Abstract: A process for improving the excitation behavior of a ground bevel gear set by altering the surface structure of a gear set member from tooth slot to tooth slot (Teeth 1-3). The method comprises shifting the roll-positions in a way that not every facet or flat (F) is positioned the same way on each flank (2) and/or changing the distances of the roll angle along a tooth slot (delta RPj) whereby flats are spaced unequally (i.e. varying widths) along the tooth. One or more additional processes for altering the surface structure may be included.

Abstract: There is disclosed a roller burnishing apparatus including a first member moved relative to an object to be burnished, a second member movable relative to the first member in a relative movement direction, a burnishing roller held by the second member such that the burnishing roller is rotatable, a biasing device which biases with a biasing force the second member relative to the first member in one of two opposite directions along the relative movement direction, and a pressing-force detecting device that detects a pressing force with which the burnishing roller is pressed against the object and which is based on the biasing force of the biasing device.

Abstract: An operating method improves the running behavior of gearwheels negatively noticed upon gearwheel testing and is performed by a burnishing device. The gearwheels that were rejected from the production process may be optimized rapidly and in a targeted way so that they may be returned back into the production process. The tooth flanks of a gearwheel to be machined are, in a first method step, mechanically freed of particles adhering to the surfaces of the tooth flanks or slight protrusions protruding therefrom using a first gearwheel machining tool having a machining wheel coated with an abrasive agent. Subsequently, in a second method step in a second gearwheel machining tool known as a burnishing machine, the gearwheel is chucked between gearwheel-shaped rolling tools, the so-called burnishing wheels, and rolled without material abrasion.

Abstract: In a method of operating a gearwheel machining tool having a machining wheel situated on a drive axis, for reworking a gearwheel, a fixed axial distance between both wheels is set. In this manner, the engagement of the gearwheel in the teeth of the machining wheel may be performed without damage in a technically simple way, which is achieved in that the gearwheel to be machined is placed on the arbor in an arbitrary rotational angle position, tooth areas of its lateral external faces facing toward the machining wheel coming to rest on lateral tooth areas of the machining wheel, upon which the machining wheel is set into rotation and the gearwheel to be machined slides axially on the arbor into its machining position. After which the tooth gaps of the two overlapping areas of the wheels are rotated one over the other and the wheels are mutually engaged.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for increasing the operating life of a rotating gear element including a plurality of outwardly-projecting gear teeth each having an involute profile, with each gear tooth having a pair of flanks and a pair of generally semi-circular root portions. A ring tool having a plurality of hardened, inwardly-projecting burnishing teeth is employed to plastically deform only the root portions of the gear element being formed, while avoiding contact with the flanks as the gear element is passed through the ring tool. The ring tool also includes a plurality of broaching surfaces or cutting edges for removing excess stock material from the surfaces of the root portions. The ring tool increases the compressive residual stresses in the root portion of the gear element being formed, thereby creating an optimal residual stress profile and greater bending strength within the root portion of the gear element.

Abstract: An operating method improves the running behavior of gearwheels negatively noticed upon gearwheel testing and is performed by a burnishing device. The gearwheels that were rejected from the production process may be optimized rapidly and in a targeted way so that they may be returned back into the production process. The tooth flanks of a gearwheel to be machined are, in a first method step, mechanically freed of particles adhering to the surfaces of the tooth flanks or slight protrusions protruding therefrom using a first gearwheel machining tool having a machining wheel coated with an abrasive agent. Subsequently, in a second method step in a second gearwheel machining tool known as a burnishing machine, the gearwheel is chucked between gearwheel-shaped rolling tools, the so-called burnishing wheels, and rolled without material abrasion.

Abstract: In a gear burnishing system having burnishing gear positions arranged around a subject gear at its center, a burnishing gear is formed as a scraper gear retained on a shaft rotationally by a keyway formed in an inner bore of the scraper gear which is wider by a predefined gap than a corresponding key formed on the shaft such that the scraper gear can move angularly by a small amount for maximum contact on the subject gear. In a preferred embodiment, a number of scraper gears are arranged in a stack on the shaft. Both ends of each scraper gear are beveled along the peripheral edges to cause each tooth to be raked and to create knife blades and serve to trap debris. Each tooth is formed with equal blade angles and a recess with compound angles for debris entrapment. The scraper gears can be mounted with bearings for limited gimbal movement to assure following the subject gear.

Abstract: A cold worked stainless steel bezel for a portable electronic device is provided. The bezel is secured flush to a housing to form part of the case of the portable electronic device. A brace that includes a slot for receiving a wall extending from the bezel is fixed to the housing. When the bezel engages the housing, the wall of the bezel is inserted in the slot of the brace and releasably held by a spring that engages both the brace and the wall. The bezel can be released by disengaging the spring, (e.g., using a special tool or a magnetic field). Because the bezel is manufactured from cold worked stainless steel, it is hard and resistant to impacts. Cold worked steel also facilitates manufacturing within design constraints and tolerances, and requires very little machining after manufacturing to comply with those constraints. The portable electronic device may include a personal media device, a mobile telephone, or any other suitable device or combination thereof.

Abstract: A burnishing gear or burnishing die has a plurality of spiral gashes formed within each one of the burnishing gear teeth at a predetermined angle with respect to a transverse plane so as to define shearing edges along side involute portions of the burnishing gear teeth. The shearing edges enable enhanced finishing or burnishing operations to be performed upon workpiece gears in order to effectively remove positive imperfections, irregularities, nicks, or the like from the workpiece gear teeth so as to finish the workpiece gear in accordance with desired tolerances. The burnishing gear may be incorporated within burnishing gear systems utilizing burnishing gears characterized by different operating pressure angles as well as within burnishing gear systems that have mechanisms for reciprocating the workpiece gear during a gear burnishing operation.

Abstract: A burnishing gear or burnishing die has a plurality of spiral gashes formed within each one of the burnishing gear teeth at a predetermined angle with respect to a transverse plane so as to define shearing edges along side involute portions of the burnishing gear teeth. The shearing edges enable enhanced finishing or burnishing operations to be performed upon workpiece gears in order to effectively remove positive imperfections, irregularities, nicks, or the like from the workpiece gear teeth so as to finish the workpiece gear in accordance with desired tolerances. The burnishing gear may be incorporated within burnishing gear systems utilizing burnishing gears characterized by different operating pressure angles as well as within burnishing gear systems that have mechanisms for reciprocating the workpiece gear during a gear burnishing operation.

Abstract: A gear burnishing system has a pre-checking station for determining an amount of burnishing processing needed by the gear to be burnished, and a gear burnishing station for performing the burnishing operation on the gear according to parameters set by the pre-checking station. In a preferred embodiment, the pre-checking station determines the condition of the gear within one of a plurality of pre-set ranges for the burnishing operation. In this manner, appropriate gear burnishing parameters can be applied depending on the actual condition of the gear.

Abstract: To improve the sliding rotations of pins within pin (roller) retaining holes 113a. A method of fabricating a pin (roller) retaining ring in an internal meshing gear mechanism, the mechanism having an internal gear 20 and external gears 5a, 5b put into internal mesh with the internal gear, the internal gear consisting of a pin (roller) retaining ring 110 having half-round pin (roller) retaining holes in its inner periphery and pins (rollers) 11 rotatably fitted to the respective pin retaining holes, is provided. Here, before the bore diameter &phgr;DA of a pin retaining ring base material 151 is machined to a finished diameter, the pin retaining holes 113a are cut as full round holes into the ring base material. The inner surfaces of the pin retaining holes 113a are finished by roller burnishing, and then the bore diameter of the pin retaining ring is expanded to the finished diameter to obtain the pin retaining ring having the half-round pin retaining holes.

Abstract: A gear burnishing system has a pre-checking station for determining an amount of burnishing processing needed by the gear to be burnished, and a gear burnishing station for performing the burnishing operation on the gear according to parameters set by the pre-checking station. In a preferred embodiment, the pre-checking station determines the condition of the gear within one of a plurality of pre-set ranges for the burnishing operation. In this manner, appropriate gear burnishing parameters can be applied depending on the actual condition of the gear.

Abstract: The fatigue life of gears, for example, the gears in a sun gear-planetary gear set, is markedly improved by forming the respective gears by ordinary manufacturing practices and then running each new gear against a durable, but expendable, dummy of its counter-gear. The teeth of a dummy sun gear may be suitably hardened and used under suitable loads to minimally reshape the teeth of a plurality of newly-made pinions so that they are smoothed and better fit an intended sun gear. Similarly, the roughened teeth of a hardened or hard coated sun gear can be smoothed by running it for a few rotations against an expendable pinion.