Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Other

David A Yeager

V Durga Rao

Robert A Rose

Peter Y Hoag

Daniel M Kabat

Carlo Alberto Fucinari

Robert Mrdjenovich

Vemulapalli D Rao

Thomas Zink

Robert Alan Rose

Robert S Parsons

Stanislaw Mocarski

Charles Oliver Mchugh

Russell A Chernenkoff

Brett J Schaefer

A bunion correction device is disclosed which secures a plate to a metatarsal head before an osteotomy is performed to allow for control of the metatarsal head during the bunion correction procedure. The device comprises a body component having two opposing portions positioned orthogonally to one another with a plurality of screw apertures positioned on both portions of the implant. Bone screws or fasteners are driven laterally through the apertures of the first portion into the metatarsal head, securing the first portion or base to the metatarsal head. An osteotomy is performed just proximal to the plate and the metatarsal head is translated to correct the bunion. Bone screws are then placed in the second portion apertures to fix the correction and provide compression of the osteotomy.

MIS bunion correction system

A method of preparing a patient's one leg, that is in need of treatment, for ambulation. The method includes the steps of: applying an external fixation assembly, having at least one external frame component, by pinning the at least one external frame component to at least one of the patient's bones in the patient's one leg so as to prepare the patient's one leg for healing; providing a foot assembly with a sole assembly defining a bearing surface and a connecting assembly; and operatively joining the foot assembly to the patient's one leg, whereby the patient can walk in a manner whereupon weight of the patient's body is applied by a patient's one foot, that is part of the user's one leg, to the sole assembly and therethrough to and against an underlying surface during ambulation.

Method of preparing a patient's leg in need of treatment, for ambulation

A method of making a structural iron-based article comprising: (a) blending a compressible base iron powder (max. particle size of 100 microns) a graphite powder to provide carbon in mixture, and a single master alloy powder (average particle size of 10 microns) meltable within the range of 900.degree.-1200.degree. C. (1690.degree.-2220 .degree.F.) to form a mixture, the master alloy powder being present in an amount of 1-5% by weight of the mixture and consisting of (i) hardenability enhancing alloying ingredients selected from Mn, Mo, Ni, Cr, Cu and Fe, with Fe being present only if Cr or Mo is selected and (ii) wetting agents selected from the group of B, Y, Si and rare earth misch metal, the master alloy being devoid of carbon and being proportioned to provide a desired amount of hardenability in the base powder; (b) compacting the mixture to a green density 7.1-7.4 g/cm.sup.3 to form a green part (c) machining the green part to a desired configuration if necessary; (d) sintering the green part to achieve liquification of the master alloy to densify the part to 7.3-7.5 g/cm.sup.3 without substantially varying the configuration of the green; and (e) cooling the sintered part at a controlled rate to form a desired microstructure such as essentially a bainite or ferrite/pearlite microstructure.

Liquid phase sintered powder metal articles

An iron or copper based metal powder useful for plasma deposition of a coating that has a dry coefficient of friction 0.75 or less and readily conducts heat through the coating. The powder comprises (a) H.sub.2 O atomized and annealed particles consisting essentially of (by weight) carbon 0.15-0.85%, oxygen 0.1-0.45%, an air hardening agent selected from manganese and nickel of 0.1-06.5%, and the remainder iron or copper, with at least 90% of the particles having oxygen and iron or copper combined in the lowest atomic oxygen form for an oxide of such metal. A method of making anti-friction iron powder that is economical, selectively produces FeO and promotes fine flowable particles. The method comprises (a) steam atomization of a molten steel that excludes other oxygen, the steel containing carbon up to 0.4% by weight to produce a collection of comminuted particles, and (b) annealing the particles in an air atmosphere for a period of time of 0.25-2.0 hours in a temperature range of 800.degree.-1400.degree. F. to reduce carbon in the particles to about 0.2% or sponge iron by reducing Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4 or Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 in CO and (H.sub.2 O steam) to attain nearly all iron with nearly all FeO and 0.1.degree. to 0.85.degree. C.

Low energy level powder for plasma deposition having solid lubricant

An iron or copper based metal powder useful for plasma deposition of a coating that has a dry coefficient of friction 0.75 or less and readily conducts heat through the coating. The powder comprises (a) H.sub.2 O atomized and annealed particles consisting essentially of (by weight) carbon 0.15-0.85%, oxygen 0.1-0.45%, an air hardening agent selected from manganese and nickel of 0.1-6.5%, and the remainder iron or copper, with at least 90% of the particles having oxygen and iron or copper combined in the lowest atomic oxygen form for an oxide of such metal. A method of making anti-friction iron powder that is economical, selectively produces FeO and promotes fine flowable particles. The method comprises (a) steam atomization of a molten steel that excludes other oxygen, the steel containing carbon up to 0.4% by weight to produce a collection of comminuted particles, and (b) annealing the particles in an air atmosphere for a period of time of 0.25-2.0 hours in a temperature range of 800.degree.-1400.degree. F. to reduce carbon in the particles to about 0.2% or sponge iron by reducing Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4 or Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 in CO and (H.sub.2 O steam) to attain nearly all iron with nearly all FeO and 0.1 to 0.85 C.

Low alloy steel powder for plasma deposition having solid lubricant

A method of making coated engine blocks by (a) casting a metallic engine block having one or more cylinder bores; (b) fabricating a thin walled liner for each bore, the liner being constituted of extruded metallic tubing having a cleansed inner surface, a wall thickness controlled to a thickness of 1-3 mm.+-.15 microns, the outer diameter of the liner being slightly greater than the internal diameter of the cylinder bores; (c) relatively rotating the liner with respect to one or more nozzles for applying a plurality of materials to the internal surface of the liner, the materials comprising first a metal texturing fluid that is applied at high pressures to expose fresh metal of the surface, secondly a bond coating material that is thermally sprayed to form a metallurgical bond with the liner internal surface, and a top coating of anti-friction material that is adheringly plasma sprayed to the bond coating; (d) honing the coated internal surface to remove up to 150 microns of top coating, leaving a finish surface that is concentric to the tube axis within .+-.15 microns; and (e) interference fitting the coated liner to the cylinder bore by freezing the liner while maintaining the block at or above ambient temperature to permit implanting of the liner.

Method of making an engine block using coated cylinder bore liners

An iron or copper based metal powder useful for plasma deposition of a coating that has a dry coefficient of friction 0.75 or less and readily conducts heat through the coating. The powder comprises (a) H.sub.2 O atomized and annealed particles consisting essentially of (by weight) carbon 0.15-85%, oxygen 0.1-0.45%, an air hardening agent selected from manganese and nickel of 0.1-6.5%, and the remainder iron or copper, with at least 90% of the particles having oxygen and iron or copper combined in the lowest atomic oxygen form for an oxide of such metal. A method of making anti-friction iron powder that is economical, selectively produces FeO and promotes fine flowable particles. The method comprises (a) steam atomization of a molten steel that excludes other oxygen, the steel containing carbon up to 0.4% by weight to produce a collection of comminuted particles, and (b) annealing the particles in an air atmosphere for a period of time of 0.25-2.0 hours in a temperature range of 800.degree.-1400.degree. F. to reduce carbon in the particles to about 0.2% or sponge iron by reducing Fe.sub.3 O.sub.4 or Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 in CO and (H.sub.2 O steam) to attain nearly all iron with nearly all FeO and 0.1.degree. to 0.85.degree. C.

A method of preparing the surface of a conductive metal to be non-smooth and non-passivated for reception of thermal sprayed coatings. The method comprises melting and rapidly solidifying globules of the surface by electrical discharge by bring an electrode (anode) in close gap-sparking proximity to the surface, filling the gap with an electrolyte containing a halogenated hydrocarbon fluid present in an amount of 2-5% of the electrolyte, and imposing a pulsed DC voltage (i.e. 20-100 volts at 40-200 amps) on the electrode to provide cyclical sparking between the electrode and the surface through the electrolyte resulting in a breakdown of the hydrocarbon to release nascent halogen atoms which attack the surface to prevent passivation during melting and solidification of the globules. The electrolyte is preferably cooled to a temperature below 65.degree. F. during the sparking, and the halogenated hydrocarbon is preferably present in a sufficient amount to attack silicon and aluminum, if such surface is an aluminum alloy containing silicon.

Using electrical discharge surface preparation for thermal coatings

A collection of agglomerated anti-friction grains for plasma deposition, the grains each consisting essentially of (a) H.sub.2 O atomized stainless steel particles, (b) solid lubricant particles consisting of at least one of boron nitride or a eutectic of calcium fluoride and lithium fluoride, and (c) a binder holding said steel and solid lubricant particles together for plasma spraying, said binder being present in an amount of 0.5-4.0% by weight and is vaporizable at the temperature of plasma spraying and does not interfere with the deposited process.

Agglomerated anti-friction granules for plasma deposition

A piston and ring assembly operative within a cylindrical bore wall to retain fluid to one side. The piston has a side wall for movement along the cylindrical wall and has one or more spaced grooves in the side wall, each groove defining a pair of interior groove surfaces spaced apart a uniform distance; at least one sealing element presenting a pair of opposed surfaces operating between and along the pair of groove surfaces, the sealing element being capable of engaging the cylindrical wall, the spacing between the opposed surfaces of the sealing element and the pair of interior surfaces of the groove being no greater than ten microns; and a solid film lubricant mixture coating the groove surfaces and the opposed surfaces of the sealing element, whereby surface adhesion of the fluid, present in the spacing, inhibiting migration of such fluid through the spacing and flutter of the sealing element, in said spacing, being essentially eliminated.

Flutter free piston ring assembly

Apparatus for fracturing a powder metal bearing support having stress risers to initiate cracking along a cracking plane. The apparatus has (a) a fixture assembly for holding one internal side of the bearing stationary, and (b) structure for fracturingly pulling a second internal side of the bearing away from the one internal side along a track in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cracking plane.

Making a fractured powder metal connecting rod

A method of flexibly manufacturing engine blocks by first bonding an extruded tube liner insert, of a given thickness (1-15 mm), to a fixed configuration block, the liner insert having been coated with an anti-friction wear-resistant coating having a controlled standard thickness, and secondly bonding an extruded tube liner insert of a different thickness (again selected from 1-15 mm) to another of the fixed configuration blocks, the second liner insert having been coated with the same type of anti-friction wear-resistant coating in essentially the same controlled standard thickness. The common sized engine block can have (i) identically shaped circular cylindrical bore walls or (ii) ovoid cylindrical bore walls with the liner insert having an interior surface shape selection varying between circular to ovoid. The block and liner insert may be both made of aluminum. To promote wear-resistant and lubricant qualities, the coating may contain a mixture of hard particles (such as stainless steel, nickel, chromium or vanadium) and solid lubricant particles such as oxides of iron having controlled oxygen, BN, LiF, NaF.sub.2 or a eutectic of LiF/NaF.sub.2.

Flexibly making engine block assemblies

A piston and ring assembly operative within a cylindrical bore wall to retain pressurized fluid to one side of the assembly, the piston having a crown and an annular side wall for movement along the bore wall. The assembly comprises a piston having at least on annular groove (the groove having an enlarged height of at least 4 mm) in the side wall of the piston; at least two split compression rings in each such groove effective to each substantially annularly engage the bore wall, the rings having mating superimposed surfaces to facilitate movement of the rings in unison as a result of friction therebetween; a compressed elastomeric ring (constituted of polysilanes, such as silastic with strengtheners) disposed in said groove (having a compression of 10-20% at room temperature), acting between the piston and ring most-remote from said piston crown, to resiliently bias at least the most-remote-ring against the bore wall; a solid film lubricant coating essentially all the sides of said groove; and non-mating surfaces of solid lubricant carried by the rings to effect reduced friction between said rings and groove when being biased by the elastomeric ring.

Ultra low device volume piston system

A method of making a connecting rod for attachment to a bearing journal by separation of parts of the connecting rod, including: (a) forging a powder metal sintered preform to provide a one-piece connecting rod having an annular wall defining a crank opening with a center axis and with stress risers for establishing a cracking plane that extends across said crank opening; (b) providing access for a compression coupling across the cracking plane; (c) while at ambient conditions, applying tension substantially uniformly across the cracking plane to propogate fracture from the stress risers along said cracking plane and thereby separate the connecting rod into a cap and body with cracked surfaces; and (d) remating the cap and body by applying a compression coupling through the access to draw said cap and body together under guidance and with metal yielding pressure to effect substantially an exact rematch of said cracked surfaces. Control of the diametrical clearance between the bolt shanks and the bolt openings, of the bolts used as the compression coupling, promotes guidance needed to achieve such rematch. The cracking is effected in an improved manner by use of continuous pulling apart of the rod in a direction perpendicular to the cracking plane.

A low-friction piston construction for use in an oil-fed cylinder bore with the piston skirt relieved to define lands that are coated with SFL (graphite, MoS.sub.2, BN, and a special expoxy resin). A method of making such piston construction including provision of asperities on the skirt wall onto which the SFL coating is thermally sprayed and formation of small pockets at the mouth of the asperities to additionally act as oil replenishing reservoirs. A method of using such piston construction in an engine which comprises provisions of a slightly increased gap between the piston and cylinder wall and formation of a transferred SFL coating from the piston to the cylinder wall resulting in two polished microsmooth mating coatings, each attractive to oil films.

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MI, United States of America

David A Yeager