US 6,182,361 B2 · Method for assembling a camshaft

Abstract

A method for making a lightweight composite camshaft, includes the steps of providing at least one lightweight cam element having a lobed outer surface and a hub with a cylindrical bore, at least a portion of the hub not being radially occluded by the outer surface; providing at least one lightweight journal element having a cylindrical outer surface and a hub with a cylindrical bore, at least a portion of the hub not being radially occluded by said outer surface; providing a hollow cylindrical tubular shaft member having a diameter sized to form a snug sliding fit in the hubs of the cam element and the journal element; positioning the cam and journal elements on the shaft in required axial and radial orientations; and applying means, on the hub of each element and that portion of the shaft which is in registry with the hub, for establishing a permanent interlock to fix each element in its required axial and radial orientation on the shaft.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for making a lightweight composite camshaft, comprising the following steps:

providing at least one lightweight cam element having a lobed outer wall and a hub with a cylindrical bore, at least a portion of said hub not being radially occluded by said outer wall;
providing at least one lightweight journal element having a cylindrical outer wall and a hub with a cylindrical bore, at least a portion of said hub not being radially occluded by said outer wall;
providing a cylindrical shaft member having an outside diameter sized to form a snug sliding fit in the hubs of said cam element and said journal element;
positioning said cam and journal elements on said shaft in required axial and radial orientations;
and
applying, to the hub of each element and that portion of the shaft which is in registry with said hub, means for establishing a permanent interlock to fix each said element in its required axial and radial orientation on said shaft.

3 more elements

A method for making a lightweight composite camshaft, comprising the following steps:

providing at least one lightweight cam element having a lobed outer wall and a hub with a cylindrical bore and at least one axial groove, at least a portion of said hub not being radially occluded by said outer wall;
providing at least one lightweight journal element having a cylindrical outer wall and a hub with a cylindrical bore and at least one axial groove, at least a portion of said hub not being radially occluded by said outer wall;
providing a hollow cylindrical-walled shaft member having a diameter sized to form an interference fit in the hubs of said cam element and said journal element and having external axial ridges at predetermined axial and radial locations;
positioning said cam and journal elements on said shaft in required axial and radial orientations such that the axial grooves in the bores of said elements are in registry with the axial ridges on said shaft surface at the axial and radial locations of said ridges;
and
fixing said cam and journal elements in their prepositioned locations.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for assembling a camshaft

Life of this patent

Method for assembling a camshaft

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14