Axle making method and apparatus

A method for making an axle from a tubular axle blank of a unitary construction, the method comprising:

• forming a pair of end notches in the blank to provide a pair of projections;
• bending at least one of the projections away from the other projection to thereby provide webbed side walls extending between the projections;
• axially upsetting the webbed side walls to increase the wall thickness thereof;
• and forming holes in the projections for mounting ball joints used to support a wheel spindle.

A method for making an axle from a tubular axle blank of a unitary construction, the method comprising:

• forming a pair of end notches in the blank to provide a pair of projections;
• cutting off one of the projections so as to be shorter than the other projection;
• bending the longer projection away from the shorter projection to thereby provide webbed side walls extending between the projections;
• and axially upsetting the webbed side walls to increase the wall thickness thereof.

A method for making an axle from a tubular axle blank of a unitary construction, the method comprising:

• forming a pair of end notches in the blank to provide a pair of projections;
• cutting off one of the projections so as to be shorter than the other projection;
• bending the longer projection away from the shorter projection to form a support section and an end section that extends from the support section as well as forming webbed side walls that extend between the projections and are moved away from each other during the bending;
• and axially upsetting the webbed side walls to increase the wall thickness thereof.

Apparatus for making a wheel supporting axle and from an elongated tubular axle blank comprising:

• a female die including an open ended work opening for receiving a tubular axle blank having a pair of end notches forming a pair of end projections;
• the work opening including apair of projection work surfaces;
• one projection work surface having support and end section surface portions oriented in a skewed relationship with respect to each other;
• the work opening also including a pair of side wall work surfaces extending between the projection work surfaces;
• a male punch that is impacted with the axle blank within the work opening;
• the punch having a body portion and a nose projecting from the body portion;
• a pair of projection work surfaces and a pair of side wall work surfaces on the punch body portion complementary to the work surfaces of the work opening in the female die;
• the punch nose projecting forwardly from the body portion and being received within the axle blank during the impacting;
• and a pair of spaced edge work surfaces on the punch extending between the projection work surfaces thereof with the side wall work surfaces located between the nose and the edge work surfaces.

Apparatus for making a wheel supporting axle and from an elongated tubular axle blank comprising:

• a female die including an open ended work opening for receiving a tubular axle blank having a pair of end notches forming a pair of end projections;
• the work opening including a pair of projection work surfaces;
• one projection work surface having a support section oriented in a skewed relationship with respect to the other projection work surface and an end section extending parallel thereto;
• the work opening also including a pair of side wall work surfaces extending between the projection work surfaces and extending away from each other in an outwardly opening direction;
• a male punch that is impacted with the axle blank within the work opening;
• the punch having a body portion and a nose projecting from the body portion with a rectangular cross section;
• a pair of projection work surfaces and a pair of side wall work surfaces on the punch body portion complementary to the work surfaces of the work opening in the female die;
• the punch nose projecting forwardly from the body portion and being received within the axle blank during the impacting;
• and a pair of spaced edge work surfaces on the punch body portion having pointed leading ends directed toward the nose extending between the projection work surfaces thereof with the side wall work surfaces located between the nose and the edge work surfaces.

Apparatus for making a wheel supporting axle and from an elongated tubular axle blank comprising:

• a female die including an open ended work opening for receiving a tubular axle blank having a pair of end notches forming a pair of end projections;
• the work opening including a pair of projection work surfaces;
• one projection work surface having a support section oriented in a skewed relationship with respect to the other projection work surface and an end section extending parallel thereto;
• the work opening also including a pair of side wall work surfaces extending between the projection work surfaces and extending away from each other in an outwardly opening direction;
• a male punch that is impacted with the axle blank within the work opening;
• the punch having a body portion and a nose projecting from the body portion with a rectangular cross section;
• a pair of projection work surfaces and a pair of side wall work surfaces on the punch body portion complementary to the work surfaces of the work opening in the female die;
• the punch nose projecting forwardly from the body portion and being received within the axle blank during the impacting;
• and a pair of spaced edge work surfaces on the punch body portion having pointed leading ends directed toward the nose extending between the projection work surfaces thereof with the side wall work surfaces located between the nose and the edge work surfaces.

A method for making an axle from a tubular axle blank of a unitary construction comprising:

• forming a pair of end notches in the blank to provide a pair of projections;
• cutting off one of the projections so as to be shorter than the other projection;
• bending the longer projection away from the shorter projection to thereby provide webbed side walls extending between the projections;
• forming an intermediate axle portion with a rectangular section having spaced side walls and upper and lower walls connecting the side walls immediately adjacent the projections;
• and deforming side walls of the intermediate axle portion adjacent the rectangular section inwardly toward each other to form an I-beam section with a smaller combined height and width than the rectangular section.