US 4,453,395 A · Shell of a universal-joint and a manufacturing method therefor

Abstract

A shell for a universal joint for flexibly coupling two rotary shafts. The shell is constructed using a manufacturing technique to produce a shell of light weight and excellent strength. The shell generally has a hollow cylindrical configuration and is secured at one end to a rotary shaft and formed to have a plurality of grooves extending parallel to its cylindrical axis. A second rotary shaft includes portions which engage the plurality of grooves for transmitting movement from one shaft to the other through the shell. The shell may be formed using a tubular work piece or a planar work piece, and may be provided in substantially complete form by use of a machine press prior to subjecting the material to an ironing process to make the grooves of accurate shape and dimension. The process is performed such that no machining is required to form the grooves and produce the shell.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a flanged shell of hollow cylindrical shape for a universal joint comprising:

selecting a tubular blank having internal and external surfaces and an axis extending between first and second ends thereof;
working said tubular blank to form an intermediate article configuration having a plurality of protrusions extending axially of the blank and spaced circumferentially about the blank, said article being formed to have a flange at said first end extending radially outward from the axis of said blank and said protrusions being formed to slope inwardly toward said axis along the length of said blank from said first end to said second end, said protrusions defining a corresponding plurality of grooves on the internal surface of said tubular blank;
subjecting said intermediate article to an ironing process applied to the external surface of the article to compress the sloped protrusions to form a plurality of protrusions which extend generally parallel to said axis and define an equal number of said grooves parallel to said axis.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Shell of a universal-joint and a manufacturing method therefor

Life of this patent

Shell of a universal-joint and a manufacturing method therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13