Method of manufacturing universal joint housing
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsMack D. Welch, William B. Speer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A housing for a tri-pot universal joint is manufactured from a tube blank which is cold formed in a two-step indenting process. The indenting process forms the middle of the tube into a tri-lobal section for broaching internal drive tracks while leaving the end portions sufficiently intact to provide circular bands at each end by subsequent machining operations. A closure is attached to the band at one end and the band at the other end is used to mount a conventional boot. A machine having a cam die arrangement suitable for indenting the tube blank is also disclosed.
Claims4
A method of manufacturing a housing for a tri-pot universal joint comprising the steps of:
- providing a predetermined length of thick walled tube,
- forming the middle of the thick walled tube so as to produce a tri-lobal middle section and irregular end portions which remain sufficiently intact to machine a circular band at each end of the tube,
- machining one end portion of the formed tube to provide a circular band at one end of the formed tube,
- broaching the lobes of the tri-lobal section in the middle of the formed tube to provide three internal, curved drive tracks which are shaped to radially capture curved drive rollers, and
- machining an opposite end portion of the formed tube to provide a circular band at the opposite end of the formed tube.
A method of manufacturing a housing for a tri-pot universal joint comprising the steps of:
- providing a predetermined length of thick walled tube,
- cold forming the middle of the thick walled tube into a tri-lobal section by an indenting operation which produces irregular end portions which remain sufficiently intact to provide a circular band at each end by machining operations,
- machining one end portion of the cold formed tube to provide a circular band at one end of the cold formed tube,
- broaching the lobes of the tri-lobal section in the middle of the cold formed tube to provide three internal drive tracks having centerlines and curved side walls which extend radially inwardly of the centerlines, and
- machining an opposite end portion of the cold formed tube to provide a circular band at the opposite end of the formed tube.
A method of manufacturing a housing for a tri-pot universal joint comprising the steps of:
- providing a predetermined length of thick walled tube,
- cold forming three circumferentially spaced indented portions in the middle of the tube to provide a tri-lobal middle section and irregular end portions which remain sufficiently intact to provide a circular band at each end by machining operations,
- said tube being cold formed so as to include three circumferentially spaced straight lands which are midway between the indented portions and which extend to one end of the cold formed tube and provide three flat coplanar surfaces on an end face of the cold formed tube,
- machining an opposite end portion of the cold formed tube to provide a flat annular end face and a circular band at the opposite end of the cold formed tube,
- broaching the lobes of the tri-lobal section in the middle of the cold formed tube to provide three internal drive tracks having centerlines and curved side walls which extend radially inwardly of the centerlines, and
- machining the one end portion of the cold formed tube to provide a circular band at the one end of the formed tube.
A method of manufacturing a housing for a tri-pot universal joint comprising the steps of:
- providing a predetermined length of thick walled tube,
- cold forming three circumferentially spaced indented portions in the middle of the thick walled tube and then continuing cold forming the indented portions while simultaneously pushing the tube inwardly along its entire length at three circumferentially spaced lands which pass between the indented portions to provide a tri-lobal middle section and irregular end portions which have sufficient material for machining a circular band at each end of the cold formed tube,
- said tube being formed so that the three circumferentially spaced lands remain straight and provide three spaced flat coplanar surfaces on each end face of the cold formed tube,
- machining one end portion of the cold formed tube to provide a flat annular end face and a circular band at the one end of the cold formed tube,
- broaching the lobes of the tri-lobal section in the middle of the cold formed tube to provide three internal drive tracks having centerlines and curved side walls which extend radially inwardly of the centerlines, and
- machining an opposite end portion of the cold formed tube to provide a flat annular end face and a circular band at the opposite end of the formed tube, one of said circular bands being machined in the form of an axial circular lip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.