Houdaille Industries, Inc.

Ronald L McLean

Gordon W Kamman

A rubber or rubber/viscous torsional damper assembly of the type having an annular inertia mass mounted for relative torsional damping movement on an annular body portion of a rotor disk has elastic rings fixedly secured to the rotor body portion and pressing against a substantial radial width of axially inwardly facing surface area within a chamber in the inertia mass under preload compression. Annular ribs on the rings fits in annular grooves at the radially inner sides of the surface areas and substantially restrain the elastic rings against radially inward extrusion flow displacement, so that the preload compression is maintained radially outwardly relative to the ribs. Additional grooves adjacent to the radially outer sides of the surface areas receive complementary ribs on the rubber rings for controlling against radially outward rubber displacement in the viscous/rubber damper assemblies.

Rubber and viscous/rubber torsional dampers and method of making the same

Tuned rubber/viscous torsional vibration damper assemblies of the kind having a supporting rotor disk mounting an inertia mass coupled to the disk by viscous damping medium and elastic tuning spring, spacing and sealing rubber rings located in rubber ring accommodating grooves. A viscous damping medium working chamber is defined within the inertia mass radially outwardly about the rings. The rubber rings are molded and vulcanized in situ in said grooves and to the rotor disk and the inertia mass. The dampers may be provided with rubber spacer and bumper fingers extending from the rubber rings into the working chamber of the damper. The rubber rings may also be keyed to the inertia mass by means of integral lugs extending into socket apertures in the inertia mass. The dampers may be coated with a rubber skin on outside areas, the skin being connected to exposed areas of the rubber rings.

Rubber/viscous torsional vibration dampers

In tuned rubber/viscous torsional vibration damper assemblies of the kind having supporting rotor disk means mounting an inertia mass coupled to the disk means by viscous damping medium and elastic tuning spring, spacing and sealing rubber rings are produced by providing a low melting point metal barrier in the assembly between rubber ring accommodating grooves and the viscous damping medium working chamber defined within the inertia mass, the rubber rings molded and vulcanized in situ in said grooves and to the rotor disk and the inertia mass, whereafter the barrier is melted out and the damper completed. The dampers may be provided with rubber spacer and bumper fingers extending from the rubber rings into the working chamber of the damper. The rubber rings may also be keyed to the inertia mass by means of integral lugs extending into socket apertures in the inertia mass. The dampers may be coated with a rubber skin on outside areas, the skin being connected to exposed areas of the rubber rings.

Method of making rubber/viscous torsional vibration dampers

Rubber viscous torsional dampers in which an annular inertia mass is coupled by elastic tuning spring, spacing and sealing rings to a radially outwardly extending circular body on a radially inner hub portion, have the elastic rings secured fixedly to axial surfaces of either or both the body and; the inertia mass by means of respective flat disks which are rigidly unyielding in plan and are permanently secured by vulcanized bonding to the rings, the disks being rigidly secured to the inertia mass and/or the body by structural adhesive.

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Tonawanda, NY, United States of America

Ronald L McLean