Patent · US Expired

Assembled crankshaft

US5207120A · kind A · utility

35Cited by
23References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 18, 1992
Grant dateMay 4, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 18, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T74/2183
  • WIPO fieldMechanical elements
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A tubular shaft has a portion of reduced inner diameter at a location where joining to an apertured member is desired. The aperture in the member is lobed with splines in the lobes and has an undercut groove, or groove and is hardened. The shaft is inserted in the aperture and the reduced inner diameter portion is expanded to force the shaft material into the lobes and groove and around the splines to form a connection which resists torque and axial separation. The tube expansion is effected by forcing a series of balls through the reduced diameter portion, each ball being slightly larger than the reduced diameter and larger than the previous ball but smaller than the remainder of the shaft I.D. A crankshaft is assembled with this method wherein counterweights have lobed apertures to receive end portions of crank pins and main journals having reduced I.D.'s. Lubricating passages are formed in crankshafts having main journals and crank pins with reduced end portions defining planar shoulders on their body portions and annular grooves on the shoulders, bores in the crank arms intersecting the annular grooves on the adjacent shoulders, and passages in each bearing and crank pin connec…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.