Rocker arm assembly
AssigneeThe Torrington Company
InventorsRichard F. Murphy, John A. DiLauro, Matthew G. Urmaza
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing support member has two support arms extending in opposite directions along an axis and is adapted for mounting about a stud means. A bearing cup is fixed to the rocker arm, extending over each support arm. Rolling members are provided within an annulus formed between the support member and the bearing cups such that the rocker arm is free to oscillate rotatably with respect to the bearing support member. The bearing cups have a bottom surface forming an interference fit, axially, with an end surface of the bearing support member such that a preload is applied to the bearing support arm to reduce and control axial play. A protrusion and cutouts facilitating the preload and a method of assembly are also disclosed.
Claims22
A rocker arm assembly for mounting about a stud means, the rocker arm assembly comprising:
- a rocker arm;
- a bearing support member having two support arms extending in opposite directions along an axis, the bearing support member being adapted for mounting about the stud means;
- two bearing cups fixed to the rocker arm, one bearing cup extending over each support arm, the bearing cups having a bottom surface forming an interference fit such that a preload results along said axis from deformation of at least one of said bearing cups;
- and
- rolling members within an annulus formed between the bearing support member and the bearing cups such that the rocker arm is free to oscillate rotatably with respect to the bearing support member.
A bearing assembly for mounting within a rocker arm, the bearing assembly comprising:
- a bearing support member having two support arms extending in opposite directions along an axis, the bearing support member being adapted for mounting about the stud means;
- two bearing cups adapted for fixing to the rocker arm, one bearing cup extending over each support arm, the bearing cups having a bottom surface forming an interference fit such that preload along said axis results from deformation of the bearing cups;
- and
- rolling members within an annulus formed between the bearing support member and the bearing cups such that the rocker arm is free to oscillate rotatably with respect to the bearing support members.
A method of assembling a rocker arm assembly comprising the steps of:
- providing a bearing support member having two support arms extending in opposite directions along an axis, the bearing support member being adapted for mounting about a stud means;
- positioning the bearing support member within an aperture of a rocker arm with a bearing cup over each support arm of the bearing support member and rolling members within an annulus between the bearing cup and the respective support arm;
- and
- pressing at least one bearing cup axially inward, with respect to the axis of the bearing support member, until a bottom surface of the bearing cup is resiliently deflected and a preload is applied to the bearing support member by the bearing cup.
A method of assembling a rocker arm assembly comprising the steps of:
- providing a bearing support member having two support arms extending in opposite directions along an axis, the bearing support member being adapted for mounting about a stud means and including a bearing sleeve mounted over each support arm;
- positioning the bearing support member within an aperture of a rocker arm with a bearing cup over each support arm of the bearing support member and rolling members within an annulus between the bearing cup and the respective bearing sleeve;
- and
- pressing at least one bearing cup axially inward, with respect to the axis of the bearing support member, until the bearing sleeve engages a bottom surface of the bearing cup such that the bearing sleeve is distorted and a preload is applied to the bearing support member by the bearing sleeve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.