Abstract:
A cover for a transmission torque connector having loosened or otherwise damaged bolts is repaired for reuse. One method includes removing a loosened bolt, and plugging and countersinking the bolt hole. The countersunk area on the exterior of the cover provides an area to form a welding bead to permanently seal the whole. The surface is then prepared for welding a stud onto it to complete the repair. In the case where the original bolt is damaged but has not been loosened, the top part of the bolt can be cut off so that the bolt can serve as the plug.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to repairing a cover for a transmission torque connector having loosened, worn or bent bolts that cause a weakened structure and, in some cases, damage to critical drive components of the vehicle they are components of. 
     Transmission torque connectors of the type used in automatic transmissions for automobiles, trucks and buses will typically have a number of bolts extending through holes. These bolts, typically six, through connection to the crankshaft, carry the full power of the engine. Typically, bolts of this type are welded in place to provide a fluid-tight seal but can come loose due to a number of causes such as torsion and vibration from rough-running diesel engines or loose flywheels. When the bolts loosen, lubricating fluid within the cover can leak and cause damage to surfaces under it and failure of internal parts due to loss of lubrication. Simply welding the bolts from the back or welding with solder have not been effective answers to the problem. Similarly, stripped or bent bolts cannot be effectively repaired. 
     There is a current need for a method for easily, effectively repairing a cover for a transmission torque connector having loosened bolts. Further, there is a need to provide a torque connector cover wherein the bolts are securely fastened and do not leak. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to permit reuse of a cover for a transmission torque connector having loosened bolts. 
     It is another object of the invention to permit reuse of a cover for a transmission torque connector having stripped or bent bolts. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a method for effectively repairing a cover for a transmission torque connector having loosened, stripped or bent bolts. 
     These and other objects are achieved by the present invention which provides an improved method for effectively repairing of a cover for a transmission torque connector having loosened or otherwise damaged bolts, which permits reuse of the cover, and a cover of this type so repaired. 
     In one aspect, the method comprises: providing a cover having an interior surface, an outer surface and a plurality of holes through which bolts extend; removing a bolt from a hole; fitting a metal plug into the hole in the cover from the inner surface; forming a recess by cutting away a top portion of the plug and an adjoining portion of the outer surface of the cover; filling the recess by forming a welding bead; machining the welding bead to form a welding surface suitable for welding a stud to it; and welding a stud to the welding surface. 
     In another aspect, the method comprises: providing a cover having an interior surface, an outer surface and a plurality of holes through which bolts extend;, cutting off the top part of a damaged bolt to form a bolt plug; forming a recess by cutting away a top portion of the bolt plug and an adjoining portion of the outer surface of the cover; filling the recess by forming a welding bead; machining the welding bead to form a welding surface suitable for welding a stud to it; and welding a stud to the welding surface. 
     In another of its aspects, the invention provides a repaired transmission torque connector for use in an automatic transmission for an automobile or bus, comprising: a cover body with an exterior surface and an interior surface; a machined peripheral area on the exterior surface; a plurality of holes with bolts extending through the cover body in the machined area; and, a stud welded to the exterior surface of the cover body in the machined area. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and its advantages will become more apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cover for a transmission torque connector; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional taken through a bolt hole showing a side view of a bolt that has come loose and is in need of repair; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the hole in FIG. 2, but with the bolt removed and a plug force-fitted therein; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the hole in FIG. 3, with the plug being countersunk; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the hole in FIG. 4, with the countersunk area of the plug filled by weld metal; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the hole in FIG. 5, with the weld metal machined flush with the surface of the cover; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the hole in FIG. 6, with a specially-designed stud positioned over the weld; 
     FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the hole in FIG. 7, with the stud welded to the cover; and 
     FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of cover, with the repair completed. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will first be made to FIG. 1, which is a perspective view of a cover  10  for a transmission torque connector of the type used in automatic transmissions for automobiles and buses. The cover  10  has body  11  with an exterior surface  12  and an interior surface  14  (see FIG. 2) and a plurality of holes  16  (again, see FIG. 2) with bolts  18  extending therethrough in machined peripheral area  19  on the exterior surface. Typically, bolts of this type are spin welded in place to provide a fluid-tight seal but can come loose due to a number of causes such as torsion and vibration. FIG. 2 shows a severely damaged bolt and hole. 
     To effect the repair, a metal plug  20  is inserted into the hole, as can be seen in FIG.  3 . The plug  20  is preferably specially sized to fit in the hole  16  by force fitting from the inner surface and can then be spin welded in place as can be evidenced by bead  22  formed around the periphery. 
     If practical, as in the case where the original weld between the bolt and the interior surface of the cover has not been damaged, the old bolt can be cut off flush with the exterior surface of the cover and serve as the plug  20 . In this case the plug is referred to as a bolt plug. This type of repair is useful where the bolt is stripped, bent or otherwise damaged, without effecting the seal formed by the original weld. 
     In the next step of the process a recess  24  is formed in the plug  20  by cutting away a top portion of the plug and an adjoining portion of the outer surface of the cover. This is shown in FIG. 4, which shows a countersink bit  26  having just completed cutting out the recess  24 . FIG. 5 shows the recess filled by a welding bead  28  that is formed therein. Preferably, the bead  28  is formed by the use of a soft welding rod, but other materials can be effective. This step fully and permanently seals the hole. 
     The bead formed is typically irregular and the welding step may have warped the cover. To correct for this, the welding bead and the surrounding outer surface is machined to form a welding surface suitable for welding a stud to it. The machined surface  30  is represented in FIG.  6 . Also, the machining of the peripheral area  19  can provide a true surface and correct for warping due to welding. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the next step of the process, wherein a threaded stud  32  is positioned over the welding surface  30  for securing, preferably by stud welding. Preferably, a ceramic shield  34  is positioned around the stud during the welding operation to restrict flow of molten metal while allowing for the escape of gases. The objective of the welding is to achieve a bolt extension over the location of the original hole to functionally replace the original bolt and make the cover acceptable for reuse. In welding a stud to a welding surface in this manner, the stud is first placed with an end against the welding surface. Note that the stud has a flux ball or cone  36  at the end in contact with the welding surface. 
     The stud  32  is retracted from the welding surface as a low current pilot arc is formed between the stud and the welding surface. A main, high-current, weld arc is then superimposed between the stud and the welding surface. This arc causes portions of the stud and the welding surface to be molten and the stud is then plunged forward to engage the welding surface. The molten portions join and solidify to securely weld the stud to the welding surface when they return to full contact. U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,144 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,234 are incorporated herein by reference for their teachings of welding methods and equipment. 
     Some of the molten metal tends to flow outwardly as the stud strikes the welding surface to establish a fillet between the stud and the welding surface. As shown in FIG. 8, this fillet  38  under normal conditions is substantially uniformly formed with the aid of the ceramic shield  34  located around the end of the stud. The process is complete, and a suitable washer  40 , spacer  42  and/or nut  44  can be applied as seen in FIG.  9 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the repaired transmission torque converter has six threaded studs welded to the exterior surface of the cover body. At least two, and preferably all six of the bolts will be replaced when a repaired transmission torque connector is provided. As shown best by FIG. 8, the connector has a cover body  50  with an exterior surface  52  and an interior surface  54 . As shown in the drawings, the surfaces  52  and  54  are parallel, but since the cover body is usually a casted item, the cover body can have a variety of shapes and thicknesses. At least two and preferably all six of the threaded bolts were replaced by welded studs. The description with respect to the stud  32  shown in FIG. 8 is applicable to two or more of the bolts that are replaced. 
     The hole  56  extends through the cover body, and each hole has a diameter  58 . Each hole is filled with a plug  20 . The plug  20  is placed in the hole from beneath and fastened in place by a weld bead  22  around the periphery. The weld bead  22  is only one feasible way of permanently securing the plug  20  in hole  56 , and other suitable methods of attachment may be used. 
     As shown particularly well in FIG. 4 (as well as FIG.  8 ), a recess  24  extends inwardly into the cover body from the exterior surface  52 . The recess  24  has a diameter  60  that is larger than the diameter  58  and creates a joint  62  between the plug  20  and the cover body  50 . The joint is located entirely below the exterior surface  52  of the cover body  50 . As will be seen in FIG. 8, the location of this joint is below the exterior surface of the cover body to ensure that the joint does not leak after the weld bead is placed in recess  24 . Referring once again to FIG. 8, a weld bead  28  fills the recess and seals the joint  62  against liquid leakage. The stud  32  is preferably attached to the weld bead  28  by welding  38 . 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, recess  24  conical in shape, and the base of the conical shape has a diameter  60  which is greater than the diameter  58  of the plug  20 . This provides a joint  60  that is located beneath the surface  52  of the cover body  50  and which is located at the juncture of the plug, the conical recess and the cover body. This provides a circular joint  62  which is sealed against liquid leakage. 
     In accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention, as shown in a comparison between FIGS. 5 and 6, the weld bead  28  is preferably machined from the stage shown in FIG. 5 to the stage shown in FIG. 6 such that the exterior surface  30  of the weld bead  28  is coplanar with the exterior surface  52  of the body  50 . This provides a smooth surface for the application of threaded study  32 . 
     The above construction of the threaded stud and the way it is attached to the cover body provides several unique advantages. Because the joint  62  is located beneath the exterior surface  52  of the cover body  50 , the likelihood of leakage is almost nonexistent because of the large surface area of the weld between the weld bead  28  and the cover body  50 . More specifically, referring to FIG. 6, a welded seal between weld bead  28  and cover body  50  is provided along a frustoconical surface  64  which provides a liquid tight seal and also a very firm base to ultimately secure the threaded stud. This construction ensures an arrangement that does not leak and also provides a solid base for the stud  32 . Further, by machining the weld bead  28  to provide a flat surface  30 , there is a clean new surface that easily receives threaded stud  32  and provides a fresh integral joint between stud  32  and surface  30 , and said joint is provided by weld  38 . When all six of the original bolts are replaced by such studs, the cover is strong and leak proof. 
     The above description is for the purpose of teaching the person of ordinary skill in the art how to practice the invention. It is not intended to detail all of those obvious modifications and variations, which will become apparent to the skilled worker upon reading the description. It is intended, however, that all such obvious modifications and variations be included within the scope of the invention which is defined by the following claims. The claims are meant to cover the claimed components and steps in any sequence that is effective to meet the objectives there intended, unless the context specifically indicates the contrary.