Tie rod mounting/detaching device

A device for mounting/detaching a tie rod of a vehicle steering arrangement includes an outer tube having a first end with a threaded outer periphery and a second end, an inner tube rotatably received in the outer tube and having a first end partially received in the first end of the outer tube and a second end extending beyond the second end of the outer tube, and an operative member securely attached to the second end of the inner tube for rotating the latter. A chuck is received in the first end of the inner tube for releasably holding an end of a tie rod. A sleeve is mounted around the first end of the outer tube and includes an actuating member in one end thereof for effecting opening and closing of the chuck and an inner periphery having a threaded section which engages with the threaded first end of the outer tube, such that when the outer tube rotates, the sleeve moves on the threaded first end of the outer tube along an axial direction of the outer tube to move the chuck between an opened status and a closed status.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a device for mounting/detaching tie rods 
of a vehicle steering arrangement. 
2. Description of Related Art 
In modern vehicles, in addition to the steering arrangement, there is a 
variety of devices mounted under the engine hood, such as engine, fuel 
injection system, battery, water tank, fan, air conditioning arrangement, 
etc., which renders a difficulty to the maintenance of the steering 
arrangement, especially in the tie rods thereof. In conventional 
automobile designs, in each of two fenders which define a space for 
accommodating the above-mentioned devices, a slit is formed where the tie 
rod extends, such slit is sufficiently large for the hands of the 
maintenance worker to pass therethrough so as to mount or detach the tie 
rod by wrenches. Nowadays, the maintenance worker can only gain access to 
the tie rods via a relatively narrow passage under the engine hood since 
said slit in modern automobile designs becomes so narrow that the hands 
are not passable therethrough, incurring more difficulty to the 
maintenance of the tie rods. The present invention provides a device which 
may permit access to the tie rods via said narrow slit to provide 
convenient maintenance therefor. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a device for mounting/detaching a tie rod of 
a vehicle steering arrangement, the device comprising an outer tube and 
inner tube. The outer tube has first end with a threaded outer periphery 
and a second end. The inner tube is rotatably received in the outer tube 
and has a first end partially received in the first end of the outer tube 
and a second end extending beyond the second end of the outer tube. A 
chuck is movably received in the first end of the inner tube for 
releasably holding an end of a tie rod. A compression-spring is mounted in 
the first end of the inner tube and positioned adjacent to the chuck. 
A sleeve is mounted around the first end of the outer tube and includes a 
flange projecting inwardly from an end thereof for controlling opening and 
closing of the chuck. An inner periphery of the sleeve includes a threaded 
section which engages with the threaded first end of the outer tube, such 
that when the outer tube rotates, the sleeve moves on the threaded first 
end of the outer tube along an axial direction of the outer tube to move 
the chuck between a first position of an opened status and a second 
position of a closed status under actuation of the flange. 
Preferably, the first end of the inner tube includes a second flange 
thereon which extends beyond the first end of the outer tube. The second 
flange includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced grooves extending 
along an axial direction of the inner tube and has an outer diameter the 
same as that of the first end of the outer tube. The inner periphery of 
the sleeve has a channeled section for engaging with the second flange on 
the first end of the inner tube to prevent rotational movement 
therebetween. 
The first end of the inner tube has a plurality of protrusions projecting 
inwardly from an inner periphery thereof. The chuck includes a relatively 
smaller end and a relatively larger end and has a plurality of 
circumferentially spaced guiding grooves which are formed in an outer 
periphery thereof and which extend from the relatively smaller end to the 
relatively larger end for engaging with the protrusions on the inner 
periphery of the first end of the inner tube, the relatively larger end 
including a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal slits 
formed therein and a rough inner peripheral surface for catching the end 
of the tie rod. 
Rotation of the outer tube may urge the chuck to hold or release the ball 
joint of the tie rod, and rotation of the inner tube may connect or 
disconnect the tie rod with the rack when the ball joint is securely held 
by the chuck. Such a device allows the maintenance worker to operate via 
said slit which is more convenient than operation from the space under the 
engine hood. 
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become 
more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in 
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, a steering arrangement for a vehicle generally 
includes a steering wheel 50, a steering column 51, a steering box 52, a 
rack 53, a rack post 54, a pair of tie rods 60 each have a first end 
connected to a ball joint 70 and a second end connected to an end of the 
rack 53. Construction and operation of such a steering arrangement are 
conventional and less concerned with the present invention and therefore 
are not redundantly described herein. The tie rod 60 in FIG. 2 includes 
threads 62 in a first end thereof for detachable connection with the ball 
joint 70 and a second end in the form of a nut type ball joint 61 for 
detachable connection with the rack 53. The tie rod 60 in FIG. 3 has a 
structure similar to that in FIG. 2 except that the ball joint 61 in FIG. 
3 is of cylinder type rather than nut type and both of which are also 
conventional. 
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the device for mounting/detaching the tie rod 
60 in accordance with the present invention includes an outer tube 10, an 
inner tube 20, and an operative member 40. The outer tube 10 includes an 
enlarged first end 11 with outer threading and a second end on which a nut 
12 is formed. The inner tube 20 includes an enlarged first end 21 which is 
partially received in the first threaded end 11 and a second threaded end 
26 which extends beyond the second end of the outer tube 10. The operative 
member 40 includes a rectangular hole 41 in a mediate section thereof for 
engaging with an associated rectangular block 25 formed adjacent to the 
second threaded end 26 of the inner tube 20, whereby the operative member 
40 is securely mounted to the second threaded end 26 of the inner tube 20 
to rotate therewith. 
A flange 22 is formed on the first end 21 of the inner tube 20 and extends 
beyond the first end 11 of the outer tube 10. The flange 22 further 
includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced grooves (not labeled) 
extending along an axial direction of the inner tube 20. Preferably, the 
flange 22 has an outer diameter the same as that of the first end 11 of 
the outer tube 10. A plurality of protrusions 23 project inwardly from an 
inner periphery of and adjacent to an end edge of the first end 21 of the 
outer tube 20. A compression spring 31 is mounted between two gaskets 30 
and are positioned in the first end 21 of the inner tube 20. A 
substantially funnel-like chuck 32 is also positioned in the first end 21 
of the inner tube 20 and includes a relatively smaller end and a 
relatively larger end with a plurality of circumferentially spaced 
longitudinal slits 33 formed therein. A plurality of circumferentially 
spaced guiding grooves 34 are formed in an outer periphery of the chuck 32 
and extend from the relatively smaller end to the relatively larger end 
for engaging with the protrusions 23 on the inner periphery of the first 
end 21 of the inner tube 20. Preferably, the relatively larger end has a 
rough inner peripheral surface 35 for catching the ball joint 61 of the 
tie rod 60 which will be described later. 
A sleeve 36 is mounted around the first end 11 of the outer tube 10 and the 
flange 22 on the first end 21 of the inner tube 20. As can be seen in FIG. 
4, the inner periphery of the sleeve 36 includes a channeled section 37 
and a threaded section 38 (see FIG. 5). A flange 39 projects inwardly from 
one end of the sleeve 36 adjacent to the channeled section 37. The 
channeled section 37 engages with the correspondingly formed flange 22 on 
the first end 21 of the inner tube 20, such that the sleeve 36 may slide 
along an axial direction thereof relative to the inner tube 20, and 
rotational movement therebetween is prohibited. The threaded section 38 
engages With the threaded end 11 of the outer tube 10, such that when the 
outer tube 10 rotates upon operating the nut 12 by a wrench (not shown), 
the sleeve 36 moves axially on the first end 21 of the inner tube 20, 
thereby switching the chuck 32 between an opened status and a closed 
status under travel of the flange 39 so as to release or catch the ball 
joint 61 of the tie rod 60. 
As shown in FIG. 5, the second end 26 of the inner tube 20 extends beyond 
the second end 12 of the outer tube 10 and the operative member 40 is 
securely mounted to the second end 26 by a nut 42 as previously described. 
The first end 21 of the inner tube 20 is partially received in the first 
end 11 of the outer tube 10, and the spring 31 together with the two 
gaskets 30 are disposed in the first end 21 of the inner tube 20 in a 
space beyond the protrusions 23. The flange 22 on the first end 21 of the 
inner tube 20 locates adjacent to the first end 11 of the outer tube 10. 
The sleeve 36 is mounted around the first end 11 of the outer tube and the 
flange 22 of the inner tube 20 as previously described. The chuck 32 is 
received in the first end 21 of the inner tube 20 with the guiding grooves 
34 in the relatively smaller end thereof engaging with the protrusions 23 
in the inner periphery of the first end 21 of the inner tube 20 and with 
the relatively larger cone-shaped end bearing against an inner surface of 
the flange 39 of the sleeve 36. 
When the tie rod 60 is to be detached from the rack 53, the associated 
front wheel is firstly removed, then the ball joint 70 is disconnected 
from the threaded end 62 of the tie rod 60 via an outer side of the 
associated fender. Thereafter, the protective cover 55 is removed for 
subsequent disconnection between the tie rod 60 and the rack 53 by means 
of the device provided by the present invention under the following 
procedures. Referring now to FIG. 6, the inner tube 20 firstly encompasses 
the tie rod 60 by means of moving the device (including the inner and 
outer tubes 10 and 20 as well as the operative member 40) along the tie 
rod 60 via the relatively small slit mentioned in the background of the 
invention and via the exposed threaded end 62 thereof until the chuck 32 
in the first end 21 of the inner tube 20 encircles the ball joint 61 of 
the tie rod 60. Then, the outer tube 10 is rotated by means of using a 
wrench to operate the nut 12, which causes leftward (please follow the 
direction of FIG. 6) movement of the sleeve 36 as previously mentioned. 
The flange 39 of the sleeve 36 urges the chuck 32 to move leftwardly 
during its leftward movement, and during which the protrusions 23 in the 
first end 21 of the inner tube 20 urge the relatively larger end of the 
chuck 32 to move inwardly to securely hold the ball joint 61 by the rough 
inner peripheral surface 35 of the chuck 32. Finally, the operative member 
40 is operated to rotate the inner tube 20 in order to disconnect the ball 
joint 61 and the rack 53, as shown in FIG. 7. 
For mounting the tie rod 60, the tie rod 60 is firstly encompassed in the 
inner tube 20 until the ball joint 61 thereof is received in the chuck 32. 
Then, the outer tube 10 is rotated (e.g., clockwise) by operating a 
wrench, such that the sleeve 36 bears against the chuck 32 which, in turn, 
securely holds the ball joint 61 during its leftward-movement in a manner 
described in the above paragraph (please note that the spring 31 is 
compressed). Thereafter, the present device together with the tie rod 60 
are passed through said slit mentioned in the background. After the ball 
joint 61 contacts with an end of the rack 53, the operative member 40 is 
operated to rotate the inner tube 20 in order to connect the ball joint 61 
with the rack 53. Subsequently, the outer tube 10 is rotated in a 
counterclockwise direction, such that the sleeve 36 moves rightward and 
that the ball joint 61 is released by the chuck 32 under the action of the 
spring 31, thereby completing the mounting of the tie rod 60. 
Preferably, at least one positioning ring 24 is mounted on a mediate 
section of the inner tube 20 to position a bearing 13 between the inner 
and outer tubes 10 and 20 to provide smooth relative rotational movement 
therebetween. 
In brief, rotation of the outer tube 10 by operating the nut 12 may hold or 
release either type of the ball joint 61 of the tie rod 60, and rotation 
of the inner tube 20 by operating the operative member 40 may connect or 
disconnect the tie rod 60 with the rack 53 when either type of the ball 
joint 61 is securely held by the chuck 32 in the inner tube 20. Such a 
device allows the maintenance worker to operate via said slit which is 
more convenient than operation from the space under the engine hood. 
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred 
embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications 
and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of 
the invention as hereinafter claimed.