Abstract: A roller clutch is improved to circumferentially guide its energizing springs to protect them from being radially dislocated and worn against the races. A circumferentially extending guide surface of the cage, located outside of the retention pocket, and a guide member on the spring, located remote from the active portion of the spring, slidably engage to guide the spring as it energizes the roller. By virtue of the location of the guide means, there is no effect or limitation on the motion of the roller or on the motion or size of the spring.

Abstract: A thrust bearing for use in a steerable McPherson strut suspension uses free molded seals, but is sealed at all times regardless of the axial forces acting on the bearing, and is maintained as a unitized structure as well. Retention flanges on the cage interfit with conical sealing surfaces of the races to limit axial race separation and unitize the bearing. Free molded seals with conical walls matching the respective sealing surfaces are maintained in a radial tension against the sealing surfaces by virtue of being supported on the cage and on the sealing surfaces with a stretch fit. The sealing walls are prevented from disengaging the sealing surfaces by the controlled race axial separation, and the tension of the sealing engagement actually increases because of the orientation of the sealing walls and sealing surfaces.

Abstract: A cage assembly for an overrunning clutch is formed with a cage body of molded plastic that is initially unitary, and which can therefore be easily handled. The joinder of metal end rings to the cage body serves to fracture it into a plurality of separate pieces, which are maintained in substantially their original positions by their joinder to the end rings. The completed cage assembly can also, therefore, be handled with the ease of a unitary structure. After installation, the fracture of the cage body allows its separate pieces, which include support portions, to maintain the races of a clutch coaxial to one another, but to operate independently, substantially like a conventional, separate piece cage assembly.

Abstract: An overrunning roller clutch with a double row of rollers has an increased load bearing capacity, substantially equivalent to that of a clutch having a single row of rollers of double the length, but without the end loading problems that could occur from single, longer rollers. The clutch uses specially designed unitary energizing springs with resilient elements located by a base of the spring, in cooperation with the cage, so as to act independently on each roller of each pair.

Abstract: A fluid-operated friction engaged torque transmitting device, such as a clutch or brake, has a piston member. The piston has a rigid material, such as metal or plastic body member which is encased in an elastomeric cover. The elastomeric cover is a molded structure which is bonded to the rigid body. The elastomeric cover has integrally formed therewith, during molding, a pair of annular lip seals, a valve structure and a spring portion. A reaction plate or ring is molded or bonded to the spring portion.

Abstract: A hydraulic release mechanism of the bellows type provides for a constant volume of hydraulic fluid, thereby allowing a bellows of minimum size to be used. A housing is slidably supported on a transmission mounted guiding member for movement between the transmission and the fingers of diaphragm spring. A piston also slidably supported on the guiding member is receivable within the housing, with a housing attached flexible bellows engaged therebetween. A coil spring continually biases the housing and piston together and toward the spring fingers. The continual bias keeps the piston lightly engaged with the spring fingers, and keeps the housing at an operative position on the guiding member where the bellows is maintained in a constant volume unexpanded state. A flexible collet is flexed into the guiding member when the bellows begins to expand, anchoring the housing at its operative position.

Abstract: An improved self-centering bearing assembly for clutch release mechanism includes a radial bearing with a rotatable inner and non-rotatable outer race. The outer race is resiliently held for radial self-centering movement by an attachment member which mounts the bearing assembly to a plastic carrier of the clutch release mechanism. The resilient element that allows self-centering is compressed between a radial flange of the attachment and a face of the outer race. When removed from the carrier, the resilient element expands sufficiently to bias the radial flange into a radially extending portion of a declutching finger contacting member rigid to the inner race. This retains the attachment member to the bearing as a separately handled, rattle-free unit.

Abstract: A bearing assembly for a steering column includes an axially spaced pair of stamped, angular contact ball bearings with raceways terminating on the ball circle and at least an outer cylindrical support member engageable with the mast jacket of the steering column. A spring or springs contained in the annular space between the ball circles of the bearings and the housing or between the ball circles and the steering shaft serve to preload the ball bearings as well as to bias them into stop members on the support to maintain the bearings and support as a separately handled unit.

Abstract: An improved bearing assembly for a McPherson strut has plastic components adapted for ease of moldability that also cooperate to form a labyrinth seal as well as to unitize the assembly. Upper and lower housing members include trough shaped pathway portions and coaxial sealing grooves that together comprise a concave surface any radial cross section of which does not have a return bend relative to the bearing axis, thus allowing the race members to be molded by an axial draw mold. Each race member also includes retention tabs extending radially into the sealing grooves, backed by axial access slots to also allow the retention tabs to be molded by the same mold. A cage includes cylindrical sealing flanges, each having a convex shape similar to the concave shape of the sealing grooves, thus allowing sealing flanges to be received within respective sealing grooves with a slight clearance, so that the cage is moldable and also forms a non rubbing labyrinth seal.

Abstract: A unitized bearing assembly for a MacPherson suspension strut includes an inner bearing module enclosed within an outer housing module, the two modules structurally cooperating to support vehicle loads. In each of the three disclosed embodiments, the bearing module has upper and lower stamped bearing steel races providing two point angular contact raceways for a complement of balls. In two embodiments, the inner surfaces of upper and lower members of the housing module are designed to engage the outer surfaces of the bearing races along narrow annular surfaces defined by the angular contact lines of the races. When the housing members are compressed between the elastomer mount and spring seat of the suspension, they structurally cooperate with the races to support vehicle loads which the relatively thin races would not otherwise support.

Abstract: A bearing assembly for a stamped MacPherson strut front suspension includes an angular contact ball bearing with stamped upper and lower races. The lower race is seatable on a bearing seat of the cylindrical reservoir of the damper while the upper race is engaged with the lower surface of a lower spring seat. A combined shielding and retaining wall has an upper wall engageable with the upper surface of the lower spring seat and a cylindrical inner wall engageable with the lower race to retain the bearing and lower spring seat together as a subassembly separable from the suspension. When assembled in the suspension, the upper wall of the shielding is maintained spaced from the upper surface of lower spring seat by the force of the suspension coil spring to allow free turning of the bearing.

Abstract: A unitized sealed thrust bearing includes two annular races with a complement of bearing balls therebetween. One race includes an axially inwardly extending central cylindrical flange and the other race includes a pair of elastomeric sealing lips, one bonded to the outer edge and one bonded to the inner edge. The central flange includes an unobstructed radially inwardly facing wall and a radially outwardly facing wall with a radially and axially inwardly facing sealing surface terminating in a radially outwardly extending rib. The inner sealing lip includes an outer sealing wall which slopes axially and radially inwardly at a greater angle than the sealing surface, in its undeformed state, and an axially inwardly facing shoulder at the terminus thereof. As the races are moved axially together during assembly, the sealing wall of the inner lip flexes as it slides past the rib and into engagement with the sealing surface, the shoulder moves adjacent the rib, and the outer sealing lip engages the other race.

Abstract: A unitized seal bearing includes stamped inner and outer races radially spaced by ball bearings and having a circumferential gap on each side thereof between circular edges of the inner and outer races. A rubber sealing ring fits within each gap, with the inner edge of the ring seating on the inner race and a side thereof adjacent the outer edge of the ring seating on an outer race.

Abstract: A resilient mount attaches the upper end of a MacPherson strut to vehicle body support structure. The mount comprises an annular mounting plate, an elastomeric ring, a central sleeve with an attached end plate, and a ball thrust bearing. The annular mounting plate, the central sleeve and the upper bearing ring of the thrust bearing are bonded to the elastomeric ring to form a subassembly. The mounting plate has a central cup-shaped portion which is embedded in the elastomeric ring and trapped between an enlarged head of the central sleeve and the end plate attached to it. The elastomeric ring has integral flexible lips at its lower end which retain the bearing elements and lower race ring and seal the ends of the thrust bearing.

Abstract: A resilient mount attaches the upper end of a MacPherson strut to vehicle body support structure. The mount comprises an annular mounting plate, an elastomeric ring, a central sleeve with an attached end plate, and a ball thrust bearing. The annular mounting plate, the central sleeve and the upper bearing ring of the thrust bearing are bonded to the elastomeric ring to form a subassembly. The mounting plate has a central cup-shaped portion which is embedded in the elastomeric ring and trapped between an enlarged head of the central sleeve and the end plate attached to it. The elastomeric ring has integral flexible lips at its lower end which retain the bearing elements and lower race ring and seal the ends of the thrust bearing.