Vickers, Inc.

Deco-grand, Inc.

Douglas G Snow

Robert C Hodges

Roy T Burgess

Leslie M Claar

Roy Taylor

Jerry L Wilson

Gregory P Campau

Ralph Romano

George C Farrar

The balanced vane hydraulic pump designed for automotive power steering applications employs a two-piece aluminum housing construction, a cam ring, rotor flow regulating valve, a high pressure gallery, and a pressure plate, all located in the rear housing section, and a set of needle bearings located in the front housing section for supporting the pump drive shaft from one end only. The pressure plate has a sculpted portion which communicates with the cam ring side of the pressure plate. The sculpted portion is a wishbone-shaped gallery and a low pressure area, recessed within the face of the pressure plate. The pressure plate also includes high pressure windows which deliver high pressure fluid from the cartridge to the high pressure gallery located within the rear portion of the pump housing. An important feature of the pressure plate is that it uses hydraulically balanced low pressure and high pressure passageways which are contoured to efficiently direct the moving fluid within the pump which aides in minimizing the loss of energy within the pump's passageways. The front housing member, rear housing member and also the pressure plate, all employ a common symmetrical wishbone-shaped gallery as a low pressure fluid passageway which causes balanced low pressure hydraulic fluid to be delivered to two pairs of two diametrically opposed inlet windows adjacent to the low pressure inlet sectors of the cam ring. In an alternative embodiment, a thrust plate is located in the front housing member and encompasses similar wishbone-type low pressure galleries.

Power steering pump with balanced porting

A balanced vane hydraulic pump designed for automotive power steering applications employs a multi-vane rotor and cam ring. The pump has a three-piece aluminum housing construction, with the flow regulating valve located in the rear housing section, the cam ring and rotor located in the center housing section, and a two bearing sets located in the front housing section for supporting the pump drive shaft from one end only. The rear housing section also preferably includes a semi-flexible inner wall which under high pressure conditions bows inwardly toward the cam ring, rotor and vanes, thereby helping to maintain operating clearances so as to relatively help control leakage under varying pump output pressures, even though separate pressure and thrust plates are not used. An important feature of the pump is the use of hydraulically balanced low pressure and high pressure passageways which are contoured to efficiently direct the moving fluid and to minimize energy loss within the pump passageways, which enhances speed capabilities. The low pressure fluid passageways are in particular balanced through the use of a generally symmetrical wishbone gallery in the center housing section which feeds low pressure hydraulic fluid to two pairs of two diametrically opposed inlet windows adjacent to the low pressure inlet sectors of the cam ring.

A bearing comprising a body of polymeric material and a reinforcing member embedded in the body and having a plurality of perforations throughout which are affixed in the reinforcing member. The polymeric material extends through the perforations. The bearing may have various configurations. The reinforcing member may comprise a thin metal sheet having perforations therein, a woven metal body defining the perforations, or adjacent woven metal bodies each having perforations. In one form, a backing member is adhered to on one side of said reinforcing member. Where a thin metal sheet is used, it has a roughened surface finish at the interface with the plastic body.

Power transmission

A variable speed pressure energy translating device including a plurality of axially extending pistons and associated cylinders and a yoke engaged by the pistons and pivoted on a transverse axis for varying the displacement thereof, and a housing having spaced saddle bearing seats. The yoke has spaced complementary saddle bearing engaging portions and an arcuate bearing is seated in each of said seats. Each bearing comprises an arcuate body of polymeric material and an arcuate reinforcing member embedded in the body and having a plurality of perforations throughout which are fixed in the reinforcing member with the polymeric material extending through said perforations.

Growing community of inventors

Walled Lake, MI, United States of America

Douglas G Snow