Pinion gear depth measurement tool
AssigneeRatech
InventorJohn V. Musuraca
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A measurement tool for determining a position of a pinion gear in a differential assembly includes a mounting member configured to contact an end face of the pinion gear and an elongated arm member extending outwardly from the mounting member. The arm member has an arm portion configured to overlie one of the bearing seats of the differential assembly and an aperture formed in the arm member configured to receive a measurement gage therethrough. The measurement gage is used to measure a distance between a surface of the bearing seat and a reference surface of the arm member from which the position or “pinion depth” of pinion gear can be determined.
Claims27
A measurement tool for determining a position of a pinion gear in a differential assembly having a housing and a pair of bearing seats provided on opposite sides of the housing, comprising:
- a mounting member having a mounting surface configured to contact an end face of the pinion gear;
- an elongated arm member extending outwardly from said mounting member and having an arm portion configured to overlie one of the bearing seats when the mounting member is placed in contact with the end face of the pinion;
- and
- an aperture formed through said arm portion and configured to receive a measurement gage therethrough in contact with a surface of the one bearing seat for measuring a distance between the surface of the bearing seat and a reference surface of said arm portion from which the position of the pinion gear can be determined.
A measurement tool for determining a position of a pinion gear in a differential assembly having a housing and a pair of bearing seats provided on opposite sides of the housing, comprising:
- a generally disc-shaped mounting member having a mounting surface configured to contact an end face of the pinion gear;
- an elongated arm member extending outwardly from said mounting member and having a first arm portion extending outwardly from said mounting member, a second arm portion extending outwardly from a distal end of said first arm portion, and a third arm portion extending outwardly from a distal end of said second arm portion, said second arm portion being configured to overlie one of the bearing seats when the mounting member is placed in contact with the end face of the pinion gear;
- and
- an aperture formed through said second arm portion and configured to receive a measurement gage therethrough in contact with a surface of the one bearing seat for measuring a distance between the surface of the bearing seat and a reference surface of said arm portion from which the position of the pinion gear can be determined.
A method for determining a position of a pinion gear in a differential assembly using a measurement tool, the differential assembly having a housing and a pair of bearing seats provided on opposite sides of the housing, comprising:
- mounting the measurement tool in contact with an end face of the pinion gear with a portion of the measurement tool overlying one of the bearing seats;
- measuring a distance between a reference surface of the measurement tool and a surface of the one bearing seat with a measurement gage;
- and
- determining the position of the pinion gear from the measurement obtained during the measuring step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.