Inwardly cambered rocker joint for a power transmission chain
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorsJohn Charles Skurka, Steven Harold Manning
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inwardly cambered rocker joint for a power transmission chain is disclosed. The rocker joint includes a straight pin that defines a rocking surface and engages a first chain link. The rocker joint also includes an inwardly cambered rocker that engages a second chain link and that defines a rocking surface that contacts the pin rocking surface near the ends of the rocker. The inwardly cambered rocker joint provides a stiff joint that reduces tight strand resonance and chain wash.
Claims10
A rocker joint for joining a first link of a power transmission chain to a second link that is adjacent to the first link along a chain direction of the chain, each link defining an opening, the openings aligned to define a joint opening extending through the first and second links, said rocker joint comprising:
- a pin, said pin
- being generally straight and elongate,
- defining a pin rocking surface configured for rocking contact, and
- engaging the first link to rock with the first link and to position the pin rocking surface within the joint opening, and
- a rocker, said rocker
- defining a rocker rocking surface configured for rocking contact with said pin rocking surface,
- extending a length from a first end to a second end,
- being inwardly cambered along the rocker rocking surface,
- positioned in the joint space engaging the second link to rock with the second link and to position the rocker rocking surface adjacent to the pin rocking surface to contact the pin rocking surface near said first and second ends of the rocker.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.