Patent Publication Number: US-6665918-B1

Title: Harmonic damper pulley removal tool

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a tool for removal or pulling of a harmonic damper pulley of Chrysler engineered vehicles from the shaft on which the pulley is mounted. 
     Chrysler engineered vehicles dating back to the year 1990 were engineered to include a harmonic damper associated with the vehicle engine. The harmonic damper is associated with a pulley or wheel mounted on a shaft in the engine compartment. In order to repair mechanisms associated with the harmonic damper it is appropriate and often necessary to remove the pulley or wheel from its mounting shaft. However, because of the design of the engine and the size of the engine compartment, the harmonic damper pulley is often difficult to access and remove. Thus, there has developed a need to provide a tool which would facilitate the removal of such a pulley. Such a tool will also have similar capability for pulley removal from a shaft in general inasmuch as most pulleys are similarly mounted on a shaft associated with the pulley. Thus, the described tool will have more universal application than just utility with respect to Chrysler engineered vehicles. 
     Heretofore, there have been tools designed for the removal of the harmonic damper pulley. One such tool is manufactured and sold by Schley Products, Inc., their product No. 97400A. The Schley Products tool incorporates a hub member with three articulated hook legs attached thereto. The legs fit over the internal hub of the pulley and a center axial drive rod may then be actuated to effectively pull the pulley from a shaft. Such a tool has been highly useful for the specific purpose described. However, with the development of new engines and new designs, the tool referenced tends to slip from the pulley hub thus disabling the utility of the tool. That is, the jaws of the tool, which are designed to engage the hub of the pulley, become disengaged thereby rendering the tool ineffective. Thus, there has developed a need to provide an improved pulley pulling tool or pulley removal tool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention comprises a tool for removing a pulley of the type having a center hub with multiple radial spaced spokes connected from the hub and extending outwardly therefrom to a rim. The tool comprises a central hub member which has an axial threaded throughbore for receipt of a drive bolt or drive rod. A plurality of radial, equally spaced arms are pivotally attached to the center hub. The arms include jaw members which are designed to fit through the spokes of the pulley and engage the pulley hub. The device further includes a series of wedge members which are mounted on the outside face of the jaw members or jaw member arms and are adjustable so as to enable positioning thereof in a manner which will wedge the jaw members tightly in position between the pulley rim and hub to ensure that the jaw members will not be released from the center portion or hub of the pulley. Thus, actuation of the drive bolt against the center shaft on which the pulley is mounted will ensure removal of the pulley from its shaft. 
     Consequently, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved tool for removal of a pulley from a shaft wherein the pulley is of the type having a series of spokes emanating from a center hub and connected to a rim. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a tool for removal of a pulley from a hub wherein the tool comprises a center hub member with articulated jaw arms attached thereto and which further includes a series of magnetically attached wedge members for adjustment of the thickness of the arms whereby the arms may be inserted and wedged in the area or space between the center hub of the pulley and the outer rim thereof. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a tool for removal of pulleys from a shaft wherein the tool may be utilized for removal of pulleys associated with many different types of equipment and machinery and wherein pulleys are of the type having a center hub, radial spokes and outer rim defining a space between a center hub and the rim. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a pulley removal tool which is rugged, inexpensive, efficient and easy to use. 
     These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the assembled tool of the invention excluding the adjustable wedge members; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a jaw member associated with the tool of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the jaw member of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the typical adjustable wedge member incorporated with the tool of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a side cross sectional view of the wedge member of FIG. 4 taken along the line  5 — 5 ; 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of the wedge member of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the wedge member of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 8 is an opposite end view of the wedge member of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the thrust mechanism or bolt and thrust rod utilized to drive the pulley pulling tool of the invention; 
     FIG. 10 is an isometric view of the assembled tool positioned for engagement with a pulley that is to be pulled; 
     FIG. 11 is an isometric view of the tool positioned on a pulley to effect removal thereof from a shaft; and 
     FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the tool in position as viewed from the opposite side of the pulley depicted in FIG.  11 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the figures, the tool of the invention includes a frame or hub member  20 . The frame or hub member or hub  20  has three articulated arms or jaw members  22 ,  24  and  26  pivotally attached thereto so that the arms  22 ,  24  and  26  may articulate with respect to the frame or hub  20 . An axial threaded throughbore or passage  28  in the frame or hub member  20  receives a thrust bolt  30  which is threadably inserted therein and is designed to engage with a shaft of a pulley or with a thrust rod  32  extending along an axis  33 . The invention relates particularly to the combination of the elements described with attachable wedge members such as wedge members  34 ,  36  and  38  which are slidably attached to the outside surface of the arms  24 ,  26  and  28 , respectively, and are held in position magnetically. 
     FIGS. 10,  11  and  12  show the entire assembly of the component parts. FIG. 1 depicts the combination of the arms  22 ,  24  and  26  with the frame or hub member  20  and the thrust bolt  30 . FIGS. 2 and 3 depict in greater detail the jaw members or arms  22 ,  24  and  26 . FIGS. 4-8 depict in further detail the adjustable wedge members  34 ,  36  and  38 . FIG. 9 depicts in greater detail the thrust bolt  30  and thrust rod  32 . 
     Referring therefore to FIG. 1, the frame  20  includes a center throughbore or passage  28  and three equally radially spaced outwardly extending frame arms  40 ,  42  and  46 . The jaw members  22 ,  24  and  26  are attached by means of grooved pins, such as grooved pin  50 , to the respective arms  40 ,  42  and  46  so that the jaw members or arms  22 ,  24  and  26  may pivot. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 each jaw member  22 ,  24  and  26  includes a pin receiving passage  52  at one end thereof for receipt of pin  50 . The jaw members  22 ,  24  and  26  include an outer surface  54  and an inner surface  56  with an inwardly extending jaw  58 . Preferably, the outer surface  54  is flat and planar and extends the entire outside length of each jaw member  22 ,  24  or  26 . 
     As depicted in FIG. 9 the thrust bolt  30  is threaded for coaction with the threaded passage  28 . The thrust bolt  30  includes a hexagonal head  59  and a recessed counterbore opening  60  at the opposite end. The hexagonal head  59  enables turning of the bolt with a wrench so as to drive the thrust bolt  30 . The counterbore opening  60  receives a thrust rod  32 . Various lengths of thrust rod  32  may be utilized depending upon the configuration and the shape, etc. of the shaft from which a pulley is to be removed. 
     FIGS. 4-8 depict in greater detail the wedge members  34 ,  36 ,  38  which are utilized in combination with the arms  22 ,  24  and  26 . The wedge members  34 ,  36  and  38  are designed to fit on the outside face or surface  54  of each of the jaw members  22 ,  24  and  26  in a manner which will wedge or retain the jaw members  22 ,  24 ,  26  fixed in position and engagement with a pulley which is to be pulled by means of the tool. Thus, referring to the figures as exemplary of the wedge members  34 ,  36 ,  38 , FIG. 4 depicts the bottom or underside face  62  in an elevation view of wedge member  34 . The underside or face  62  includes a circular recess  64 . The circular recess or pocket receives a cylindrical congruently sized magnet  66 . The wedge member  34  further includes an outside surface  68 . The inside surface  62  and outside surface  68  converge in order to provide the wedge member  34  with a wedge shape as depicted in cross sectional view of FIG.  5 . Positioned on opposite sides of the magnet  66  and extending outwardly from the inside surface  62  are first and second extending retention tabs or tangs  70  and  72 . The tabs or tangs  70  and  72  are spaced so that they will fit on opposite sides of a jaw member  22  and, in particular, on the opposite sides  21  and  23  of the jaw member  22  in FIG. 3 for retention of wedge member  34  against the outside surface  54 . In this manner, because of this construction, the wedge members  34 ,  36 ,  38  may be slidably positioned against the outside face or outside surface  54  of jaw members, e.g. jaw member  22 . The lateral or side tabs or tangs  70  and  72  will retain the wedge member  34  to preclude side slippage thereof from the jaw member  22 . 
     FIGS. 10-12 illustrate the manner of use of the tool. The tool is used to remove a pulley member of the type including a central hub  80  with radiating spokes, such as spokes  82 , connected to an outer rim  84 . The jaws  22 ,  24  and  26  are inserted in the space between spokes  82  and the hub  80  and rim  84 . The jaws  22 ,  24 ,  26  thus fit through a defined space on the outside of pulley hub  80 . The center thrust bolt  30  fits against the shaft  81  on which the pulley is mounted. The wedge members  34 ,  36  and  38  may then be slidably inserted against the outside face or surface  54  of the jaw members  22 ,  24  and  26  and manually pushed into the space between the outer rim  84  and the jaw members  22 ,  24  and  26  to totally fill that space and preclude the jaw members  22 ,  24 ,  26  from slippage from the pulley hub  80 . The thrust bolt  30  may then be rotated to drive the pulley from the shaft on which the pulley is mounted. The magnets  66  ensure retention of the wedge members  34 ,  36  and  38  in position against the jaw members or arms  22 ,  24  and  26 . Of course, the jaw members or arms  22 ,  24  and  26  must be manufactured from a magnetic material such as an appropriate steel. 
     With the construction of the present invention, therefore the pulley may be easily and efficiently removed from a shaft  81  without slippage of the jaw members  22 ,  24  and  26  from engagement with the pulley. Upon removal of the pulley from the shaft  81 , the wedge members  34 ,  36  and  38  may be easily removed by reversing the direction in which they were initially driven, either manually or with a hammer or similar tool. Additionally, the wedge members may be positioned initially in the space between the rim  84  in center hub section of the pulley  80  by manipulating with your fingers. 
     It is to be noted that the shape and configuration of the wedge members  34 ,  36  and  38 , as well as the configuration of the jaw members  22 ,  24  and  26 , may be altered in order to maintain the feature of providing wedge members which will enable positioning and maintenance of such position of the jaw members  22 ,  24  and  26  against the hub of a pulley which is to be removed. Thus, the subject matter of the invention and its use is to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.