Automotive service tool

A multi-function hydraulic tool especially intended for use in automobile servicing operations comprises a hydraulic cylinder housing a piston. At least one arm is secured to the outside of the cylinder and projects axially therefrom. A seating is secured to the arm forwardly of the open end of the cylinder so as to support one member when axial force is applied by the piston to a different cooperating member so as to cause relative movement of such members. The tool can be used for a variety of purposes, for example, for removing a bearing from a shaft and its arm is usefully releasably secured to the cylinder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to a hydraulic tool and more 
particularly to a multi-function hydraulic tool especially intended for 
use in the servicing of automobiles and other motor vehicles. 
During the servicing of automobile vehicles, it is often necessary to 
remove the tapered bolts or shafts of ball joint assemblies from the 
mounting arms through which such shafts extend. In dissembling such ball 
joints, it is generally also necessary to remove the nut from the threaded 
end of such a shaft. Frequently, such nuts are firmly rusted in position 
and can not be removed by unscrewing and, therefore, have to be removed by 
splitting. While manually operated nut splitters can be used for such a 
purpose, such use of those tools is somewhat time-consuming and, 
therefore, increases the labour cost of the vehicle repair. 
While various tools have hereinbefore been suggested for the press removal 
of the tapered shafts or ball joint assemblies, such previously proposed 
tools have presented certain practical disadvantages. For example, some of 
the known tools have been quite difficult to use while others have been 
relatively complex in their construction and consequently so expensive 
that their use has not been widely accepted. 
In other automotive servicing operations, it is necessary to fit male 
members into female members and female members onto male members. Other 
servicing operations require the removal of female members from male 
members. 
It is a principal object of this invention to provide a multi-function 
hydraulic tool which can be used in many such automotive servicing 
operations as well as for splitting nuts. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide a multi-function 
hydraulic tool for the aforesaid purposes and which tool is relatively 
simple in its construction and, therefore, relatively inexpensive to 
manufacture. 
Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description 
herein proceeds. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Broadly, this invention provides a multi-function hydraulic tool which 
comprises a hydraulic cylinder having a peripheral wall, an open end and a 
closed end; a piston having an outer end and slidably mounted in said 
cylinder for movement in an axial direction between extended and retracted 
positions thereof; a port in fluid communication with the interior of said 
cylinder for the supply thereinto of a hydraulic fluid under pressure to 
cause outward movement of said piston through said open end of said 
cylinder toward said extended position thereof and for the discharge of 
such hydraulic fluid from within said cylinder on movement of said piston 
axially into said cylinder toward said retracted position thereof; at 
least one arm secured to said cylinder and projecting axially beyond said 
open end thereof; and a seating secured to said arm in axially spaced 
apart position relative to said open end of said cylinder for supporting a 
first member when terminal pressure is applied by said piston against a 
cooperating second member so in turn to cause relative movement of said 
first and second members. 
Such a tool as broadly provided by this invention can, for example, be used 
for applying axial pressure to the end of a male member while a 
cooperating female member is supported on the seating of the tool. Such 
application of axial pressure can be used for the press removal of such a 
male member from such a female member or for the press insertion of a male 
member into a female member. 
Usefully a tool in accordance with this invention is provided with two said 
arms which are secured, preferably releasably, to the cylinder of the tool 
in peripherally spaced apart positions, which project axially beyond the 
open end of the cylinder and which are both secured to the seating of the 
tool. Usefully, such two arms are disposed diametrically opposite to each 
other. 
When intended for use in dismantling automobile ball joints, the seating of 
a tool in accordance with this invention usefully has a semi-circular 
annular configuration with generally transverse inner and outer faces, the 
former opposing the open end of the cylinder. 
In a tool in accordance with this invention, a blind bore in usefully 
formed in the outer end of the piston of the tool for removably receiving 
a mating stud of a thrust plate. The use of such a thrust plate is 
desirable in that it prevents damage to the piston itself during use of 
the tool and such a thrust plate can be replaced when worn. 
In order to permit the use of a tool in accordance with this invention as a 
hydraulic nut-splitter, such a tool is usefully provided with an anvil 
plate which can be supported on the inner surface of the seating of the 
tool and with a wedge-shaped splitting tool having a cutting edge facing 
that anvil plate and a guide stud slidably received in the aforementioned 
blind bore in the outer end of the piston of the tool. By supporting a nut 
which cannot be unscrewed from a bolt so that it is supported by one of 
its peripheral faces on the anvil plate, the tool can be operated to press 
the cutting edge of the splitting tool against an opposed edge face of the 
nut with eventual splitting of the nut. Alternatively, such a nut can be 
supported by one of its major faces on an annular anvil plate so that the 
cutting edges of a hollow splitting tool disposed in the end of the piston 
engage the other major face of such a nut on opposite sides of a bolt 
projecting therethrough. 
Various arrangements of arms and seatings are possible for a hydraulic tool 
in accordance with this invention are possible and some typical 
arrangements for such members are shown in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Reference will first be made to FIG. 1 in which there is indicated 
generally by the legend 10 one embodiment of a multi-function hydraulic 
tool in accordance with this invention. 
The tool 10 comprises a generally right cylindrical hollow cylinder 12 
having an upper closed end 13. A solid cylindrical piston 16 having an 
outer end 15 is slidably mounted in the cylinder 12 for movement from the 
retracted position shown in FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrow A into an 
extended position. An annular piston ring 18 having a generally U-shaped 
sectional configuration is provided in a groove 19 formed peripherally in 
the piston 16 at its upper or inner end. It will, of course, be 
appreciated that the invention is in no way restricted to the use of any 
particular form of piston ring, which ring is merely provided in a 
conventional manner to ensure a hydraulic seal between the piston 16 and 
the cylinder 12. 
A port 14 is provided in the wall of the cylinder 12 for the supply of 
hydraulic fluid under pressure into that cylinder to cause downward or 
outward movement of the piston 16 toward its extended position and for the 
discharge of such hydraulic fluid from that cylinder 12 on upward or 
inward movement of that piston 16 toward its retracted position. 
In the accompanying drawings, the port 14 is shown as being provided with 
an internally threaded sleeve 17 for attachment of a hydraulic hose (not 
shown). 
Two elongated arms 20 and 22 are secured to the outer surface of the 
cylindrical wall of the cylinder 12 in diametrically opposed positions, 
for example, by welding as partially indicated at 21. The arms 20, 22 
extend downwardly from the cylinder 12 beyond the lower open end thereof 
and, at their lower ends, are secured, for example, by welding to a 
semi-circular annular seating or ring generally indicated at 24. 
In the particular embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the ring 24 is 
integrally formed with an upstanding semi-cylindrical member 25 which is 
welded at 27 to the arms 20 and 22. With further reference to the ring 24, 
it will be seen that it has an upper or inner planar face 29 which is 
essentially perpendicular to the axial direction of movement of the piston 
16 and a generally frusto-conical outer or under-surface 31 which tapers 
inwardly and upwardly. The generally semi-circular opening in the ring 24 
is indicated by the legend 33. 
Referring again to the piston 16, it will be noted from FIG. 1 that a 
generally axial blind bore 26 is formed in the outer end 15 of that 
piston. In FIGS. 1 and 3, a circular thrust plate 30 comprising an axial 
stud 28 which is removably received in the bore 26 is shown as being so 
fitted on the tool 10. 
Having completed the description herein of the tool 10, the manner in which 
that tool is used to press a tapered bolt 32 of an automobile ball joint 
assembly generally indicated at 34 out of a bore 36 in a mounting arm 38 
of such a ball joint assembly will now be considered with reference to 
FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings. To effect such a removal, the 
mounting arm of such a ball joint assembly is placed so that it abuts the 
top or inner face 29 of the seating or ring 24. Hydraulic fluid is then 
introduced under pressure into the cylinder 12 through the port 14 having 
first positioned the thrust plate 30 on the lower end 15 of the piston 16. 
Such introduction of hydraulic fluid into the cylinder 12 causes the 
piston 16 to be extended in the direction of the arrow A against the end 
of the bolt 32 to force that bolt out of the bore 36. 
The frusto-conical undersurface 31 of the ring 24 has in practice been 
found to be beneficial in that it facilitates the positioning of the tool 
with the ring 24 in the relatively limited space available in automobile 
ball and socket joints between the mounting arm 38 and the socket housing 
shown schematically at 35 in FIG. 3. 
Reference will next be made herein to FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings 
which shows the use of the tool 10 as a nut splitter. For such a purpose, 
the aforementioned thrust plate 30 is removed and replaced by a splitting 
tool generally indicated at 40 and having a wedge-shaped cutting head 41 
and a stud 43 dimensioned so as to fit into the aforementioned bore 26 in 
the outer end of the piston 16. The cutting head 41 has a transverse 
cutting edge indicated by the legend 45. 
To split a nut 42 for the purpose of removing it from a bolt 47, a 
generally semi-circular anvil plate 44 is positioned on the inner face 29 
of the ring 24 for supporting the nut 42 as will readily be understood 
from FIG. 4. On the introduction of hydraulic fluid under pressure through 
the port 14 into the cylinder 12, the cutting head 41 is pressed down 
against the side of the nut 42 so to split that nut and allow it to be 
removed from the bolt 47. 
While the use of the tool 10 has been specifically described with reference 
to FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings with respect to its use for the 
press removal of the threaded bolt 32 from the mounting arm 38 of an 
automobile ball joint assembly 34, it will be understood that the tool 
will find application in many other situations where it is desired to 
press a male member out of a female member. Additionally, the tool 10 can 
be used for the press insertion of a male member into a female member. 
Reference will next be made fo FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying 
drawings in which there is indicated generally at 50 another embodiment of 
a multi-function hydraulic tool in accordance with this invention. 
The tool 50 comprises a generally right cylindrical hollow cylindrical 51 
having an upper closed end 52. The port 53 provided with an internally 
threaded sleeve 54 for the attachment of a hydraulic hose (not shown) is 
provided for the supply of hydraulic fluid into the cylinder 51 and for 
the discharge of such fluid therefrom. 
A hollow cylindrical piston 55 having an open lower end forming a blind 
bore 55a and an upper closed end 56 is slidably mounted in the cylinder 51 
for movement from the retracted position shown in FIG. 6 in the direction 
of the arrow B into an extended position as shown in FIG. 8. A piston ring 
57 is seated in a peripheral recess 58 provided at the upper or inner end 
of the piston 55. A radially outwardly projecting annular rib 59 is 
integrally formed with the piston 55 partially to provide the seating for 
the piston ring 57 and for sliding engagement with the cylinder wall 5. A 
threaded ring 60 removably screwed into the lower end of the cylinder 51 
engages the rib 59 and constitutes a limit means so that when the piston 
is in its fully extended position as shown in FIG. 8, it prevents 
accidental expulsion of the piston 55 completely out of the cylinder 51. 
Secured to the cylinder wall 51, for example, by welding as indicated at 61 
are two diametrically opposed and radially extending arm-engaging means or 
ears 62 and 63. For a reason which will be more readily understood as the 
description herein proceeds, each of the ears 62 and 63 is formed with an 
inner and upper bore 64 as well as with an outer and lower bore 65 
therethrough. 
In FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings, there are also shown 
first and second arms 66 and 67 respectively which are releasably secured 
to the ears 62 and 63. These arms 66 and 67 are bifurcated at their upper 
ends to provide separate limbs 68 and 69 between which respective ones of 
the ears 62 and 63 can be received, aligned bores 70 being provided in the 
limbs 68 and 69 for receiving fastening bolts 71 (FIGS. 6 and 7) for 
releasably fastening the arms 66 and 67 to the ears 62 and 63 
respectively, such bolts then extending through the upper and inner bores 
64 in those ears. Nuts 72 (FIG. 7) are utilized to prevent accidental 
disengagement. 
At their lower ends, the arms 66 and 67 are secured, for example, by 
welding as indicated at 73 to a seating comprising a semi-cylindrical 
sleeve 74 which in turn is integrally formed with an essentially 
semi-circular member having a radially extending top surface 75 and an 
inwardly and upwardly sloping undersurface 76 as will readily be 
understood by reference to FIG. 5. 
The tool 50 is shown in FIG. 6 in use for the press removal of a tapered 
bolt 32 from the mounting block 38 of the ball joint assembly 34. Since 
the tool 50 is used for such an operation in essentially the same manner 
as is the tool 10 and as already described herein, it is not considered to 
be necessary to describe such an operation in further detail herein. It 
should perhaps, however, be noted that, for such operation, a circular 
thrust plate 78 has its cylindrical locating stud 79 inserted into the 
open lower end 55a of the piston 55 as actually shown in FIG. 6. 
Reference will next be made herein to FIGS. 9 and 10 in which there is 
indicated generally at 96 an alternative form of nut-splitting tool 
intended to be used in the hydraulic tool 50 in the manner shown in FIG. 
10. The tool 96 comprises a generally cylindrical locating stud 97 
dimensioned so as to be received within the open lower end 55a of the 
piston 55 of the tool 50 and a larger integrally formed collar 98 which 
engages the lower end of the piston wall when the tool 96 is so disposed. 
Below the collar 98, the tool 96 is integrally formed with a hollow 
cylindrical wall which is cut aback or chamfered as at 99 to provide two 
radially extending cutting edges 100. The tool 96 is intended to be used 
in conjunction with an annular supporting plate 101 which is itself 
supported on the top surface 75 of the seating so as then to support a nut 
102 which is to be split by the tool 96 as will readily be understood by 
reference to FIG. 10. In such use, one major face of the nut 102 is 
supported on the plate 101 and the cutting edges 100 are forced downwardly 
against the other major face of that nut 102, the bolt 103 extending 
through the central aperture 109 of the plate 101. 
Reference will next be made to FIGS. 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings 
in which there is indicated generally and fragmentarily at 80 an 
alternative structure for the arms used with the tool 50 and particularly 
intended for use in pressing a ball joint housing 81 out of a supporting 
frame member 82. 
Each of the two arm assemblies 80 as shown in FIG. 11 comprises an 
elongated rod 83 which is secured, for example, by welding as indicated at 
84 at its upper end to two mutually spaced lugs 85 and 86 provided with 
aligned bores 87 to permit the arm assembly pivotally to be secured to a 
respective one of the ears 62 and 63 by means of a bolt 88 passing through 
the bores 87 and the outer and lower bore 65 in the respective one of the 
ears 62 and 63 as best shown in FIG. 11. 
At its lower end, each rod 83 is bent inwardly at 89 and is terminally 
welded as indicated at 90 to a seating 91 comprising an arcuate wall 
portion having a top edge surface 92 disposed in a plane which extends 
radially with respect to the axis of the piston 55, an inner surface 93 
generally coaxial with such axis and an undersurface 94 which tapers 
upwardly from a lowermost central position toward the outer ends of the 
top edge surface 92. 
For use, the arms 80 are connected by the bolts 88 to respective ones of 
the ears 62 and 63 and those arms are then pivoted into position beneath 
the supporting frame members 82 as actually shown in FIG. 11. On the 
introduction of hydraulic fluid under pressure into the cylinder 51, the 
thrust plate 78 then causes the ball joint housing 81 to be pressed out of 
the frame member 82. 
In FIG. 13, there is illustrated somewhat schematically the use of the tool 
50 for removing a pulley wheel 104 from a shaft 105. For this purpose, the 
tool 50 is used in conjunction with two arms 106 which are formed at their 
lower ends with threaded portions 107 which are screwed into threaded 
bores in the pulley wheel 104. At their upper ends, the arms 106 are 
formed with hook-like portions 108 which, in use, are inserted in the 
outer lower bores in the ears 62 and 63. In such use of the tool 50, the 
thrust plate 78 is once again utilized to allow the application of axial 
pressure to the shaft 105 as will be readily understood from FIG. 13. 
It will now be understood that the uses of the tool 50 as hereinbefore 
described with reference to FIGS. 6, 11 and 13 of the accompanying 
drawings all involve the pushing of a male member out of a female member. 
FIG. 14 shows somewhat schematically the alternative use of the tool 50 
with the thrust plate 78 for press fitting or inserting a male member 111 
into a bore 113 provided in a female member 112. It will be noted that the 
tool is shown somewhat schematically in FIG. 14 as being provided with 
arms 114 connected to ears 115 on the cylinder 51 and carrying at their 
lower ends a seating 116. If the shaft 105 of FIG. 13 or male member 111 
of FIG. 14 is too long, then the thrust plate 78 can simply be removed, 
allowing the shaft to enter the blind bore in the piston. This also 
assists in guiding the shaft and holding it straight during the 
application of pressure. 
In a similar schematic manner, FIG. 15 illustrates the use of the tool 50 
for press fitting a female member 117 having an axial bore 118 onto an 
upstanding shaft or male member 119 projecting from a disc 120. For this 
purpose, instead of the thrust plate 78, there is used a different thrust 
plate 121 having an annular wall 122 defining an axial recess 123 and an 
axial stud 124. In use, the undersurface of the wall 122 engages the 
female member 117, the shaft or male member 119 then entering the recess 
123 during such press fitting. 
It will of course be appreciated that where shaft 119 is longer and the 
member 117 must be forced further onto it such recess 123 will be deeper. 
Alternatively, the thrust plate 121 can be provided with a through bore, 
i.e. an extension of recess 123. A further alternative is simply to omit 
thrust plate 121, and allow the shaft to enter the open lower end 55a of 
piston 55. One such application would be the fitting of a new ball joint 
housing 31 down over shaft 81a after removal of the old housing 81 as 
shown in FIG. 11. 
Finally, reference will be made to FIG. 16 which illustrates also 
schematically the use of the tool 50 for the press removal of a female 
member or collar 125 from a shaft 126 terminating in a head 127. For such 
an operation, the head 127 is supported on the seating 116 secured to the 
arms 114. A locating stud 128 carrying outwardly extending members 129 is 
disposed within the lower end of the piston 55. The diametrically opposed 
and radially extending members 129 are secured to downwardly extending 
arms 130 which are in turn provided at their lower ends with inwardly 
projecting feet 131 for engaging the top surface of the collar 125. On 
downward movement of the piston 55, the head 127 of the male member is 
held in position on the seating 116 while the female member or collar 125 
is pushed downwardly off the shaft 126 by the feet 131. 
Having completed the specific description herein of the construction and 
use of several embodiments of a multifunction tool as provided by this 
invention, it should perhaps be stressed that the invention is in no way 
restricted to those specific embodiments but embraces numerous variations 
in and modifications of the described structure.