Equipment for assembling universal joints

摘要

1,079,602. Assembling force fits; making universal joints. NADELLA SOC. ANON. and A. PITNER. Nov. 4, 1964 [Nov. 5, 1963], No. 44895/64. Headings B3A and B3U. [Also in Division F2] An apparatus for the accurate mounting of needle containing cups in a universal joint in which, in a preliminary assembly operation the cups have been placed in position with an axial clearance relative to the faces of the trunnions inside the bores of the yokes, comprises in combination with a centring device which maintains the axes of rotations of the yokes in strict alignment, a press which inserts simultaneously and pushes home in each of the bores of one of the yokes or of the two yokes a circular retaining element so as to make the bottom of the corresponding cup abut the face of the adjacent trunnion while fixing the retaining element in the bore. A press for performing the preliminary assembly operation is shown in Fig. 1. The yoke M 1 has a splined bore 3 and the yoke M 2 has a shaft 4 welded to it. The bearing cups 1 are assembled in the bores 2 so that there is a considerable clearance j between the bottom of the cup and the end face of the trunnions T and T1. The press includes a frame 6 with bores 7 and 8 in which slide mandrels 9 and 11. The mandrel 11 is spring-biased and has a bore 11a adapted to receive the trunnion T1 and thus hold the cross-member in the desired position for the insertion of a cup 1 in the bore 2 around the trunnion T. In the position shown in Fig. 1 the second cup 100 of the yoke M 1 has just been placed in position after the yoke has been turned over, while the yoke M 2 extends through a rectangular clearance hole 13 in the frame 6. The yoke M 1 is supported against the pressure of the mandrel 9 by a spring-loaded wedge-member 17. The final positioning of the cups and the simultaneous insertion of the cup retainers is carried out with the universal joint held in the jig R shown in Figs. 3. The jig comprises an angle plate 22, 23 on which is mounted a V-block 24 in which the yoke M 2 is held by a clamp (27), Fig. 4 (not shown). The yoke M 1 is centred by an expanding mandrel 38 mounted in a collar 37. A wedge member, 17 similar to that employed in the preliminary assembly operation is provided. A press (P 1 ) which inserts the cups and retainers but can float independently of the jig is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Each limb of the press has a bore 51, Fig. 5, in which slides a guide 53, inside the guide 53 is a mandrel cylinder 56 and inside the cylinder is a mandrel piston 54. The cup retainers N, Fig. 8, have a crowned central part 44, an annular rib 46 and a cutting edge 48 which is formed with teeth 47. In operation the guide 53 bears on the yoke, and the piston 54 pushes the retainer N and the cup into the bore 2 until the end 1a of the cup bears against the trunnion T. The piston is then withdrawn slightly and the cylinder 56 is advanced to force the cutting edge 48 into the walls of the bore 2. In a modification of the jig R, each of the yokes is supported by a splined mandrel, and a transverse support system is provided for the yoke not subjected to the action of the press, Fig. 9 (not shown). When it is desired to obtain an interference fit between the cups and the trunnions (i.e. the clearance j is negative) a device is provided for expanding the yokes during assembly, which replaces the support 17, Figs. 11-13 (not shown). To obtain a positive clearance after final positioning, a device of the type described in Specification 906,105 is used.