Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100083502 | METHOD OF FORMING A ONE PIECE COMPONENT - A method for forming a component that transmits torque in an automatic transmission includes forming a workpiece with a hub concentric with and extending along an axis and forming the workpiece with a disc that is integral with the hub and extends radially outward from the hub. A hollow perform cylinder is formed integrally with the disc, located at a radial end of the disc distant from the hub, concentric with the axis, and includes an inner surface and an outer surface. A hollow perform cylinder is flow-formed using a flow-forming mandrel located within the cylinder and having an outer surface formed with gear teeth such that the inner surface of the cylinder conforms to at least a portion of the gear teeth on the flow-forming mandrel. | 04-08-2010 |
20100083724 | PREVENTING VOIDS IN EXTRUDED TEETH OR SPLINES - An apparatus for extruding teeth in a blank includes a press that includes a lower die plate for supporting the blank thereon, and upper die plate that moves along an axis relative to the lower die plate. A mandrel, aligned with the axis, moves with the upper die plate along the axis, and includes die teeth which form gear teeth to net shape by back extrusion. An impingement ring, located between the upper die plate and the blank, has an opening that allows the die teeth of the mandrel to contact the blank, and includes a stinger that forces material of the blank toward the axis during the forming cycle. | 04-08-2010 |
20100083783 | FORMING PREFORMS AND PARTS THEREFROM - A method for forming a component includes forming a workpiece into a hollow preform cylinder concentric with an axis and including an inner surface that extends along the axis, placing within the preform cylinder a mandrel having an outer surface, flow-forming the inner surface and the outer surface of the preform cylinder such that the inner surface of the cylinder conforms to at least a portion of the outer surface of the mandrel, and cutting the flow formed cylinder transversely with respect to the axis into segments, each segment having an axial length. | 04-08-2010 |
20110297503 | CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WITH FORMED RETENTION RING - A clutch assembly for a vehicle transmission includes a housing defined by a wall having an annular configuration circumscribing a clutch axis. The wall extends between an open end and a floor. The floor extends inwardly from the wall toward the clutch axis. A plurality of splines formed in the wall and each is spaced from the open end of the housing. A snap ring retains clutch plates in the housing. The open end of the wall is deformed inwardly toward the clutch axis defining a retainer for retaining the snap ring within the housing. | 12-08-2011 |
20110300954 | UNIVERSAL JOINT ASSEMBLY FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE DRIVELINE SYSTEM - A die formed monolithic yoke assembly for a universal joint of an automotive driveline assembly subject to high torsional loads having a substantially uniformed thickness, including a cup-shaped portion, a pair of opposed lugs integral with and extending from an upper portion of the cup-shaped portion and an integral, outwardly deformed substantially continuous lip portion extending outwardly from the upper surface of the annular wall and the lugs substantially strengthening the yoke assembly particularly against torsional loads. In one embodiment, the upper end of the cup-shaped portion included concave arcuate portions on opposed sides of the lugs adjacent the lugs, such that the upper surface of the cup-shaped portion transitions from a concave surface to a convex surface strengthening the yoke. | 12-08-2011 |
20120010007 | COLLAPSIBLE SHAFT ASSEMBLY - A drive shaft assembly for a vehicle includes a first tubular member and a second tubular member. The second tubular member is mated to the first tubular member. The first tubular member defines a plurality of protuberances and the second tubular member includes a plurality of apertures. Each of the plurality of apertures receives one of the plurality of protuberances substantially affixing the first tubular member to the second tubular member in a circumferential orientation. | 01-12-2012 |
20120011911 | FLOW FORMED GEAR - A method of forming a ring gear from a ring blank includes providing a mandrel having a central axis and an outer annular forming surface. The outer annular forming surface defines a plurality of forming elements having a forming element axis offset from the central axis of the mandrel. The ring blank has a ring axis and is placed over the mandrel generally aligning the central axis of the mandrel with the ring axis of the ring blank. A roll is provided having a roll axis that is generally parallel with the element axis. The roll is forced radially inwardly while circumscribing the central axis. The roll pivots around the roll axis deforming the ring blank radially inwardly forming teeth on an inner surface of the ring blank that coaxial with the element axis and offset from the mandrel axis. | 01-19-2012 |
20120216590 | METHOD OF FORMING INDUSTRIAL HOUSINGS - A method of forming a housing which includes roll forming a steel tube radially inwardly with a plurality of rollers each having a rolling axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube, the rollers compressing the tube and forming reduced diameter portions and enlarged diameter portions. The method then includes cutting the tube perpendicular to the longitudinal axis generally midway through an enlarged diameter portion and a reduced diameter portion, forming a plurality of minor image preforms. Finally, the method includes cold working the preforms into the desired shape of the housing and increasing the strength of the steel at least 15% and forming a housing member having enlarged diameter open end and a reduced diameter open end. | 08-30-2012 |
20120272503 | CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WITH FORMED RETENTION RING - A clutch assembly for a vehicle transmission includes a housing defined by a wall having an annular configuration circumscribing a clutch axis. The wall extends between an open end and a floor. The floor extends inwardly from the wall toward the clutch axis. A plurality of splines formed in the wall and each is spaced from the open end of the housing. A snap ring retains clutch plates in the housing. The open end of the wall is deformed inwardly toward the clutch axis defining a retainer for retaining the snap ring within the housing. | 11-01-2012 |
20130020835 | STRUCTURAL TUBE AND METHOD - A structural metal tube having a variable thickness varying between a minimum thickness and a maximum thickness providing structural rigidity and support for the tube. The structural tube may be polygonal, such as rectangular and utilized as an automotive A pillar, wherein the thicker wall provides a support for a hinge plate. The method includes rolling the desired configuration of the tube and welding the thinner edges. | 01-24-2013 |
20130037374 | LANCE-AND-FORM SPLINES WITH FORMED HOUSING LIP SNAP RING RETENTION - A housing for use with a clutch assembly includes an annular wall disposed around an axis and extending between an open end of the housing and a floor of the housing with the floor extending toward the axis. A plurality of splines are spaced around the annular wall and extends between the open end and the floor. The splines define a work surface for engaging teeth of a clutch plate with the work surface being fractured from the annular wall providing a substantially normal relationship to the annular wall. | 02-14-2013 |
20130042459 | METHOD OF FORMING A UNVERSAL JOINT - A method of making a universal joint from a tube, including forming a plurality of pairs of coaxially aligned holes at longitudinally spaced locations in the tube, cutting the tube along a curvilinear cutting path around the holes forming a pair of projecting arms and U-shaped recesses between the arms forming a plurality of yokes and pivotally interconnecting the yokes using a pivot member received in the holes of adjacent yokes. | 02-21-2013 |
20130117990 | METHOD OF FORMING INDUSTRIAL HOUSINGS - A method of forming a housing which includes roll forming a steel tube radially inwardly with a plurality of rollers each having a rolling axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube, the rollers compressing the tube and forming reduced diameter portions and enlarged diameter portions. The method then includes cutting the tube perpendicular to the longitudinal axis generally midway through an enlarged diameter portion and a reduced diameter portion, forming a plurality of minor image preforms. Finally, the method includes cold working the preforms into the desired shape of the housing and increasing the strength of the steel at least | 05-16-2013 |
20130313064 | CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WITH FORMED RETENTION RING - A clutch assembly for a vehicle transmission includes a housing defined by a wall having an annular configuration circumscribing a clutch axis. The wall extends between an open end and a floor. The floor extends inwardly from the wall toward the clutch axis. A plurality of splines formed in the wall and each is spaced from the open end of the housing. A snap ring retains clutch plates in the housing. The open end of the wall is deformed inwardly toward the clutch axis defining a retainer for retaining the snap ring within the housing. | 11-28-2013 |
20140072251 | CAGELESS BEARINGS FOR USE WITH MECHANICAL DEVICES - A rotational assembly includes a mating surface and an interlocking surface disposed in driving engagement with a cooperable interlocking member of a driving mechanism. A plurality of receptors is defined in the mating surface. A bearing element is received in each of the plurality of receptors for reducing frictional interaction between the mating surface of the rotational assembly and a complimentary mating surface of an interacting component. A retainer is defined in the mating surface at each of the receptors providing rotational retention of each of the bearing elements within its corresponding receptor. | 03-13-2014 |
20140072255 | CAGELESS BEARINGS FOR USE WITH MECHANICAL DEVICES - A rotational assembly includes a mating surface and an interlocking surface disposed in driving engagement with a cooperable interlocking member of a driving mechanism. A plurality of receptors is defined in the mating surface. A bearing element is received in each of the plurality of receptors for reducing frictional interaction between the mating surface of the rotational assembly and a complementary mating surface of an interacting component. A retainer is defined in the mating surface at each of the receptors providing rotational retention of each of the bearing elements within its corresponding receptor. | 03-13-2014 |
20140124327 | CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WITH IMPROVED CLUTCH PLATE INTERFACE - A clutch assembly includes a housing defining an axis. A plurality of plates disposed within the housing are in driving engagement with the housing around the axis. The housing defines a housing wall circumscribing the axis and having a sinusoidal configuration including a wall crest and a wall trough. The wall crest and the wall trough are substantially parallel to the axis defined by the housing. The plates have teeth complimentary of the sinusoidal configuration of the housing wall for engaging the housing wall enabling the driving engagement between the housing wall and the plates. | 05-08-2014 |
20140339043 | CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - A clutch assembly including a housing having internal radial teeth including relatively sharp V-shaped crests and troughs and annular clutch plates having teeth of the same configuration, wherein the included angle between adjacent teeth is about 60°. The internal surface of the housing in the disclosed embodiment further includes generally straight segments between a plurality of adjacent teeth having a longitudinal oil slot. The radial teeth of the clutch plates are continuous to nest into the internal teeth of the housing and the relatively straight segments. | 11-20-2014 |
20140339044 | CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WITH FORMED RETENTION RING - A clutch assembly for a vehicle transmission includes a housing defined by a wall having an annular configuration circumscribing a clutch axis. The wall extends between an open end and a floor. The floor extends inwardly from the wall toward the clutch axis. A plurality of splines formed in the wall and each is spaced from the open end of the housing. A snap ring retains clutch plates in the housing. The open end of the wall is deformed inwardly toward the clutch axis defining a retainer for retaining the snap ring within the housing. | 11-20-2014 |
20150024897 | TORQUE TRANSMITTING ASSEMBLY - A torque transmitting assembly, such as a differential, including a tubular housing having a polygonal cross-section including a plurality of angularly related surfaces and a torque transmitting member within the housing having flat surfaces engaging the flat surfaces of the housing, such that torque is transmitted through the housing. In a differential, the torque transmitting member includes annular side gears having a plurality of annular teeth and annular pinion gears including gear teeth meshing with the gear teeth of the side gears. | 01-22-2015 |