Method and Apparatus for Rotation-Secure Mounting of Machine Elements

The invention relates to a rotation-secure mounting of a machine element by a nut screwed onto a threaded portion of a journal or the like, wherein a ring is provided between the nut and the machine element which engages teeth provided on the circumferential surfaces of an annular space formed in the area of the seat of the machine element on the journal.

In practice, for the mounting of machine parts on a shaft or the like numerous tapered sleeves are provided, which with the aid of a nut are rammed in a tapered bore in the machine element. In order to ensure against rotation of the machine element, this arrangement must be strongly prestressed by high circumferential forces. The known clamping sleeve mounting, moreover, has the disadvantage that the bore surface of the mounted machine element must be tapered, which requires an additional enlargement of the radial space.

European Pat. No. 0059339 discloses the flange of a wheel bearing mounted on a journal of a universal joint by means of a toothed ring arranged between the flange and the fastening nut, wherein the teeth of the ring engage corresponding teeth on the circumferential surfaces of an annular space formed between the flange and journal.

In accordance with this known construction, teeth are provided on the flange, the journal, and the ring (on two surfaces), which teeth must be manufactured with relatively high precision. For this reason the machining costs for the individual parts are relatively high.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved rotation-secure mounting in which the machining costs are reduced as compared with prior art mountings.

This object is achieved by forming the ring arranged between the nut and the machine element as a thin-walled sleeve or the like with a smooth surface made of plastically deformable material, the radial wall thickness of the sleeve being smaller than the height of the annular space (defined in the radial direction and measured at the open end of the annular space) and the sleeve being deformed by tightening of the nut such that the annular space is filled.

In accordance with the invention, the simple thinwalled sleeve with smooth outer surface is deformed during tightening of the nut into a ring having teeth on two surfaces. The teeth are formed by sleeve material which flows plastically into the interstitial spaces between the corresponding teeth formed on the surfaces defining the annular space. The teeth of the thus-formed ring can in this way be manufactured without adhering to precise tolerances since the sleeve material flows into the hollow space during deformation.

The preferred embodiment of the invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the attached drawing, which is a partially cross-sectional view of the bearing unit for a driven wheel. The upper half of the drawing (i.e. the portion above the dotted-dashed line) depicts the bearing unit before deformation of the sleeve and the lower half of the drawing depicts the bearing unit after deformation of the sleeve.

The bearing unit shown in the drawing comprises an outer ring 3 which carries both outer raceways 1 and 2, a flanged ring 5 which carries one inner raceway 4, an outer body of the universal joint 8 (not depicted in detail) which carries the second inner raceway 6, and two rows of balls 9 and 10 arranged between respective opposing pairs of raceways (i.e. 1, 4 and 2, 6) and held in the raceways by means of a cage (not shown). The outer ring 3 is provided with a flange 11 for fastening the bearing unit onto a chassis in conventional manner. The outer body 7 of the universal joint has an axially directed journal 12, upon the outer surface 13 of which the flanged ring 5 is seated. The wheel (not depicted in detail) is mounted on the flanged ring 5 in conventional manner.

An annular recess 14 in the bore of the flanged ring 5 at its axial end and annular recess 15 in the outer surface 13 of the axial end of journal 12 form an annular space 16, in which the material of a substantially cylindrical sleeve 19 is pressed with the aid of a nut 18 screwed on a threaded lug 17 of the journal 12. In the fully tightened condition, the undersurface 22 of the head of nut 18 contacts the side surface 23 of the flanged ring 5. The wall thickness of the sleeve 19 in the undeformed (the upper half of the drawing) is smaller than the height of the annular space 16, this height being measured at the open end of the annular space in the radial direction. In the fully assembled condition of the arrangement in accordance with the invention, the sleeve 19 fills the annular space 16. The recess 14 and the recess 15 are each provided with circumferentially distributed teeth 20 and 21 respectively, in the spaces between which the material of the originally cylindrical sleeve 19 is pressed. In this way the flanged ring 5 is rendered secure against rotation relative to the outer body 7 of the universal joint 8, so that the driving power from the universal joint 8 is transmitted to the wheel by means of the flanged ring 5. The nut 18 serves at the same time for axially fixing the flanged ring 5 relative to the outer body 7 of the universal joint 8.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Modifications may be readily effected by one having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept herein disclosed. In particular, the invention is applicable to any mounting of a machine element on a shaft or the like.