Apparatus and Method for Manufacturing Spherical Bearing Assembly

A method for manufacturing a spherical bearing assembly comprising the steps of:

• preparing a preassembly by housing the edges on both ends of a spherical journal in the respective recessed portions of first and second grippers in such a way that a spherical surface of the spherical journal is exposed;
• attaching fiber reinforced composite made of a plurality of reinforced fibers and the matrix impregnated in these reinforced fibers on the spherical surface of said spherical journal and the respective outer surfaces of the first and second grippers;
• arranging said preassembly, that has said fiber reinforced composite attached, in a cavity of a mold;
• heating said matrix so as to have fluidity;
• molding said fiber reinforced composite into a spherical bearing that has a bearing surface spherically paired with the spherical surface of said spherical journal by mold-closing said mold and plunger so as to compress said fiber reinforced composite on said mold;
• taking out said preassembly with the molded spherical bearing from the cavity of said mold by mold-opening said mold and plunger;
• and
• separating said first and second grippers from both ends of said spherical journal.

A method for manufacturing a spherical bearing assembly comprising the steps of:

• preparing a preassembly by housing the edges on both ends of a spherical journal in the respective recessed portions of first and second grippers in such a way that the spherical surface of the spherical journal is exposed;
• arranging said preassembly in a cavity of a mold;
• filling reinforcement fiber preform between said preassembly and the inner surface of said cavity;
• mold-closing said mold and plunger so as to compress said reinforcement fiber preform in said mold;
• molding said reinforcement fiber preform into a spherical bearing having a bearing surface that is spherically paired with the spherical surface of said spherical journal by impregnating the matrix in said reinforcement fiber preform that is compressed by mold-closing of said mold and plunger;
• taking out said preassembly with the molded spherical bearing from the cavity of said mold by mold-opening of said mold and plunger;
• and
• separating said first and second grippers from both ends of said spherical journal.

A method for manufacturing a spherical bearing assembly comprising the steps of:

• preparing a preassembly by housing the edges on both ends of the a spherical journal in the respective recessed portions of first and second grippers in such a way that the spherical surface of the spherical journal is exposed;
• attaching a fiber reinforced composite composed of a plurality of reinforced fibers and a matrix impregnated in these reinforced fibers to the spherical surface of said spherical journal and the respective outer surfaces of said first and second grippers;
• mounting on the top surface of said lower mold a structure having an insert hole which can house said preassembly that has said fiber reinforced composite attached;
• mounting on the top surface of said structure an upper mold having a cavity which can house said preassembly that has said fiber reinforced composite attached and a second guide hole into which the first gripper of said preassembly is inserted;
• arranging said preassembly that has said fiber reinforced composite attached, in the lower cavity of said lower mold, through the cavity of said upper mold and an insert hole of said structure;
• heating said matrix so as to have fluidity;
• molding said fiber reinforced composite into a spherical bearing which has a bearing surface that is spherically paired with the spherical surface of said spherical journal and is inserted into the insert hole of said structure, by compressing said fiber reinforced composite on said upper mold by mold-closing of said mold and plunger;
• taking out said preassembly, said spherical bearing and said structure from the cavity of said lower mold by mold-opening of said upper mold, said lower mold and said plunger;
• and
• separating said first and second grippers from both ends of said spherical journal.

A method for manufacturing a spherical bearing assembly comprising the steps of:

• preparing a preassembly by housing the edges on both ends of a spherical journal in the respective recessed portions of first and second grippers in such a way that the spherical surface of the spherical journal is exposed;
• preparing a lower mold having a first guide hole into which the second gripper of said preassembly is inserted;
• mounting on the top surface of said lower mold a structure having an insert hole which can house said preassembly;
• mounting on the top surface of said structure an upper mold having a cavity which can house said preassembly and a second guide hole into which the first gripper of said preassembly is inserted;
• arranging said preassembly in the lower cavity of said lower mold through the cavity of said upper mold and the hole of said structure;
• filling reinforcement fiber preform between said preassembly, said cavity, said insert hole and said lower cavity;
• compressing said reinforcement fiber preform in said upper mold by mold-closing of said mold and plunger;
• and
• molding said reinforcement fiber preform into a spherical bearing having a bearing surface that is spherically paired with the spherical surface of said spherical journal by impregnating the matrix in said reinforcement fiber preform that is compressed by mold-closing of said upper mold and said plunger.