US3769691A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of making tubular laminated article
Assignee: WILLOW HILL IND Inc
•
Filing: 1971-04-08
•
Granted: 1973-11-06
•
Expires: 1991-04-08
Abstract
Abstract A tubular laminated article constructed in accordance with the present invention can be adopted to function in many different ways in different assemblies. Included among these assemblies is a crawler track assembly having a laminated bushing with a relatively hard, wear resistant inner layer and a relatively ductile outer layer which is capable of withstanding impact or shock loads. The tubular laminated article can advantageously be used as a pressure tube in an impact absorber assembly which absorbs impact forces when a vehicle encounters an accident. The laminated bushing and pressure tube are both made by plastically expanding tubular metal blanks, one or more at a time, in a die cavity at a temperature below the crystallization temperature of the metal. Expanding the blanks moves surfaces of the blanks into tight abutting engagement to form a tubular laminated article having firmly joined layers with accurately dimensioned inner and outer surfaces. One layer of the tubular laminated article may be formed of a metal having a relatively high hardenability. Another layer of the article may be formed of a metal having a relatively low hardenability. Therefore, a subsequent heat treating results in the formation of a hard layer disposed adjacent to a ductile layer. Of course, the number and arrangement of hard and ductile layers could be varied.
Inventors
- 👤 O Puzik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 22:23
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16F; F16F9/00; F16F9/10; F16F9/14; F16F9/16; F16F9/22; F16F9/26; B; B60; B60R; B60R19/00; B60R19/02; B60R19/24; B60R19/26; B60R19/32; B62; B62D; B62D55/00; B62D55/08; B62D55/18; B62D55/20; B62D55/205; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49636; Y10T29/49643; Y10T29/49647; Y10T29/49668; Y10T29/49677; Y10T29/49707; Y10T29/49826; Y10T29/49908; Y10T29/49938; Y10T29/4994
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
538 words
A method of making a tubular laminated article having a plurality of layers disposed in tight abutting engagement with each other such that the layers are firmly joined and an outer one of said layers defines an axially extending outer surface of said laminated article and an inner one of said layers defines an axially extending inner surface of said laminated article, said method comprising the steps of providing a die means which at least partially defines a work cavity having an internal surface of a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of at least a portion of the axially extending outer surface of said laminated tubular article, providing a number of tubular steel blanks having different hardenability characteristics which corresponds to the number of layers in said laminated article, positioning the tubular blanks within the work cavity, plastically expanding the tubular blanks in the work cavity at a temperature below the crystallization temperature of the metal of the tubular blanks by applying outward pressure to inner surfaces of the tubular blanks to press surfaces of the tubular blanks into tight abutting engagement with each other to thereby form and firmly join the plurality of layers of said laminated article, heat treating the layers of said laminated article formed by the tubular steel blanks in such a manner that a layer of said laminated article formed by one of the tubular steel blanks has a hardness which is greater than the hardness of another layer of said laminated article formed by another of the tubular steel blanks, and removing the laminated article from the work cavity, said step of positioning the tubular blanks in the work cavity including the step of positioning in the work cavity a first one of the tubular blanks having an axially extending outer surface of a cross-sectional size which is smaller than the cross-sectional size of the axially extending outer surface of said laminated article, said step of plastically expanding the tubular blanks at a temperature below the crystallization temperature of the metal of the tubular blanks including the step of applying pressure against the inner surface of said first tubular blank to plastically expand said first tubular blank until the axially extending outer surface of said first tubular blank is pressing firmly against the internal surface of the work cavity and has a size corresponding to the size of the axially extending outer surface of said laminated article, said step of positioning tubular blanks in the work cavity further including the step of positioning within said first tubular blank after said first tubular Blank has been expanded, a second tubular blank having an axially extending outer surface of a crosssectional size which is smaller than the cross-sectional size of the inner surface of said first tubular blank and an axially extending inner surface, said step of plastically expanding tubular blanks further including the step of applying pressure against the inner surface of said second tubular blank after having performed said step of expanding said first tubular blank to plastically expand said second tubular blank until the axially extending outer surface of said second tubular blank is pressing firmly against an axially extending inner surface of said first tubular blank.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
538 words
A method of making a tubular laminated article having a plurality of layers disposed in tight abutting engagement with each other such that the layers are firmly joined and an outer one of said layers defines an axially extending outer surface of said laminated article and an inner one of said layers defines an axially extending inner surface of said laminated article, said method comprising the steps of providing a die means which at least partially defines a work cavity having an internal surface of a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of at least a portion of the axially extending outer surface of said laminated tubular article, providing a number of tubular steel blanks having different hardenability characteristics which corresponds to the number of layers in said laminated article, positioning the tubular blanks within the work cavity, plastically expanding the tubular blanks in the work cavity at a temperature below the crystallization temperature of the metal of the tubular blanks by applying outward pressure to inner surfaces of the tubular blanks to press surfaces of the tubular blanks into tight abutting engagement with each other to thereby form and firmly join the plurality of layers of said laminated article, heat treating the layers of said laminated article formed by the tubular steel blanks in such a manner that a layer of said laminated article formed by one of the tubular steel blanks has a hardness which is greater than the hardness of another layer of said laminated article formed by another of the tubular steel blanks, and removing the laminated article from the work cavity, said step of positioning the tubular blanks in the work cavity including the step of positioning in the work cavity a first one of the tubular blanks having an axially extending outer surface of a cross-sectional size which is smaller than the cross-sectional size of the axially extending outer surface of said laminated article, said step of plastically expanding the tubular blanks at a temperature below the crystallization temperature of the metal of the tubular blanks including the step of applying pressure against the inner surface of said first tubular blank to plastically expand said first tubular blank until the axially extending outer surface of said first tubular blank is pressing firmly against the internal surface of the work cavity and has a size corresponding to the size of the axially extending outer surface of said laminated article, said step of positioning tubular blanks in the work cavity further including the step of positioning within said first tubular blank after said first tubular Blank has been expanded, a second tubular blank having an axially extending outer surface of a crosssectional size which is smaller than the cross-sectional size of the inner surface of said first tubular blank and an axially extending inner surface, said step of plastically expanding tubular blanks further including the step of applying pressure against the inner surface of said second tubular blank after having performed said step of expanding said first tubular blank to plastically expand said second tubular blank until the axially extending outer surface of said second tubular blank is pressing firmly against an axially extending inner surface of said first tubular blank.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said method step of heat treating the layers of said laminated article formed by the tubular steel blanks is performed after completion of said step of plastically expanding all of the tubular blanks at a temperature below the crystallization temperature of the metal of the tubular blanks.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of providing a plurality of tubular steel blanks having different hardenability characteristics includes the method step of providing one steel blank having a first carbon content and providing another steel blank having a second carbon content which is greater than said first carbon content.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US726520A
Cited
US1512190A
Cited
US2061223A
Cited
GB526593A
Cited
US2337247A
Cited
US2216833A
Cited
US2675625A
Cited
US3220602A
Cited
US3227586A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-05 | 1977-05-07 | 1977-11-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-05 | 1981-05-07 | 1981-11-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-05 | 1985-05-07 | 1985-11-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |