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US 5,799,398 AGranted
Method for precision gear finishing by controlled deformation
AssigneeThe Penn State Research Foundation
InventorsMaurice F. Amateau, Nagesh Sonti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method are provided for the thermomechanical net shape finishing of precision gear tooth surfaces by controlled deformation into metastable austenitic condition. To this end, an arrangement of a fixed axis through-feed motion of workpiece and moving axes in-feed motion of two opposed rolling dies are utilized. By means of process control methods and architecture for accomplishing precision mechanical motions, thermal and environmental control and timely and automatic transfer of workpiece, high strength and high accuracy gear tooth contact surfaces are produced.
Claims25
A method of net shaping gear teeth of a high performance gear comprising the steps of:
- (a) in a controlled metastable austenitic environment, rotating respectively on first and second generally parallel spaced axes, first and second rolling gear dies, each having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces;
- (b) rotatably supporting on a third axis generally parallel to the first and second axes within the controlled metastable austenitic environment a workpiece in the form of a near net shaped gear blank having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces;
- (c) advancing the workpiece along the third axis in a through-feed direction such that the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece slidably engages the first and second rolling gear dies and continues to advance until the workpiece is positioned substantially coextensive with the first and second rolling gear dies in the through-feed direction;
- and
- (d) simultaneously with step (c), after the workpiece and the first and second rolling gear dies are substantially enmeshed, advancing the first and second rolling gear dies, within a common plane generally containing the first, second, and third axes, in respectively opposite in-feed directions substantially perpendicular to the third axis until the outer peripheral surfaces, respectively, of the first and second rolling gear dies engage the workpiece at diametrically opposed locations and at near net shaped center distances establishing initial center distances between the first and third axes and between the second and third axes, respectively, when the workpiece and the rolling gear dies are initially engaged;
- and
- (e) continuing to advance the first and second rolling gear dies in the in-feed direction each by an additional increment of center distance thereby deforming the profile surfaces of each gear tooth resulting in final net shape of the gear teeth.
4 more elements
A method of net shaping gear teeth of a high performance gear comprising the steps of:
- (a) in a controlled metastable austenitic environment, rotatably supporting on a die axis a rolling gear die having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces;
- (b) rotatably supporting on a workpiece axis generally parallel to the die axis within the controlled metastable austenitic environment a workpiece in the form of a near net shaped gear blank having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces such that the outer peripheral profiled surface of the workpiece is capable of meshing engagement with the outer peripheral profiled surface of the rolling gear die;
- and
- including at least one of the steps of:
- (c) selectively adjusting the rolling gear die along the die axis to assume a desired orientation relative to the workpiece;
- (d) selectively adjusting the rolling die within a common plane containing the die and workpiece axes to assume a desired orientation relative to the workpiece;
- and
- (e) selectively adjusting the rolling gear die out of the common plane to assume a desired orientation relative to the workpiece.
5 more elements
A method of net shaping gear teeth of a high performance gear comprising the steps of:
- (a) in a controlled metastable austenitic environment, rotating respectively on first and second generally parallel spaced axes, first and second rolling gear dies, each having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces;
- (b) rotatably supporting on a third axis generally parallel to the first and second axes within the controlled metastable austenitic environment a workpiece in the form of a near net shaped gear blank having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces;
- (c) positioning the workpiece along the third axis such that the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece meshingly engages the first and second rolling gear dies and is positioned substantially coextensive with the first and second rolling gear dies in the through-feed direction;
- and
- (d) after the workpiece and the first and second rolling gear dies are substantially enmeshed, advancing the first and second rolling gear dies, within a common plane generally containing the first, second, and third axes, in respectively opposite in-feed directions substantially perpendicular to the third axis until the outer peripheral surfaces, respectively, of the first and second rolling gear dies engage the workpiece at diametrically opposed locations and at near net shaped center distances establishing initial center distances between the first and third axes and between the second and third axes, respectively, when the workpiece and the rolling gear dies are initially engaged;
- and
- (e) continuing to advance the first and second rolling gear dies in the in-feed direction each by an additional increment of center distance thereby deforming the profile surfaces of each gear tooth resulting in final net shape of the gear teeth.
4 more elements
A method of net shaping gear teeth of a high performance gear comprising the steps of:
- (a) in a controlled metastable austenitic environment, rotatably supporting on first and second axes, respectively, first and second rolling gear dies, each having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces;
- (b) rotatably supporting on a third axis generally parallel to the first and second die axes within the controlled metastable austenitic environment a workpiece in the form of a near net shaped gear blank having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces such that the outer peripheral profiled surface of the workpiece is capable of meshing engagement with the outer peripheral profiled surfaces of the first and second rolling gear dies;
- and
- including at least one of the steps of:
- (c) selectively adjusting the first and second rolling gear dies along the first and second die axes, respectively, to assume a desired orientation relative to the workpiece;
- (d) selectively adjusting the first and second rolling dies within a common plane containing the first, second, and third axes to assume desired orientations, respectively, relative to the workpiece;
- and
- (e) selectively adjusting said first and second rolling gear dies, respectively, out of the common plane to assume desired orientations relative to the workpiece.
5 more elements
A method of net shaping gear teeth of a high performance gear comprising the steps of:
- (a) in a controlled metastable austenitic environment, rotating respectively on first and second generally parallel spaced axes, first and second rolling gear dies, each having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces;
- (b) rotatably supporting on a third axis generally parallel to the first and second axes within the controlled metastable austenitic environment a workpiece in the form of a near net shaped gear blank having an outer peripheral profiled surface extending between spaced lateral surfaces;
- (c) advancing the workpiece along the third axis in a through-feed direction such that the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece slidably engages the first and second rolling gear dies and continues to advance until the workpiece is positioned substantially coextensive with the first and second rolling gear dies in the through-feed direction;
- and
- (d) while holding fixed the relative spacing between the first and second axes, simultaneously with step (c), after the workpiece and the first and second rolling gear dies are substantially enmeshed, advancing the second rolling gear die, within a common plane generally containing the first, second, and third axes, in an in-feed direction substantially perpendicular to the third axis until the outer peripheral surfaces, respectively, of the first and second rolling gear dies engage the workpiece at diametrically opposed locations and at near net shaped center distances establishing initial center distances between the first and third axes and between the second and third axes, respectively, when the workpiece and the rolling gear dies are initially engaged;
- and
- (e) continuing to advance the second rolling gear die in the in-feed direction by an additional increment of center distance thereby deforming the profile surfaces of each gear tooth resulting in final net shape of the gear teeth.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.