Dayton-walther Corporation

Walther Engineering and Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Meritor Automotive Gmbh

Hendrickson Usa, L L.c.

Meritor Heavy Vehicle Technology, LLC

Larry Bennett Hester

Robert A DeRegnaucourt

John C Hall

Jay K Julow

Jay D White

Russell E Rike

Kenneth D Mutzner

Michael W Wilcheck

A hub-rotor adapter for use with a disc brake assembly having an axle hub and rotor. The hub-rotor adapter may include an adapter body having a wall forming an annular opening at an inboard end thereof; the adapter body having an inboard flange shaped to be attached to the rotor, and an outboard flange shaped to be attached to the axle hub.

Hub-rotor adapter

A disc brake assembly having a rotor defining a rotational axis and including a barrel portion and a disc portion extending generally radially outward from said barrel portion, the barrel portion including a tone ring receiving portion with a generally cylindrical inner surface having a tone ring receiving surface and a groove with an axially outer wall, an axially inner wall and a radially outer bottom surface; a generally annular tone ring positioned concentrically within said cylindrical inner surface of said tone ring receiving portion and having a generally radially facing outer surface; a resilient biasing element received in the groove and having a generally annular shape including a plurality of substantially linear segments and corners, the resilient biasing element may be shaped such that it is flexed when seated within the groove so that the corners are urged against the radially facing outer surface, and the substantially linear segments are urged against the axially outer wall and the radially facing outer surface of the tone ring to prevent separation of the tone ring from the rotor during use. In one aspect, the biasing element is formed in the shape of a regular polygon, such as a dodecahedron.

Disc brake assembly

A disc brake assembly including a rotor defining a rotational axis and including a barrel portion and a disc portion extending generally radially outward from the barrel portion, the barrel portion defining an inner surface and the inner surface defining a groove, a biasing element received in the groove, and a tone ring having an outer surface and including a step formed on the outer surface, the tone ring being positioned in the barrel portion such that the step is aligned for engagement with the biasing element.

Disc brake assembly with tone ring

A non-drive axle depends from a heavy-duty vehicle. Each one of a pair of wheel end assemblies is mounted on a respective one of the ends of the non-drive axle. Each wheel end assembly includes a pair of bearings mounted on a spindle of the axle, and a wheel hub rotatably mounted on the bearings. A cavity is formed in the wheel end assembly between the bearings. A port is formed in the wheel hub and extends generally parallel to a central axis of the wheel hub, and communicates with the outboard surface of the wheel hub and the cavity. Lubricant for the bearings is introduced into the cavity by means of the port, and the port is tapped to receive a plug to seal it and contain the lubricant in the cavity. The port also receives a bolt that secures a hubcap to the wheel hub.

Wheel hub with lubricant fill port

An improved method for final balancing a brake drum determines the location and length of a first constant depth cut and a second constant depth cut along the squealer band which are necessary to correct the imbalance, and using a cutting machine, makes the first and second constant depth cuts at the predetermined location and for the predetermined length along the squealer band to produce a final balanced brake drum. Preferably, the cutting machine is a milling machine which produces a plunge type entrance/exit cut. It is a further feature of the invention to provide a feather type entrance/exit cut to reduce the stress concentrations, and produce a cosmetically more appealing final balanced brake drum.

Final balanced brake drum having integral squealer band and method for producing same

An improved ductile iron vehicle hub and method for producing the same wherein the method includes the steps of (a) providing a vehicle hub formed from ductile iron and including a generally axially extending body having a centrally located opening formed therethrough, the body including an open inner end, an open outer end, and a generally radially outwardly extending flange; and (b) shot peening selected outer surfaces of the body of the vehicle hub to induce compressive stresses therein to improve the fatigue life the vehicle hub.

Ductile iron vehicle hub and method for producing same

An improved structure for a brake drum adapted for use in a drum brake assembly includes a generally closed outer end, a generally axially extending cylindrical main body, and an open inner end. The closed outer end of the brake drum includes a centrally located wheel spindle opening formed therein, and a plurality of lug bolt mounting holes spaced circumferentially around the wheel spindle opening. The cylindrical main body of the brake drum includes a plurality of generally axially extending raised ribs provided on an outer surface thereof. Preferably, the ribs define at least three distinct strengthened areas on the brake drum.

Brake drum having ribs on drum outer surface

Uniformly distributed compressive stresses are induced in the machined surfaces of brake drums and brake rotors. The compressive stresses cancel residual tensile stresses induced in the surfaces by machining operations during fabrication. Cancellation of the surface tensile stresses delays formation of cracks during service brake use and extends the service life of the brake drum or rotor. Shot peening is an applicable prestressing process which also imparts a surface roughness that reduces the time required to burnish brake pads to match the shape of the drum or rotor surface. The reduction of burnishing time reduces the amount of surface cracking caused by surface heating by brake pad high spots as the high spots are ground down.

Prestressed brake drum or rotor

Uniformly distributed compressive stresses are induced in the machined surfaces of brake drums and brake rotors. The compressive stresses cancel residual tensile stresses induced in the surfaces by machining operations during fabrication. Cancellation of the surface tensile stresses delays formation of cracks during brake service use and extends the service life of the brake drum or rotor. Shot peening is an applicable prestressing process which also imparts a surface roughness that reduces the time required to burnish bake pads to match the shape of the drum or rotor surface. The reduction of burnishing time reduces the amount of surface cracking caused by surface heating by brake pad high spots as the high spots are ground down.

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Dayton, OH, United States of America

Larry Bennett Hester