Tie rod assembly union
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Motorparts LLC
InventorTrevor G. Seibert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The tie rod assembly union includes a tube sleeve and a tie rod shaft that extends into the tube sleeve such that the tie rod shaft and the tube sleeve overlap with one another. In the overlapping area, each of the tie rod shaft and the tube sleeve has at least one set of openings. A C-shaped clamp is disposed about the tube sleeve. The clamp has a curved inner surface which engages both tube sleeve halves. The clamp has a first set of apertures which are spaced outwardly from the curved inner surface and a second set of apertures which extend to the curved inner surface. A first fastener extends through the first set of apertures to tighten the clamp onto the tube sleeve. A second fastener extends through the second set of apertures and through aligned openings in the tie rod shaft and tube sleeve.
Claims15
A tie rod assembly union, comprising:
- a tube sleeve extending along an axis from an open first end, said tube sleeve having at least one slot which extends in an axial direction from said open first end and which separates an end portion of said tube sleeve into two tube sleeve halves on opposite sides of said at least one slot;
- a tie rod end including a tie rod shaft, said tie rod shaft extending into said open first end of said tube sleeve such that said tie rod shaft and said tube end portion of said tube sleeve overlap with one another along an overlapping area;
- in said overlapping area, said tie rod shaft having at least one set of openings and said tube sleeve having at least one set of openings;
- a generally C-shaped clamp disposed about said tube sleeve in said overlapping area, said clamp having a curved inner surface which engages both of said tube sleeve halves, said clamp having a first set of apertures which are spaced outwardly from said curved inner surface and having a second set of apertures which extend to said curved inner surface;
- a first fastener extending through said first set of apertures of said clamp and tightening said curved inner surface of said clamp onto said tube sleeve to establish a secure connection between said tube sleeve and said tie rod shaft;
- and
- a second fastener extending through said second set of apertures of said clamp and through one set of openings of said tie rod shaft and through one set of openings of said tube sleeve.
A method of making a tie rod union, comprising the steps of:
- preparing a tube sleeve which extends along an axis from an open first end, the tube sleeve having at least one slot that extends in an axial direction from the open first end, and the at least one slot separating the end portion of the tube sleeve into two tube sleeve halves on opposite sides of the at least one slot;
- inserting a tie rod shaft of a tie rod end into the open first end of the tube sleeve such that the tie rod shaft and the tube sleeve overlap with one another along an overlapping area;
- aligning a set of openings in the tie rod shaft with a set of openings in the tube sleeve;
- inserting a generally C-shaped clamp about the tube sleeve in the overlapping area, the C-shaped clamp having a curved inner surface which engages both of the tube sleeve halves, and the clamp having a first set of apertures which are spaced outwardly from the curved inner surface and having a second set of apertures which extend to the curved inner surface;
- inserting a second fastener through the second set of apertures of the clamp and through the aligned openings of the tie rod shaft and the tube sleeve;
- and
- inserting a first fastener thought the first set of apertures of the clamp and tightening curved inner surface against the tube sleeve with the first fastener to establish a secure connection between the tube sleeve and the tie rod shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.