Patent ID: 6779270
Filing Date: 2004-08-24
Classification: B21H,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of producing a full form net shape roll finished contacting machine element from a near net shape workpiece of wrought or forged steel having an initial outer peripheral contoured surface and including a plurality of teeth, each having a tooth flank with a nominally involute surface and a root/fillet region with a trochoidal surface, the method comprising the steps of:rotatably supporting on a first axis a rolling die having an outer peripheral contoured surface extending between generally parallel spaced lateral surfaces transverse to the first axis, the rolling die including a plurality of teeth, each including a tooth flank with opposed involute surfaces and a tooth tip surface; rotatably supporting the workpiece on a second axis distant from and parallel to the first axis; advancing the rolling die in an in-feed direction generally perpendicular to the first and second axes such that the rolling die meshingly engages with the workpiece, rotating the rolling die about the first axis while engaged with the workpiece; while performing step (d), maintaining continuous conjugacy between the rolling die and the workpiece with the involute surface of each tooth of the rolling die engaging the involute surface of a mating tooth of the workpiece and the tooth tip of the rolling die engaging the trochoidal root/fillet surface between adjacent mating teeth of the workpiece to effect material flow along the outer peripheral contoured surface; continuing to advance the rolling die in the in-feed direction thereby deforming the surface of each tooth flank and of a corresponding root/fillet region until a final net shape of each tooth and root/fillet region is achieved, and continuing to perform all of the preceding steps with the rolling die and workpiece meshingly engaged, thereby deforming the involute and trochoidal root/fillet surfaces of all of the teeth of the workpiece resulting in a final net shaped machine element.