Mechanical drive transmission systems

Claim 2

The mechanical drive transmission system of claim 1 in which the plastics material housing is composed of a molded thermoplastic material having a Young''s modulus in the range of 3 X 105 to 2 X 106 lbs. per square inch, a tensile strength greater than 6,000 lbs. per square inch, an elongation at break greater than 5 percent, and maintains these physical characteristics substantially constant over a temperature range in the order of -40*C. to +100*C.

Claim 3

The mechanical drive transmission system of claim 1 wherein the plastics material housing is composed of a plastics material selected from the group consisting of nylons, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrenes, polyacetals, and polypropylenes.

Claim 4

The mechanical drive transmission system of claim 4 wherein the plastics material is reinforced with glass fibers.

Claim 5

A rack and pinion steering gear assembly for vehicles which comprises a metal rack bar having a toothed rack thereon, a metal pinion meshed with the rack teeth a common housing for the rack bar and pinion having a pinion chamber and an open ended bore communicating with said chamber, bearing seats in said chamber and in said bore rotatably supporting the pinion and slidably supporting the rack bar, and said common housing providing said bearing seats being composed of a molded plastics material which is both rigid to maintain the rack and pinion in meshed engagement and resilient to dampen shock loads between the rack bar and pinion the housing composed of a plastics material having a Young''s modulus in the range of 3 X 105 to 2 X 106 lbs. per square inch, a tensile strength greater than 6,000 lbs. per square inch, an elongation at break greater than 5 percent and is capable of maintaining these characteristics substantially constant over a temperature range from -5*C to +35*C, the common housing having a resiliency effective to absorb shock energy imparted to the housing during operation of a vehicle to which the common housing is attached.

Claim 6

The rack and pinion steering gear of claim 6 having a tube secured in one open end of the bore of the housing and extending coaxially from the bore receiving the rack bar therethrough and a plastics bearing in the outboard end of said tube slidably supporting the rack bar.

Claim 7

The rack and pinion steering gear assembly for vehicles which comprises a rack bar having a rack thereon, a pinion meshed with the rack, a common housing for the rack bar and pinion supporting the rack bar in sliding relation and the pinion iN rotatable relation, said common housing having a bore with an interior screw thread, a plug having an exterior screw thread in threaded engagement with the interior screw threads of the bore closing said bore and retaining said pinion in the housing, and said common housing being composed of a molded plastics material which is both rigid to maintain the rack and pinion in meshed engagement and resilient to dampen the shock loads between the rack bar and pinion.

Claim 8

A rack and pinion steering gear for automotive vehicles which comprises a molded thermoplastic housing having a pinion chamber, a rack bar chamber, and a yoke chamber, bearing seats molded in the housing at the ends of the pinion chamber, a yoke receiving surface molded in the housing in the yoke chamber thereof, plugs secured to the housing closing the ends of the pinion chamber and yoke chamber, a metal rack bar slidable through the rack bar chamber, a metal pinion rotatably mounted in said pinion chamber from said bearing seats, a yoke in said yoke chamber slidably guided on said yoke receiving surface, means in the yoke chamber urging the yoke against the rack bar, a tube secured to the housing extending from one end of the rack bar chamber and receiving the rack bar therethrough, a plastics bearing in the end of the tube remote from the housing slidably supporting the rack bar, and said thermoplastic housing being both rigid to maintain the rack and pinion in meshed engagement and resilient to dampen shock loads between the rack and pinion the housing composed of a plastics material having a Young''s modulus in the range of 3 X 105 to 2 X 106 lbs. per square inch and having a resiliency sufficient to at least partially absorb shock loads imparted to the housing during operation of a vehicle to which the housing is attached.

Claim 9

The rack and pinion of claim 9 wherein at least one of the plugs is press fitted in the housing and has barbs locked in the plastic for retaining the plug.

Claim 10

The rack and pinion steering gear of claim 9 wherein at least one of the plugs is threaded in the housing an threads molded in the housing.

Claim 11

The rack and pinion steering gear of claim 9 wherein at least one of the plugs is welded to the housing.