Method of making a bearing material containing an aluminum base alloy

Claim 1

A method of making an aluminum base alloy bearing material, comprising the steps of: (a) washing one surface of a continuously fed steel strip or stainless steel strip; (b) grinding the resulting washed surface of the strip; (c) spreading on the resulting ground surface of the strip an aluminum base alloy powder containing from 6.8 to 9.2 wt % lead and from 0.8 to 1.5 wt % tin, to form an aluminum base alloy powder on the surface of the strip; (d) preheating the strip having the aluminum base alloy powder thereon by the application of heat to the other surface of the strip to a temperature in the range of from 200° C. to 400° C., in an air atmosphere, without directly heating the aluminum base alloy; (e) hot-rolling the preheated strip and the aluminum base alloy in the air atmosphere between a pair of heated rolls, each heated up to from 150° C. to 400° C. over the entire area of the surface thereof, to thereby pressure-bond the aluminum base alloy powder to the strip to form thereon a bearing surface layer; (f) taking up the resulting bearing steel strip into a coil; and (g) heating the coil in a furnace to sinter the coating at a temperature of from 250° C. to 500° C.

Claim 2

A method of making an aluminum base alloy bearing material, comprising the steps of: (a) washing one surface of a continuously fed steel strip or stainless steel strip; (b) grinding the resulting washed surface of the strip; (c) spreading on the resulting ground surface of the strip an aluminum base alloy powder containing from 6.8 to 9.2 wt % lead and from 0.8 to 1.5 wt % tin, to form an aluminum base alloy powder on the surface of the strip; (d) preheating the strip having the aluminum base alloy powder thereon by the application of heat to the other surface of the strip to a temperature in the range of from 200° C. to 400° C., in an air atmosphere, without directly heating the aluminum base alloy; (e) hot-rolling the preheated strip and the aluminum base alloy in the air atmosphere between a pair of heated rolls, each heated up to from 150° C. to 400° C. over the entire area of the surface thereof, to thereby pressure-bond the aluminum base alloy powder to the strip to form thereon a bearing surface layer; (f) taking up the resulting bearing steel strip into a coil; and (g) heating the coil in a furnace to sinter the coating at a temperature of from 250° C. to 500° C.

Claim 3

A method of making an aluminum base alloy bearing material, comprising the steps of: washing and roughening one surface of a continuously fed steel strip; spreading on the surface of the steel strip an aluminum powder consisting essentially of aluminum; spreading an aluminum base alloy powder on the aluminum powder; and hot-rolling the aluminum powder, the aluminum base alloy powder and the steel strip to pressure-bond the powders to the steel strip into a unitary structure.

Claim 4

A method of making an aluminum base alloy bearing material, comprising the steps of: washing and roughening one surface of a continuously fed steel strip; spreading on the surface of the steel strip an aluminum powder consisting essentially of aluminum; spreading an aluminum base alloy powder on the aluminum powder; and hot-rolling the aluminum powder, the aluminum base alloy powder and the steel strip to pressure-bond the powders to the steel strip into a unitary structure.