Patents Assigned to The Torrington Company
  • Two-piece thrust washer
    Patent number: 5489255
    Abstract: A raceway portion and non-raceway portion are joined together to form a two-piece thrust washer. The raceway portion has a radially directed raceway for rollers, and the non-raceway portion extends radially outward from the raceway portion for engagement with a piloting surface. Mechanical devices, formed integrally on the raceway and non-raceway portions, join the raceway portion and the non-raceway portion together. A method of forcing the raceway and non-raceway portions together to provide a snap-together assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Peter P. Hinckley, Steve E. Sundquist
  • Adaptor for inner bearing ring bore
    Patent number: 5487613
    Abstract: An adaptor for use with an inner bearing ring having a cylindrical bore. The adaptor comprises a tubular portion having a cylindrical outer surface adapted to be received within the inner bearing ring cylindrical bore and a non-cylindrical inner surface adapted to receive a non-cylindrical shaft. A plurality of foldable tabs are distributed along the circumference of the ends of the adaptor. The foldable tabs have a uniform thickness in the axial direction and are directed substantially radially outwardly from the cylindrical outer surface of the tubular portion and are angled axially inwardly. The tubular portion and foldable tabs are formed integrally of a resilient material such that the foldable tabs transiently fold to permit insertion of the adaptor into the bearing ring cylindrical bore and engage end surfaces of the bearing ring to retain the adaptor in the inner bearing ring after insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Walter P. Waskiewicz
  • Bearing having multi-sided inner ring bore with elastomeric rings
    Patent number: 5482383
    Abstract: There is disclosed a bearing for mounting on a multi-sided shaft having an outer race and an inner race coaxial with and rotatable relative to the outer race. The inner race is formed with a central bore having a plurality of internal corners which accommodate a multi-sided shaft. The central bore is preferably adapted to accommodate hexagonal and square shafts. The central bore has at least one circumferential groove in the bore and an elastomeric ring mounted into the groove. The grooves are formed at such depth that the elastomeric ring is exposed at the internal corners of the central bore whereby when the bearing is mounted the elastomeric material will contact the shaft and dampen the relative motion between the bearing and the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Michael A. Gantt, John A. Larson
  • Variable length shaft assembly
    Patent number: 5477750
    Abstract: A steering shaft coupling comprising: an outer tubular shaft member, a coaxial inner shaft member slidably inserted within the outer tubular shaft member, and a plurality of wedges located between the outer tubular shaft member and the inner shaft member. The plurality of wedges being locking wedges wherein the wedges tend to be retained in the spaces between the shaft members upon application of torque from one shaft member to the other shaft member through the wedges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: William E. Korzan
  • Thrust bearing assembly
    Patent number: 5474390
    Abstract: A thrust washer has a radially directed annular portion providing a first raceway and an axially directed annular flange. A subassembly comprising a plurality of rollers, in rolling contact with the raceway, retained axially and radially in a roller cage, has a pilot surface facing the axially directed annular flange. A bushing or rolling element between the pilot surface and the axially directed annular flange reduces friction between the pilot surface and the flange while maintaining concentricity of the subassembly relative to the thrust washer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Thomas G. Rhoads
  • Low friction roller bearing
    Patent number: 5474389
    Abstract: There is provided a roller bearing having inner and outer annular roller races, each race having a bearing raceway that is spaced from and opposes the bearing raceway of the other race, and a rigid frame for retaining a complement of rollers arranged between the roller races. The rigid frame includes annular end plates having a series of concave seats and a plurality of spacers mounted at right angles to each of the end plates. A complement of axially extending rollers is arranged in the frame and the frame is positioned between the races and in rolling contact with the bearing raceways. Spherical balls or convex sphere built into the roller are provided between the ends of the rollers and each end plate for reducing friction between the roller ends and the end plates while piloting the rollers in such a way as to maintain alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Teofilo A. Garcia
  • Shield for rolling element bearings
    Patent number: 5472284
    Abstract: A shield has an outer periphery portion engaging a grooved outer bearing ring, an inner periphery portion adjacent an inner bearing ring, and a mid portion joining the outer periphery portion and the inner periphery portion. The outer periphery portion has an annular reverse bend and terminates in an annular flat surface having radially outer and radially inner edge portions. The radially outer edge portion and the radially inner edge portion and the reverse bend each contact the grooved outer bearing ring to retain the shield axially and radially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Richard L. Alling, Daniel R. McLarty
  • Method of assembling a bearing
    Patent number: 5469620
    Abstract: A flat, thin ring is formed into a modified ring having bridge material between adjacent, initial ball pockets. Movable anvils having a rounded surface are positioned within the initial ball pockets and the bridge material is flattened such that a flat bridge is formed between adjacent final ball pockets enclosing more than a 180 degree circumference of the rounded surface. The movable anvils are then moved such that the final ball pockets do not enclose more than a 180 degree circumference of the rounded surface to facilitate removal of the movable anvils from the final ball pockets. A method of assembling a ball bearing assembly is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Gunter J. Zinken
  • Seal for rolling bearings
    Patent number: 5470158
    Abstract: An annular sealing groove is provided at an axial end of one of an outer or inner bearing ring. The seal element comprises an annular ring of an elastomeric material with a plurality of circumferentially periodic radially extending projections integrally formed in an outer periphery or an inner periphery thereof. The projections are configured to provide an interference fit in the radial direction with respect to a bottom wall and outer side wall of the sealing groove to effect a seal. Preferably, the radial interference fit of the seal element biases the seal element axially against an inner side wall of the sealing groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Daniel R. McLarty, Salvatore Acampora
  • Camshaft and method of making a camshaft
    Patent number: 5469759
    Abstract: A camshaft and method of manufacturing thereof wherein the camshaft has a plurality of first zones having a plurality of circumferentially spaced thicker wall segments and a plurality of thin wall sections. Axially spaced cams are mounted on a hollow tube about the zones. The thicker wall segments are deformed outward to mechanically secure the cams to the hollow tube. The outer diameter of the hollow tube thin wall sections are not deformed when the thicker wall segments are deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Louis V. Orsini, Jr.
  • Bearing assembly
    Patent number: 5468074
    Abstract: A bearing assembly has a stationary housing with a bore with a constant inside diameter. The non-metallic or powdered metal outer assembly is fixedly retained in the housing. A non-metallic or powdered metal inner assembly ring is slidably retained in the outer assembly ring. A ball bearing is retained by the inner assembly ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Maksimilijan Godec, John A. Larson, Walter P. Waskiewicz
  • Surface treated cast iron bearing element
    Patent number: 5468308
    Abstract: A bearing blank is cast or machined of cast iron to a configuration near a final shape of a desired bearing element. A first surface of the bearing blank, corresponding to a sliding surface of the desired bearing element, is remelted while other portions of the bearing blank remain in a solid state. The remelted first surface is quenched such that fine particles of iron carbide precipitate in a remelted zone having an increased hardness and a decreased presence of graphite particles. A bearing element having a core portion composed of cast iron and an integral first surface portion including a precipitate of fine iron carbide particles, and having greater hardness and lesser incidence of graphite particles than the core portion, is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: Joseph F. Braza, John A. Larson
  • Spherical bearing and method of assembling a spherical bearing
    Patent number: 5463811
    Abstract: An outer ring is formed with counterbores at the ends thereof, disposed along a common axis and separated by a radially inwardly extending keel portion. A polymer liner is inserted into each end of the outer ring into abutment with the keel portion, the polymer liners being preformed with spherically concave inner surfaces conforming to a ball part entrapped therebetween. A portion of the outer ring is then deformed by upset forming over a portion of the polymer liners to lock the polymer liners in position. An electrical sensor for indicating failure of the polymer liners is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: William D. Aureli, Robert E. Furst
  • Sensor bearing with clip-on sensor
    Patent number: 5451869
    Abstract: A stationary bearing ring, a rotatable bearing ring, and a sensor support having a slide are provided. The sensor support is axially retained in engagement with the stationary bearing ring, and a sensor is slidably mounted in the slide of the sensor support. The sensor is biased into contact with the sensor support and is radially retained in the slide. An encoding element is carried by the rotatable bearing ring and is rotatable in front of the sensor. Various embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Denis Alff
  • Method of forming one-piece metallic ball bearing cage
    Patent number: 5446963
    Abstract: A flat, thin ring is formed into a modified ring having bridge material between adjacent, initial ball pockets. Movable anvils having a rounded surface are positioned within the initial ball pockets and the bridge material is flattened such that a flat bridge is formed between adjacent final ball pockets enclosing more than a 180 degree circumference of the rounded surface. The movable anvils are then moved such that the final ball pockets do not enclose more than a 180 degree circumference of the rounded surface to facilitate removal of the movable anvils from the final ball pockets. A method of assembling a ball bearing assembly is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Richard L. Alling
  • Methods of regenerating metalworking fluids with chelating agents
    Patent number: 5445945
    Abstract: Metalworking fluids (MWFs) can be regenerated and stabilized by the controlled addition of a chelating agent. The resulting sequestration of the dissolved metals in the MWF has been found to reduce incidence of dermatitis, to control the growth of microbes including bacteria and fungi, and to reduce the generation of odors, all without the further addition of fresh (virgin) MWF or a conventional biocide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Peter H. Drechsler
  • Resolution multiplying circuit
    Patent number: 5442313
    Abstract: Peak and valley voltages of signals from at least two analog sensors are held by the circuit. A plurality of threshold voltages is generated from the previous peak and valley voltages of the respective analog sensors. The signal of each sensor is compared to the respective threshold voltages to produce a sequences of output transitions for each sensor. The output transitions are combined such that each sequence of output transitions from each analog sensor occurs between sequences of the other analog sensor (or sensors). An optional peak and valley reset is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventors: A. John Santos, Mark E. LaCroix
  • Rocker arm assembly
    Patent number: 5437209
    Abstract: Two support arms of a bearing support member extend in opposite directions, each support arm having an overlying bearing cup engageable with a rocker arm. A bearing sleeve is mounted over each support arm between the respective bearing cup and the bearing support member to provide an inner raceway. Each bearing sleeve has sufficient radial clearance with respect to the respective support arm such that the bearing sleeve precesses with oscillation of the rocker arm. Rolling members within an annulus formed between the bearing support member and each bearing cup allow the rocker arm to freely oscillate rotatably with respect to the bearing support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Robert V. Santoro
  • Camshaft and method of making a camshaft
    Patent number: 5435207
    Abstract: A camshaft and method of manufacturing thereof wherein the camshaft has a plurality of thick wall sections and a plurality of thin wall sections. Axially spaced cams are mounted on a hollow tube about the thick wall sections. The thick wall sections are deformed outward to mechanically secure the cams to the hollow tube. The outer diameter of the hollow tube thin wall sections are not deformed when the thick wall sections are deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1995
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Louis V. Orsini, Jr.
  • End cap for housed bearing units
    Patent number: D365829
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: The Torrington Company
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Terrier