公开(公告)号：US4136582A

公开(公告)日：1979-01-30

申请号：US678972

申请日：1976-04-21

Applicant: Francis H. Boor

Inventor： Francis H. Boor

IPC: F16C17/02 ,  F16H48/08 ,  F16H1/42

CPC classification number: F16C17/02 ,  F16H48/08 ,  F16H2048/085 ,  F16H2048/087 ,  Y10T74/19991

Abstract: The present application discloses structure which produces area contact in place of point or line contact between a cylindrical shaft and a cylindrical bore. When the area of contact is increased, the unit pressure is reduced which results in less wear and longer life. The combination of the present invention includes a shaft having an external surface and a member in the nature of a gear or the like which has a bore surrounding the shaft and which bore includes an internal surface. The present invention involves the situation wherein one of the shaft and member is fixed and the other of the shaft and member is rotatable. The improvement of the present invention involves the situation wherein the surface of the rotatable one of the two above mentioned members is provided with a first cooperating surface portion which has a constant radius and which extends through an angle 360.degree.. The surface of the fixed one of the members comprises a second cooperating surface portion which has a radius which matches the constant radius of the rotatable member which extends through 360.degree.; however, the second cooperating surface portion extends through an angle of less than 180.degree.. The first and second cooperating surface portions normally, although not necessarily, are axially coextensive. The surface of the fixed one of the members, in addition to the second cooperating surface portion, has an additional surface portion which has a dimension which may broadly referred to as a radius dimension, which is different than that of the radius of the first and second cooperating surface portions. In the case of a fixed shaft, which has the less than 180.degree. surface portion thereon, this additional surface portion has a radius which is smaller and in the case of a fixed member which has a bore therein which carries the less than 180.degree. surface portion, this additional surface has a radius which is larger than the radius of the surface which extends through an angle of less than 180.degree.. The present disclosure illustrates the present invention as applied to a fixed shaft supporting a rotatable gear, sprocket, pulley or any other method of power of transmission, wherein the load direction is constant to the shaft and the disclosure, also, illustrates the situation where the load direction remains constant to the bearing in the case of a rotating shaft supported by bearings. Additionally, the present invention discloses the invention as used in land vehicle differentials.