Steering gear assembly

Claim 2

A steering gear assembly comprising: a housing; a steering input shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; bearing means rotatably mounting said steering shaft end portion with respect to said housing; a steering worm on said end portion of said steering shaft; a steering nut mounted on said worm for axial movement thereon; a plurality of rack teeth formed on said nut, said teeth having flanks generatod along an axis extending obliquely to and substantially radially of, said worm; a steering output shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said houwing; a sector on said end portion of said output shaft; a plurality of teeth formed on said sector for meshing engagement with said rack teeth; a thrust member mounted on said end portion of said output shaft, said member abutting a portion of said housing; a generally U-shaped wedge member mounted on said output shaft between said sector and said thrust member, and movable in a radial plane of said output shaft, but fixed to said shaft for rotary movement therewith; a biasing arrangement secured in said housing and effective in a centered position of said output shaft to engage said wedge member and thereby tend to displace said shaft longitudinally in a sense to take up play between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth.

Claim 3

A steering gear assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge member has two pairs of opposed side faces and the one of said pairs adjacent said sector runs substantially radially of said output shaft longitudinal axis and the other of said pairs adjacent said thrust member runs obliquely to said one pair and said longitudinal axis.

Claim 4

A steering gear assembly comprising: a housing; a steering input shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; bearing means rotatably mounting said steering shaft end portion with respect to said housing; a steering worm on said end portion of said steering shaft; a steering nut mounted on said worm for axial movement thereon; a plurality of rack teeth formed on said nut, said teeth having flanks generated along an axis extending obliquely to and substantially radially of, said worm; a steering output shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; a sector on said end portion of said output shaft; a plurality of teeth formed on said sector for meshing engagement with said rack teeth; a thrust member mounted on said end portion of said output shaft, said member abutting a portion of said housing; a generally U-shaped wedge member mounted on said output shaft between said sector and said thrust member, and movable in a radial plane of said output shaft, but fixed to said shaft for rotary movement therewith, said U-shaped wedge member having two limb portions which extend over said output shaft, each limb portion having slide rail portions which abut said output shaft and said thrust member whereby said wedge member is fixed on said output shaft and held against rotation with respect to said output shaft and said thrust member; a biasing arrangement secured in said housing and effective in a centered position of said output shaft to engage said wedge member and thereby tend to displace said shaft longitudinally in a sense to take up play between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth.

Claim 5

A steering gear assembly comprising: a housing; a steering input shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; bearing means rotatably mounting said steering shaft end portion with respect to said housing; a steering worm on said end portion of said steering shaft; a steering nut mounted on said worm for axial movement thereon; a plurality of rack teeth formed on said nut, said teeth having flanks generated along an axis extending obliquely to and substantially radially of, said worm; a steering output shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; a sector on said end portion of said output shaft; a plurality of teeth formed on said sector for meshing engagement with said rack teeth; a thrust member mounted on said end portion of said output shaft, said member abutting a portion of said housing; a generally U-shaped wedge member mounted on said output shaft between said sector and said thrust member, and movable in a radial plane of said output shaft, but fixed to said shaft for rotary movement therewith, said U-shaped wedge member having two limb portions which extend over said output shaft, each limb portion having slide rail portions which abut said output shaft and said thrust member whereby said wedge member is fixed on said output shaft and held against rotation with respect to said output shaft and said thrust member; a biasing arrangement secured in said housing and effective in a centered position of said output shaft to engage said wedge member and thereby tend to displace said shaft longitudinally in a sense to take up play between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth.

Claim 6

A steering gear assembly comprising: a housing; a steering input shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; bearing means rotatably moUnting said steering shaft end portion with respect to said housing; a steering worm on said end portion of said steering shaft; a steering nut mounted on said worm for axial movement thereon; a plurality of rack teeth formed on said nut, said teeth having flanks generated along an axis extending obliquely to and substantially radially of, said worm; a steering output shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; a sector on said end portion of said output shaft; a plurality of teeth formed on said sector for meshing engagement with said rack teeth; a thrust member mounted on said end portion of said output shaft, said member abutting a portion of said housing; a generally U-shaped wedge member mounted on said output shaft between said sector and said thrust member, and movable in a radial plane of said output shaft, but fixed to said shaft for rotary movement therewith; a biasing arrangement secured in said housing and effective in a centered position of said output shaft to engage said wedge member and thereby tend to displace said shaft longitudinally in a sense to take up play between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth, and the wedge member has a nose portion which in the centered position of the output shaft is engaged by said biasing arrangement, and said nose portion has obliquely extending flanks whereby when said output shaft is displaced from said centered position said biasing arrangement exerts a lesser bias on one of said flanks to thereby reduce said play take up between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth.

Claim 7

A steering gear assembly comprising: a housing; a steering input shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; bearing means rotatably moUnting said steering shaft end portion with respect to said housing; a steering worm on said end portion of said steering shaft; a steering nut mounted on said worm for axial movement thereon; a plurality of rack teeth formed on said nut, said teeth having flanks generated along an axis extending obliquely to and substantially radially of, said worm; a steering output shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; a sector on said end portion of said output shaft; a plurality of teeth formed on said sector for meshing engagement with said rack teeth; a thrust member mounted on said end portion of said output shaft, said member abutting a portion of said housing; a generally U-shaped wedge member mounted on said output shaft between said sector and said thrust member, and movable in a radial plane of said output shaft, but fixed to said shaft for rotary movement therewith; a biasing arrangement secured in said housing and effective in a centered position of said output shaft to engage said wedge member and thereby tend to displace said shaft longitudinally in a sense to take up play between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth, and the wedge member has a nose portion which in the centered position of the output shaft is engaged by said biasing arrangement, and said nose portion has obliquely extending flanks whereby when said output shaft is displaced from said centered position said biasing arrangement exerts a lesser bias on one of said flanks to thereby reduce said play take up between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth.

Claim 8

A steering gear assembly according to claim 4, wherein said biasing arrangement includes a spring loaded plunger adapted to engage said nose portion, and a stop member limits movement of said plunger against said one flank of said nose portion.

Claim 9

A steering gear assembly comprising: a housing; a steering input shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; bearing means rotatably mounting said steering shaft end portion with respect to said housing; a steering worm on said end portion of said steering shaft; a steering nut mounted on said worm for axial movement thereon; a plurality of rack teeth formed on said nut, said teeth having flanks generated along an axis extending obliquely to and substantially radially of, said worm; a steering output shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; a sector on said end portion of said output shaft; a plurality of teeth formed on said sector for meshing engagement with said rack teeth; a thrust member mounted on said end portion of said output shaft, said member abutting a portion of said housing; a generally U-shaped wedge member mounted on said output shaft between said sector and said thrust member, and movable in a radial plane of said output shaft, but fixed to said shaft for rotary movement therewith; a biasing arrangement secured in said housing and effective in a centered position of said output shaft to engage said wedge member and thereby tend to displace said shaft longitudinally in a sense to take up play between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth.

Claim 10

A steering gear assembly comprising: a housing; a steering input shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; bearing means rotatably mounting said steering shaft end portion with respect to said housing; a steering worm on said end portion of said steering shaft; a steering nut mounted on said worm for axial movement thereon; a plurality of rack teeth formed on said nut, said teeth having flanks generated along an axis extending obliquely to and substantially radially of, said worm; a steering output shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; a sector on said end portion of said output shaft; a plurality of teeth formed on said sector for meshing engagement with said rack teeth; a thrust member mounted on said end portion of said output shaft, said member abutting a portion of said housing; a generally U-shaped wedge member mounted on said output shaft between said sector and said thrust member, and movable in a radial plane of said output shaft, but fixed to said shaft for rotary movement therewith; a biasing arrangement secured in said housing and effective in a centered position of said output shaft to engage said wedge member and thereby tend to displace said shaft longitudinally in a sense to take up play between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth.

Claim 11

A steering gear assembly comprising: a housing; a steering input shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; bearing means rotatably mounting said steering shaft end portion with respect to said housing; a steering worm on said end portion of said steering shaft; a steering nut mounted on said worm for axial movement thereon; a plurality of rack teeth formed on said nut, said teeth having flanks generated along an axis extending obliquely to and substantially radially of, said worm, a steering output shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; a sector on said end portion of said output shaft; a plurality of teeth formed on said sector for meshing engagement with said rack tEeth; a thrust member mounted on said end portion of said output shaft, said member abutting a portion of said housing; a generally U-shaped wedge member mounted on said output shaft between said sector and said thrust member, and movable in a radial plane of said output shaft, but fixed to said shaft for rotary movement therewith; a biasing arrangement secured in said housing and effective in a centered position of said output shaft to engage said wedge member end thereby tend to displace said shaft longitudinally in a sense to take up play between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth; and said wedge member has two pairs of opposed side faces and the one of said pairs adjacent said sector runs substantially radially of said output shaft longitudinal axis and the other of said pairs adjacent said thrust member runs obliquely to said one pair and said longitudinal axis, and said thrust member is a roller bearing assembly and has a race portion adjacent said other pair of opposed side faces, and formed with an obliquely extending surface for abutment with said other pair of side faces.

Claim 12

A steering gear assembly comprising: a housing; a steering input shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; bearing means rotatably mounting said steering shaft end portion with respect to said housing; a steering worm on said end portion of said steering shaft; a steering nut mounted on said worm for axial movement thereon; a plurality of rack teeth formed on said nut, said teeth having flanks generated along an axis extending obliquely to and substantially radially of, said worm, a steering output shaft having an end portion thereof extending into said housing; a sector on said end portion of said output shaft; a plurality of teeth formed on said sector for meshing engagement with said rack tEeth; a thrust member mounted on said end portion of said output shaft, said member abutting a portion of said housing; a generally U-shaped wedge member mounted on said output shaft between said sector and said thrust member, and movable in a radial plane of said output shaft, but fixed to said shaft for rotary movement therewith; a biasing arrangement secured in said housing and effective in a centered position of said output shaft to engage said wedge member end thereby tend to displace said shaft longitudinally in a sense to take up play between the flanks of said rack and sector teeth; and said wedge member has two pairs of opposed side faces and the one of said pairs adjacent said sector runs substantially radially of said output shaft longitudinal axis and the other of said pairs adjacent said thrust member runs obliquely to said one pair and said longitudinal axis, and said thrust member is a roller bearing assembly and has a race portion adjacent said other pair of opposed side faces, and formed with an obliquely extending surface for abutment with said other pair of side faces.

Claim 13

A steering gear assembly, as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pin member removably positioned in said housing is engageable with said wedge member and said sector to locate said wedge member and said sector in said housing, and a closure member is securable on said housing for engagement with said wedge member and said sector to thereby retain them in position and allow removal of said pin member.