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US 4,458,555 AGranted
Composite connecting rod and process
AssigneeStandard Oil Company (Indiana)
InventorsMatthew W. Holtzberg, Billy W. Cole
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lightweight composite connecting rod is provided to decrease fuel consumption, attenuate noise, and permit increased speed of operation.
Claims24
A composite engine part, comprising:
- a laminated amide-imide resinous polymeric connecting rod comprising a plurality of plies, each ply having an amide-imide resinous polymeric matrix with a fabric layer comprising a fibrous reinforcing material selected from the group consisting essentially of graphite and glass, said laminated amide-imide connecting rod having a split crankshaft-receiving end, a wrist pin-receiving end and an elongated intermediate connecting member extending between and connecting said crankshaft-receiving end and said wrist pin-receiving end, said split crankshaft-receiving end having a detachable portion and an attached portion integrally connected to said intermediate member, said detachable portion and said attached portion cooperating with each other to define a crankshaft hole for pivotally receiving a crankshaft and longitudinally aligned bolt holes, said wrist pin-receiving portion defining a wrist pin hole for pivotally receiving a wrist pin, and said laminated amide-imide connecting rod maintaining its structural integrity at engine operating conditions;
- and
- fastening means comprising bolts insertable in said bolt holes for securing said detachable portion to said attached portion about a crankshaft.
A process for forming a composite laminated connecting rod for use in an engine, comprising the steps of:
- forming a stack having a plurality of plies including
- forming each ply by coating a fabric comprising graphite fibers with an amide-imide resinous polymer, drying each ply, and stacking said dried plies in a preform fixture;
- applying pressure to said stack of plies by placing a weight upon said stack of plies;
- staging said pressured stack of plies by heating said pressured stack of plies in an oven to consolidate said stack of plies and form an amide-imide blank;
- removing said weight;
- laminating said amide-imide blank by consolidating said amide-imide blank in a platen press and heating said amide-imide blank in said platen press;
- cooling said laminated amide-imide in said platen press to below its plastic deformation temperature;
- removing said cooled laminated amide-imide blank from said press;
- post curing said cooled laminated amide-imide blank by solid state polymerization to increase the strength and integrity of said laminated amide-imide blank;
- cutting the outside profile of a connecting rod in said post cured laminated amide-imide blank;
- drilling a wrist pin hole, a crankshaft hole and bolt holes in said post cured laminated amide-imide blank;
- splitting said post cured laminated amide-imide blank by substantially bisecting said crankshaft hole to form a generally U-shaped detachable portion and an inverted generally U-shaped attached portion;
- and
- bolting said detachable portion to said attached portion of said laminated amide-imide blank to form said composite connecting rod.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.