US 4,559,249 A · Sliding member and a method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A sliding member is provided which comprises a base body made of a firmly entangled and collapsed metal fine wire, with the voids formed between the metal fine wires constituting the metal mesh being filled compactly with a heat resistant material, the sliding surface of the base body being formed into a smooth surface with either a lubricant that fills a number of small holes formed in the heat resistant material as well as covering the surface thereof or the lubricant and the metal fine wires being exposed. A manufacturing method of the same is also disclosed which basically comprises the steps of preparing a metal mesh as a reinforcing material, preparing a sheet-like heat resistant material with a plurality of small holes being formed through the thickness, applying a lubricant on the sheet-like heat resistant material in a given thickness so as to simultaneously fill the small holes, putting the sheet-like heat resistant material on the metal mesh to provide a laminate in which the lubricant is directed towards the sliding surface to be formed, convoluting the laminate about a cylindrical mandrel so as to represent a cylindrical preform and putting the preform in a metal die to axially compress it to provide the final product.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A sliding member comprising a base body made of a firmly entangled and collapsed woven or knitted metal mesh formed of metal fine wires which are provided with voids formed between said metal fine wires, said voids being compactly filled with a heat resistant material, the sliding surface on the outer periphery of said base body being formed into a smooth surface with either a lubricant that fills a number of small holes formed in said heat resistant material as well as covering the surface thereof or with said lubricant and said metal fine wires being exposed on the outer periphery of said base body.

A method for manufacturing a sliding member comprising the steps of:

(a) preparing a metal mesh as a reinforcing material in a band-like or cylindrical sleeve form by weaving or knitting metal fine wires;
(b) preparing a sheet-like heat resistant material having a definite thickness and formed with a number of small holes in the thickness thereof at given intervals;
(c) applying on one of the surfaces of said sheet-like heat resistant material a lubricant in a given thickness and simultaneously filling said small holes of the same;
(d) positioning said sheet-like heat resistant material applied with said lubricant on said metal mesh so as to result in a band-like laminate;
(e) forming either a rectangular preform by laying said laminate on a pile of other similarly prepared band-like laminates so that said lubricant is directed towards the sliding surface, said other laminates each comprising another metal mesh with heat resistant material applied thereon, or a cylindrical preform by convoluting said band-like laminate itself around a suitable cylindrical material;
(f) introducing said rectangular or cylindrical preform into a metal die, the cavity of which corresponds to the shape and dimension of a final product;
and
(g) applying pressure to said preform in the direction of said lamination or the axis of said convolution to compress and shape said preform into the final product.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sliding member and a method for manufacturing the same

Life of this patent

Sliding member and a method for manufacturing the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13