Compound camshaft and method of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a compound camshaft, comprising the steps of:

• casting a predetermined number of elements;
• said step of casting said predetermined number of elements entailing the step of providing each one of said predetermined number of cast elements with an opening and a substantially truncated conical internal contour having a predetermined axial length and which bounds at least part of said opening along said predetermined axial length;
• pre-fabricating a camshaft body;
• placing said predetermined number of cast elements in related predetermined positions on said pre-fabricated camshaft body such that said substantially truncated conical internal contour of said predetermined number of cast elements and said camshaft body define therebetween respective substantially conical intervening spaces producing a capillary action for a bonding agent;
• placing a bonding agent at one end region of said substantially conical intervening space of each of said predetermined number of cast elements for fixedly connecting said predetermined number of cast elements with said camshaft body;
• and
• fixedly connecting said predetermined number of cast elements with said pre-fabricated camshaft body in said related predetermined positions of said predetermined number of cast elements on said pre-fabricated camshaft body by means of the bonding agent, by causing said bonding agent placed at said one end region of said substantially conical intervening space of each of said predetermined number of cast elements to flow, under the effect of said capillary action in said substantially conical intervening spaces, from said one end region thereof to an opposite end region thereof.

A compound camshaft comprising:

• a camshaft body;
• a predetermined number of cast elements fixedly connected to said camshaft body at related predetermined positions;
• each one of said predetermined number of cast elements possessing an opening and an internal contour having a predetermined axial length;
• said internal contour bounding said opening in each one of said predetermined number of cast elements and being configured at least along a part of said predetermined axial length in accordance with the type of connection made between said camshaft body and said cast element;
• said internal contour of each one of said cast elements being situated in sufficiently close proximity to said camshaft body so as to define between each cast element and the camshaft body an intervening space providing a capillary action for a bonding agent for fixedly connecting said predetermined number of cast elements with said camshaft body;
• each internal contour of each one of said predetermined number of cast elements possessing over at least a predominant portion of said internal contour a mechanically untreated condition;
• and
• each one of said predetermined number of cast elements being fixedly connected by the bonding agent under the effect of the capillary action, prevailing in each of said intervening spaces from one region thereof towards an opposite end region thereof and between said internal contour of each one of said predetermined number of cast elements and said camshaft, with said camshaft body by means of a bonding agent fixedly bonding said cast elements to said camshaft body.

A compound camshaft comprising:

• a camshaft body;
• a predetermined number of cast elements fixedly connected to said camshaft body at related predetermined positions;
• each one of said predetermined number of cast elements possessing an opening and an internal contour having a predetermined axial length and possessing a substantially truncated conical configuration;
• each one of said predetermined number of cast elements defining a substantially truncated conical intervening space between each said cast element and the camshaft body through which there can flow by capillary action from one end region to an opposite end region of each substantially truncated conical intervening space a bonding agent for interconnecting said predetermined number of cast elements with said camshaft body;
• each one of said predetermined number of cast elements being fixedly connected at its related predetermined position with said camshaft body by means of the bonding agent fixedly bonding each said cast element to said camshaft body over at least a substantial portion of said predetermined axial length of said internal contour possessing said substantially truncated conical configuration due to the capillary action which is effective in a liquid state of said bonding agent during the process of fixedly bonding each said cast element to said camshaft body.