US3950006A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Rack and pinion steering assembly
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp
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Filing: 1974-05-21
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Granted: 1976-04-13
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Expires: 1994-05-21
Abstract
Abstract A rack and pinion steering assembly for automobiles and the like dirigible wheel equipped vehicles having a longitudinally driven rack bar connected to wheel turning tie rod linkage by ball and socket joints with thin wall, tubular metal housings or casings which are easily and inexpensively attached to the ends of the rack bar by deformation and which preload the bearings of the joints to maintain a predetermined torque on the ball studs and eliminate end play between the tie rods and the rack bar. The bearings of the joints include a bearing cup between the ball end of the stud and the rack bar composed of a resilient plastic material and a bearing ring between the ball of the stud and the free end of the housing composed of a stiff nonyielding plastics material with the cup and the ring cooperating to envelope the ball end of the stud and the tubular housing compressing the cup radially and axially so that it will expand as wear develops, preventing looseness in the joint, while the stiff bearing ring provides a stable high-tensile, nonyielding load support for the ball stud.
Inventors
- 👤 Ruey E. Wood, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:18
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16C; F16C11/00; F16C11/04; F16C11/06; F16C11/0619; F16C11/0623; F16C11/0642; B; B62; B62D; B62D3/00; B62D3/02; B62D3/12; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T403/00; Y10T403/32; Y10T403/32606; Y10T403/32631; Y10T403/32721
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
357 words
A rod joint for connecting the rack of a rack and pinion steering assembly to a tie rod having a ball end comprising bearing means for enclosing the ball end of the tie rod, said bearing means including a pair of plastic bearing seats having arcuate inner surfaces disposed in engagement with the ball end of the tie rod and circular outer surfaces, a metal housing having a generally cylindrical wall with an inner surface disposed in abutting engagement with said circular outer surfaces of said plastic bearing seats, said housing having an inturned axially outer end portion at least partially defining an aperture through which the tie rod extends and forming a shoulder abutment which is engaged by one of said bearing seats to retain said bearing means and tie rod ball end in said housing, an end closure adapter at least partially disposed within said housing adjacent to an inner end portion of said housing opposite from said inturned outer end portion of said housing and connected with an end of the rack, said end closure adapter axially retaining said bearing means and cooperating with said shoulder abutment to apply an axial preload force to said bearing seats, said end closure including surface means defining an annular groove and an annular bead disposed axially outwardly from said annular groove, said generally cylindrical wall of said housing being plastically deformed radially inwardly into abutting engagement with a bottom portion of said annular groove and being disposed in abutting engagement with opposite annular side surfaces of said bead to retain said housing and end closure against axial movement relative to each other under the influence of the preload force and operating forces applied to the bearing seats, said wall of said housing including an outer surface which defines a groove in said wall where said wall is plastically deformed radially inwardly into said annular groove in said end closure adapter, and means for preventing relative rotation between said housing and said rack, said means for preventing relative rotation between said housing and said rack including a detent tab which extends into a recess formed in said rack.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
357 words
A rod joint for connecting the rack of a rack and pinion steering assembly to a tie rod having a ball end comprising bearing means for enclosing the ball end of the tie rod, said bearing means including a pair of plastic bearing seats having arcuate inner surfaces disposed in engagement with the ball end of the tie rod and circular outer surfaces, a metal housing having a generally cylindrical wall with an inner surface disposed in abutting engagement with said circular outer surfaces of said plastic bearing seats, said housing having an inturned axially outer end portion at least partially defining an aperture through which the tie rod extends and forming a shoulder abutment which is engaged by one of said bearing seats to retain said bearing means and tie rod ball end in said housing, an end closure adapter at least partially disposed within said housing adjacent to an inner end portion of said housing opposite from said inturned outer end portion of said housing and connected with an end of the rack, said end closure adapter axially retaining said bearing means and cooperating with said shoulder abutment to apply an axial preload force to said bearing seats, said end closure including surface means defining an annular groove and an annular bead disposed axially outwardly from said annular groove, said generally cylindrical wall of said housing being plastically deformed radially inwardly into abutting engagement with a bottom portion of said annular groove and being disposed in abutting engagement with opposite annular side surfaces of said bead to retain said housing and end closure against axial movement relative to each other under the influence of the preload force and operating forces applied to the bearing seats, said wall of said housing including an outer surface which defines a groove in said wall where said wall is plastically deformed radially inwardly into said annular groove in said end closure adapter, and means for preventing relative rotation between said housing and said rack, said means for preventing relative rotation between said housing and said rack including a detent tab which extends into a recess formed in said rack.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
A rod joint as set forth in claim 1 wherein said end closure includes a generally frustroconical end surface for bottoming said bearing means, said generally frustroconical end surface sloping radially and axially outwardly toward said ball end of the tie rod to enable preload forces having radial and axial components to be transmitted between said end closure and said bearing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A rod joint as set forth in claim 1 wherein end closure adapter includes an internally threaded opening to receive an externally threaded end portion of said rack.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
A rod joint as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wall of said housing extends past said end closure and has an inner surface disposed in abutting engagement with the end portion of the rack at a location axially inwardly from said bead.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
A rod joint as set forth in claim 1 wherein the end of the rack is disposed in abutting engagement with said end closure, said housing wall being connected with the rack at a location axially inwardly from said bead to hold said housing wall and end closure against axial movement relative to the rack.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-04-13 | 1979-10-13 | 1980-04-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-04-13 | 1983-10-13 | 1984-04-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-04-13 | 1987-10-13 | 1988-04-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |