Including Deforming Means Patents (Class 29/725)
  • Patent number: 11820171
    Abstract: An axle assembly and method of assembly. The axle assembly may include a drive pinion and a preload nut. The drive pinion may have a recess. The preload nut may have a deformable ring. The deformable ring may engage the drive pinion inside the recess to inhibit rotation of the preload nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Dhanapal Vittala Raya
  • Patent number: 11448942
    Abstract: A rotational mechanism includes a frame, a plurality of rotational units, an inner ring rotatably supported on the frame via the plurality of rotational units, and a rotation driving unit configured to generate power for rotating the inner ring. The inner ring is provided with a protrusion portion on an outer periphery. Each of the plurality of rotational units includes two bearings and a first pressing unit. The first pressing unit is configured to apply pressing forces to the two bearings in opposite directions in a rotational axis direction of the inner race. The protrusion portion is held between the two bearings due to the pressing forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeaki Yokoi, Tomonori Nakazawa, Jun Kawata
  • Patent number: 9677619
    Abstract: An anti-friction bearing unit (1), configured at least as a two-row anti-friction bearing with at least one outer ring (4a, 4b) and at least two inner rings (5a, 5b), between which rolling bodies (6a, 6b) are guided on raceways of the bearing rings (4a, 4b; 5a, 5b). A clip ring (14) that engages into annular grooves (12a, 12b) of axially extended sections (8a, 8b) of the adjacent inner rings (5a, 5b) is provided for securing an axial position of the inner rings (5a, 5b). The radially pre-stressed clip ring (14) of U-shaped design is arranged in a non-positive manner on an intermediate step (13) of the inner ring (5a) in a pre-mounting position and can be pushed from there into an end position. In matching positions of the flanks (15a, 15b) of the clip ring (14) and corresponding annular grooves (12a, 12b) of the extended sections (8a, 8b), the clip ring (14) latches in a positively locking manner and brings about an axial connection of both inner rings (5a, 5b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Marc-Andre Schafer, Martin Sturzenberger
  • Patent number: 9186785
    Abstract: A bearing adjuster is comprised of a grip, an adjusting member, a fixing member and three movable members. The adjusting member is disposed on a protrusion of the grip. The fixing member is disposed on the adjusting member. The movable members are disposed on the fixing member correspondingly. A threaded rod of the grip is screwed in a threaded hole of a positioning protrusion of the fixing member. A sliding block of each movable member and positioning guide blocks of the sliding block are disposed in one of sliding grooves of the fixing member and positioning guide grooves of the sliding groove respectively. A guide protrusion of the movable member is disposed in one of corresponding grooves of the adjusting member. Thus, the bearing adjuster is able to adjust its' diameter to coordinate with different sizes of the bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Inventor: Cheng-Hao Hung
  • Patent number: 8533957
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing bearing seal for use in a roller bearing is provided. A steel coil of a preselected width is fed into a ring rolling machine to form a closed coil ring. The closed coil ring is then welded along the butted joint. The welded closed coil ring is then fed to a series of pre-forming machines wherein the desired profiles of the final bearing seal are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan J. Spurlock, Dwight A. Marcellus
  • Patent number: 8499436
    Abstract: A tool device includes a support lever having two screw holes, a pressing lever, an adjusting member is threaded with one of the screw holes and pivotally coupled to the middle portion of the pressing lever, and a pressing member is threaded with the other screw hole of the support lever and has an end portion for engaging with a rear portion of the pressing lever, a holding member is attached to the support lever and includes a front portion having an opening, and a retaining member is changeably attached to the support lever for engaging with the holding member and for selectively engaging or retaining the ball joint or universal joint between the retaining member and the pressing lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Inventor: Wei nan Shen
  • Patent number: 8096045
    Abstract: The present invention relates to device and method for manufacturing a wheel bearing assembly that reduces an error rate by reducing stress concentrated on rolling elements in manufacturing processes of the wheel bearing assembly. The device for manufacturing a wheel bearing assembly may include: a base, on which a hub is mounted, supporting the hub in a case of orbital-forming; a forming tool mounting portion mounted above the base; a rotating portion rotatably connected to an outer ring and rotating or pivoting the outer ring about a hub axis in a case of the orbital-forming; and a forming tool mounted at the forming tool mounting portion, rotating on a first axis slanted to the hub axis by a predetermined angle, and simultaneously orbiting about a second axis parallel with the hub axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Il Jin Global Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: John R. Gingrich
  • Patent number: 7730617
    Abstract: A method for connecting a heat-dissipating body and a heat pipe and the structure thereof are used to improve the efficiency of heat conduction. The structure includes a heat-dissipating body and a heat pipe. The central position of the heat-dissipating body is provided with an accommodating trough for accommodating the heat pipe. A plurality of corresponding slots extends outwardly from the periphery of the trough. The other end of the slot is connected to a through hole. Tools are disposed in the slots to widen the slots and thus the periphery of the trough, so that the inner diameter of the trough is larger than the outer diameter of the heat pipe. After the heat pipe penetrates into the trough, the tools are removed, so that the inner wall surface of the trough abuts tightly against the outer circumferential surface of the heat pipe. Thus, the optimal efficiency of heat conduction between the heat pipe and the heat-dissipating body can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignees: Cpumate Inc., Golden Sun News Techniques Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kuo-Len Lin, Ken Hsu, Chih-Hung Cheng
  • Patent number: 7421780
    Abstract: Methods for fabricating thermal management systems for micro-component devices are described herein. The methods may include initially overlaying a target substrate with a blank that is in sheet form, and stamping a microchannel structure having a plurality of outer walls enclosing a predefined area from the blank. The microchannel structure may then be bonded to a heat dissipating side opposite from a micro-component device facing side of a first substrate, the micro-component device facing side of the first substrate being adapted to thermally engage with the micro-component device. The microchannel structure may then be bonded to a second substrate opposite the first substrate, resulting in a closed volume microchannel being defined. Finally, the defined microchannel may then be substantially filled with a fluid thermal interface material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sabina Houle, James C. Matayabas, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7380334
    Abstract: A clamping device (1) for receiving and for the clearance-free prestressing of a wheel bearing comprises a clamping mechanism (3) which radially prestresses the wheel bearing (8) from the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: FAG Kugelfischer AG
    Inventors: Lothar Ulmann, Karl Bywalez
  • Patent number: 7370418
    Abstract: Projections 4-formed on a circumferential surface of a roller portion of the sheet feed roller comprise straight grain projections whose projecting direction faces to the rotation direction of the roller portion, and reverse grain projections that are formed in a direction opposite to the surfaces of the straight grain projections. The straight grain projections are formed so as to be adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the roller portion, that is, in the direction of arrow B and are also formed in two or more rows in the circumferential direction of the roller portion, that is, in the direction of arrow A. The reverse grain projections are formed so as to be adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the straight grain projections and are also formed in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Ueda, Hisashi Takahashi, Hideshi Takahashi, Yuji Inada
  • Patent number: 7356905
    Abstract: Techniques for fabricating high frequency ultrasound transducers are provided herein. In one embodiment, the fabrication includes depositing a copperclad polyimide film, a layer of epoxy on the copperclad polyimide film, and a polyvinylidene fluoride film on the epoxy. The assembly of materials are then pressed to bond the polyvinylidene fluoride film to the copperclad polyimide film and to form an assembly. The polyvinylidene fluoride film being one surface and the copperclad polyimide film being the other surface. The area behind the copperclad polyimide film surface is filled with a second epoxy, and then cured to form an epoxy plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Riverside Research Institute
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Ketterling, Mary Lizzi, legal representative, Frederic L Lizzi
  • Patent number: 7325297
    Abstract: An automatic assembly machine includes a basis (10), a sliding device (30) horizontally movably attached on the basis for supporting a fan (40) thereon, a tube (27) fixed to the basis for receiving a plurality of bearings (28) therein, a diversion station for provisionally holding one bearing thereon, a mounting device (70) vertically movably attached to the basis, a horizontal driving device (60), a vertical driving device (80), and a control device (90) for controlling periodical movement of the horizontal and vertical driving devices. In one period, the vertical driving device drives the mounting device to catch the bearing from the diversion station and then the horizontal driving device drives the sliding device and the diversion station to move to allow the diversion station to receive another bearing from the tube and the mounting device to mount said bearing to the fan upon driven of the vertical driving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignees: Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd., Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jian-Ming Xia
  • Patent number: 7305759
    Abstract: In order to improve a device for the manufacture of a shaft assembly for a hydrodynamic bearing by pressing a shaft into a fit bore in a bearing disk, comprising a first pressing tool and a further pressing tool, in such a way that enables high accuracy to be achieved when the shaft is pressed into the bearing disk, with the lowest possible cost and effort in setting up the press, it is proposed that a shaft receiving portion which receives and guides the shaft aligned exactly to a central axis is associated with the first pressing tool, that a bearing disk receiving portion which receives and guides the bearing disk with a flat surface aligned exactly perpendicular to an axis is associated with the first pressing tool, and that for the pressfitting process, the first pressing tool acts on the shaft or the bearing disk by means of a first pressing element and a second pressing tool acts on the bearing disk or the shaft by means of a second pressing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Carsten Etling
  • Patent number: 7251892
    Abstract: A system for adjusting at least one spacer of a bearing assembly includes a force-transmitting member and a preload regulator. The force-transmitting member is configured to operatively receive a force and to transmit the force to an adjustable spacer. The preload regulator includes a first portion and a second portion movable relative to each other with the first portion being movable in response to the force and the second portion being received by and stationary relative to the bearing assembly. The preload regulator further includes a controller coupled to the first portion and the second portion with the controller being configured to detect an electrical contact between the first portion and the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Temper Corporation
    Inventor: Sean Strait
  • Patent number: 7194805
    Abstract: A post bearing and method of manufacture in which bearing balls are loaded into a series of pocket holes arranged along a helical pattern in a sleeve cage. A single groove is swaged into the outside diameter of the sleeve intermediate the ball turns to capture the balls in the pocket holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Danly IEM, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Lee Taylor, William Fred Heinze
  • Patent number: 7121003
    Abstract: In a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for a wheel-support rolling bearing unit, when forming a crimped portion 14 on an end (inside end) of a hub main body 8a, by rocking die forging using a die 26, while preventing enlargement of equipment, in order to prevent forming indentations in a second outer raceway 6a and a second inner raceway 12a, in the present invention, the outer ring 1a is turned by a motor 48, and the balls 32 are rotated. A difference is provided between the rotation speed of the balls 32 and an oscillation speed of the die 26. This difference is preferably at least 10 min?1. By rotating the balls 32 the formation of indentations in the second outer raceway 6a and the second inner raceway 12a is prevented. Moreover, by providing the difference between the rotation speed and the oscillation speed of the die 26, an increase in the torque required for rotation the outer ring 1a is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Yasumura, Nobuyuki Hagiwara, Shoji Horike
  • Patent number: 6935026
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wheel bearing assembly for motor vehicles with a bearing provided with an inner ring and an outer ring, the bearing being fitted with its outer ring into a bearing casing and the outer ring being mechanically supported in axial direction on a first side by a supporting surface provided on the bearing casing. Discrete and preferably evenly arranged stop protrusions are formed on the inner circumference of the bearing casing, the outer ring abutting thereon in axial direction on its second side, and the stop protrusions being formed by locally plastic forming the bearing casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Johannes Frantzen
  • Patent number: 6782622
    Abstract: A cylindrical portion formed in the inside end portion of the hub is caulked and spread using a pressing mold assembled to an oscillating/caulking apparatus to thereby form the caulking portion. In working or forming the caulking portion, a cylindrical projecting portion formed in the central portion of the leading end face of the pressing mold is inserted into the cylindrical portion to thereby prevent the inside diameter of the cylindrical portion from reducing excessively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Hagiwara, Shoji Horike
  • Patent number: 6684506
    Abstract: One or more force application members (e.g., a force transmission member and/or a hydraulic force application member) may be employed to provide a desired adjustment (e.g., a preload and/or a compression) to an adjustable spacer of a bearing assembly. The hydraulic force application member may provide a first stage of the adjustment to the spacer, and the force transmission member may be threadingly rotated to apply a second stage of the adjustment to the spacer. An additional force application member may (e.g., contemporaneously) oppose at least one of the force application members in the providing of the adjustment to the spacer. This opposing force may cause a gap between certain surfaces (e.g., in a press) until the adjustment to the spacer is completed. The closure of the gap may serve to indicate the completion of the desired adjustment to the spacer. A housing rotatable on a portion of the bearing assembly may be prevented from rotating at the closure of the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Inventor: John E. Rode
  • Patent number: 6532666
    Abstract: A hub assembly includes a hub having a flange and a spindle projected from the flange, a housing located around the hub spindle, and an antifriction bearing between the housing and the spindle. The bearing includes an inner race which the spindle initially accommodates in that the spindle has a deformable end over which the inner race is passed. Thereafter, the deformable end is upset into a formed end in a rotary forming procedure that involves forcing the deformable end and a forming tool together while the spindle and tool rotate. The formed end should bear snugly against a back face on the inner race and capture the inner race on the spindle. In the forming procedure the spindle and forming tool are forced together initially in a coarse feed which provides the formed end that bears against the back face of the inner race, then at a fine feed, and finally at a dwell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventors: Wayne V. Denny, Jr., Praveen M. Pauskar, Keith W. Reese
  • Patent number: 6006421
    Abstract: An apparatus is used for pressing a preassembled ball joint cartridge into a bearing eye of a tie rod end, with the ball joint cartridge comprising a ball joint pin, a bearing shell surrounding the joint ball, and a bearing housing that surrounds the bearing shell and is pressed into the bearing eye. In order to be able to press a joint cartridge of this type reliably, exactly, and efficiently into an unmachined bearing eye, the apparatus performs the following procedures. The tie rod end with the bearing eye is placed on a receiving device located on a press table. The ball joint cartridge is placed with its bearing housing in the bearing eye in such fashion that initially only the bearing shell in the end conical area engages, with contact, a matching opposite cone of the bearing eye, while the bearing housing of the joint cartridge still has play in the bearing eye. The bearing eye is centered coaxially with respect to a pressing device and aligned axially and perpendicularly with respect thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventor: Milorad Zivkovic
  • Patent number: 5970294
    Abstract: A cylindrical structural body for use in an image forming apparatus and a method of producing the same are disclosed. The structural includes a cylindrical sleeve and flanges or similar end members respectively affixed to opposite ends of the sleeve. The flanges can be firmly and easily affixed to the sleeve without causing the sleeve to deform. The structural body is therefore low cost and highly accurate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Narita, Yasuhiro Hujimori, Tsuyoshi Imamura, Makoto Nakamura, Kyota Koetuka, Kenichi Ishiguro, Takeo Araki, Takahiro Yasunaga
  • Patent number: 5479699
    Abstract: Apparatus for expanding tubular members, such as U-shaped heat transfer tubes having ends thereof located in the confined space adjacent the curved sides of the bowl-shaped lower plenum of a typical nuclear steam generator. The apparatus includes an elongate mandrel having a flow channel therethrough in communication with a resilient tubular bladder surrounding the mandrel. The bladder is flexible about its longitudinal axis due to the ribbed construction of the wall thereof. The mandrel includes a plurality of segments, adjacent ones of the segments interconnected by a ball-and-socket joint therebetween, so that the segments swivel about respective ones of the ball-and-socket joints. In this manner, the mandrel flexes as it is inserted into the tube end located in the confined space defined by the sides of the bowl-shaped lower plenum of the steam generator. The mandrel also flexes as it traverses the upper U-bend portion of the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Inventor: David A. Snyder
  • Patent number: 5136777
    Abstract: Attachment means for mounting a first annular member such as a bearing ring having a first seating surface to a second member, such as a housing. The bearing ring has a plurality of recesses formed therein and is made of a material having a predetermined hardness. The housing has a second seating surface and a contact surface disposed angularly to the second seating surface and a fillet surface defining at least one narrow intermediate space at the juncture of the said second seating surface and contact surface. The recesses in said first seating surface open toward the internal end surface and open out into the intermediate spaces, whereas, at the end facing away from this end surface, the recesses are closed off by a boundary wall. By this arrangement, during assembly of the bearing ring in the bore of the housing or to a journal, material from the housing or journal is removed to fill the recesses and thereby lock the bearing ring in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: SKF GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Brockmuller, Hans Freund
  • Patent number: 5111575
    Abstract: An apparatus as provided for swaging a bearing lip into a bearing housing chamfer, which apparatus is operable in confined spaces, such as in an aircraft application. The apparatus is operable without requiring the use of clamps or power tools, wherein an axial swaging force is developed through the bearing bore. The apparatus includes miniature rollers that are supported obliquely for an improved swaging operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: Rexnord Corporation
    Inventors: Mark R. Grunze, Robert E. Franzen
  • Patent number: 5058262
    Abstract: Attachment means for mounting a first annular member such as a bearing ring having a first seating surface to a second member, such as a housing. The bearing ring has a plurality of recesses formed therein and is made of a material having a predetermined hardness. The housing has a second seating surface and a contact surface disposed angularly to the second seating surface and a fillet surface defining at least one narrow intermediate space at the juncture of the said second seating surface and contact surface. The recesses in said first seating surface open toward the internal end surface and open out into the intermediate spaces, whereas, at the end facing away from this end surface, the recesses are closed off by a boundary wall. By this arrangement, during assembly of the bearing ring in the bore of the housing or to a journal material from the housing or journal is removed to fill the recesses and thereby lock the bearing ring in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Assignee: SKF GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Brockmuller, Hans Freund
  • Patent number: 5058415
    Abstract: A stamping press tool assembly for delivering parallel forces to a plurality of points angularly spaced around a ring-shaped workpiece, whereby the ring-shaped workpiece is positioned beneath a shouldered hub centered inside the tool assembly, and having a plurality of radial sector rams arrayed between the hub and a bottom plate. The hub receives independent and substantially equal force, providing custom stamping deformation of the workpiece in a uniform manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1991
    Inventors: John G. Blase, Robert Blase
  • Patent number: 4635331
    Abstract: A method for the production of a guide rail for linear guiding and having a hardened rolling body race groove on opposite sides of the guide rail. In order to minimize production costs and avoid cutting of the race grooves, the race grooves are initially spaced at a distance that is greater or smaller than their finally desired value, by an incremental distance. Grooves are provided centrally in the guide rail between the opposed race grooves, and the race rail is then hardened except in the region of the central grooves. Compression rollers in the race grooves or central grooves are then forced into the guide rail to decrease or increase respectively the distance between the race grooves until the desired distance therebetween is obtained. The method can also be employed when only a single race groove is provided on the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: SKF Kugellagerfabriken GmbH
    Inventors: Lothar Walter, Walter Reith
  • Patent number: 4621402
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a process and a device for the assembly of universal joints. In order to reduce the defect of center misalignment of the joint parts with respect to each other which characterized the joints after assembly, the center misalignment resulting from different pressing forces on the bearings and from other manufacturing tolerances are measured according to the invention during assembly, whereupon appropriate corrective forces are generated to eliminate the misalignment of the centers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1986
    Assignee: SKF Kugellagerfabriken GmbH
    Inventors: Willi Gossmann, Gebhard Pape, Norbert Klupfel, Josef Stark
  • Patent number: 4561157
    Abstract: Method for forming roller bearing cage lugs into roller retainers. Portions of the lugs provided on bearing cage webs are staked to a preselected depth and a desired retainer conformation in an overlying relationship with adjacent roller receiving pockets in the cage. A punch assembly which accommodates a pair of simultaneous staking operations is employed. The assembly includes a staking punch configured to stake portions of the same lug in opposite directions from each other overlying portions of adjacent receiving pockets or to stake portions of adjacent lugs in opposite directions toward each other overlying opposed sides of the same receiving pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1985
    Assignee: TRW Inc.
    Inventor: Paul H. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4559692
    Abstract: Method of crimping the locking ring of a ball joint. According to the invention, a prestress is applied to the bearing bush (17) to obtain a certain frictional torque between the latter and the spherical pivot while the locking ring (18) is placed on the bush (17); the punching tools (28) comprising a double die (30) are then actuated simultaneously in the direction of the socket (15) so as to deform the latter along two approximately circumferential and parallel zones located on both sides of the ring (18) to surround it without displacing it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1985
    Assignee: Societe Anonyme D.B.A.
    Inventor: Gerard Morin
  • Patent number: 4369558
    Abstract: Herein disclosed are outer race working method and apparatus of the type, in which such a roughly shaped outer race workpiece of a Birfield type constant-velocity ball joint as is formed with a groove made axially straight at its portion above the joint center and having an axial curvature below the joint center, in which a hexagonal-pillar guide punch and a split mandrel composed of six segments are inserted into the aforementioned groove of the roughly shaped workpiece thereby to iron the inner surface of the aforementioned groove and to form both a center hole corresponding to the center of a ball rolling groove and a face for providing a reference for the axial position of the groove center, and in which the roughly shaped workpiece is then ironed by means of an ironing die, whereby the ball rolling groove is plastically worked all over its surface from its lower portion to its upper portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1983
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Iwata, Hisao Shirai
  • Patent number: 4172621
    Abstract: A method of adjusting a pre-load on or a clearance in bearings and a bearing assembly constructed by this method, wherein a wheel hub is fixed to the outer side of a uniform velocity ball joint stem and two angular contact ball bearings or tapered roller bearings are installed between the hub and a steering knuckle. The bearing assembly comprises a spacer disposed between the inner races of the bearings on the hub, and the elastic deformation, plastic deformation and elastic restoring force of the spacer are utilized for pre-loading adjustment or clearance adjustment of the bearings in the bearing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: October 30, 1979
    Assignee: Toyo Bearing Company, Limited
    Inventor: Katsuaki Yoshida