 2.0% Si, 7.0 to 13.0% Cr, 0.6 to 1.6% Mo, more than 1.0 to 3.0% V, the remainder being Fe and impurities. The steel is tempered martensite with retained austenite at less than 5% per volume with eutectic carbides of less than 5% by volume, a hardness between 780-840 HV, and internal compressive stresses of between ?300 to ?500 MPa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Åkers AB
    Inventors: Claude Gaspard, Catherine Vergne, Daniel Batazzi
  • Patent number: 8829399
    Abstract: A method and device for heating or hardening at least an axial segment of a rotationally-symmetric surface of a work piece includes rotating the work piece about its rotational axis and moving a peripheral portion of an inductor along a longitudinal profile of the axial segment of the rotating work piece with a constant spacing between the peripheral portion and the axial segment. At least a portion of the movement of the peripheral portion is composed of a first vector component in the direction of the rotational axis and a second component extending perpendicularly to the first vector component. The peripheral portion has a length in the rotational axis direction that is less the length of the axial segment in the rotational axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventors: Marco Burtchen, Michael Jung
  • Publication number: 20140216613
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for heat treatment of a columnar work. In order to provide the method for heat treatment of a columnar work being able to attain a high productivity, a reduction of cost, and an improvement of quality, as compared with the prior art, the method for heat treatment of a columnar work of the present invention includes a quench-hardening step and a tempering step being carried out after the quench-hardening step, the quench-hardening step includes a first quench-hardening step and a second quench-hardening step being carried out after the first quench-hardening step, the entire region of the columnar work from an outer circumferential surface to a core thereof, or a partial region thereof, is heated up to a temperature not lower than a transformation temperature Ac3, and then, the work is quench-hardened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Inventor: Weidong XUE
  • Patent number: 8590149
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a lift transmitting component (2), particularly for a gas exchange valve train or a fuel pump drive of an internal combustion engine (1), is provided, The lift transmitting component includes a housing (6), a bearing pin (7) fixed in a reception bore (9) of the housing (6) and a roller (8) mounted through a sliding or a rolling bearing on the bearing pin (7). The bearing pin is core-hardened over an entire axial length to a core hardness of at least 650 HV, and pin ends (10) of the core-hardened bearing pin are radially widened relative to the reception bore for enabling a connection of the bearing pin to the housing (6) through positive engagement. The hardness of the bearing pin is at the most 780 HV, the radial widening of one of the pin ends being realized with a shaping die (11) which travels axially parallel to the bearing pin (7) and applies a force to the pin end in a transition region between a periphery and a front end surface of the bearing pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Marco Meisborn, Peter Kares
  • Patent number: 8540827
    Abstract: Improved induction heating methods are presented for induction hardening undercut fillets of crankshafts or other workpiece recesses or undercuts in which an active turn is energized to induce current in a passive turn translated toward a workpiece undercut for heating the undercut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Ajax Tocco Magnethermic Corporation
    Inventors: Tom Illencik, Ronald R. Akers, Richard Mckelvey
  • Patent number: 8529711
    Abstract: An induction heat treatment method with which temperature control is enabled, condition setting is easy, and the quality of a treatment object can be stabilized includes: a data acquiring step of heating and quench-hardening a sample of the treatment object to thereby acquire process data; a storing step of storing the process data; a checking step of checking the power supply output transition data and the quenching timing data as to validity based on the temperature transition data stored in the storing step; and a mass production step of performing heat treatment of the treatment object in accordance with the power supply output transition data and the quenching timing data stored in the storing step and checked as to validity in the checking step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Fujita, Nobuyuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120225761
    Abstract: A forged roll for use, inter alia, in the cold rolling industry and a method of producing a forged roll as described. The roll has a steel composition, by weight, with 0.8 to less than 1% C, 0.2 to 0.5% Mn, 0.2 to 2.0% Si, 7.0 to 13.0% Cr, 0.6 to 1.6% Mo, more than 1.0 to 3.0% V, the remainder being Fe and impurities. The steel is tempered martensite with retained austenite at less than 5% per volume with eutectic carbides of less than 5% by volume, a hardness between 780-840 HV, and internal compressive stresses of between ?300 to ?500 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: Åkers AB
    Inventors: Claude Gaspard, Catherine Vergne, Daniel Batazzi
  • Patent number: 8222577
    Abstract: Method for treating a crank pin of a crank shaft. In the method hardness of the crank pin surface is measured and when the hardness is over a predetermined limit value, depth of the hard spot is measured. Heat treatment parameters are determined at least on the basis of the depth measurement and the hard spot is heat treated. During the heat treatment the hard spot is heated by an induction heating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Wärtsilä Finland Oy
    Inventors: Reine Gustafsson, Sture Alm
  • Patent number: 8021598
    Abstract: An apparatus for thermally treating a plurality of curved suture needles. The apparatus includes a conveyer for transferring the plurality of curved suture needles from a source of curved suture needles to a receiver, a housing positioned adjacent the conveyer, the housing having a first end, a second end, and an opening running from the first end to the second end, the opening aligned with the conveyer to enable the plurality of curved suture needles to pass therethrough, and a heat source located within the housing for heating the plurality of curved suture needles as the plurality of curved suture needles are transferred by the conveyer from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing. Also provided is a process for thermally treating a plurality of curved suture needles to enhance the stiffness and yield moment of the curved suture needles. The curved suture needles so treated have a desirable combination of stiffness, strength and ductility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Ethicon, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Richard Cichocki, Jr., David Demarest, Gregory Hollin, Eugene D. Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20100319642
    Abstract: A roller follower includes a roller ring, a shaft and a plurality of rollers. At least one of the roller ring, the shaft and the rollers is a steel member made of steel containing 0.7 to 2.4% carbon and 10.0 to 20.0% chromium, with remainder iron and impurities. In addition, carbide containing at least any one of iron and chromium as well as carbon and having an area of 12.6 ?m2 or greater is generated at an area ratio of 5.0% or higher, at a rolling contact surface of the steel member (a roller ring rolling contact surface, a shaft rolling contact surface and a roller rolling contact surface).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takumi Fujita, Kousuke Obayashi
  • Publication number: 20100012648
    Abstract: Method for treating a crank pin of a crank shaft. In the method hardness of the crank pin surface is measured and when the hardness is over a predetermined limit value, depth of the hard spot is measured. Heat treatment parameters are determined at least on the basis of the depth measurement and the hard spot is heat treated. During the heat treatment the hard spot is heated by an induction heating device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: WÄRTSILÄ FINLAND OY
    Inventors: Reine Gustafsson, Sture Alm
  • Patent number: 7641747
    Abstract: A rolling member excellent in pitting strength, spalling strength and bending strength of dedendum has a first quench hardened layer 1 which is formed on a surface layer of the rolling member and has a parent phase taking the form of martensite phase which forms a solid solution with carbon of 0.35 to 0.8 wt %, and a second quench hardened layer 2 which is formed at a deeper layer under the first quench hardened layer and has a parent phase containing at least either one of martensite phase or bainite phase which forms a solid solution with carbon of 0.07 to 0.3 wt % and contains cementite dispersed therein in a content of 2 to 20% by volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventor: Takemori Takayama
  • Publication number: 20090266615
    Abstract: A drill rod includes a first end section, a mid-section, wherein the first end section and the mid-section are connected and wherein the first end section is manufactured using different steel than is used for the mid-section. Such a configuration can reduce the costs associated with forming a drill rod while maintaining the functionality of such a drill rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: Longyear TM, Inc.
    Inventor: Jing James Yao
  • Patent number: 7591912
    Abstract: An induction heat treatment method with which temperature control is enabled, condition setting is easy, and the quality of a treatment object can be stabilized includes: a data acquiring step of heating and quench-hardening a sample of the treatment object to thereby acquire process data; a storing step of storing the process data; a checking step of checking the power supply output transition data and the quenching timing data as to validity based on the temperature transition data stored in the storing step; and a mass production step of performing heat treatment of the treatment object in accordance with the power supply output transition data and the quenching timing data stored in the storing step and checked as to validity in the checking step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Fujita, Nobuyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7566373
    Abstract: A rolling member excellent in pitting strength, spalling strength and bending strength of dedendum has a first quench hardened layer 1 which is formed on a surface layer of the rolling member and has a parent phase taking the form of martensite phase which forms a solid solution with carbon of 0.35 to 0.8 wt %, and a second quench hardened layer 2 which is formed at a deeper layer under the first quench hardened layer and has a parent phase containing at least either one of martensite phase or bainite phase which forms a solid solution with carbon of 0.07 to 0.3 wt % and contains cementite dispersed therein in a content of 2 to 20% by volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventor: Takemori Takayama
  • Publication number: 20090020194
    Abstract: Long work of Fe based alloy while being rotated at a given rotation speed under the action of rotating chucks is heated by high-frequency heating coil to thereby accomplish the heating step. In the first cooling step after termination of the heating, the long work while having its rotation speed increased is brought into contact with first to fourth correction rollers, and in that state is cooled so as to fall within a temperature range of Pf temperature or below to over Ms temperature. The time spent in the cooling preferably ranges from 5 to 10 sec. In the subsequent second cooling step, the rotation speed of the long work is reduced, preferably so as to be equal to that at the heating, and cooling of the long work is continued.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Minemura, Yukihiro Chikazawa
  • Patent number: 7442906
    Abstract: In an induction heating coil for heating a shaft member having multiple steps, annular conductors are separately disposed in the axis direction, the annular conductors having inner diameters so as to form predetermined gaps with outer peripheries of heating portions of the shaft member, the lengths of annular conductors (1, 2, and 3) are set so that the areas of the respective heating portions are approximately equal to each other, and the annular conductors are connected to each other in series, so that the respective step shaft portions of the shaft member are uniformly heated. The annular conductors described above may be formed to have shapes in conformity with the shapes of the heating portions of the shaft member and may be formed to have a step shape corresponding to steps of the shaft member having different outer diameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Neturen Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Tanaka, Takeshi Endoh, Yutaka Kiyosawa, Fumiaki Ikuta, Takashi Horino, Masayuki Komatsu, Jun Fujie, Takeshi Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20080149229
    Abstract: A rolling member excellent in pitting strength, spalling strength and bending strength of dedendum has a first quench hardened layer 1 which is formed on a surface layer of the rolling member and has a parent phase taking the form of martensite phase which forms a solid solution with carbon of 0.35 to 0.8 wt %, and a second quench hardened layer 2 which is formed at a deeper layer under the first quench hardened layer and has a parent phase containing at least either one of martensite phase or bainite phase which forms a solid solution with carbon of 0.07 to 0.3 wt % and contains cementite dispersed therein in a content of 2 to 20% by volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventor: Takemori Takayama
  • Publication number: 20070209740
    Abstract: The present invention provides a power transmission shaft that is capable of eliminating the usual tempering step thereby reducing the production cost, is capable of realizing an inline production process of the shaft, and has higher strength. The invention also provides a method for producing the power transmission shaft. The power transmission shaft is composed of a carbon steel having a carbon content of from 0.30 to 0.48 wt % and of a surface hardened layer 4 formed by high frequency quenching. The surface hardened layer 4 has a tempering-effected portion subjected to tempering using heat generated by external force applied after quenching. The residual stress of the portion subjected to tempering by applying external force is equal to or less than ?800 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventor: Hiroo Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7146735
    Abstract: A bearing ring for a large roller bearing is formed with at least one annular race which is hardened by heating by juxtaposing that race with an inductor across a spacing which is maintained during the heating and then quenching. The spacing is controlled selectively so that it is: 1 to 2 times a depth T of hardening of the surface layer for a radial-bearing race, 0.6 to 1 times the depth T of hardening of the surface layer for an axial-bearing race whose inner diameter corresponds to an inner diameter of the bearing ring, at an outer edge of the axial-bearing race, 1.5 to 2 times the depth T of hardening of the surface layer for the axial-bearing race whose inner diameter corresponds to an inner diameter of the bearing ring at an inner edge thereof, and varying continuously between the outer edge and the inner edge, and uniformly 0.6 to 1 times the depth T of hardening of the surface layer for an axial-bearing race whose inner diameter is greater than that of the bearing ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Rothe Erde GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Bracht, Jörg Rollmann, Bernd Stakemeier, Johannes Wozniak
  • Patent number: 7087869
    Abstract: In a transverse induction heating apparatus in which a material to be rolled is heated by inductors to which electric power is supplied from an AC power source, iron core widths of the inductors in a plate width direction of the material to be rolled are smaller than plate width of the material to be rolled, they are disposed on a plate width center line of the material to be rolled, and when a current penetration depth is ?(m), specific resistance of the material to be rolled is ?(?-m), magnetic permeability of the material to be rolled is ?(H/m), heating frequency of the AC power source is f (Hz), and plate thickness of the material to be rolled is tw (m), the heating frequency of the AC power source is set so that ?={?/(?·f·?)}1/2 and (tw/?)<0.95.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshinobu Eguchi, Hideo Sakamoto, Norihiro Saijou
  • Patent number: 6815649
    Abstract: A device for inductive billet-heating includes a single or multi-layer billet-heating coil (4) for a round billet (5), in which the billet-heating coil (4) is made up of one or more consecutive, galvanically separated zones. The zones are supplied with electrical energy from a three-phase network by means of an electrical switching device and a control unit. The billet-heating coil (4) includes multiple, synchronically regulated zones (Z1, Z2 through Zn) with reference to frequency and phase of inductive field. For a current feed to each zone (Z1 through Zn) of the billet-heating coil (4), a converter (2) with variable frequency and a plurality of modules is provided. The converter includes plurality of power-moderate closed units with DS-network feed and synchronization of phase and frequency of an output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: I.A.S. Induktions-Anlagen &plus; Service GmbH & Co. KG.
    Inventor: Stefan Beer
  • Patent number: 6706127
    Abstract: A method of making a ball-screw rack bar for use in a power steering mechanism of an automotive vehicle. Transverse rack teeth are cut in an exterior surface of a first end portion of a length of a bar stock. A ball-screw thread is cut in an exterior surface of a second end portion of the length of bar stock. The first end portion is heat-treated to a first hardness and the second end portion is heat-treated to a second hardness by passing an induction coil scanner lengthwise over the length of bar stock from one end to the other. The ball-screw thread is cut by whirling. Preferably the heat-treating is carried out after the cutting of the transverse rack teeth and before the cutting of the ball-screw thread. The rack bar produced by this method may be solid or hollow. The rack bar may be made by separately forming two lengths of bar stock and butt-welding them together, or they may be made from a solid length of bar stock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravikiran Duggirala, Craig B. Chritz, Christopher J. Lehti
  • Patent number: 6648995
    Abstract: A ferrite core partly covered with ceramics members is loaded into an oil hole defined in a pin, and high-frequency induction hardening is effected on the pin while the ferrite core is being held in position by copper wires. At the same time, a magnetic field is generated from the ferrite core to produce a high-frequency induction hardened layer having progressively spreading skirt regions extending from a position in the vicinity of a center in an axial direction of the oil hole toward openings in ends of the oil hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuo Minemura, Noriyuki Okutsu
  • Patent number: 6638379
    Abstract: This invention relates to a procedure for hardening the bearing surfaces (H1,H2,H3,H4) of a shaft or axle, in particular a crankshaft (2) or camshaft, in which the bearing surfaces (H1-H4) to be hardened are hardened sequentially with the shaft or axle turning around their longitudinal axis (L) by means of a heating and quenching device (3), in which the distortion of the shaft or axle that arises in the area of the respective bearing surface (H1) during the course of hardening is determined, in which the shaft or axle is supported by at least one supporting device (9) during hardening of a bearing surface (H1-H6), which is placed against a previously hardened bearing surface (H1), and in which the setting of the supporting device (9) is regulated taking into account the distortion determined for the bearing surface (H1), against which the supporting device (9) is placed, and a device which enables hardening of crankshafts with a minimal distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Elotherm GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Schulte, Hans-Jürgen Leissner, Waldemar Gezarzick
  • Patent number: 6635856
    Abstract: A plurality of billets are inductively heated in a staged process wherein the output current of a power supply is repeatedly time shared among a plurality of induction coils within which the plurality of billets have been placed. The time periods of the applied current to each coil become sequentially shorter over the total heating time of a billet to allow magnetically induced heat to conduct to the center of the billet during the dwell periods between applied electrical current periods. This maximizes the efficiency of the output of the power supply while melting of the outer regions of a billet is avoided in a process wherein the billets do not have to be moved during the overall billet total heating time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Inductotherm Corp.
    Inventor: Oleg S. Fishman
  • Patent number: 6589373
    Abstract: A selectively heat treated canister for use in a vehicle airbag deployment system is configured to contain combustion materials and to contain gases produced from the combustion thereof. The canister includes a tubular body having a length and a longitudinal axis. The body is formed as at least three drawn sections. Each prior section is drawn one more time than a successive adjacent section. The canister defines a closed end and an open end. The closed end is at a least drawn section and the open end is at a most drawn section. The canister defines a heat treated region and is selectively heat treated at least one transition zone between adjacent drawn sections to reduce crack propagation observed during testing. A method for making the canister is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Starozhitsky, Matthew J. Reiter
  • Patent number: 6555800
    Abstract: In a process for the induction hardening of crankshafts with at least one connecting-rod pin and with at least two main bearings, in particular for the hardening of the at least one connecting-rod pin, by means of a contactlessly operating inductor, the crankshaft performs a rotational movement during the hardening of the at least one connecting-rod pin. The center axis of the at least one connecting-rod pin to be hardened is used as the axis for the rotational movement of the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Alfing Kessler GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Zahn
  • Patent number: 6502473
    Abstract: A rack bar of a power steering unit for a vehicle has improved bending strength. The rack bar includes a rod portion which fits slidably into an oil seal attached to a cylinder portion of a power cylinder, and a rack portion which is formed with the rod portion through a connecting portion and which meshes with a pinion. Quenching is applied the rod portion and to the rack portion, preferably under different conditions. The quenching applied to the rack portion also is applied to at least a portion of the connecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, TRW Automotive Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Akiyama, Tomomi Fujii, Takashi Yamawaki
  • Patent number: 6454884
    Abstract: A vehicle structural beam, such as a door intrusion beam, which possesses an elongate tubular beam part which at opposite ends is provided with mounting flanges for securement to a vehicle frame. The elongate tubular beam part and the flanges provided at opposite ends are defined by an integral, one-piece, monolithic steel structure which has been initially roll-formed from an elongate flat metal sheet to define the closed tubular structure of the tubular beam part, and which has been subjected to heating and quenching so that the elongate tubular beam part is of relatively high strength steel throughout its entire length, whereas the integrally and monolithically joined end flanges remain as lower strength steel which has been significantly unaffected by the heat treatment and quenching so as to permit appropriate shaping thereof and ease of welding to the vehicle frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Pullman Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank G. McNulty, Gerald Hackstock, Jeffrey L. Bladow
  • Patent number: 6407372
    Abstract: To arbitrarily adjust the diameter of revolution when revolving an object without being associated with rotation by a simple structure. A bearing 322a is mounted to a bottom surface of a supporting plate 310 for supporting an object. First rotation sleeve 322c is rotatably provided inside the bearing 322a. A second rotation sleeve 322d is provided inside the first rotation sleeve 322c. The second rotation sleeve 322d is rotated at a fixed position by means of a rotation driving shaft 321. An inner peripheral surface of the first rotation sleeve 322c is inclined at a certain angle in one direction with respect to the center line of rotation. An outer peripheral surface of the second rotation sleeve 322d is inclined at a certain angle in one direction in correspondence with the inner peripheral surface of the first rotation sleeve 322c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Fuji Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatemi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6398885
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for tempering the shank portion only of die blocks which comprises subjecting the shank portion of a die block or other large metal part to electrical energy derived from induction heating or infrared heating to a controlled depth, preferably just sufficiently deep to temper the shank portion but not sufficiently deep to temper the hardened working portion of the part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: A. Finkl & Sons Co.
    Inventors: Charles W. Finkl, Algirdas A. Underys
  • Patent number: 6399928
    Abstract: An apparatus for hardening cylindrical bearing faces (L) of a shaft (K), wherein at least one of the transitional radii (R1, R2) to the adjoining shaft portions (W1, W2) is constructed recessed, includes a pair of inductive heating units (1, 2), which are each formed at least by one inductor (3, 4) having two spaced-out heating conductor branches (20, 22; 21, 23); an adjusting device (11, 12) for adjusting the inductors (3, 4) simultaneously from the radial direction (R) on to the bearing face (L) to be hardened and a second adjusting device (13, 14) for moving at least the inductor (3, 4) associated with the recessed radius R1, R2) after application to the bearing face (L) by a movement directed axis-parallel with the longitudinal axis (X) of the shaft (K) in the direction of the recessed transitional radius (R1, R2) until its outer heating conductor branch (20) has moved into the particular transitional radius (R1, R2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Elotherm GmbH
    Inventors: Waldemar Gezarzick, Ludwin Hackenberger, Hans-Jürgen Leisner
  • Patent number: 6398886
    Abstract: A process of finishing outer joint parts formed in a non-cutting way and intended for constant velocity joints, said outer joint parts having a longitudinal axis and an inner recess which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis and which, in the direction of the longitudinal axis, is substantially undercut-free, with the inner recess being provided with tracks which comprise contact zones for the rolling contact of rolling contact members, characterized by the following sequence of process stages: non-cutting forming of the outer joint part, surface-layer-hardening of the inner recess at least along the length of the contact zones, for the purpose of producing a hardened surface layer, at least in the region of the contact zones above an unhardened matrix, calibrating the contact zones in respect of their radial positions and axial linearity by displacing the hardened surface layer in the region of the contact zones within the unhardened matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: GKN Automotive AG
    Inventors: Peter Fuhrmann, Hans-Willi Kinzel
  • Publication number: 20020017343
    Abstract: The power transmission shaft 12 is made by applying induction hardening to carbon steel with hardening ratio in a range from 0.25 to 0.50. For the carbon steel, one containing 0.39 to 0.49% of C, 0.4 to 1.5% of Si, 0.4 to 1.0% of Mn, 0.025% or less S, 0.02% or less P and 0.01 to 0.1% of Al by weight as the basic components, with the rest comprising Fe and inevitable impurities is used. This makes it possible to achieve higher strength and lighter weight of the power transmission shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Applicant: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Yoshida, Hiroaki Makino, Akira Wakita
  • Patent number: 6274857
    Abstract: A multi-station induction heat treatment system is used for heat treating metal workpieces that have multiple generally cylindrical components whose axes are parallel to and offset from a common workpiece axis. The heat treatment system includes heat treatment stations that heat treat while the workpiece and inductor components are stationary. The system is particularly suited to the heat treatment of workpieces, such as crankshafts, that have an intervening non-symmetrically shaped component between two substantially cylindrically shaped components, some of which are not coaxial, that must be heat-treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Inductoheat, Inc.
    Inventors: Don L. Loveless, Valery I. Rudnev, Loran A. Lankford, Glenville C. Desmier
  • Patent number: 6270596
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing a shaft having improved strength without sacrificing machinability and cold workability. The process for producing a high strength shaft comprises the steps of: rolling or forging an alloy at a heating temperature of Ac3 to 105° C. with a reduction in area of not less than 30%, the alloy comprising by weight carbon: 0.47 to 0.55%, silicon: 0.03 to 0.15%, manganese: 0.20 to 0.50%, molybdenum: 0.08 to 0.30%, sulfur: 0.005 to 0.035%, boron: 0.0005 to 0.005%, titanium: 0.05 to 0.20%, nitrogen: not more than 0.01%, aluminum: 0.005 to 0.05%, and manganese+molybdenum: 0.45 to 0.70% with the balance consisting of iron and unavoidable impurities, thereby producing a steel product having a hardness after rolling or forging of 85 to 97 HRB; and induction hardening the steel product to obtain a shaft, as shown in FIG. 1, having a hardening depth ratio (distance from the surface to a position of 500 HV/radius of component) of not less than 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignees: Sanyo Special Steel., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Iguchi, Motohiro Nishikawa, Masayoshi Saga
  • Patent number: 6270595
    Abstract: Crawler belt bushings and heir producing methods, with which productivity and cost performance can be improved over the carburization treatment and the induction hardening treatment. After a workpiece made from steel is heated from its outer circumferential surface such that at least the surface temperature of the inner circumferential surface of the workpiece is raised to a quenching temperature, a series of quenching operation is performed to form quench hardened layers which extend toward the core from the inner and outer circumferential surfaces respectively and a soft, imperfectly hardened layer between these quench hardened layers. The quenching operation comprises: cooling the workpiece from the inner circumferential surface; cooling the workpiece from the inner circumferential surface while heating from the outer circumferential surface; and cooling the workpiece from the outer circumferential surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Takemori Takayama, Chigo Okayama, Naoji Hamasaka
  • Patent number: 6187118
    Abstract: A method of heat-treating a work piece of high-alloy steel by hardening involves relatively briefly annealing the work piece before hardening, followed by cooling the work piece. The brief annealing that is performed before the actual hardening and the ensuing cooling results in homogeneity of the material in the microscopic range. Following the annealing, the work piece is hardened, for instance by quenching in a salt bath, to achieve a super fine distribution of globular carbides in the microscopic structure with considerably reduced size as compared to the outset state. Also, the microscopic structure created by the method of the invention has improved toughness properties as well as increased microscopic structure stability to aging and leads to a longer service life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: SKF GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Nierlich
  • Patent number: 6166360
    Abstract: This invention provides methods for rapidly heating a metal part of varying thickness. In general, the invention provides methods comprising heating the thicker section(s) of the part by induction heating and the thinner section(s) by resistance heating. Induction and resistance heating both quickly heat metals and because each is easily controlled individually, the part can be uniformly heated for hardening and tempering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Fluxtrol Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert S. Ruffini, Sr., Valentin Nemkov
  • Patent number: 6160248
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for simultaneous peripheral electro-inductive hardening of bearing surfaces (2A, 3A) and transition A radii in crankshafts (1), comprising lifting pins (2, 3) arranged directly adjacent to each other and one behind the other with different angular positions on the plane perpendicular to the their axis of rotation (D), wherein inductors (8, 9) are provided which are placed on the lifting pins (2, 3) approximately in the same direction (C) thereof. A lifting pin (2, 3) is allocated to each inductor, which is arranged in such a way that it intersects the axial direction of the crankshaft (1). Said inductor comprises at least two inductor detents (8C, 8D, 9C, 9D) arranged parallel to each other. One inductor detent (8D, 9D) is arranged in an overlay area (4) of the lifting pins (2, 3) while the other inductor detent (8C, 9C) is arranged in an edge area of the lifting pin (2, 3) facing a cheek (5, 6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Alfing Kessler GmbH
    Inventors: Adalbert Ottenwaelder, Harald Traub
  • Patent number: 6140625
    Abstract: The invention relates to the rotary and simultaneous electroinductive hardening of the bearing surfaces (2a; 3a) of crank pins (2; 3) of a crankshaft (1) disposed immediately one beside the other and offset in relation to one another in the axial direction (D), having inductors (10; 11) which each engage around the crank pins (2; 3) by a maximum of 180.degree. and which each have two inductor branches (12, 13; 14, 15) arranged in parallel and following the curvature of the bearing surfaces (2a; 3a), of which one branch is associated with the overlapping zone (5) of the crank pins (2; 3), the other branch being associated with the particular other edge zone (2b; 3b) of the crank pin (2; 3) associated therewith, the inductor branches (12, 13; 14, 15) of each inductor (10; 11) having in the axial direction (D) a distance (A) increased in relation to half the total width (B) of the crank pins (2; 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Elotherm GmbH
    Inventors: Waldemar Gezarzick, Axel Von Starck
  • Patent number: 6123785
    Abstract: The process for producing a constant velocity joint having improved cold workability, rolling fatigue life, and torsional strength comprises the steps of: rolling or forging an alloy at a heating temperature of Ac.sub.3 to 1000.degree. C. with a reduction in area of not less than 30%, said alloy comprising by weight carbon: 0.52 to 0.60%, silicon: 0.03 to 0.15%, manganese: 0.10 to 0.40%, chromium: 0.05 to 0.30%, molybdenum: 0.10 to 0.30%, sulfur: 0.003 to 0.020%, boron: 0.0005 to 0.005%, titanium: 0.02 to 0.05%, nitrogen: not more than 0.01%, aluminum: 0.005 to 0.05%, and manganese+chromium+molybdenum: 0.35 to 0.80% with the balance consisting of iron and unavoidable impurities; spheroidizing the rolled or forged alloy in such a manner that, after heating to Ac.sub.1 to 770.degree. C., slow cooling is performed from 730.degree. C. to 700.degree. C. at a rate of not more than 15.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignees: Sanyo Special Steel Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Iguchi, Motohiro Nishikawa, Masayoshi Saga
  • Patent number: 6093268
    Abstract: In a corrective tempering method and apparatus for a rolling element in which the thermal deformation of the rolling element is corrected within an extremely short time by utilizing plasticity exhibited during a metallic structure transforming process brought about by low-temperature tempering of the rolling element made of steel, the hardened rolling element is heated and pressured to a maximum temperature within a range of from 250 to 500.degree. C. by a heating device while set in correcting molds to correct the deformation of the rolling element at a degree of working within a range not exceeding an elastic deformation range of the rolling element at a room temperature. The rolling element can be heated also by an induction heating device in addition to a conduction heating device. A product whose inner/outer diameter correcting degree of deformation is 60% or more, dimension standardizing rate is 30% or more, surface roughness is less than Ra 0.2 .mu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hirakawa, Akitoshi Maeda, Hiroaki Sugiyama, Manabu Ohhori
  • Patent number: 6077475
    Abstract: In a device for inductive hardening of profiled camshafts (especially those having valve cams and zero cams) during a hardening operation, the camshaft is surrounded by an inductor and is heated by means of a magnetic field emanating from the inductor. The inductor has several axial members and radial members through which the induction current flows during the hardening operation. Dynamo sheets provided on the axial branches focus the magnetic field in the radial direction. The position and the width of the dynamo sheets is adapted to the surface profile of the camshaft, so that the focusing is aimed at areas with a small diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Gustav Hanisch, Gerhard Haubold, Reiner Schmid