Apparatus for making split bearing assemblies

Claim 1

A method of making a split-bearing assembly (20) having a saddle-like main body (21) with first and second legs (22, 24) and a removable saddle-like bearing cap (25) with first and second legs (26, 28) having ends (29, 32) respectively secured in end-to-end engagement with mating ends (30, 33) of the first and second legs (22, 24) of said body (21) to define a journal-receiving opening (34), said method comprising initially forming the bearing assembly body (21) and cap (25) integral with the mating leg ends (29-30, 32-33) thereof integrally joined together, said integral body and cap being in a relatively brittle condition, at least along generally predetermined split planes (38, 39) defining the leg ends on opposite sides of said opening (34), said body (21) and said cap (25) having essentially their assembled final dimensions, with said opening (34) being centred on an axis (40) lying within said main body (21) and said cap (25), generally between said split planes (38, 39), and separating the cap (25) from the main body (21) by fracturing the integral legs (22-26, 24-28) generally along said split planes (38, 39) on opposite sides of said opening (34) to form said legs (26, 28, 22, 24) of the saddle-like cap (25) and body (21), said first and second legs of the cap (25) and body (21) comprising respectively first and second pairs mateable along said split planes (38, 39), wherein the fracturing step is accomplished by causing tension across the split planes (38, 39) of said integral legs by forcing the cap (25) and main body (21) longitudinally apart to fracture and separate the ends (29-30, 32-33) of the legs of said pairs at their respective split planes whilst restraining said cap (25) and main body (21) against undue movement, characterised in that the method includes, prior to the fracturing step, restraining the integral bearing assembly within a fixture (50) so that any substantial movement of said cap (25) relative to said body (21) can only occur in a direction along an axis extending at right angles to said split planes (38, 39); and the fracturing step is accomplished by forcing the cap (25) and the main body (21) linearly apart whilst continuously restraining said cap (25) and the main body (21) against any substantial relative rotation, thereby fracturing and separating the ends of both of said pairs of integral legs at the respective split planes (38, 39) thereof in one essentially linear separating motion of the cap (25) from the main body (21), thereby avoiding any bending of the legs at the split planes and producing mating fracture surfaces (29-30, 32-33) on engaging edges of the legs to provide the capability of mating re-assembly, without substantial dimensional changes thereof.

Claim 2

A method of making a split-bearing assembly (20) having a saddle-like main body (21) with first and second legs (22, 24) and a removable saddle-like bearing cap (25) with first and second legs (26, 28) having ends (29, 32) respectively secured in end-to-end engagement with mating ends (30, 33) of the first and second legs (22, 24) of said body (21) to define a journal-receiving opening (34), said method comprising initially forming the bearing assembly body (21) and cap (25) integral with the mating leg ends (29-30, 32-33) thereof integrally joined together, said integral body and cap being in a relatively brittle condition, at least along generally predetermined split planes (38, 39) defining the leg ends on opposite sides of said opening (34), said body (21) and said cap (25) having essentially their assembled final dimensions, with said opening (34) being centred on an axis (40) lying within said main body (21) and said cap (25), generally between said split planes (38, 39), and separating the cap (25) from the main body (21) by fracturing the integral legs (22-26, 24-28) generally along said split planes (38, 39) on opposite sides of said opening (34) to form said legs (26, 28, 22, 24) of the saddle-like cap (25) and body (21), said first and second legs of the cap (25) and body (21) comprising respectively first and second pairs mateable along said split planes (38, 39), wherein the fracturing step is accomplished by causing tension across the split planes (38, 39) of said integral legs by forcing the cap (25) and main body (21) longitudinally apart to fracture and separate the ends (29-30, 32-33) of the legs of said pairs at their respective split planes whilst restraining said cap (25) and main body (21) against undue movement, characterised in that the method includes, prior to the fracturing step, restraining the integral bearing assembly within a fixture (50) so that any substantial movement of said cap (25) relative to said body (21) can only occur in a direction along an axis extending at right angles to said split planes (38, 39); and the fracturing step is accomplished by forcing the cap (25) and the main body (21) linearly apart whilst continuously restraining said cap (25) and the main body (21) against any substantial relative rotation, thereby fracturing and separating the ends of both of said pairs of integral legs at the respective split planes (38, 39) thereof in one essentially linear separating motion of the cap (25) from the main body (21), thereby avoiding any bending of the legs at the split planes and producing mating fracture surfaces (29-30, 32-33) on engaging edges of the legs to provide the capability of mating re-assembly, without substantial dimensional changes thereof.

Claim 5

A method of making a split-bearing assembly (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the integral legs are provided with fastener openings (36) extending from the cap (25) into the body (21) on opposite sides of the opening (34), and breakout holes (45) are provided extending outwards along the split planes from the fastener openings (36) through outer edges of the integral legs to provide predetermined termination locations for the subsequent fracture surfaces (29, 30, 32, 33).

Claim 7

An apparatus for carrying out a method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that said apparatus comprises a fixture (50) including a body clamp assembly (51) and a cap clamp assembly (52) relatively movable to one another along longitudinally-aligned ways (54) in linear separating and approaching motions, and a fracture ram (55); said body clamp assembly (51) comprises a semi-circular pilot (56) engageable with a body half of said journal-receiving opening (34), and a pair of body clamp elements (58) that, when actuated, engage the legs (22, 24) of the body (21) to clamp the body non-rotatably against said pilot (56); said cap clamp assembly (52) comprises a semi-circular pilot (59) engageable with a cap half of said journal-receiving opening (34), and a cap clamp element (60) that, when actuated, engages the legs (26, 28) of the cap (25) to clamp the cap (25) non-rotatably against said pilot (59); and said fracture ram (55) includes a wedge (62) which, when driven by an impact mechanism, acts against angled sides (63) of recesses in the pilots (56, 59) to quickly separate the cap (25) linearly from the body (21).