Abstract: A guard for protecting a drain plug and a ground-facing surface of an axle housing on a machine including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a body configured to be mounted to the axle housing to protect at least portion of the ground-facing surface of the axle housing. The body includes an opening configured to allow access to and removal of the drain plug through the opening. The second portion is removably couplable to the first portion. When the second portion is attached to the first portion, the second portion covers the opening to protect the drain plug. When the second portion is removed, the drain plug is accessible and removable to service oil in the axle housing.

Abstract: A cleaner finger assembly for cleaning compactor teeth on a compactor wheel of a compactor machine includes a cleaner finger base having a tip engaging surface and a base longitudinal axis, a cleaner finger tip having a base engaging surface and a tip longitudinal axis, and a finger tip anchoring mechanism attaching the cleaner finger tip to the cleaner finger base with the base engaging surface facing and engaging the tip engaging surface. The finger tip anchoring mechanism fails and the cleaner finger tip detaches when the cleaner finger tip is engaged by debris with a force parallel to the tip longitudinal axis, or with a force perpendicular to the tip longitudinal axis, to cause a tip shear force greater than a tip anchor shear capacity of the finger tip anchoring mechanism or a tension force greater than a tip anchor tension capacity of the finger tip anchoring mechanism.

Abstract: An method of making a metal bonded, abrasive tool uses a perforated stencil to place abrasive parcels in a pattern on the cutting surface of the tool. The stencil is placed against the tool preform so that the perforations define cavities. Metal brazing composition in the form of a paste is packed into the cavities and the stencil is removed to leave discrete parcels of brazing paste tacked to the cutting surface. Abrasive grains are deposited onto the paste particles and fixed in place by firing the preform at brazing conditions. The abrasive grains thus are precisely positioned and spaced apart on the cutting surface by abrasive free channels which are defined by the web of the stencil. The abrasive free channels provide paths to facilitate flow of coolant material and swarf particles at the cutting zone. The method can include initially placing the brazing paste parcels onto a resilient, transfer medium and subsequently transferring the parcels onto the preform cutting surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for machining flat or planarizing a fire deck of a bimetallic engine block includes providing a grinding wheel by disposing a series of abrasive inserts at spaced locations along a circumference of a circular head, so that during rotation of the head, the inserts form a notional annular grinding ring. The head is preferably a conventional milling head and the inserts are sized and shaped to fit within receptacles adapted to receive conventional milling inserts. In an alternate embodiment, a second series of abrasive inserts may be disposed radially inward of the first series of inserts to form an inner notional annular grinding ring disposed concentrically with the outer ring. Inner and outer inserts preferably comprise a single layer of diamond abrasive brazed onto a metallic substrate.

Abstract: A grinding wheel is provided for grinding the fire deck of an engine block. The grinding wheel, includes a first annular grinding element disposed concentrically with the wheel on a backing plate. The first annular grinding element includes a first abrasive component of either metal brazed single layer abrasive components or abrasive components comprising grain bonded in a porous matrix having about 55 to 80 volume percent interconnected porosity. The wheel preferably has a second annular grinding element disposed concentrically inward of the first annular grinding element. The first annular grinding element preferably comprises a single layer of relatively course diamond abrasive component brazed on a metallic substrate, while the second annular grinding element preferably comprises a single layer of relatively fine diamond abrasive components brazed on a similar substrate.

Abstract: A bond for a single layer metal bond abrasive tool can be easily chemically and electrochemically stripped from the metal core of a recovered used tool to facilitate reuse of the core. Relative to conventionally bonded tools, the speed of stripping the novel bond is quick, and the stripped core has a smooth, clean surface which needs only minimal mechanical repair prior to reuse. In one aspect, the novel bond is a quaternary bond composition consisting essentially of copper, tin, titanium and silver. The powder components can be used dry or mixed with a fugitive liquid binder as a paste. The novel bond can be brazed at lower temperature than copper/tin/titanium bonds prepared otherwise. The bond composition forms a good melt at braze temperature that flows smoothly, evenly over a tool preform and provides consistent quality bonding of abrasive from tool to tool.

Abstract: Coated abrasives with engineered abrasive surfaces are produced using superabrasive particles mixed with metal particles in a cold-forming process.

Abstract: A method is provided for machining the fire deck of an engine block. The method includes providing a grinding wheel having an outer annular grinding element disposed concentrically or the wheel may be provided with an inner annular grinding element disposed concentrically inward of an outer element. The outer element comprises a single layer of relatively coarse diamond abrasive brazed on a metallic substrate, while the inner element comprises a single layer of relatively fine diamond abrasive brazed on a similar substrate. The outer grinding element and the inner element if utilized, is formed as a discrete unit individually fastened to a backing plate to facilitate independent height adjustment of the elements relative the backing plate. The method further comprises orienting the grinding wheel with its axis of rotation at a predetermined oblique angle a relative the fire deck.

Abstract: An abrasive grit for a metal bonded Single Layer abrasive tool includes abrasive grains coated with a first active component. The active component is mechanically-bound to the surface of the superabrasive grains. Preferably the abrasive is a superabrasive, especially diamond, and the first active component is titanium, either in the form of elemental Ti or TiH.sub.2. The novel grit is made by mixing the first active powder component in a liquid binder to form an adhesive paste; mixing the paste with the abrasive grains to wet the grains, and drying the mixture to adhere active component to the grains. The coated abrasive can be brazed onto a core to form a Single Layer tool, especially with a brazing composition that includes a bronze alloy and small concentrations of a second active component. During brazing the novel abrasive grains provide excellent surface contact with the brazing composition and the braze strongly bind the grains to the tool core.

Abstract: A bond for a single layer metal bond abrasive tool can be easily chemically and electrochemically stripped from the metal core of a recovered used tool to facilitate reuse of the core. Relative to conventionally bonded tools, the speed of stripping the novel bond is quick, and the stripped core has a smooth, clean surface which needs only minimal mechanical repair prior to reuse. In one aspect, the novel bond consists essentially of a ternary bond composition of copper, tin and titanium, in which the copper and tin are pre-alloyed and the pre-alloy and titanium component are incorporated in the bond composition as fine particle size powders. In another aspect, the bond is a quaternary bond composition consisting essentially of copper, tin, titanium and silver. The powder components can be used dry or mixed with a fugitive liquid binder as a paste. The novel bond can be brazed at lower temperature than copper/tin/titanium bonds prepared otherwise.

Abstract: A composite metal-ceramic article comprising a metal shaft and a ceramic ball bearing attached thereto. The shaft is tapered in such a manner to reduce the stress exerted on the ball.

Abstract: Butt joints between materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion are prepared having a reduced probability of failure of stress facture. This is accomplished by narrowing/tapering the material having the lower coefficient of thermal expansion in a direction away from the joint interface and not joining the narrow-tapered surface to the material having the higher coefficient of thermal expansion.

Abstract: A sign display device for use in vehicles such as automobiles comprising a variable height sign holder extendibly mounted on a housing or frame which has an attachment means for holding the display device on a vehicle door or similar structure. The variable height sign holder is a manually extendible structure preferably comprising a series of pairs of lever arms pivotally fastened together in the center on the ends to adjacent pairs so as to form a scissors action structure. An actuation handle is mounted on one end of the pairs of lever arms to move the ends closer together and extend the sign holder. A sign or card holder frame is positioned on an upper end of the pairs of lever arms for holding the signs to be displayed by, or stored in, the display device.