Compacted-powder opposed twin-helical gears and method

Powder metallurgy processes – Forming articles by uniting randomly associated metal particles – Consolidation of powders

Reexamination Certificate

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C425S078000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06440357

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of compacting presses for powder materials, and in particular to such presses as are used to compact powder metal into the form of gears, helical gears, and most particularly to opposed double helical, or herringbone, gears.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Powder compacting presses have been known for many years. They typically involve at least three interacting pans: a die, an upper punch and a lower punch. Initially the top punch is separated from the die and powder is introduced into a cavity formed within the die above the lower punch. Subsequent motion of the opposed punches reduces the internal cavity volume to compress the powdered metal to desired density. The resulting green formed pan is removed from the cavity and sintered. For a part having sections of differing thickness additional movable top or bottom punches may be added to promote transfer of powder within the cavity.
The manufacture of gear teeth is more difficult when a helical gear is desired. Unlike a simple spur gear, as the die for a helical gear is closed it must also rotate relative to the punch, and then must achieve relative rotation in the opposite direction to release the compacted pan. Where the helix angle is shallow, and the thickness of the gear is modest, an externally helically threaded punch is, or opposed punches are, brought into a mating, internally helically threaded die under the pressure of longitudinally acting rams. The die and one punch or both punches are carried in bearings and the force of the ram acting against the threads causes the tool elements (i.e. die and punch or both punches) to auto-rotate. Auto-rotating helical tool elements (i.e. die and punch or both punches) are known, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,127 to Takahashi et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,744 to Take.
When the helix angle or the thickness of the gear increases, the frictional resistance in such dies may become large. To overcome this friction it is known to use motors to apply a torque to the tool elements, or to cause rotation of the tool elements at an appropriate speed, given the helix angle, as longitudinal rams force the tool elements together. It is also known that if one wishes to make parts having keyways or eccentric bores or internal splines there must be no relative rotation of the punch or core feature relative to the compacted powder, since such motion would shear off the keyway or bore.
Powder metal gears with offset, phased or undercut upper and lower portions have been produced. In these cases the finished pans can comprise at least two gear profiles formed in opposing dies which separate on a parting plane. In the case of helical gears it would be advantageous to be able to produce a gear having a helical profile to one side of the parting plane of the dies, and a different profile to the other side, whether an opposed helix, a helix of different pitch of the same hand, or out of phase helix, or a spur gear, whether of the same diameter or tooth height or not. A typical application of this kind of technology relates to the production of symmetrical opposed helical gears, most often referred to as herringbone gears.
It is advantageous to make herringbone gears from compacted and sintered powder metal since it is difficult and expensive to machine herringbone gears in the conventional manner. Conventional powder metallurgy may instead require back to back placement and juncture of two opposite-handed helical gears. This limits the sire and delicacy of the metal herringbone gears that can be manufactured, and also their quality. If welded together such gears may not be true. If mechanically fastened such gears may be unnecessarily bulky.
To date the inventor is unaware of any powder metal presses for producing double opposed helical, or herringbone, gears. U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,127 to Takahashi et al. shows, at
FIGS. 11 and 12
, a powder metal compact and tooling for opposite handed helical threads. This apparatus cannot be used to produce herringbone gears, or even opposite handed gears in which the diameter of the gears is close, since, as noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,744 to Take, the outer lower punch wall becomes too thin. Experience suggests that the minimum die wall thickness required to make a reliable tool is about 2 mm., which with allowance for the dedendum of the larger gear and the addendum of the smaller gear, would limit the parts which can be produced. The Takahashi device also relies on auto-rotation to move the upper punch, die, and lower outer punch all at once. Take can be used to make two helical gears of the same hand, but once again cannot make herringbone gears and is limited to producing helical gears that vary in diameter by at least the height of the teeth to be produced.
Thus there is a need for a device and method for compacting powder to form opposed twin helical gears that avoids thin walled punches. Further, there is a need for a device and method capable of compacting powder not only to form herringbone gears, but also to form opposed handed helical gears of even very small differences in diameter.
More generally, there is a need for a powder metal tool set that may be used to produce two-part helical gears, whether those two pans are of the same diameter or not.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention concerns a multiply-acting powder compacting press and methods for operating that press to produce two pan gears of a variety of types, in particular for producing powder metal symmetrically opposed helical, or herringbone, gears and two pan helical gears whose diameters are substantially the same.
A powder metal multiply-acting press for the purposes of the present invention has a tool set having a core rod, an inner lower, or transfer, punch; an outer lower punch; a lower die; an upper die; and an upper punch. The upper portion (for example Sheet 2 of 2) may comprise an upper outer punch and an upper inner, or pre-lift, punch to aid lateral transfer of powder.
Depending upon the type of gear to be produced the present invention pertains to tool sets in which either two or three elements rotate during the compaction and withdrawal steps of pressing a green powder metal compact.
In a first aspect of the invention there is a tool set for making double helical gear compacts, that tool set comprising a lower punch having a first helical gear profile and a lower die having a mating negative helical profile for helically sliding engagement with the lower punch; an upper, opposed punch having a second helical profile, an upper die having a mating negative helical profile for helically sliding engagement with that upper, opposed punch; that upper punch disposed in opposition to said lower punch; and those lower and upper dies movable to abut at a parting plane.
In a another aspect of the invention the press includes a tool set for making opposed, double helical gear compacts, the tool set comprising a first punch having a Dust helical gear profile; a Dust die having a negative helical profile for mating with the Dust punch; a second, opposed punch having a second, opposite handed, helical profile; a second die having a negative helical profile for mating with the second, opposed punch. The tool set is movable to a filling position for receiving a charge of powder metal; a transfer position; a compaction position; and a withdrawal position; a) in the transfer position the dies are disposed in longitudinally abutting, unrotated relationship; the punches are in a first, retracted, opposed, spaced apart relationship; whereby a cavity for containing the powder metal charge is defined longitudinally by the opposed faces of the punches and peripherally by the dies; b) in a compaction position the punches are in a second, advanced, opposed, spaced apart relationship; the dies remain in abutting relationship; and the dies are moved to a partially rotated position whereby the cavity is reduced in size to compact the powder; c) in a withdrawal position the punches remain in an advanced, opposed, spaced apart relationship; and

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