Benteler Industries, Inc.

Other

Benteler Automotive Corporation

Gary L Wells

James A Alberda

Clarke E Alatalo

James L Floyd

Donald R Rigsby

James R Dehlinger

Lance Mews

Mark W Bekkering

David W Brown

Charles A Buthala

Garth A Souter

A dual wall, air gap exhaust manifold with an integral inlet connecting flange defining an elongated, internal, air injection passageway enclosed by a configurated, convexly bulging cover plate welded over an elongated corner of the flange to form the elongated passageway, the configurated plate being welded over a series of short channels which extend between the elongated passageway and the manifold inlet openings. The elongated passageway has an air inlet connector.

Exhaust air rail manifold

The specification discloses a vehicle twist beam axle subassembly incorporating a twist beam axle of generally V-shaped cross section formed of two legs which diverge away from the integral bight thereof, the ends of the legs being curled back into elongated generally circular loops weldably bonded to the legs, and the loops having flattened portions to be tuned to a predetermined torsional resistance.

Twist beam axle

A torsion-bar-free, unitary, twist beam axle having stress transition character capable of handling both vehicle suspension bending loads and torsion loads without a separate torsion bar, comprising a one-piece, integral twist beam elongated in the direction of its axis, and having a pair of legs elongated in the direction of the axis and extending transverse to the axle axis to outer distal ends, the legs each having an elongated portion looped back upon itself into elongated, peripherally closed loops at said outer distal ends to form a pair of closed loops spaced from and generally parallel to each other, the axle having a central portion, and a pair of mounting ends for attachment to vehicle trailing arms, and a pair of stress transition members extending respectively from the mounting ends toward the central portion and located substantially between the closed loops, these members having a pair of spaced walls connected by a bight and with sufficient resistance to flexing movement toward each other to limit movement by the loops toward each other and to limit loop movement in opposite axial directions along the axis, under torsional stress applied to the axle. The ends of these walls are shown to curve under the loops for weldment thereto. The stress transition members taper in height along their length, from the highest height at the inner ends thereof.

Stress equalizing transition twist beam axle

A method and apparatus capable of forming a dual tube conduit having a predetermined outer tube dimension, a predetermined inner tube dimension, and a predetermined gap between the tubes. A dual tube workpiece may be initially bent in one or more zones to a desired nonlinear configuration, the inner and outer tubes are hydroform expanded simultaneously to obtain the selected inner tube dimension, and the outer tube is then hydroform expanded to the desired outer tube dimension and to the desired gap therebetween, while the inner tube is held constant.

Multi-stage dual wall hydroforming

A method of forming a dual tube conduit having a predetermined outer tube dimension, a predetermined inner tube dimension, and a predetermined gap between the tubes. A dual tube workpiece may be initially bent in one or more zones to a desired nonlinear configuration, the inner and outer tubes are hydroform expanded simultaneously to obtain the selected inner tube dimension, and the outer tube is then hydroform expanded to the desired outer tube dimension and to the desired gap therebetween, while the inner tube is held constant.

Tuned twist beam axle

An engine exhaust conduit sealed joint having controlled axial expansion between two telescopically interfitted ducts with a slide seal therebetween, and the ducts held by first and second clamp connectors, one of the ducts having an annular shoulder and one of the clamp connectors being hat-shaped to extend axially on both sides of this shoulder with an annular stop surface to engage the annular shoulder. The seal has an arcuate cross section in engagement with the outer periphery of the one duct, and having a pair of opposite, annular, diagonal surfaces, one of which is engaged by the one clamp connector and the other of which is engaged by a flared end of the other duct which in turn is engaged by the other clamp connector.

Growing community of inventors

Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America

Gary L Wells