Patents Represented by Law Firm Tarolli, Sundheim, Cavell, Tummino & Szabo
  • Patent number: 5544522
    Abstract: A steering assembly (10) for use in turning steerable vehicle wheels includes a rack (12) and a pinion (14). A yoke (28) is continuously pressed against the rack (12) by a yoke spring (32). The yoke (28) has a stem (62) which extends through an opening (64) in a housing (16). During construction of the steering assembly (10), a desired range of transverse movement between the rack (112) and the pinion (14) is obtained by applying force (114) to the rack to position the rack at a first end of the range of transverse movement. The direction of the force applied to the rack (12) is then reversed and the rack and yoke (28) are moved together away from the reference position until the yoke stem (62) has moved through the desired range of transverse movement. A yoke plug (20) is then fixed against movement relative to a main housing section (18). After the rack and pinion steering assembly (10) has been constructed, it may be desired to check the range of transverse movement between the rack (12) and pinion (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 13, 1996
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventor: Scott C. Little