Abstract: A chucking device for use when an outer peripheral end part of a semi-finished product having a pillar-shaped catalyst wrapped in a mat and housed in a cylinder is spin-processed using a plurality of spinning rollers. An outer peripheral surface of the semi-finished product is chucked using a plurality of pressing pieces. Each of the pressing pieces has a contact surface for touching the cylinder of the semi-finished product, and a pair of chamfers extending radially outward from either end of the contact surface.

Abstract: An outboard engine system includes a casing and an engine mounted in an upper part of the casing. The casing also contains a torque converter, and a vertically arranged output shaft connected to a crankshaft through the torque converter. In the torque converter, a turbine runner is arranged above a pump impeller and connected to the output shaft, and a transmission cover is connected to an outer periphery of the pump impeller so as to cover an upper surface of the turbine runner. A drive plate is secured at its central portion to a lower end of the crankshaft by a first bolt, and an outer peripheral portion of the drive plate is secured to the transmission cover by a second bolt. The torque converter is suspended from the crankshaft via the drive plate. Thus, it is possible to provide an outboard engine system which enables support of a torque converter without using any bearing exclusively for supporting the overall weight of the torque converter, thereby reducing the cost.

Abstract: A vertical power unit includes an input shaft and an output shaft which have axes in the vertical direction and are vertically arranged to each other; and a torque converter between the input shaft and the output shaft. The output shaft includes an upper output shaft connected to a turbine runner and a lower output shaft connected to the upper output shaft. An oil tank and an oil pump are provided outside the torque converter. The upper output shaft is provided with a vertical hole which communicates at an upper end with a circulation circuit of the torque converter so as to introduce the oil discharged by the oil pump into the circulation circuit, and a bottom wall which closes a lower end of the vertical hole. Thus, an working oil is constantly supplied to the circulation circuit of the torque converter through the interior of the output shaft, thereby cooling the working oil in the circulation circuit, and improves maintainability of loading devices driven by the output shaft.

Abstract: An impeller for a fluid transmitting device includes a hub and a bowl-shaped shell connected to an outer peripheral portion of the hub via an annular weld seam. An inner peripheral surface of the shell is fitted to an outer peripheral surface of the hub, and the weld seam is formed therebetween by laser welding over an entire length of fitting depth. Thus, it is possible to form the annular weld seam between the hub and the shell with a relatively small amount of heat input, and to precisely perform a visual inspection as to whether the weld seam is good or not without any skill.

Abstract: An assembly in which a plurality of exhaust pipes in a multi-cylinder engine is fitted together in a single unit and in which exhaust gases do not create eddy currents or turbulence in the areas where the pipes are fitted together. The configuration is designed such that, to prevent pockets from forming between a skirt and a plurality of sockets formed in a perforated cap, parts of each of the sockets and part of the skirt are arranged linearly relative to each other so as not to form an eddy current.

Abstract: A floating type disc brake “A” used for a vehicle such as a motorcycle comprising a braking rotor 1A and a hub 2A arranged inside the braking rotor 1A, the braking rotor 1A including an annular rotor portion 11 and a plurality of projections 13A extending radially inward from the inner circumferential portion of the rotor portion 11, and further comprising a connecting means 3 for connecting the braking rotor 1A and the hub 2A at positions in which the projections 13A of the braking rotor 1A are abutted to the outer circumferential portion of the hub 2A. At least one of the rotor portion 11 and the projections 13A is formed with cutout portions 13b at the boundary region between the rotor portion 11 and the projections 13A. It is possible to suppress a local heat dissipation in regions of the rotor portion 11 in which the projections 13A are formed and thus to reduce irregularity of heat distribution in the rotor portion 11 during braking operations.

Abstract: A metallic bellows is manufactured by a first step of bulging a straight raw pipe into a primary formed body having formed on a periphery thereof a corrugated bellows section, and a second step of subjecting at least one of crest portions and trough portions of the bellows section of the primary formed body to roll machining by means of a pair of forming rolls.

Abstract: The invention provides a floating type brake disc which can absorb a shock applied to a hub from a rotor at a time of running on a punishing road, can improve a heat lowering performance and can widely reduce a number of parts. A brake disc (1) is constituted by a hub (20), a rotor (10) and a ring spring (30). A lot of protrusion portions (11) in a radial direction are provided along a peripheral direction in an inner peripheral edge portion of the rotor (10), the same number of projection portions (21) in an axial direction are provided along the peripheral direction in an outer peripheral edge portion of the hub (20), and the protrusion portions (11) are protruded to an inner side in the radial direction through a gap (22) between the projection portions (21). The ring spring (30) is constituted by an open ring having an approximately L-shaped cross section.

Abstract: In a fluid transmitting device, a plurality of first power transmission claws are inserted between adjacent ones of damper springs and secure to a clutch piston; and a plurality of second power transmission claws are inserted between adjacent ones of the damper springs so as to face the first power transmission claws, and has support portions which are connected to an outer peripheral surface of a shell of a turbine impeller via a weld formed by laser beams. The weld is formed into a linear shape extending along a circumferential direction of the shell so that the weld is melt by the laser beams to extend from an outer surface of the support portion to an inner peripheral surface of the shell. Thus, it is possible to easily perform welding between the support portions of the second power transmission claws and the shell of the turbine impeller, and to easily perform a visual inspection as to whether the welding condition is good or not.

Abstract: In a fluid transmission device, a male fitting surface of a periphery of a diameter-expanded portion of a pump shell is fitted to a female fitting surface of an inner circumference of a peripheral wall portion of a cylindrical transmission cover, and a fillet weld being is formed between an end surface of the peripheral wall portion and a peripheral surface of the diameter-expanded portion along an entire circumference, thereby connecting together the pump shell and the transmission cover. An annular recess is formed in an inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion to adjoin the female fitting surface on the side opposite from the fillet weld. A portion of the transmission cover corresponding to the recess constitutes an annular thin-walled portion which has a thickness smaller than the portions of the transmission cover along the opposite sides of the annular thin wall portion.

Abstract: A movable die base (2) is moved toward a stationary die base (1). A pressing force is applied by a bending punch (21) disposed on the movable die base to a bending target portion of a pipe (A) which is placed on a die (11) provided on the stationary die base and which has inserted therein a core metal (17). At the time of this bending work, both ends of the pipe are restricted by holding them with restriction pads (22). When the pressing force is applied by the bending punch, the restriction pads are displaced to follow the pressing of the bending punch, whereby restricted state on both ends of the pipe is constantly maintained.

Abstract: In a transmitting system for a small-sized vehicle, a centrifugal clutch, and a torque converter including a pump impeller connected to an output drum of the centrifugal clutch and a turbine impeller connected to an output gear, are placed between a crankshaft of an engine and the output gear. The pump impeller and the output drum adjacent to the pump impeller are integrally coupled, with an open surface of the output drum facing to an opposite side to the pump impeller, to be constructed as a single component. Thus, occurrence of rotation vibrations and unusual noises can be prevented without requiring machining with high precision, and the numbers of components and assembling steps can be reduced while providing favorable maintainability.

Abstract: A valve device for a silence opens a bypass passage provided in the silencer to flow exhaust gas through the bypass passage when exhaust gas pressure rises to a certain pressure. The valve device includes a base having a valve opening through which exhaust gas flows, and a plate-like valve for opening and closing the valve opening. The plate-like valve is fixed to the base at its proximal portion, and is bent at both edges thereof in a certain range extending from its distal end toward the proximal portion.

Abstract: A one-way clutch includes an inner race 16; an outer race 15 surrounding the inner race 16; a plurality of rollers 20 inserted between an outer peripheral surface of the inner race 16 and a plurality of wedge faces 18a formed on the outer race 15 so that they are opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the inner race 16; and springs 19 for biasing the rollers 20 in directions to bite into the wedge faces 18a. In the one-way clutch, the outer race 15 comprises an outer race body 17 made of a light alloy and surrounding the inner race 16, and roller-receiving members 18 which have the wedge faces 18a and which are disposed on bottoms of a plurality of recesses 28 in the inner race body 17 and harder than the outer race body 17. Thus, it is possible to achieve a reduction in weight of the outer race, while ensuring the durability of a contact face of the outer race with the rollers.

Abstract: A power transmission device for an astride-riding vehicle is provided, the power transmission device including a torque converter T and a clutch C disposed in series in a transmission route between an engine E and a gear speed change device M. The torque converter T is arranged so that a pump capacity ? is a maximum at a speed ratio e=0, and gradually decreases in response to an increase in the speed ratio e. Linear properties in which both the engine rotational speed and the turbine rotational speed increase substantially linearly in response to an acceleration operation of the engine can therefore be obtained, thereby providing good drivability.

Abstract: In an impeller for a fluid transmitting device, a cylindrical section is integrally formed at an inner peripheral edge of a shell and bent axially to extend through an inner periphery of a retainer plate, and a brazing material sump is provided between an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical section and an inner peripheral surface of the retainer plate. The cylindrical section is fitted over an outer peripheral surface of a hub and welded to the hub on a side of an outer surface of the shell. Thus, even if a positioning flange is eliminated from the hub, the shell can be supported on the hub at an appropriate attitude, and it is possible to prevent a welding defect between the shell and the hub due to melting of a brazing material between the shell and the retainer plate.

Abstract: A lockup clutch for a torque converter includes a pump extension, a receiving plate connected to the pump extension defining a hydraulic pressure chamber communicating with a portion between a pump impeller and a turbine impeller, a pressing plate opposed to the receiving plate for movement toward and away from the receiving plate, an annular friction clutch plate interposed between the receiving plate and the pressing plate and connected to the turbine impeller, a return spring for biasing the pressing plate in a retracting direction, and an escape bore permitting the inside and outside of the receiving plate to communicate with each other on the side of an inner periphery of the friction clutch plate. When the rotational speed of the pump impeller is increased to a value equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the pressing plate clamps the friction clutch plate in cooperation with the receiving plate under the action of a centrifugal hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic pressure chamber.

Abstract: In a torque converter in which a radial bearing and a one-way clutch are disposed adjacent and concentrically with each other between a hub of a side cover and a turbine shaft extending through the hub, and a hub of an output gear is coupled to an outer end of the turbine shaft, an inner peripheral surface of the hub of the side cover is comprised of a larger-diameter inner peripheral surface portion located on the side of its base end, and a smaller-diameter inner peripheral surface portion located on the side of its tip end and connected to the larger-diameter inner peripheral surface portion through an annular step, and an outer race of the radial bearing fitted to the larger-diameter inner peripheral surface portion is clamped by the annular step and a retaining ring locked to the larger-diameter inner peripheral surface portion.

Abstract: In a fluid transmission system with a lock-up clutch including a plurality of first transmitting claws provided in a clutch piston and inserted between adjacent damper springs, and a plurality of second transmitting claws provided in a turbine impeller and inserted between the adjacent damper springs to oppose the first transmitting claws, the plurality of second transmitting claws are welded to the turbine impeller in a separated and independent manner. Thus, the second transmitting claws can be fabricated with a good yield, and are applicable commonly to various fluid transmission systems of different specifications, leading to a remarkable reduction in cost.

Abstract: A fluid transmitting device includes a side cover connected to a pump impeller and defining a clutch chamber between the side cover and an outer surface of a turbine runner, and a lock-up clutch which includes a clutch piston connected to the turbine runner. The clutch chamber is divided by the clutch piston into an inner oil chamber and an outer oil chamber. The inner oil chamber is divided into primary and secondary inner oil chamber sections provided between the turbine runner and the clutch piston. Upon operation of a lock-up control device, the clutch piston is urged in a clutch switch-on direction, pressure in the primary inner oil chamber section relative to the outer oil chamber is raised and then pressure in the secondary inner oil chamber section is raised relative to the outer oil chamber.