Abstract: A propulsion assembly for a rotorcraft includes a raceway having a tapered inner surface and a mast configured to receive the raceway at a raceway receiving station. The mast has a tapered outer surface at the raceway receiving station. The propulsion assembly includes a mast bearing assembly having a plurality of bearings facing the mast to engage the raceway. The tapered inner surface of the raceway is friction welded to the tapered outer surface of the mast at the raceway receiving station to form a tapered friction weld line.

Abstract: A ball joint includes a cover plate with a nested portion along an outer perimeter having a nested portion thickness, a domed portion located radially inward of the outer perimeter having a domed portion thickness, and a pressed portion located between the nested portion and the domed portion having a pressed portion thickness. The pressed portion thickness is less than the domed portion thickness, which during manufacture, is formed when the cover plate and bearing are simultaneously pressed into their final form and position. A tool can be used to press the cover plate and bearing in a single operation. The tool can have interchangeable components, allowing for the manufacture of differently sized ball joints.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a ball joint assembly including providing an internal centerpiece substantially in the shape of a hollow truncated sphere, placing the centerpiece within a metal hollow sleeve and deforming the sleeve by forcing the sleeve against an outer surface of the centerpiece to shape the sleeve to complement the outer surface of the centerpiece, forming at least one groove in an exterior surface of the sleeve and there after molding a plastic matrix composite material over the exterior surface of the sleeve to form an external body over the sleeve.

Abstract: A ball joint 10 includes a first member 12 having a ball section 14 and a second member 15 having a socket 16. Ball section 14 is accommodated and supported inside socket 16. A pair of dies 20, 30 sandwich a wall 18 surrounding an opening 17 of the socket 16, and are configured to approach each other gradually, utilizing small repetitive vibrations that include an approaching and separating action, thereby intermittently pressing the wall in an inward radial direction. During each interval of the intermittent pressing action, a supporting and rotating device 40 rotates socket 16 (second member 15) in small increments about a central axis C2 of socket 16. Consequently, dies 20 and 30 successively press against a multitude of points on the circumference of the outer surface of wall 18 of the socket, thereby bending wall 18 inward so as to reduce the diameter thereof.

Abstract: A ball joint 10 includes a first member 12 having a ball section 14 and a second member 15 having a socket 16. Ball section 14 is accommodated and supported inside socket 16. A pair of dies 20, 30 sandwich a wall 18 surrounding an opening 17 of the socket 16, and are configured to approach each other gradually, utilizing small repetitive vibrations that include an approaching and separating action, thereby intermittently pressing the wall in an inward radial direction. During each interval of the intermittent pressing action, a supporting and rotating device 40 rotates socket 16 (second member 15) in small increments about a central axis C2 of socket 16. Consequently, dies 20 and 30 successively press against a multitude of points on the circumference of the outer surface of wall 18 of the socket, thereby bending wall 18 inward so as to reduce the diameter thereof.

Abstract: A method for assembling a ball and socket assembly (10) includes loading a housing (14) with a resilient preload washer (28), an inner bearing (30), a ball stud (12) and an outer bearing (36). A loading tool (50) forcefully compresses the assembled components, as a unit, to an overload compression condition (54), and then reduces the compression until an ideal compression condition (56) is achieved. The outer bearing (36) is staked in position while the loading tool (50) holds the assembled components in the ideal compression condition (56). Following the staking operation, the loading tool (50) can be removed, and a final crimping operation permanently sets the outer bearing (36) in position and holds the articulating components in the ideal, pre-load clearance established. The subject method is particularly well-suited for high production set-ups in which precise pre-load clearances must be achieved at high through put rates.

Abstract: A method of swaging a spherical bearing comprising a ball and a bearing housing, the method comprising: providing a ball and a bearing housing to be swaged around the ball; creating a temperature differential between the temperature of the housing and the temperature of the ball, the ball being at a lower temperature than the housing such that the relative size of the ball with respect to the housing decreases; inserting the ball in the housing; swaging the housing around the ball, the ball being cooler than the housing during the swaging process; allowing the ball and housing to return to ambient temperature such that the relative size of the ball with respect to the housing increases.

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.

Abstract: A method of swaging a spherical bearing comprising a ball and a bearing housing, the method comprising: providing a ball and a bearing housing to be swaged around the ball; creating a temperature differential between the temperature of the housing and the temperature of the ball, the ball being at a lower temperature than the housing such that the relative size of the ball with respect to the housing decreases; inserting the ball in the housings; swaging the housing around the ball, the ball being cooler than the housing during the swaging process; allowing the ball and housing to return to ambient temperature such that the relative size of the ball with respect to the housing increases.

Abstract: There are provided a spherical bearing and a method for manufacturing the same, in which both of a ball bearing section and a ball section made of metal can make light and smooth swinging and rotary motions for a long period of time without biased wear and seize-up of those members even if the solid bodies of them can contact with each other due to a discontinuous oil film under a heavy load. A resin liner that contacts the ball section of the inner member in a sliding relationship is embedded in the ball bearing section, and a resin sliding contact surface provided by the resin liner and the metal sliding surface are adjacent to each other without any gap to form a sliding contact surface at the bearing section.