US 4,498,790 AGranted

Bushing securing apparatus

AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation

InventorJames E. Fisher

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

Adjacent cylindrical bearings disposed within a wall are prevented from rotating and moving axially by a sheet metal tablock which simultaneously engages a slot in the external surfaces of each bearing. A cap fits around each bearing, and a flange on each cap overlies the tablock. Tab ends of the tablock are folded over the flange and trap the tablock in position.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A bushing assembly comprising:

wall means having a pair of adjacent circular openings therethrough, each of said openings having an axis, said wall means having first and second oppositely facing surfaces;
first and second bushing means, each including a cylindrical bearing disposed, respectively, within one of said cylindrical openings and axially concentric therewith, said cylindrical bearings each extending beyond said first surface of said wall means, each of said bushing means including means for preventing movement of said bearings in a first axial direction from said second toward said first surface through said circular opening, said bearings each having an outer cylindrical surface with a slot therein and an inner cylindrical bearing surface, each slot being spaced immediately above said first surface of said wall means, said slot in one of said bearings being in facing relationship to said slot in said other of said bearings, each bushing means including a separate retainer cap having an external wall surface and an internal cylindrical surface surrounding and in contact with said outer cylindrical surface of its respective bearing, each cap having a bottom surface in contact with said first wall surface, each cap also including an elongated notch in its bottom surface, said notch cutting through said internal cylindrical surface of said cap defining a cutout aligned with said slot in said bearing, said notch also including a rear surface, said rear surface being in facing relationship to said rear surface of said notch in said cap of said other one of said bearings;
a sheet metal tablock disposed between said first and second bushing means, said tablock including a pair of oppositely facing edges, one of said edges being disposed in said notch and engaging said slot of said first bushing means, said other of said edges being disposed in said notch of said second bushing means and engaging said slot in said second bushing means, each of said retainer caps including flange means extending radially outwardly from said external wall surface, said flange means overlying said tablock, said tablock including a plurality of tabs folded over said flange means of each of said caps wherein said tablock is trapped in position between said first and second bushing means and prevents movement of said first and second bushing means in a second axial direction opposite said first axial direction and also prevents rotation of both bushing means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A bushing assembly comprising:

wall means having a pair of adjacent circular openings therethrough, each of said openings having an axis, said wall means having first and second oppositely facing surfaces;
first and second bushing means, each including a cylindrical bearing disposed, respectively, within one of said cylindrical openings and axially concentric therewith, said cylindrical bearings each extending beyond said first surface of said wall means, each of said bushing means including means for preventing movement of said bearings in a first axial direction from said second toward said first surface through said circular opening, said bearings each having an outer cylindrical surface with a slot therein and an inner cylindrical bearing surface, each slot being spaced immediately above said first surface of said wall means, said slot in one of said bearings being in facing relationship to said slot in said other of said bearings, each bushing means including a separate retainer cap having an external wall surface and an internal cylindrical surface surrounding and in contact with said outer cylindrical surface of its respective bearing, each cap having a bottom surface in contact with said first wall surface, each cap also including an elongated notch in its bottom surface, said notch cutting through said internal cylindrical surface of said cap defining a cutout aligned with said slot in said bearing, said notch also including a rear surface, said rear surface being in facing relationship to said rear surface of said notch in said cap of said other one of said bearings;
a sheet metal tablock disposed between said first and second bushing means, said tablock including a pair of oppositely facing edges, one of said edges being disposed in said notch and engaging said slot of said first bushing means, said other of said edges being disposed in said notch of said second bushing means and engaging said slot in said second bushing means, each of said retainer caps including flange means extending radially outwardly from said external wall surface, said flange means overlying said tablock, said tablock including a plurality of tabs folded over said flange means of each of said caps wherein said tablock is trapped in position between said first and second bushing means and prevents movement of said first and second bushing means in a second axial direction opposite said first axial direction and also prevents rotation of both bushing means.