Rotary shafts – gudgeons – housings – and flexible couplings for ro – Coupling accommodates drive between members having... – Coupling transmits torque via radially directed pin
Patent
1990-06-20
1992-04-21
Stodola, Daniel P.
Rotary shafts, gudgeons, housings, and flexible couplings for ro
Coupling accommodates drive between members having...
Coupling transmits torque via radially directed pin
384126, 384425, F16D 3205, F16D 341, F16C 2100
Patent
active
051063425
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates generally to Hookes universal joints. A Hookes universal joint, for torque transmission between two shafts or other rotary elements which are required to articulate relative to one another, comprises two yoke members connected respectively to the rotary elements, joined by a cross member having journals supported in the yoke members. In the type of Hookes joint with which the present invention is concerned each journal is supported in a bearing cup held by a yoke part, with needle roller bearings disposed between the circumferential surface of the journal and the circumferential (side) wall of the bearing cup. Such a Hookes joint will hereafter be referred to as a Hookes joint of the type specified.
In such joints, it is usual to provide each bearing cup with a thrust washer disposed between the base wall of the bearing cup and the end surface of the journal received therein. Such a thrust washer is necessary to accommodate forces and prevent any free play from arising along the axis of the journal, i.e. transversely of the joint as a whole. It is usual also for the thrust washer to have a peripheral portion which abuts the ends of the needle roller bearings rather than the end surface of the journal, so that the needle roller bearings occupy a predetermined position in the bearing cup, in the direction axially of the journal. In particular, since the end of the journal usually is formed with a frusto-conical bevelling between its circumferential surface and end surface, the peripheral portion of the thrust washer ensures that the needle roller bearings do not run against such bevelling in use.
Therefore a typical form for the thrust washer has been that of a disc of suitable plastics material, with a central portion and a peripheral portion, of greater thickness than the central portion, in the form of a raised circumferential lip or flange for engaging the ends of the needle roller bearings. However, such a thrust washer has to be carefully inserted into the bearing cup during assembly of the joint, to ensure that its lip or flange extends in the correct direction to engage the needle roller bearings. To ensure such correct assembly of thrust washers requires appreciable care to be taken if the assembly is being performed manually, or introduces additional complexity if the assembly is being carried out by automatic machinery.
Accordingly it is the object of the present invention to provide a thrust washer which reduces the above described disadvantages of hitherto conventional thrust washers, by being capable of carrying out the above described functions whichever way it is placed in the bearing cup.
According to the invention, we provide a thrust washer having opposed faces for a bearing assembly of a Hookes universal joint of the type specified, comprising a central portion having opposed faces for engagement with the end surface of the journal and a peripheral portion having opposed faces for engagement with ends of the needle roller bearings, wherein the peripheral portion of the thrust washer is of different thickness from the central portion thereof, and is connected to the central portion by means permitting the two portions to be displaced axially of the bearing assembly relative to one another.
When a thrust washer according to the invention is in position in a bearing assembly, the freedom of the central and peripheral portions of the thrust washer to move axially relative to one another enables them to assume positions such that both portions of the thrust washer can lie against the base wall of the bearing cup. Then the peripheral portion, if it is thicker than the central portion, extends sufficiently far from the bottom wall to prevent the needle roller bearings from engaging the bevelled part at the end of the journal, whilst the central portion of the thrust washer is engaged by the end surface of the journal in the usual way.
By analogy with the previous known typical form of thrust washer above described, the peripheral portion of the washer according to the inve
REFERENCES:
patent: 3950834 (1976-04-01), Pitner
patent: 4130325 (1978-12-01), Schultenkamper
patent: 4512672 (1984-04-01), Olschewski et al.
patent: 4611932 (1986-09-01), Olschewski et al.
patent: 4637740 (1987-01-01), Olschewski et al.
Battista, Jr. William G.
GKN Cardantec International Gesellschaft fur Antriestechnik mbH
Stodola Daniel P.
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