Method for manufacturing a turbine shell

• US 5,946,962 A
• Filed: 08/20/1998
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exedy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Exedy Corporation
• Inventors: Nakashima, Toshihiro, Fukuda, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Crane, Daniel C.
• Application Number:
  US09/136,422
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 72/334, 72/335, 72/414, 29/889.5
• US Class Current: 72/335
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/78 propeller blades; turbine blades
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/84 other parts for engines, e.g. connecting-rods
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/00 Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 41/28 with respect to manufacture, e.g. blade attachment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4933 Fluid coupling device

Abstract

According to the present invention, a turbine shell is manufactured by a method which includes the steps of preparing a planar blank, simultaneously forming a plurality of blade fixture slits 32A, 32B and 32C in the blank 40, and deforming the blank 40 into a curved concave shape by effecting drawing work.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a slotted turbine shell for retaining turbine blades on fixing tabs to form a torque converter turbine, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) performing one of working a metal sheet to form a blank as a planar disc with a central hole, and working a metal sheet to form a blank as an intermediate-stage concave annulus with a planar inner rim;

(b) punching out simultaneously from the blank formed in said step (a) a plurality of circularly spaced slots in concentric sets, wherein the slots lying on a common circle share a common width and said common width is different between slots lying on different circles; and

(c) working the blank punched in said step (b) into a finished-stage concave annulus with a planar inner rim.

2. The method for manufacturing a slotted turbine shell as set forth in claim 1, wherein the common width of the slots lying on a common circle is dimensioned such that following said step (c), said common width is the same between slots lying on different circles.