US2199502A - Method of making axle housings - Google Patents

Description

May 7, 1940. R. H. MADDOCK METHOD OF MAKING AXLE HOUSINGS Filed April 1, 1938 D} mp W m I Base/ark.

Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED STATES ,z, 9. Zi

METHOD OF MAKING AXLE HOUSINGS Robert H. Maddock, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The Midland Steel Products Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 1, 1938, Serial No.199,469 Claims. (01. 29-1531) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in rear axle housings for motor vehicles and an important object is to provide a method for manufacturing the banjo portions of rear axle housings of any width and size desired, to adapt it for completion of the ends of the housings from tubular stock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method of making the banjo portions of housings which provides for making maintenance of uniformity of stock thickness throughout the housing, or the distribution of such thickness of metal wherever it is required in the housing.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a method for making axle housings looking toward the end of employing the strongest and most economical type of stock andequipment for its manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

, In the accompanying drawing forming a part of the description and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the completed housing.

Fig. 2 is a plan of one of the two fiat blanks employed in the manufacture of the banjo portion of the housing.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the blank partially formed,

Fig. 4 is a top plan of the same,

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the same,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the blank formed into final shape,

Fig. 7 is a top plan of the same,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the same,

Fig. 9 is an exploded view showing parts of the housing in their relative position for assembly,

Fig. 10 is a transverse section through the center of the housing.

Manufacture of axle housings solely from tubular stock, wherein one end of such stock is slit and enlarged to form one-half of the banjo portion of the housing, is not the most economical for certain requirements of housings With the use of such stock, a housing requiring an unusually large and wide banjo portion, would necessitate the use of very heavy gauge tubing to compensate for the expanding. and stretching of metal to form the larger size banjo portion.

, While this would provide suflicient stock for the blanks ll, shown in Fig. 2, which areformed to provide a circular'ring like banjo po1tionl2, of channel-shaped cross section. Since there is no limitation uponthe width which'the blank can be formed, the banjo portion can be made as wide or as deep as desired, without regard to the size or weight of the tubular ends l3 of the housing. Each blank II .is substantially rec-' tangular with a laterally enlarged medial portion I4 shown in Fig. 2. This fiat blank is inserted into a press between suitable dies and first 7 formed to the shape shown in'Fig. 3"to provide the longer dimension of the blank." In the same operation, the two ends I6 of the blank are bent into Wingsv to converge toward the depression l5. These ends at theirextremities' are formed with flanges H to give them initial channelshaped formation withoutstretching the metal. The material for the blank is about 3' of an inch thicker than the Wall thickness of the enlarged ends of the tubes 13, in order that the stock thickness of the stampings, wherev they are united to such enlarged ends, will be substantially equal. After the depression [5 hasflbeen formed, its bottom is provided with an elliptical opening l8 having its edges paralleling the edgesof the depression. o

The next step in the manufacture of each half of the banjo portion consists in subjecting the partially formed blank shown inFig, 5't0 a second forming operation which forms the entire blank and ends I6 into true simi-circular or half ring like configuration with .a pair of parallel side flanges l9 which are in effect, continuations of the flanges l1, partially formedin the initial forming operation. At the same time that the blank is formed into a channel section of half ring shape,'a male die passes through the opening l8 to bend the margins of this opening outwardly while'moving them axially to form an.

This operation 9 oval tubular extension 29. slightly reduces the thickness of the tubular extension approximately & of an inch by stretching it lengthwise so that it approximately equals the wall thickness of the tubular end I3.

Each tubular end l3 has its inner end tapered and enlarged intooval cross section as at 2 I, the tapering stopping short of the innermost end, so that its Walls are parallel as at 22 to be exactly the same size and shape as the tubular extension of each half banjo section. The oval sectionsflll' and 22 are then placed in longitu-g' dinal alignment and butt welded together, so

that each axle end, at this stage of the manufacture, carries a semi-circular banjo half. If desired however, the two banjo halves l6 may be first placed end to end with their flanges ill in alignment and butt welded together along the lines 23 before the axle ends l3 are butt welded to the tubular extensions 20.

The tubular axle ends I3 may be formed from tubular stock, or from flat blanks. When made from tubular stock, they may be formed from seamless tubing or welded tubing in which latter case the longitudinal weld line 24 is preferably disposed in a horizontal plane with reference to the normal position of the axle housing and at one side of the lower half of the tubular section, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9. With reference to the position of the weld with respect to the automobile in which itis used, it is in the rear portion of the housing opposite the side thereof to which is secured the differential cover connected with the torque tube.

When the axle ends 63 are made from flat stampings, each axle end [3 is made up from a pair of stampings formed in a press to semicircular crosssection with the enlarged tapered ends 2! simultaneously formed therewith. Such two half sections are then welded along a pair of longitudinally extending seams to form each axle end.

From whichever stock the axle ends are made, their outer ends 25 are thickened by upsetting and are flanged as at 26 prior to the attachment of these axle ends to the banjo portion. Each axle end 25 is provided with an internal upset of about a of an inch' to provide an internal annular shoulder for the bearing retainer ring, not shown. Each end is also provided with a pair of thickened shoulders 28 immediately adjacent the flange 2t. These external shoulders 28 may be provided from an upsetting operation or from two tube diameter reducing operations. When provided by the latter method, tube ends l3 are originally shorter and thicker than the finished length of tube end, and are thinned outin reducing and swaging operation, with the exception of the outer ends 25', which are left in thickened condition by such reducing steps as will leave the two external shoulders 28. When this method is followed, the operations precede the welding of the inner ends of the axle ends l3 to the banjo stampings. Also, prior to the formation of the tapered ends 2!, the outer ends of the tubes are provided with the internal upset 2'! and during this upsetting operation, the external thickened portion 28 may also be provided in case it is desired to eliminate the tube reducing steps.

After the two banjo sections are butt welded together along the line 23, to form the circular banjo portion a pair of half ring reinforcements 25 are projection welded to the inside of each flange H] to span the joints 23 and to dispose the ends 26 of each pair of rings which are slightly spaced apart, diagonally with respect to the horizontal diameter of the banjo portion.

It is to be understood that various changes in the construction and arrangement of parts as well as the sequence of the steps in the method may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a banjo portion for rear axle housings consisting of cutting a pair of flat rectangular blanks each with an enlarged medial portion, forming a central depression in the enlarged medial portion of each blank with the ends of the blank deflected out of the plane of the medial portion and-partly channeled, perforating the depressed portion of each blank, further forming each blank to a semi-circular channeled half ring while bending out the edges of the perforation to form an integral medial short tubular extension around said perforation,

and then welding the two half rings together with the tubular extensions aligned and extending from opposite sides of the completed banjo portion.

2. The method of forming a rear axle housing consisting of cutting a pair of flat blanks each with an enlarged medial portion, forming a central oval depression in the enlarged medial portion of each blank with the ends of the blank defiected out of the plane of the medial portion and partly channeled, perforating the depressed portion of each blank, further forming each blank into a semi-circular channeled half ring while bending out the edges of the perforation to form an integral medial short tubular extension, butt welding a tubular arm to each tubular extension, and then butt welding the two half rings together.

3. The method of forming a rear axle housing consisting of blanking a pair of flat blanks, each with an enlarged medial portion, forming a cen-' tral depression in the medial portion of each blank while deflecting the ends of the blank and bending the ends into channeled section, perforating the depressed portion of each blank, further forming each blank into a semi-circular channeled half ring while bending out the edges of the perforation into a short tubular extension and stretching said extension to a wall thickness gradually diminishing outwardly from the half ring to the free end of the extension, and welding a tubular arm having a wall thickness equal to that of the free end of the extension to said free end of each tubular extension.

4. The method of forming a banjo portion for rear axle housings consisting of forming a pair of fiat rectangular blanks, each with an enlarged medial portion, forming a central oval depression in the medial portion of each blank while deflecting the ends of the blank and bending said ends into channeled section, perforating the depressed portion of each blank, further forming the blanks into semi-circular channeled half rings while bending out the edges of the perforations to form integral medial short tubular extensions, and then butt Welding the two half rings together with thetubular extensions aligned and extending from opposite sides of the completed banjo ring.

5. The method of forming a banjo portion for rear axle housings consisting of forming a pair of fiat blanks each with an enlarged medial portion, forming a central oval depression therein and pulling in the edges of the enlarged medial portion while channeling the ends of the blank, perforating the depressed portions, forming each blank into a semi-circular half ring while bending out the edgesof the perforations in a plane normal thereto to form integral medial short tubular extensions while elongating said extensions to reduce their wall thickness at their free ends, and then butt welding two half rings to-

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