Methods of making recirculating ball nut and splined shaft and screw assemblies

Claim 1

A method of making recirculating ball race device and ball screw shaft assemblies of the character wherein the ball race device has internal ball receiving groove portions and land portions and incorporates a recirculating ball circuit having load-bearing balls therein, and the screw shaft has complemental ball groove and land portions for cooperatively receiving the balls, comprising the steps of: (a) cutting the screw shaft to a desired length which leaves at least one end with an externally grooved and landed portion extending to a terminal end of the screw shaft; (b) relatively moving the screw shaft and the recirculating ball race device with balls incorporated in its groove portions to cause the race device to move over said end of the screw shaft and axially along it to a location removed from said end of the screw shaft, with the race balls received in the grooved portions of the screw shaft as the race device moves along the screw shaft and radially separating the race device and screw shaft. (c) selecting a pre-machined shaft end component comprising a sleeve with an open end and an opposite end with an internal end wall surface, the sleeve opposite end having a projecting section with an external pre-machined cylindrical bearing surface thereon of a size required for rotatably supporting the said end of the screw shaft for the diameter and length of screw shaft which has been cut, the sleeve further having internal groove and land portions, which complement the ball-accommodating external groove and land portions of the screw shaft, but leave a clearance therebetween, and coating at least one of said grooved portions of the pre-machined shaft end component and said one end of the screw shaft with a hardenable adhesive; (d) relatively axially moving the pre-machined shaft end component and screw shaft to cause the pre-machined shaft end component sleeve to move interactively over said terminal end of the screw shaft and axially along the screw shaft to dispose the internal wall surface of said end of the sleeve of the pre-machined end component on the screw shaft, with said internal wall surface radially opposite the terminal end of the screw shaft, to dispose the adhesive radially between the sleeve and screw shaft; and (e) hardening the adhesive between the sleeve of the pre-machined shaft end component and said screw shaft to form an integrated axially extending adhesive key between the pre-machined shaft end component and screw shaft.

Claim 2

A method of making recirculating ball race device and ball screw shaft assemblies of the character wherein the ball race device has internal ball receiving groove portions and land portions and incorporates a recirculating ball circuit having load-bearing balls therein, and the screw shaft has complemental ball groove and land portions for cooperatively receiving the balls, comprising the steps of: (a) cutting the screw shaft to a desired length which leaves at least one end with an externally grooved and landed portion extending to a terminal end of the screw shaft; (b) relatively moving the screw shaft and the recirculating ball race device with balls incorporated in its groove portions to cause the race device to move over said end of the screw shaft and axially along it to a location removed from said end of the screw shaft, with the race balls received in the grooved portions of the screw shaft as the race device moves along the screw shaft and radially separating the race device and screw shaft. (c) selecting a pre-machined shaft end component comprising a sleeve with an open end and an opposite end with an internal end wall surface, the sleeve opposite end having a projecting section with an external pre-machined cylindrical bearing surface thereon of a size required for rotatably supporting the said end of the screw shaft for the diameter and length of screw shaft which has been cut, the sleeve further having internal groove and land portions, which complement the ball-accommodating external groove and land portions of the screw shaft, but leave a clearance therebetween, and coating at least one of said grooved portions of the pre-machined shaft end component and said one end of the screw shaft with a hardenable adhesive; (d) relatively axially moving the pre-machined shaft end component and screw shaft to cause the pre-machined shaft end component sleeve to move interactively over said terminal end of the screw shaft and axially along the screw shaft to dispose the internal wall surface of said end of the sleeve of the pre-machined end component on the screw shaft, with said internal wall surface radially opposite the terminal end of the screw shaft, to dispose the adhesive radially between the sleeve and screw shaft; and (e) hardening the adhesive between the sleeve of the pre-machined shaft end component and said screw shaft to form an integrated axially extending adhesive key between the pre-machined shaft end component and screw shaft.