Means Industries, Inc.

Other

David W Shaw

Stephen M Ruth

Gary B Scott

Jeffrey J Prout

Robert J Shortland

Alan C Handermann

Frank J Land

William R Bryant

Mark A Willett

William P Cochran

A diecast pocket plate or coupling member including a pocket with a machined surface layer or portion, a method for making the coupling member and an overrunning clutch assembly including the coupling member are provided. The member is formed as a unitary diecasting from a die-casting material in a die-casting process. The diecast member includes a coupling face having at least one pocket which is sized and shaped to receive and retain a locking member that moves in the pocket during an overrun condition of the assembly. The pocket is defined by a plurality of surface portions including an angled, slightly positive surface portion which is machined vertical or slightly negative to improve performance of the assembly during the overrun condition.

Diecast coupling member including a pocket having a machined surface portion, method for making the coupling member and clutch assembly including the coupling member

A diecast pocket plate or member having a sacrificial surface layer or portion is provided. The member is formed as a unitary die-casting from a die-casting alloy strengthened by an alloying material in a die-casting process. The diecast member includes a coupling face having a pocket which is sized and shaped to receive and nominally retain a locking member that moves in the pocket during an overrun condition of an engageable coupling assembly. The diecast member also includes a relatively hard base portion including particles of the strengthening alloying material of the die-casting alloy. The diecast member further includes a plurality of surface portions which define the pocket. At least one generally vertical surface portion of the surface portions is soft relative to the hard base portion and is substantially devoid of the particles of the alloying material so that the at least one generally vertical surface portion wears or deforms (i.e., is sacrificial) during contact of the locking member against the at least one generally vertical surface portion during the overrun condition.

Diecast coupling member for use in an engageable coupling assembly

Provided is a novel method of dyeing a corespun yarn which comprises an inorganic fiber core and at least a first sheath. The method comprises: (a) contacting the corespun yarn with a dye liquor; (b) heating the dye liquor to a dyeing temperature for a time effective to dye the yarn; (c) cooling the dye liquor at a controlled rate; and (d) rinsing the yarn with water or with a mixture comprising the dye liquor and water. The dyed corespun yarn has a strength retention of about 80% or more based on the undyed yarn. The methods in accordance with the invention allow for the formation of uniformly dyed, high strength corespun yarns. Also provided is a dyed, corespun yarn which can be made by the inventive method, a fabric formed from the corespun yarn, as well as a product upholstered with the fabric. The dyed yarns exhibit substantially no &ldquo;grin through&rdquo; and little to no yarn strength loss after dyeing.

Method of dyeing a corespun yarn and dyed corespun yarn

A hub for a torque-transmitting member comprising a planar clutch. The clutch includes a pocket plate and a notch plate located within the hub. One plate is integrated within the hub, such as by casting or molding, to form an integral assembly, the other plate being splined or otherwise secured to a shaft. The pocket plate has strut pockets disposed about the axis of the hub. The notch plate has recesses at angularly spaced positions about the axis. Struts pivotally anchored in the strut pockets engage the notch plate recesses to effect one-way torque transfer between the plates.

Overrunning coupling assembly and manufacturing method

A strut for mechanically coupling a driving member to a driven member in a planar one-way clutch is formed in a progressive die from a length of cold-formed metallic stock material such that the strut's diametrical member-engaging end surfaces are coextensive with a pair of cold-formed surfaces of the stock material. A pair of oppositely-projecting 'ears' are integrally formed on the strut proximate to one of its end surfaces at one station of the progressive die. The ears cooperate with a complementary recess or pocket formed in one member's planar clutch face to thereby nominally position and maintain the strut's first end surface within the pocket. A surface on each ear is preferably coined at another station of the progressive die to thereby provide a relief which prevents deleterious contact between the ears and the opposed clutch face of the other clutch member.

Strut for planar one-way clutch

A steering column assembly. The steering column assembly comprises an upper column member and a lower column member mounted to the upper column member such that the upper column member can move relative to the lower column member. A shock absorption assembly is interconnected between the upper column member and lower column member. The shock absorption assembly includes a piston member and a piston receiver, the piston receiver including absorbing material which, upon impact to the upper column member, is compressed by the piston member within the piston receiver and extruded from the piston receiver so as to absorb impact energy as the upper column member moves relative to the lower column member.

Growing community of inventors

Saginaw, MI, United States of America

David W Shaw