Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Frederick E Lederman

Albert D Johnston

Donald J King

John S Doller

Patrick M Griffin

Lorenzo Hood

A roller clutch case comprises two molded halves that snap fit into retention grooves on the cam race when inserted from opposite axial directions. The retention features of the cage halves that fit within the retention grooves are inherently stiff, and occupy most of the circumferential extent of the cage halves. Narrow grooves in the cage halves allow the entire structure to shrink inwardly and re expand, so as to allow the retention features to snap into the grooves in spite of their stiffness. In operation, high pressure oil injected between the cage halves pushes the cage halves axially outwardly, but the cage halves are securely retained by the stiff retention features. The oils is substantially trapped between the cage halves by the biasing of the same retention features into the sides of the retention grooves, with only the relatively narrow grooves providing any leak points. Close clearance cross bars in the cage halves help prevent oil migrating to the grooves.

Moldable plastic roller clutch cage with improved concentricity control,

An accordion type roller clutch energizing spring has a specially designed mounting fold which, when pressed radially down and over a flat faced radial cage cross bar, is retained to the cross bar with improved stability. The front and rear leaves of the mounting fold of the spring have a free state separation equal to the basic thickness of the cage cross bar. However, the rear leaf of the spring mounting fold is stamped with an integral bump or the like, which engages the rear face of the cross bar to spread the two leaves apart, creating extra tension in the mounting fold. The front leaf of the mounting fold is thereby kept snug and flat to the front face of the cage cross bar at all times.

Roller clutch with secure spring to cage mount

A roller clutch cage includes two mirror image sections that press fit together to create a series of roller pockets with full profile side rails that fit closely between the races, filling up essentially the entire radial space between the races. The side rails and cross bars that form the pockets are radially solid and uninterrupted, providing full load support between the races. Each cage section is designed to be by pass molded, with slots in the cross bars that also give the cage both contractive and expansive flexibility. The cage flexibility allows it to be installed easily, and also allows it to conform better to and between the races during clutch operation. While the radially uninterrupted and complete side rails retain lubricant around the rollers more completely, the slots allow it to drain in a controlled manner.

Moldable roller clutch cage with full support pockets

A simplified method of manufacturing and assembling a unitized seal uses only three basic components, and no steps involving direct molding of elastomer to casings, or gluing or otherwise securing elastomer to the casings. Two simple, inner and outer casings have axially opposed, radially overlapping annular webs, and radially opposed, oppositely axially extending seal walls. An integral seal unit has coplanar, inner and outer disks joined at a frangible central seam. Each disk has a pair of converging seal lips disposed symmetrically to either sid of a respective seal wall. When the unit is squeezed axially between the casings during assembly, the seal walls enter between the seal lips, bottom out on the disks, break the seam, and embed the disks automatically into the casings, with no other assembly steps needed.

Method of manufacturing a unitized seal

A wheel spindle and bearing assembly for either a non-drive or driven wheel of a vehicle includes a unitary spindle of substantially constant diameter along the bearing section which includes dual raceways formed in the outer surface. Dual annular arrays of antifriction elements are seated in the raceways and are held captive by dual outer support rings, thus providing relative rotation between the spindle and the rings. The support rings are preferably mounted for telescoping movement relative to each other between a retracted position in the direction of the axis of the spindle to allow loading of the antifriction elements and an axially extended position for applying an opposed, axial preload force to the bearing assembly. In the axially extended position the rings form a gap between opposed faces and a split, annular keeper is positioned in the gap and held in compression to secure the entire assembly. The cross section area of the keeper is slightly larger than the gap to establish the preload force.

Wheel bearing assembly with dual telescoping outer rings and improved

A seal assembly for a wheel spindle bearing is provided for use between its two relatively rotatable coaxial parts, and thus to seal the bearing chamber. The seal assembly includes an inner and outer annular casing, with at least one of the casings including a contact land. An annular sealing disk forms an extended area slip sealing interface against the contact land. The sealing disk is cross sectionally flat or L-shaped, and is urged into sealing contact with the contact land by an annular elastomeric spring defining a channel in cross section. The channel of the spring is formed by inner and outer axially extending resilient rings. The seal assembly can also include a second annular sealing disk that is urged into cooperating sealing contact with a second contact land.

Floating disk seal assembly

A seal assembly for a vehicle wheel assembly is provided for use between its two relatively rotatable, coaxial parts to seal the inner bearing chamber. The seal assembly includes a pair of nested casings forming an S-shaped recess in cross section defining inner and outer annular C-shaped concavities. Each casing has a peripheral seal extending radially from a peripheral edge and flexing against the inside sealing surface of the opposite casing to form a seal interface along the circular line of contact. Inner and outer annular floating wafer seals are disposed within the recess formed by the two casings and are pressed against the adjacent sealing surface within their respective concavities. The opposite edges of each independent wafer seal form additional seal interfaces making six total. Each wafer seal is self centering within its respective concavity.

Rotary seal assembly

A seal assembly for a vehicle wheel assembly is provided for use between its two relatively rotatable coaxial parts, to seal the bearing chamber. The seal assembly includes a pair of nested casings forming a C-shaped recess in cross section. An annular wafer seal is disposed within the recess and pressed firmly against the adjacent sealing surface by inside and outside frustoconical springs. The inner and outer peripheral edges of the wafer seal form two seal interfaces along circular lines of contact. In addition, the center ring section of the wafer seal is attached by adhesive to a generally flat, annular face of one of the casings. In accordance with the method of assembly/installation, the springs are first installed and retained on the casing to which the seal is attached, thereby urging the peripheral edges of the wafer seal away from it. The casings are then pressed together, flexing the peripheral edges in the opposite direction and forming the circular lines of contact for sealing.

Rotary spring loaded seal assembly

A combined steering knuckle and wheel ball bearing assembly has a double row, externally convergent design with a pair of separate, outer bearing races and inner pathways integrally ground into a rotating spindle. The outer races are assembled to the steering knuckle in such a way as to create a hub that is effectively integrated to the knuckle, but without requiring a complexly shaped knuckle. The knuckle has a central opening defined by a simple cylindrical edge and two bordering annular faces, all of which have clear access to be accurately machined. With the spindle, one ball row and one outer race in place, the other outer race can slide into the knuckle far enough to create a large enough radial clearance to load in the other ball row. Then, the remaining outer race is pulled back and locked in place by C shaped rings pressed between it and one face of the knuckle.

Combined vehicle suspension and wheel bearing with improved manufacture

A design for a plastic bearing ball separator is moldable by a true, axial draw technique, which provides no resistance to mold parting, but which also provides complete, gripping ball pockets without limiting the degree to which the ball row can be closely packed. Each ball is gripped between a pair of hook shaped fingers which have ball contact zones facing in one direction, and a ball seat between them that faces in the opposite direction. The ball contact zones touch one side of the ball, and since the fingers wrap around the ball in such a way as to miss the centers of the balls, the ball packing or spacing is not restricted. The ball seats touch the other side of the balls, and have no circumferential overlap with the ball contact zones, so the cage may be molded by molds that form the oppositely axially facing surfaces without conflict, and without restriction as the molds are parted. Axially running notches bordering the ball seats allow the ball seats to have some radial overlap with the pair of ball contact zones that they face, so the ball is securely gripped.

Close packed plastic bearing ball separator

An end cap for sealing one side of the bearing space of a non powered vehicle wheel bearing having an inner spindle and a surrounding, outer hub. The outermost perimeter of the cap is securely latched to the outer surface of the edge of the hub. A concave channel molded integrally to the cap fits snugly inside the inner surface of the hub and has a base wall that is not square to the hub axis, but sloped slightly in a radially outward, axially inward orientation. The center cup section of the cap forms the inner wall of the concave channel. Inward pressure on the cap causes the base wall to flatten and the cylindrical wall to tend to diverge, tightening it seal against the inner surface of the hub. Outward pressure creates the opposite effect, as the cylindrical sealing wall converges and allows pressure to leak out, despite the lack of discrete venting openings.

Self tightening venting end cap for vehicle wheel bearing

An improved overrunning clutch roller energizing spring of the type that has a series of flat leaves forming V's with energy storing folds or pleats at the peak of each V. The front and rear leaves of the spring each have an integrally formed end loop with a diameter greater than the height beyond which the spring should not be compressed. The loop diameter is less than the space differential available between the spring pleats and the side rails. When the spring compresses back toward the roller pocket base, the loops hit on each side of the spring, preventing the spring from compressing further than its solid height. The end loops do not hit or rub on the spring pleats, and prevent the spring pleats from rubbing on the pocket side rails.

Overrunning roller clutch with improved self protecting spring

A unitized seal incorporates two nested steel casing, a PTFE disk with two edges in sealing contact with one casing, and an elastomer seal with two lips in sealing contact with the back of the PTFE disk. The PTFE disk provides two primary, low friction sealing barriers. The elastomer seal provides two additional barriers, which comply more readily than the edges of the stiffer PTFE disk to radial eccentricity and axial run out. The elastomer seal lips run with reduced friction because of the fact that they contact the PTFE disk.

Low friction unitized seal

A unitized seal uses two casings and two attached disks of sealing material to provide four total lines of sealing contact. The casings have interleaved, axially and radially overlapping walls, the inner two of which carry the sealing disks. Radial overlap between the sealing disks, which flex easily past one another as the casings are assembled together, prevents casing pull apart during shipping and handling.

Unitized seal with extra sealing contact and method of making

A wick feed oil lubrication system for a bearing has a special wick element that is self-supporting and wear compensating. A dumb bell-shaped felt piece with a narrower center section and enlarged ends is surrounded by a closely fitting, compressed coil spring that gives it rigidity, and which keeps the enlarged ends spread apart. When installed, the wick element and supporting spring are compressed between the bearing spindle and bottom wall of the oil reservoir, running through a loosely fitting passage in the surrounding hub. Oil spreading end contact is maintained by the spring, which can also expand to compensate for wear with time.

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Sandusky, OH, United States of America

Frederick E Lederman