Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Szuba Consulting, Inc.

Value Extraction LLC

Ronjo Company

Ronjo LLC

Other

Ford Motor Company Limited

Joseph A Szuba

Alfred Balacan Victoria

Rodney G Whitbeck

Kenneth H Goff, Jr

Lawrence Jensen Budge

Christian Peter Schmitz

Brian M Nosakowski

Richard L Allor

David Robert Collins

Allen Roche

Dawn Roberta White

Ronald E Prater

John Michael Nicholson

Samir Samir

Robert D Kucinski

Chijoke Mgbokwere

Dennis Raymond Kolodziej

Philip P Chan

Kevin Patrick Regan

Helmut Arnold Wodrich

Michael A Cook

Henry Fradkin

Kenneth Paul Lewis

William Hale

Keith Hughes

Susan P Hayward

Daniel E Wikosz

Henry E Fradkin

Emilo A Tonello

A drive shaft assembly for a vehicle includes a first tubular member and a second tubular member that is received by the first tubular member defining a coaxial relationship. The first tubular member defines a plurality of protuberances with each of the protuberances defining a side wall and the second tubular member defines a plurality of apertures with each of the apertures defined by a flange circumscribing the aperture and extending radially inwardly of second tubular member. Each aperture receives a protuberance so that the protuberance abuts the sidewalls of the aperture affixing the first tubular member to said second tubular member in a substantially fixed circumferential orientation.

Collapsible shaft assembly with flanged slots

A method of forming a shaft for transferring force from a driving element to a driven element makes use of a tube. The tube is deformed to define distal ends of said shaft. At least one of the distal ends of the tube is trimmed to define a yoke for engaging one of the driving element or the driven element, with the yoke being integrally formed with the shaft.

Method of forming integrated drive shaft and yoke

A method of forming a joint for interconnecting adjacent elements comprises providing a first element defining at least one aperture extending from a first edge to a second edge through a thickness of the first element. The method further comprises mating a second element to the first element with the second element overlaying the at least one aperture of the first element at the second edge thereof such that the second element extends through the at least one aperture perpendicular to the first element with an excess portion of the second element extending beyond the first edge of the first element. Finally, the method comprises compressing the excess portion of the second element such that the second element is continuous across the at least one aperture and adjacent the first and second edges of the first element, thereby interlocking the first and second elements and forming the joint.

Method of forming joint for interconnecting adjacent elements and joint formed thereby

A method of manufacturing an impeller and turbine assembly of a transmission includes providing an impeller housing and a turbine housing. An impeller blade defining an impeller receptor and a turbine blade defining a turbine receptor are provided. The impeller blade is mated to the impeller housing by deforming a portion of said impeller housing into the impeller receptor. The turbine blade is mated to the turbine housing by deforming a portion of the turbine housing into the turbine receptor. In this manner, the impeller blade is secured to the impeller housing and the turbine blade is secured to the turbine housing.

Method of manufacturing impeller and turbine assemblies

A method of forming a housing which includes roll forming a steel tube radially inwardly with a plurality of rollers each having a rolling axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube, the rollers compressing the tube and forming reduced diameter portions and enlarged diameter portions. The method then includes cutting the tube perpendicular to the longitudinal axis generally midway through an enlarged diameter portion and a reduced diameter portion, forming a plurality of minor image preforms. Finally, the method includes cold working the preforms into the desired shape of the housing and increasing the strength of the steel at least 15% and forming a housing member having enlarged diameter open end and a reduced diameter open end.

Method of forming industrial housings

A rotational assembly includes a mating surface and an interlocking surface disposed in driving engagement with a cooperable interlocking member of a driving mechanism. A plurality of receptors is defined in the mating surface. A bearing element is received in each of the plurality of receptors for reducing frictional interaction between the mating surface of the rotational assembly and a complementary mating surface of an interacting component. A retainer is defined in the mating surface at each of the receptors providing rotational retention of each of the bearing elements within its corresponding receptor.

Cageless bearings for use with mechanical devices

A clutch assembly for a vehicle transmission includes a housing defined by a wall having an annular configuration circumscribing a clutch axis. The wall extends between an open end and a floor. The floor extends inwardly from the wall toward the clutch axis. A plurality of splines formed in the wall and each is spaced from the open end of the housing. A snap ring retains clutch plates in the housing. The open end of the wall is deformed inwardly toward the clutch axis defining a retainer for retaining the snap ring within the housing.

Clutch assembly with formed retention ring

A method of making a universal joint from a tube, including forming a plurality of pairs of coaxially aligned holes at longitudinally spaced locations in the tube, cutting the tube along a curvilinear cutting path around the holes forming a pair of projecting arms and U-shaped recesses between the arms forming a plurality of yokes and pivotally interconnecting the yokes using a pivot member received in the holes of adjacent yokes.

Method of forming a universal joint

A housing for use with a clutch assembly includes an annular wall disposed around an axis and extending between an open end of the housing and a floor of the housing with the floor extending toward the axis. A plurality of splines are spaced around the annular wall and extends between the open end and the floor. The splines define a work surface for engaging teeth of a clutch plate with the work surface being fractured from the annular wall providing a substantially normal relationship to the annular wall.

Lance-and-form splines with formed housing lip snap ring retention

A method of forming a housing which includes roll forming a steel tube radially inwardly with a plurality of rollers each having a rolling axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube, the rollers compressing the tube and forming reduced diameter portions and enlarged diameter portions. The method then includes cutting the tube perpendicular to the longitudinal axis generally midway through an enlarged diameter portion and a reduced diameter portion, forming a plurality of mirror image preforms. Finally, the method includes cold working the preforms into the desired shape of the housing and increasing the strength of the steel at least 15% and forming a housing member having enlarged diameter open end and a reduced diameter open end.

A method for forming a component includes forming a workpiece into a hollow preform cylinder concentric with an axis and including an inner surface that extends along the axis, placing within the preform cylinder a mandrel having an outer surface, flow-forming the inner surface and the outer surface of the preform cylinder such that the inner surface of the cylinder conforms to at least a portion of the outer surface of the mandrel, and cutting the flow formed cylinder transversely with respect to the axis into segments, each segment having an axial length.

Forming preforms and parts therefrom

A drive shaft assembly for a vehicle includes a first tubular member and a second tubular member. The second tubular member is mated to the first tubular member. The first tubular member defines a plurality of protuberances and the second tubular member includes a plurality of apertures. Each of the plurality of apertures receives one of the plurality of protuberances substantially affixing the first tubular member to the second tubular member in a circumferential orientation.

Collapsible shaft assembly

An apparatus for extruding helical teeth in a gear blank includes a press including a die plate and a die base, the die plate being movable along an axis relative to the die base, the die base supporting the gear blank. A mandrel, aligned with the axis and moveable with the die plate along the axis, includes a surface that includes helical die teeth. A servo motor drives the mandrel in rotation about the axis to the required helix angle as the mandrel moves axially relative to the gear blank.

Growing community of inventors

Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Joseph A Szuba