Patent GB-971539-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for manufacturing bearings
Inventor: HEIM LEWIS RASMUS
IPC: F16C43/02
Filed: 1961-01-27
Abstract: 971,539. Making bearings; jointing by forging; expanding rings; altering physical properties. HEIMCO. Jan. 27, 1961, No. 3303/61. Headings B3A, B3E, B3H, B3J and B3V. [Also in Division E2] A method of assembling a ball and socket bearing having, prior to assembly, an unbroken outer tubular member with a concave inner face and an unbroken inner member with a convex outer face, comprises, surrounding the inner member with the outer member, their sizes being such as to allow positioning thus without interference therebetween and reducing the space therebetween by deforming at least one of the members radially. Figs. 1 and 3 show an apparatus for carrying out the invention by expanding the inner member 44 to fit an outer member 41. The inner member 44 is located on a spring-urged spigot 11 and the outer member is located in a lower die 6. An upper die 20 co-operates with the lower die 6 to retain the outer member 41 while the tapered portion 25 of punch 24a is forced through the inner member to expand it to the position of Fig. 3. If it is required to compress the outer member 41 inwards in addition to expanding the inner member 44, then this may be achieved by continuing the downward movement of the block 29 until its shoulder 50 abuts the upper end 51 of the die-carrying tube 27, thus forging the outer member 41 to compress it radially inwards into engagement with the inner member 44 which is still supported internally by sizing the pin 24. Additional expansion of the inner member 44 may be achieved by shoulders 15 and 22 of the dies compressing the inner member axially. This apparatus may be modified by removing the punch 24a and axially compressing a solid member 73, Fig. 12, which is drilled after assembly to form a finished bearing. Figs. 20 and 21 show an apparatus for forming bearings such as that shown in Fig. 23 in accordance with the invention by compressing an outer member by direct radial compression on to an inner member, and then assembling the completed bearing in a rod end. The end 121 of a rod 122 is placed in the upper part of die 104 and located by releasing member 138. The inner and outer bearing members 95, 93 are placed in telescoped relation and located on the end 106 of a support pillar 109 by a spigot 111. The die member 104 is then forced downwards and its internally tapered bore 110 compresses the outer member 93 until the position shown in Fig. 20 is reached (Fig. 21 shows an intermediate stage). During the last part of this movement, the bearing assembly displaces the member 138 until it abuts the inner end face of the die 104, whereupon it acts as an anvil for the axial compression of both bearing members as the outer one is expanded to fit the rod end 121. A similar apparatus is described (Fig. 26, not shown) in which no provision is made for assembling the bearing in a rod. In all embodiments, a running clearance is achieved by the ductility of one or both of the bearing members causing them to spring apart slightly on removal from the apparatus. In the case of outer bearing members which are compressed radially and then axially, the residual circumferential stress pattern in the member comprises compression on the interior and tension on the exterior at each end, and the opposite in the axial centre section. The bearing members may be plated before assembly, and may be made of any suitable ductile metal such as heat treatable and hardenable steel; they may be provided with annular lubricating channels prior to assembly.