Insert type rotor for radial piston device

A radial piston device comprising:

• a housing having a hydraulic fluid inlet and a hydraulic fluid outlet;
• a pintle attached to the housing, the pintle including a pintle shaft defining a pintle inlet and a pintle outlet, the pintle inlet being in fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid inlet, the pintle outlet being in fluid communication with the hydraulic fluid outlet;
• a rotor mounted on the pintle shaft, the rotor being configured to rotate relative to the pintle about a rotor axis of rotation that extends through a length of the pintle shaft, the rotor comprising:
• a rotor body defining an axial bore extending along the rotor axis of rotation and at least partially defining a plurality of radially oriented cylinders;
• and
• a rotor insert defining a pintle bore rotatably mounted on the pintle shaft and defining a plurality of rotor fluid ports, wherein the rotor insert is fitted into the axial bore and;
• a plurality of pistons, each being displaceable in each of the plurality of radially oriented cylinders, wherein the plurality of rotor fluid ports are in fluid communication with the plurality of radially oriented cylinders, and wherein the plurality of rotor fluid ports are alternately in fluid communication with either the pintle inlet or the pintle outlet as the rotor rotates relative to the pintle about the rotor axis of rotation;
• a thrust ring disposed about the rotor, wherein the thrust ring is in contact with each of the plurality of pistons, and wherein the thrust ring has a thrust ring axis that is radially offset from the rotor axis of rotation so that the plurality of pistons reciprocate radially within the rotor as the rotor rotates about the rotor axis of rotation;
• and
• a drive shaft being coupled to the rotor and rotatably supported within the housing, wherein the drive shaft includes a stem portion located within the housing such that hydraulic fluid flows around the stem and into the pintle inlet, wherein the stem portion tapers in a direction away from the housing hydraulic fluid outlet.

A method of manufacturing a rotor used in a radial piston device, the method comprising:

• forming a radial hollow in a rotor body, wherein the rotor body includes a pintle bore configured to be rotatably mounted on a pintle shaft;
• forming a plurality of rotor fluid ports in the rotor body;
• forming at least partially a plurality of cylinders in the rotor body;
• and
• forming a ridge portion circumferentially at a corner on a bottom surface of the radial hollow, the ridge portion configured to define a common fluid chamber between an inner insert surface of the rotor insert and the bottom surface of the radial hollow;
• inserting the rotor insert into the radial hollow of the rotor body such that the plurality of plurality of cylinders are in fluid communication with the plurality of rotor fluid ports.