Patent ID: 6421917
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: B21D,F16C,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of making a needle roller cage for cylindrical rolling elements, for a mounting of an idler pinion in a toothed gear variable transmission, side rings of the cage being connected to each other by crossbars forming pockets, the crossbars being profiled so that the rolling elements are retained individually on both sides of a pitch circle by retaining edges extending parallel to axes of the rolling elements, the method comprising forming a sheet metal strip with a desired profiled cross-section by shaping without chip removal, forming the crossbars in a central region of the sheet metal strip by punching before the strip is bent round and, optionally, connecting its abutting ends to each other, characterized in that, after the punching out of the pockets, parallel opposing guide surfaces for the rolling elements are formed within the pitch circle between the retaining edges of the pockets by an additional shaping by material displacement, and the retaining edges on both sides of the pitch circle are dimensioned so that the distance between them in peripheral direction is only slightly smaller than the diameter of the rolling elements.