Steering gear for motor vehicles
AssigneeZahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen AG
InventorErich Jablonsky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Means for adjusting automatically for backlash caused by wear between the teeth of a steering nut gear rack on a steering shaft worm and the teeth of a steering mechanism gear sector which engages the rack teeth. The invention utilizes a resiliently biased, e.g., spring pressed pin carried either by the steering nut member or the gear sector member and pressing against a tooth of the other to maintain a constant torque bias of the steering nut maintaining it to a rotated position on the steering shaft. Thus, the teeth of the two members will always effect engagement with no backlash when such members are positioned with respect to each other for straight-ahead steering. When steering is initiated the response is immediate and there is no play due to looseness between steering nut rack and gear sector teeth.
Claims9
The combination in a steering mechanism of a worm gear steering nut member having a gear rack, and a gear section member engaged therewith including a steering shaft carrying said steering nut member and on which the said steering nut member has relative rotation;
- resilient bias means carried intermediate said steering nut member and said gear sector member to adjust for backlash disposed to exert a torque force on said steering nut member effecting said relative rotation whereby the teeth of said steering nut rack and said gear sector member are maintained in flank engagement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.