Dyneer Corporation

Aspro, Incorporated

Derald H Kraft

Richard C St John

Daniel M Rinaldo

Gary L Hitchcock

William S Wagner

A sheet steel poly-V-grooved pulley having a special cross-sectional contour is made optionally by any one of three different cold working manufacturing procedures. Special physical properties or characteristics are developed in the pulley by the manner in which the metal in the V-groove body and single and double walled terminal flanges are cold worked. The cold working involves forming in stages of manufacturing from a cup-shaped blank to the finished pulley product a stepped inner body wall surface equivalent to a tapered surface with improved substantially uniform torque transmitting strength in the grooved body from web wall to open end. Also involved in the cold working is an increase in pulley diameter in certain portions of the finished pulley and a decrease in diameter in other portions from the diameter of the side wall of the cup shaped starting blank.

Manufacture of poly-V sheet metal pulleys and product

A hydraulic tensioning arrangement for an endless drive belt for a vehicle accessories drive system. The vehicle alternator is pivotally mounted on the engine and is driven by a pulley which is drivingly engaged with the drive belt. A hydraulically actuated piston is mounted in a generally fixed position on the engine closely adjacent to the alternator and is operatively connected to the alternator for pivotally moving it to a belt tensioning position. Hydraulic fluid is supplied to the piston cylinder from the vehicle's power steering fluid supply. A ratchet bar is mounted on the piston cylinder and is slidably engaged in a guide bracket mounted on the alternator. A spring-biased pawl is mounted on the guide bracket and is engageable with a series of teeth formed on the extended end of the ratchet bar. The pawl-teeth engagement prevents movement of the alternator away from the belt tensioning position during a decrease in hydraulic fluid or pressure in the piston cylinder to mechanically maintain a constant predetermined belt tensioning force on the belt at all times without the use of springs.

Arrangement for tensioning the drive belt for vehicle accessories

A gap-framed type press has a horizontal bed which holds a lower die that cooperates with an upper die mounted on a vertically reciprocally movable ram to perform a metal-working operation therebetween. Hydraulic cylinders are operatively engaged with the ram for moving the die members into and out of engagement. The ram is movably mounted on a pair of spaced vertical side plates which are bolted to the press bed. The bed is supported on a pair of side frame members by a pair of spaced spherical bearings. The side frame members extend parallel with and closely adjacent to the ram-carrying side plates and are connected to the side plates by a sliding connection. The elastic bending and deformation forces which are applied to the press frame during each operation are transmitted between the side frame members and side plates through their sliding connection and between the bed and side frame members by the spherical bearings. The side frame members, side plates, ram and press bed will rotate about a horizontal axis extending between the center points of the spaced spherical bearings to maintain the upper and lower dies in parallel.

Press construction

A hydraulic tensioning device for maintaining a predetermined amount of tensioning force on an endless drive belt of a vehicle accessories drive system. A housing is mounted in a fixed position on the engine in close proximity to the drive belt. A shaft is movably mounted within the housing by an elastomer block which biases the shaft in a belt tensioning rotational direction. A lever extends outwardly from the housing and is integrally connected to the shaft for pivotal movement upon rotation of the shaft. An expandable bladder or actuator is mounted in the housing and is engageable with the shaft and pivots the rotor and lever toward a belt tensioning direction when the bladder is expanded by hydraulic fluid. A hydraulic fluid supply and pump assembly supplies fluid under pressure to inflate the bladder. An idler pulley drivingly engages the fluid pump and is driven by the endless drive belt for actuating the pump. The elastomer block applies a pretensioning force on the drive belt with the hydraulically inflatable bladder supplying the major portion of the tensioning force when the vehicle engine is running. In one form of the invention, the fluid supply and pump assembly is mounted in the housing and the lever either moves a pivotally mounted vehicle accessory or moves an idler pulley into belt engagement to tension the belt. In another embodiment, the fluid supply and pump assembly is mounted on the extended end of the lever in engagement with an idler pulley which both tensions the belt and drives the fluid pump with the elastomer block, bladder and shaft being mounted in a fixed position on the engine.

Hydraulic belt tensioner construction

Apparatus for forming a sheet metal pulley from a cup-shaped blank in a single hydraulic forming operation. A pair of die holding members supports a plurality of groove-forming inner dies and is movably mounted on a base for horizontal reciprocal movement between open and closed die positions for capturing a pulley-forming blank therebetween. Tapered pins extend vertically through aligned openings formed in overlapping shelf members of the die holding members to wedgingly clamp the dies toward each other and to lock them in a horizontally closed position. A ram plate is mounted on a plurality of vertical posts for reciprocal vertical movement with respect to the captured blank. The ram plate has a top die which exerts axial pressure on the hub portion of the blank during the hydraulic bulging of the blank side wall by a confined fluid within the blank in cooperation with the groove-forming inner dies. A plurality of pistons mounted on the vertical ram plate cammingly engage mating surfaces provided on the posts and adjacent cam shafts to mechanically lock the ram plate die in a vertically closed position. A burst of high pressure is applied to the trapped, partially formed pulley to final form the pulley by setting the metal of the pulley against the inner dies by exceeding the elastic limit of the metal, eliminating springback after the pulley is removed from the dies. Certain of the groove-forming inner dies are movable vertically independently of the top ram plate and hub die by hydraulic pistons to permit variation in the groove-forming sequence during the pulley forming procedure.

Apparatus for hydraulically forming sheet metal pulleys

A tensioning device for maintaining a predetermined amount of tensioning force on an endless drive belt for a vehicle accessories drive system. A housing is mounted in a fixed position on the vehicle engine adjacent the drive belt. A lever is pivotally mounted on a shaft which is located within the housing and extends generally radially outwardly from the housing and is adapted to move in a belt tensioning direction. A first pair of cylindrical, torsional coil springs is telescopically mounted on the shaft, with the springs being located one on each side of the lever. A second pair of cylindrical, torsional coil springs is telescopically concentrically mounted on the shaft and surrounds the first spring pair. One end of each spring is attached to the housing with the other spring ends being attached to the lever. The spring pairs are placed in torsion and bias the lever in the belt tensioning direction. An idler pulley is mounted on the end of the lever and is moved into tensioning engagement with the drive belt by the torsion springs, or alternately one of the vehicle accessories is mounted on the end of the lever for tensioning the drive belt which is engaged by the accessory pulley. The tensioner construction enables a large tensioning force to be obtained from a relatively small, compact, simple spring arrangement by using three or more torsional springs.

Mechanical belt tensioner construction

A hydraulic tensioning device and arrangement which maintains a predetermined amount of tensioning force on an endless drive belt of the vehicle accessories drive system. A hydraulically actuated piston applies a predetermined force to one of the vehicle accessories which is pivotally mounted with respect to the engine to tension the drive belt which is drivingly connected to this vehicle accessory. A self-contained hydraulic fluid supply and pump assembly is mounted in a fixed position on the vehicle engine and has a fluid pressure line connected to the piston for hydraulic actuation of the piston. An idler pulley is rotatably mounted on the fluid supply and pump assembly and is engaged with and driven by the drive belt for actuating the pump to supply hydraulic fluid from the fluid supply to the piston. A coil spring mounted within the piston cylinder applies a portion of the tensioning force on the belt tensioning accessory with the major portion of the tensioning force being applied hydraulically. Check valves regulate the amount of hydraulic force which is applied to the piston and ultimately to the belt by controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the piston.

A hydraulic tensioning device for maintaining a predetermined amount of tensioning force on an endless drive belt for the vehicle accessories drive system. A self-contained hydraulic fluid supply and pump assembly is mounted on the swinging end of a pivotally mounted lever and is moved toward the drive belt by a hydraulically actuated piston which is mounted in a fixed position on the engine. An idler pulley is rotatably mounted on the fluid supply and pump assembly and is engaged with and driven by the drive belt. The drive belt rotates the idler pulley which hydraulically actuates the piston by driving the pump which supplies hydraulic fluid to the piston from the fluid supply. The piston pivots the lever toward the belt whereupon the idler pulley engages the belt and exerts the desired tensioning force on the belt. Check valves in the pump assembly regulate the amount of hydraulic force applied to the piston and ultimately to the belt. A partition member is slidably mounted within the piston cylinder and compensates for small oil leaks in the piston by reducing the effective volume of the cylinder chamber to maintain a constant tensioning force on the belt tensioning lever when the engine is shut off.

A hydraulic tensioning device for maintaining a predetermined amount of tensioning force on an endless drive belt for the vehicle accessories drive system. A hydraulic cylinder is adapted to be mounted in a fixed position with respect to the vehicle engine and is operatively connected to the low-pressure hydraulic fluid system of the engine. A bellcrank mechanism is pivotally mounted on the cylinder and has a belt-engaging idler pulley rotatably mounted on an extended end of one of the levers. The other lever is operatively engaged by the cylinder piston which moves the idler pulley into tensioning engagement with the drive belt. The cylinder has a plurality of discs mounted in a spaced relationship on the piston rod for imparting movement to the rod when acted upon by hydraulic fluid. Each disc forms a movable forward wall of a separate hydraulic subchamber located within the cylinder. A hollow bore is formed in the rear portion of the piston rod to provide a fluid passage between the spaced subchambers. The discs and associated subchambers enable a sufficiently large force to be exerted on the piston rod for actuation of the bellcrank from the low pressure of the engine lubricating system. A check valve is provided in the incoming hydraulic fluid passage of the cylinder and keeps those portions of each cylinder subchambers which are located behind the piston discs filled with hydraulic fluid to maintain a constant predetermined tensioning force on the belt without regard to the operating condition of the engine, and to provide a shock-absorbing damping action for the idler pulley.

A belt tensioner for an endless drive belt for vehicle accessories has a shaft which is mounted in a fixed position adjacent the belt. A lever is pivotally mounted on the shaft and has an idler pulley rotatably mounted on an extended end of the lever. The pulley is movable into tensioning engagement with the belt by rotation of the lever. A first cam plate is slidably mounted on the shaft and is engaged with a second cam plate which is attached to the lever for rotation with the lever. The cam plates each have a plurality of a series of camming surfaces which are mutually engageable with the opposite cam plate surfaces. A plurality of spring discs are telescopically mounted on the shaft and bias the first camming block into engagement with the second block applying a rotational force on the lever to move the pulley into tensioning engagement with the drive belt. A hub is adjustably mounted on the shaft and is in abutting engagement with the springs to adjust the amount of camming force exerted on the lever, and correspondingly, on the belt by the idler pulley.

Belt tensioner construction

A method of making a dynamically balanced V-grooved sheet metal pulley from a flat sheet metal disc by roller spinning and splitting tools. The disc is provided with a central hole for mounting the disc on rotating die means between first headstock and tailstock die form assemblies of a spinning machine. The spinning tool presses the disc against an end of a headstock die form and moves generally radially outwardly pressing a portion of the die against the end of the die to provide a circular hub wall. The spinning tool then moves in a series of passes along the headstock die form thereby rolling, forming and ironing the rotating outer metal portions of the disc against the die and forming an axially extending cylindrical side wall terminating in a radially outwardly extending annular flange of a cup-shaped stage blank. The flange then is trimmed to a predetermined length and to form a peripheral axially extending edge on the flange. The cup-shaped blank then is transferred to and clamped between second headstock and tailstock die form assemblies. The clamped cup-shaped blank is rotated and splitting roll means splits the peripheral edge of the annular flange by exerting radial pressure thereon to form a rough V-shaped groove in the flange. Finishing roll means then move radially into the rough V-shaped groove and forms a finished V-shaped pulley groove. Alternately, the spinning tool may thin the metal in the cylindrical side wall during the forming of the cup-shaped stage blank, whereby the finished pulley has a thicker reinforced circular end wall for receiving a hub than the thinned cylindrical side wall.

Spun V-grooved sheet metal pulley with thick hub wall integral with thin

A sintered pulley hub construction for mounting on a bottom wall of a sheet metal pulley cup. A pair of tubular members is pressure formed in a green compact state from a metal powder mixture. One of the members has a cylindrical body which terminates at one end in an outwardly extending annular flange which forms a hub pulling flange. The other member has an interior annular cavity formed in one end and a radially outwardly extending annular flange formed on the other end. The cylindrical body of the one member is telescopically received within the annular cavity of the other member. The members are joined by sintering to form an integral homogeneous body. The outer surface of the other member has a cylindrical portion extending axially between the radial end flange and an annular shoulder for receiving an axially extending flange of a pulley cup, with the shoulder providing a zone for welding the pulley cup to the hub. The method of forming the improved hub includes the steps of separately pressure-forming each of the tubular members in a green compact state in a pair of molds. Then a cylindrical end portion formed on one of the tubular members is telescopically mounted within an annular interior cavity formed in one end of the other tubular member. The joined members then are sintered in a furnace and the green compacted members cohere to each other and form an integral homogeneous member.

Method of making a sintered pulley hub construction

A method of making a dynamically balanced integral clutch housing and bearing assembly from a flat sheet metal disc by a roller spinning tool. A bearing and the metal disc is mounted on rotating die means between headstock and tailstock die form assemblies of a spinning machine. The spinning tool presses the disc against an end of the bearing to provide a bottom web wall of a cup-shaped bearing housing. The spinning tool then moves in a series of passes along the bearing outer race and along the headstock die form thereby rolling, forming and ironing rotating outer metal portions of the disc against the bearing and die, and forming an annular circumferential flange wall of the bearing housing which terminates in an annular shoulder. The bearing is telescopically mounted and retained within the bearing housing by the side and web walls and retaining shoulder. The spinning tool continues to pressure work outer portions of the metal disc and forms a larger cup-shaped clutch housing extending from and integrally connected to the annular retaining shoulder. A pulley then is secured to the bearing housing side wall by roller spinning metal from the side wall to form a pair of annular bead formations locking the pulley in position. The clutch housing and bearing assembly produced has a cup-shaped bearing housing with a cylindrical side wall terminating in an end web wall and an annular retaining shoulder. A bearing is telescopically mounted within the bearing housing and retained therein by the side wall, web wall and annular shoulder. A larger cup-shaped clutch housing has a cup wall integrally connected to the annular shoulder of the bearing housing, with the cup wall terminating in an annular flange adapted to be engaged by friction shoes of a clutch mechanism.

Clutch housing and bearing assembly and method of making the same

A method of making a dynamically balanced cup-shaped blank for use in the production of a V-grooved pulley from a flat sheet metal disc by flow forming the metal with an improved metal spinning roller construction. The disc is mounted on rotating die means between headstock and tailstock die forming assemblies of a spinning machine. A first spinning roller pressure shear forms and thins an intermediate annular portion of the disc along a conical surface of the headstock die to form a conical wall of the cup-shaped blank, with an unworked outer annular portion of the disc extending outwardly of the conical wall. A plurality of the improved rollers are moved axially along and parallel with the headstock die means in a single pass. Outer curved front end surfaces of the rollers lay the outer unworked annular portion of the disc along a cylindrical surface of the headstock die form without materially reducing the metal thickness to rough form a cylindrical wall of the cup-shaped blank. This cylindrical cup wall then is immediately thinned and elongated along the cylindrical surface of the headstock die by a first metal deformation zone formed on each of the rollers. The depressed metal is permitted to expand slightly into a relief zone formed on each of the rollers immediately rearwardly of the first metal deformation zone. This expanded metal is immediately thinned further by a second metal deformation zone formed on each of the rollers. The metal then is immediately burnished and again expanded slightly outwardly to facilitate its removal from the headstock die by a second metal relief zone or burnishing surface formed on the rear of the rollers. The improved roller has a front face and a curved surface extending rearwardly axially therefrom. A first conical surface extends rearwardly outwardly from the curved front surface forming a first metal deformation zone joined immediately integrally with the curved surface. A rearwardly inwardly extending first metal expansion zone forms a first corner at the junction with the first metal deformation zone, with the corner having a radius greater than any radius of a point of the curved front surface. A second conical surface extends rearwardly outwardly from the first expansion zone forming a second metal deformation zone. A rearwardly inwardly extending second metal expansion zone forms a second corner with the second conical surface, with the second corner having a radius measured from the axis of the roller greater than the radius of the first corner.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, OH, United States of America

Derald H Kraft