Abstract: Connection piece for connecting a housing (4) of a drive unit (2) with a housing (5) of a compressor element (1). The connection piece is provided with ribs (12) over at least a part of its wall, the height of the ribs (12) being at least equal to one and a half times a thickness of the part of the wall upon which the rib is standing and the thickness of the ribs (12), half-way up the height, being equal to at least half of the thickness of the part of the wall. The ribs (12) form a pattern which divides the wall into adjacent wall segments (13) which have a first characteristic mode for bending that has a resonant frequency which excludes excitation by substantially all excitation frequencies up to and including a highest of the compressor element (1).

Abstract: A gear housing for use in a worm gear drive mechanism having an output shaft, has an integral backwall adapted to support the shaft. The backwall has a cylindrical central portion for receiving one end of the output shaft. A plurality of equal pie shaped segments extend radially from the central portion providing support for the central portion in compression. Each segment has a narrow end, a wide end, and sides. The narrow end of adjacent segments alternately form an integral part of the central portion above and below a plane orthogonal to a central axis of the central portion.

Abstract: A wheel assembly includes a cam and a cam gear mounted on a camshaft of an internal combustion engine. The cam gear is constructed of a laminated stack of flat plate members which are disposed in abutting relationship to one another to form a plurality of axially spaced and radially extending interfaces. The cam gear is press fit onto the camshaft and the frictional forces between the gear and the camshaft provide the substantially sole force for maintaining the interfaces between the plate members in abutting relationship at their radially outer ends to form integral tooth members. The cam is also constructed of a laminated stack of flat plate members and press fit onto the camshaft in substantially the same manner as the gear to form an integral cam surface. The plates which form the cam are stamped from the plates that form the gear. A method of forming the wheel assembly is also disclosed.