Fairfield Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Fairfield Manufacturing, Inc.

William H Hayward

Dan E Phebus

By combining shaping and milling actions, or smilling, the cutting tool can move through the entire usable portion of the spline and machine a tool relief into the face of the adjacent feature such as a shoulder before retracting, reversing direction, and repeating the cycle. The smilling apparatus and manufacturing method eliminates the need for an annular spline relief and the full length of spline engagement can be utilized for strength. The effective width of the spline connection apparatus manufactured by the smilling process conserves space and increases the load carrying capability of the spline connection.

Smilled spline apparatus and smilling process for manufacturing the smilled spline apparatus

A spline connection apparatus includes a male spline apparatus and a female collar apparatus coupled together. The male spline apparatus includes an external spline and a plurality of first tooth spaces having spline relief portions for tool clearance extending angularly and conically into a shoulder portion and base portion of the male spline apparatus. The female collar apparatus includes and internal spline and a plurality of second tooth spaces having an internal spline relief portion for tool clearance extending angularly and conically into the counterbore engagement surface of the female collar apparatus. The external teeth of the external spline and the internal teeth of the internal are equal in length. The effective face width of the engagement is equal to the length of the external and internal teeth.

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Lafayette, IN, United States of America

William H Hayward