Universal joint
AssigneeSKF Kugellagerfabriken GmbH
InventorsArmin Olschewski, Zoltan Laszlofalvi, Heinrich Kunkel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A universal joint for rotatory drives such as are for example used in motor vehicle construction. To improve the life of the bearings, asymmetrical indentations are provided on the yoke arms, or the yoke arms have tangentially directed sections in which the bearing bores are disposed. As a result, the universal joint is subjected to load, and there is no deformation of the bearing bore or unacceptable cramping of the bearings.
Claims12
A universal joint comprising a spider, a drive yoke, and a driven yoke, said yokes being pivoted on said spider, each yoke having an axis of rotation, and two arms extending substantially in an axial direction, said arms having diametrically opposite bearing bores with closed cylindrical bore surfaces, the bearing bores of each yoke having an axis, the bearing bore axis of each yoke defining a separate plane with the rotation axis of the drive and driven yokes respectively, each of said yoke arms being joined to the respective yoke and being offset in a circumferential direction with respect to the respective plane formed by the axis of the respective bearing bore and the axis of rotation of the respective yoke, whereby deformation of the bores by stresses in the yoke arms is substantially eliminated.
A universal joint comprising a spider, drive and driven yokes, and drive and driven shafts respectively connected to said drive and driven yokes, said yokes being pivoted on said spider, said drive and driven shafts respectively defining axes of rotation for said drive and driven yokes, each yoke having two arms extending in the axial direction of the respective drive and driven shaft rotation axes, the arms of each yoke having diametrically opposite bearing bores with closed cylindrical bore surfaces, said opposing bores defining bearing bore axes, the axes of rotation for said drive and driven yokes and the respective bearing bore axes defining drive and driven reference planes, said drive and driven yoke arms being disposed in an offset circumferential direction relative to respective drive and driven reference planes, minimizing tensile and compressive stresses in the bearing bores, whereby deformation of said bearing bores by stresses in the yoke arms are substantially eliminated.
A universal joint comprising drive and driven yokes, a spider, and drive and driven shafts, said drive and driven shafts respectively defining axes of rotation for said drive and driven yokes, said drive and driven yokes each including two arms which extend in the axial direction of the respective drive and driven shaft rotation axes, said arms each having free ends and integral axial portions, said free ends having diametrically opposing bearing bores with closed bore surfaces for pivoted connection of the yoke arms on the spider, said drive and driven axial arm portions respectively connecting the drive and driven yokes to the drive and driven shafts, said axial arm portions of each yoke being offset from the respective free ends, minimizing tensile and compressive stresses in the bearing bores, whereby deformation of said bearing bores by stresses in the yoke arms are substantially eliminated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.