Valve seat resurfacing apparatus

• US 4,630,977 A
• Filed: 05/28/1985
• Issued: 12/23/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Theos E. Theofanous
• Original Assignee: Theos E. Theofanous
• Inventors: Theofanous, Theos E.
• Primary Examiner(s): BILINSKY, ZENON
• Application Number:
  US06/738,342
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 408/1 R, 408/127, 408/80, 408/83.5, 51/241 VS, 464/906
• US Class Current: 408/83.5
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 31/08 holding tools yieldably
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 464/906 Torque transmitted via radially spaced balls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/5587 Valve fitting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/665 Universal or flexible drive connection to rotate Tool

Abstract

An apparatus and method for resurfacing valve seats in a cylinder head are based upon utilizing a modified constant velocity universal joint of the type used in front wheel drive automobiles. A valve seat resurfacing cutting tool is driven at a constant velocity by the universal joint. Use of such joint allows the series of valve seats having parallel valve stem guide holes to be resurfaced after bringing the axis of one of the corresponding valve stem guide holes into a precise vertical position.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sequentially and separately resurfacing cylinder head valve seats in an engine cylinder head having the seats formed therein and corresponding valve stem guide holes, comprising:

(a) a base mounting positionable support means for supporting said head with a selected valve seat and its corresponding valve stem guide hole in a selected position in which the axis of said guide hole is substantially vertical;

(b) drive means supported by said base above said positionable support means and having associated therewith an axially movable rotating chuck rotatable about a fixed vertical axis with means for releasably receiving a Morse tapered shaft of a tool to be driven;

(c) a constant velocity universal joint having;

(i) a drive shaft having at one end a Morse taper releasably secured in, supported by and driven by said chuck and at the opposite end a spline section rotatable around said fixed axis and concentric with said taper and section;

(ii) a driven shaft; and

(iii) universal connecting means between said drive shaft and driven shaft comprising;

(aa) an inner ball housing having a central bore portion mounted on, concentric with, supported and driven by said drive shaft spline section about said fixed axis and surrounding said central bore portion a first set of ball bearing receiving recesses;

(bb) a ball bearing mounted in each of said recesses;

(cc) a ball retainer surrounding and vertically movable relative to said inner ball housing and providing a ball retention passage for each said ball bearing;

(dd) an outer ball housing having a first driven portion surrounding and vertically movable relative to said inner ball housing and ratainer and formed with a second set of ball bearing receiving recesses mounting and utilizing said ball bearings with said retainer to support said outer ball housing and form a driving connection with said inner ball housing in which said inner and outer ball housings are prevented from rotating relative to each other and having a second portion integrally formed with said drive shaft; and

(ee) means for preventing end play between said outer and inner ball housings comprising a ball mount member having at one end a shank mounting a spring located in a bore formed in and concentric with said spline section and at the opposite end a rotatably mounted ball engaging an inner surface of said outer ball housing under the force of said spring to resist said end play while permitting both misalignment of said drive and driven shafts and vertical sliding of said shank in said bore,

said universal connecting means being operative for maintaining the velocity of the driven shaft substantially constant when driven through said universal connecting means by said drive shaft independent of said drive shaft being axially aligned with said driven shaft during rotation thereof;

(d) a resurfacing tool mounting shaff secured to, forming an aligned extension of and driven by said driven shaft at said constant velocity;

(e) a resurfacing cutting tool removably secured to said tool-mounting shaft; and

(f) a guide rod threadably secured to, forming an aligned extension of and extending outwardly from said tool-mounting shaft and adapted to enter and move axially in a selected said valve seat guide hole in a free sliding fit to bring said resurfacing tool in engagement with the corresponding valve seat for resurfacing thereof at said constant velocity.