Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Arlis Hall

Joel M Maguire

Roy S Cataldo

A thrust washer pilots on an end of a planet gear. The piloting relationship is established by an outside diameter surface of the washer and an inside diameter surface of the planet gear. Piloting of the thrust washer on an outside diameter surface of the washer permits the provision of a radial gap between the thrust washer and a shaft on which the gear rotates, facilitating lubricant flow past the washer in an axial direction along the shaft, as well as facilitating assemble of the planet gear and thrust washer to a planet gear carrier.

Self-piloting thrust washers

A push-type metal V-belt is formed from a single strip of sheet metal. The strip is formed and folded such that the lateral faces between the converging outer drive edges are tapered to have a reduced thickness at the inner fold. The formed strip also has lateral slots in which, after folding, continuous metal bands are disposed for maintaining the belt in a continuous loop configuration.

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Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Arlis Hall