BALL JOINT, ESPECIALLY FOR STEERING DEVICES AND WHEEL SUSPENSIONS OF MOTOR VEHICLES

• US 3,740,986 A
• Filed: 01/18/1971
• Issued: 06/26/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leopold F. Schmid
• Original Assignee: Leopold F. Schmid
• Inventors: Schmid, Leopold F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Larson, Lowell A.
• Application Number:
  US05/107,263
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 72/75,84,102,105,106,107,110,370 29/148.4B,161 287/87
• US Class Current: 72/84
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/84 other parts for engines, e.g. connecting-rods
• CPC Class Codes: B21H 1/00 Making articles shaped as bodies of revolution rolling tubes B21B17/00 - B21B25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B21H 7/00 Making articles not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. agricultural tools, dinner forks, knives, spoons nails, pins B21G3/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/005 Ball joints B60G7/006 takes precedence; for steering linkage B62D7/16; ball joints per se F16C11/06
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0604 Construction of the male part
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0671 allowing operative relative movement of joint parts due to flexing of the sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0685 Manufacture of ball-joints and parts thereof, e.g. assembly of ball-joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/05 Vehicle suspensions, e.g. bearings, pivots or connecting rods used therein

Abstract

For use in a ball joint, especially for connecting rods, steering devices and wheel suspensions of motor vehicles, a joint unit and method of making same, according to which a section of deformable tubular material has one end portion formed into a hollow ball head while by means of a constriction it is separated from a hollow shank portion forming an extension of said head and constriction and together with said head forming a single integral piece with different cross-sectional diameters, the thickness of cross-sectional areas of said ball head and said extension including said constriction increasing proportionally with the decrease in the outer diameter of said cross-sectional areas and vice versa.

Claims

1. A method of making a joint unit, especially for connecting rods, steering devices and wheel suspensions of motor vehicles, which has a hollow ball head and a tubular extension integral with said ball head, said method including the steps of:

cutting a section of a desired length off deformable metallic tubular stock material, and deforming said cut-off section merely by the application of pressure thereon into a unitary member having a hollow ball head and a tubular extension while the cross-sections of wall thickness throughout said unitary member vary to be unequal in the direction transverse to the axial direction of said unitary member so as to increase in cross-section with the outer diameter becoming smaller assuring constant rigidity against bending, pulling and pressure.

2. A method of making a joint unit, especially for connecting rods, steering devices and wheel suspensions of motor vehicles, which has a hollow ball head and a tubular extension integral with said ball head, said method including the steps of:

cutting a section of a desired length off deformable metallic tubular stock material, rotatably placing said cut-off section between and onto Two rotatable supporting profile rollers, placing an outer deforming profile roller in substantially equally spaced relationship to said supporting rollers against the outside of said cut-off section, placing inner counter roller means against the inside of said cut-off section opposite to said outer deforming profile roller, and rotating said outer profile roller while advancing under pressure said deforming and counter rollers relative toward each other to thereby deform said cut-off section into the desired integral ball head - tubular extension unit in conformity with the contour of said outer deforming profile roller.

3. A method according to claim 2, which includes the steps of:

moving the deforming roller toward the axis of said cut-off section while simultaneously moving said counter roller means radially outwardly with regard to said cut-off section at a greater rate than the rate of movement of said deforming roller toward said last mentioned axis.

4. A method according to claim 2, which includes simultaneously operating said deforming roller and said counter roller means and said supporting rollers.

5. A method according to claim 2, which includes the step of additionally to deforming the cut-off section by exerting deforming pressure upon the periphery thereof by said deforming roller also upsetting the end portion of at least one end of said cut-off section in the axial direction of said cut-off section.

6. A method according to claim 5, which includes the steps of upsetting one end of said cut-off section so as to form a plane end face of said tubular extension, and upsetting the opposite end of said cut-off section to form a rounded end face with a notch-shaped depression.

7. A method according to claim 5, which includes the step of upsetting both ends of said cut-off section to form rounded end faces with notch-shaped depression means therein.

8. A method according to claim 2, in which the peripheral deforming and upsetting of the end portions of said cut-off section are effected simultaneously.

9. A method according to claim 2, which includes preforming the cut-off section to a hollow body with a ball head by an upsetting operation prior to deforming said cut-off section by a deforming roller.