Abstract: Thin-wall sleeve splining apparatus (10) is disclosed as including a loader (22) having a radially expandable mandrel (24) which is inserted within a dual ended thin-wall sleeve (14) to secure the sleeve in preparation for splining one of its ends (12,16). A rotatable loading spindle (26) supports the expandable mandrel (24) and is moved by an actuator (28) to position the sleeve over a toothed mandrel (20) whereupon a pair of toothed dies (18) are moved in opposite directions to mesh die and mandrel teeth with the sleeve therebetween to form the thin-wall splines. After the splining, the actuator (28) moves the loading spindle (26) away from the toothed mandrel (20) for unloading of the splined sleeve. In the preferred construction of the apparatus, the toothed forming dies are embodied by elongated die racks (18) that are slidably mounted by upper and lower bases (32,34) of a splining machine (30).

Abstract: A catheter plug for sealing the proximal end of a parenterally placed catheter and permitting repeated small volume injections and delivery of parenteral fluids without disturbing the sterility of the catheter. The catheter plug has a compression chamber for applying compression to a self-sealing elastometric septum thereby enhancing the septum's self-sealing characteristics. Compression force is applied to the septum by screw movement between oppositely threaded male and female couplers. The catheter plug is particularly useful in situations where pressures higher than arterial pressures are encountered or where it is desirable to leave the catheter indwelling for long periods of time.

Abstract: Hemostasis cannula comprising a body having a passage therethrough adapted to receive a catheter and three side-by-side gaskets mounted in the passage. The gaskets form a seal around a catheter enclosed within the cannula. When the catheter is removed, the gaskets block air flow into the patient's blood vessel and also block blood flow out of the patient's blood vessel. The cannula also includes a flexible entrance tube and a port for introducing fluids into a patient's blood vessel.

Abstract: A rack (12,14) for burnishing toothed gears (16) in cooperation with another like rack so as to provide accentuated axial crowns on the burnished teeth is disclosed as having a unitary body (42) of an elongated shape with leading and trailing ends (44,46) and a toothed forming face (48) extending between the ends. The toothed forming face (48) includes a leading section a of teeth that extend parallel to a mounting surface (54) of the rack body and at least one section of inclined teeth (50) preferably embodied by an intermediate section b and a trailing section c. A fixture (60) for grinding the inclined tooth sections b and c on a pair of cooperable racks (12,14) includes a pair of inclined support surfaces (66,68) and a clamp (70) for clamping the rack bodies during the inclined tooth grinding.

Abstract: A toothed rack (22) disclosed has a toothed forming face (24) of a novel construction for forming splines (42) in a thin-wall sleeve (36) of a power transmission member (28) by meshing of the rack and a toothed mandrel (26) with the sleeve therebetween to form the splines. The toothed forming face has leading, intermediate, and trailing tooth groups (40a, 40b, 40c) that perform the splining. The pitch line tooth thickness of the leading tooth group is at least equal to and preferably greater than the pitch line tooth thickness of the trailing tooth group which has an addendum of a greater height than the leading tooth group. The teeth of the intermediate tooth group have an addendum height that is shorter than the teeth of the trailing tooth group and preferably equal to the addendum height of the leading tooth group. The pitch line tooth thickness of the leading tooth group is equal to and preferably greater than the pitch line tooth thickness of the intermediate tooth group.

Abstract: A loader (10) for a forming machine (12) is disclosed as including a horizontally elongated transfer beam (46) supported by a linkage (52) and moved by a dual output cam unit (62). A first output (64) of the cam unit (62) is connected to an intermediate portion (50) of the beam (46) and a second output (66) thereof is connected to the linkage (52) to cooperatively move the beam (46) vertically and horizontally in a closed path such that workpieces (30) are moved into alignment with a work station (22) of the machine (12) for forming and out of alignment therewith after the forming is completed. The cam unit (62) has first and second cams (68,72) that move associated first and second followers (200,224) to move the first and second outputs (64,66) which respectively actuate horizontal and vertical movement of the transfer beam (46).

Abstract: A hydraulic control circuit (10) for operating a loader (12) of a machine for splining an annular thin-wall sleeve of a power transmission member is disclosed as including valving (116) for communicating supply and return conduits (102,116) with load and unload cylinders (14,16) to provide loading and unloading movements. Load and unload valves (118,120) of the valving have load cycle positions where the load cylinder drives both the loading and unloading members (26,28) which clamp a thin-wall member during such movement to provide loading thereof for splining. In an unload cycle position of the valves, both the load and unload cylinders are hydraulically driven in an unloading direction opposite to the loading movement. The loading and unloading members (26,28) are moved away from each other by their associated cylinders in an index cycle of the valves to permit indexing of a load table (30) under the operation of an index valve (162) of the circuit.

Abstract: A loader (12) for a spline rolling machine wherein die and mandrel teeth (26,42) mesh with the thinwall sleeve (44) of a power transmission member (30) located therebetween to form splines therein is disclosed as including a loading member (58) with a locator (68) on a rotatable clamp (66) thereof and as including an unloading member (60) having a depression (72) that receives the locator (68) so as to permit clamping of an end wall (46) of the power transmission member (30) in an accurately located relationship while still ensuring disengagement during unloading upon movement of the loading and unloading members (58,60) away from each other at an associated load table (36).

Abstract: Thin-wall spline forming apparatus (20) disclosed includes toothed forming racks (24) having associated tooth pitch lines (48) and a toothed mandrel (22) having a tooth pitch circle (50) that is tangent to the forming rack pitch lines and of a diameter equal to the mean diameter of thin-wall splines (44) formed by meshing the rack and mandrel teeth with a thin-wall sleeve (38) of a power transmission member mounted on the mandrel between the meshing teeth. A mandrel drive gear (60) drives the mandrel in coordination with the forming racks (24) and is driven by a pair of drive racks (62) mounted for movement with the forming racks. Best results are achieved when the mandrel (22) has the same number of teeth (40) as the number of teeth (64) of the drive gear (60) and with the mandrel and drive gear teeth aligned with each other.

Abstract: This invention relates to a flexible cannula comprising material which tears readily in a longitudinal direction and can thus be easily removed by pulling tabs on opposite sides of the cannula apart after the catheter or other device has been inserted into the body.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making rotary die racks having an elongated shape including a partially circular forming face of less than 180.degree. and a flat mounting surface that faces in the opposite direction as the forming face. Cast metal blanks of the die racks are secured to a rotatable spindle in a side-by-side relationship to turn the forming faces. Forming projections, i.e. teeth that extend parallel to the axis of the forming face, are then cut in the turned face. Heat treating of the die racks is then performed before mounting thereof on a fixture to perform a finish grinding of the teeth. The spindle preferably includes a spindle member and a central shaft on which the spindle member is mounted for rotation. The fixture includes a pair of spaced end plates and a bed that extends between the end plates and has a stop and an adjustable positioner for clamping the die racks.

Abstract: A forming machine (10) is disclosed as including a rotary drive mechanism (30) that provides accurate control of the degree to which forming is performed. The drive mechanism includes a pair of drive members (34) mounted for movement with a pair of elongated dies that are preferably embodied as die racks (22, 24) mounted on lower and upper bases (12, 14) of the machine. A toothed drive gear (32) is meshed with drive teeth (52) on each of the drive members and is rotatably driven by a drive spindle to thereby move the drive members and hence the dies in order to form a workpiece mounted between the dies. The drive mechanism has particular utility in a machine for forming a thin-walled annular sleeve of a workpiece mounted on a toothed mandrel (38) between the dies. An automatic loader is preferably utilized to mount the workpiece on the mandrel such that movement of the dies engages the die and mandrel teeth with the workpiece sleeve therebetween in order to provide the forming.

Abstract: A rack (12, 14) for burnishing toothed gears (16) is disclosed as having an elongated body of a multiple section construction that provides accentuated axial crowns to gear teeth burnished by the rack. Leading and trailing sections (36, 38) of the rack each have a tooth forming face (44) that provides the rotary support for the gear and the burnishing of the gear teeth (46) as the gear rotates between a cooperative pair of the racks. One of the toothed forming faces, preferably the trailing one, is slightly inclined with respect to the other rack section in a lateral direction along the elongated length of the body so as to provide the accentuated axial crowns on the burnished gear teeth. Both the leading and trailing rack sections are preferably mounted on a base (42) that interconnects the rack sections.

Abstract: A loader (10) for a gear burnishing machine includes a gear carrier (144) and a guide embodied by a rack (122) for cooperating to move a gear to be burnished into meshing relationship with a gear rack of the burnishing machine. A hopper (22) including a feed mechanism provides feeding of the gears to the carrier. Carrier movement moves the gears from the hopper to the machine as the guide rack aligns the gear teeth for meshing with the gear rack teeth. A retaining shaft of the carrier captures the gears between spaced retainers of the carrier as the gears move to the machine for burnishing. A retaining member (66) and a movable dog (84) of the feed mechanism cooperate in feeding gears to the carrier. After burnishing, an actuator including a pusher (204) moves the burnished gear off the guide to a delivery unit 14 including an inclined ramp (198).

Abstract: The machine disclosed includes apparatus for splining thin-walled sleeves of power transmission members that are mounted on a toothed mandrel between a pair of toothed dies by an automatic loader which also removes the members from the mandrel after the splining. Loading and unloading members of the loader are moved axially along the axis of mandrel rotation by associated actuating cylinders to move members to be splined from an indexer onto the mandrel and to move the members after splining from the mandrel back to the indexer. Clamping surfaces on the end of the mandrel and a rotatable clamp of the loading member position the sleeve of a member being splined over the mandrel teeth. The unloading member is received within a central opening of the mandrel and has an annular centering surface that properly locates the member being splined.

Abstract: A tooth forming machine disclosed provides high production output and accurately controlled tooth forming due to the provision of equal displacement hydraulic cylinders which reciprocate die racks on upper and lower base portions connected by a base connecting portion and preloaded deflection control connections. Each cylinder includes a hollow housing, a slidable piston received within the housing, a hollow connecting rod secured to the slidable piston and projecting outwardly from the housing, and a stationary piston received within the hollow rod while allowing movement of the slidable piston. An annular pull chamber and a push chamber of the same cross-sectional area are defined by the cylinder components and alternately fed pressurized hydraulic fluid from a closed loop pump system while fluid from the other chamber is returned to the pump system in order to extend or retract the cylinder and thereby move the associated die rack in one direction or the other.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for burnishing gears incorporating a pair of gear racks having opposed forming faces with teeth spaced therealong for meshing with a toothed gear received therebetween to provide the sole support for the gear as it is rotated by rack movement while the rack teeth burnish the gear teeth. A loader is positioned on one lateral side of the gear racks and includes a movable gripper mechanism that positions the gears to be burnished between the racks for meshing engagement therewith as the racks are driven by a reciprocal drive mechanism of the apparatus. Grippers of the gripper mechanism grip the gears during loading and have pushers that push the burnished gears to a delivery guide on the opposite lateral side of the gear racks from the loader.

Abstract: A grinding machine and dresser therefor for dressing a grinding wheel of the machine to grind a crooked configuration in a workpiece. The dresser includes a holder for a template having the cutting profile of the grinding wheel as well as a holder for a cutting tool that dresses the wheel. The tool holder is mounted for movement with a template follower in an antifriction manner so that the cutting tool dresses the grinding wheel with the cutting profile. Cutting profiles for grinding precise toothed configurations are possible with the dresser. A carriage of the machine on which the dresser is mounted is slidably movable with respect to a base of the machine by axial movement of a dual threaded drive screw having right and left-hand threaded portions spaced axially along its length.

Abstract: A rotary forming machine and a rotary tool utilized therewith for performing a forming operation on a workpiece. A work spindle rotatably mounts the workpiece about a first axis and a pair of tool spindles which each support a plurality of the tools are rotatably mounted about spaced second axes on opposite sides of the first axis. Each tool has a partially circular forming face extending about the associated tool spindle axis for an angle less than 180 degrees with forming projections that engage the workpiece. Associated pairs of the tools on the two tool spindles cooperate with each other to simultaneously form the workpiece in an opposed relationship to each other. Each tool includes a metallic body with a leading end and a trailing end between which its forming face extends as do base and side wall surfaces. The rotary tools preferably have elongated shapes with maximum heights that are approximately 25 percent of their length.

Abstract: A rotary forming machine and a rotary tool utilized therewith for performing a forming operation on a workpiece. A work spindle rotatably mounts the workpiece about a first axis and a pair of tool spindles which each support a plurality of the tools are rotatably mounted about spaced second axes on opposite sides of the first axis. Each tool has a partially circular forming face extending about the associated tool spindle axis for an angle less than 180 degrees with forming projections that engage the workpiece. Associated pairs of the tools on the two tool spindles cooperate with each other to simultaneously form the workpiece in an opposed relationship to each other. Each tool includes a metallic body with a leading end and a trailing end between which its forming face extends as do base and side wall surfaces. The rotary tools preferably have elongated shapes with maximum heights that are approximately 25 percent of their length.