Interlocking knuckle assembly

Abstract

An interlocking knuckle assembly consisting of an integral spindle and lower knuckle boss and an integral casting, including an upper knuckle boss and a spindle receiving opening in which the spindle of the forging is received. The casting is provided with a V-shaped groove formed therein opening toward the spindle receiving opening, and an upwardly projecting rib on the forging engages the groove on the casting when the spindle is fixed within the spindle receiving opening to prevent rotational movement of the spindle within the casting.

Parent Case Text

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

KNUCKLE ASSEMBLY, Ser. No. 297,222, filed Oct. 13, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,124, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the above noted related application, a two piece knuckle assembly is described which includes an integral casting having an upper knuckle boss and a spindle opening and an integral forging having a spindle shaft and a lower knuckle boss. The components are assembled preferably by shrink fitting the spindle of the forging in the spindle opening of the casting.

While this assembly provides several advantages over conventional bolted assemblies and those in which both knuckles are formed on a single casting, there exists a possibility that the spindle, under certain stress conditions may rotate within the spindle receiving opening.

Since the lower knuckle boss is formed integrally with the spindle, rotation of the spindle of course may result in misalignment of the upper and lower knuckle bosses. Additionally, while it would be difficult if not impossible under normal operating conditions to disengage the spindle from the opening in which it is shrink fitted by a force applied axially of the spindle, disengagement by rotational movement may result where an overload amount is applied to the spindle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention an interlocked knuckle assembly is provided in which relative rotational movement between the basic components is eliminated or at least reduced to acceptable limits by providing a mechanical interlock between the casting and the forging.

Specifically, the casting is provided with a substantially V-shaped member having diverging legs opening toward the spindle receiving opening in the casting.

A flange portion of the forging is provided with an upwardly extending rib which, when the spindle is shrink fitted in the opening in the casting, is received in the groove defined by the diverging legs of the V-shaped member.

While the groove defined by the legs of the V-shaped member and/or the rib on the flange portion of the forging may be machined to provide a precise fit between these two members, it will generally be sufficient for purposes of the present invention to form these members without additional machining, since the small amount of relative rotation that may result by virtue of eliminating the machining operation will not appreciably affect the operation of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a knuckle assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the knuckle assembly with parts in section; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the knuckle assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The knuckle assembly 10 of the present invention consists essentially of two components, an integrally formed casting 12 and an integrally formed forging 14. The casting 12 is provided with an upper knuckle boss 16 projecting outwardly thereof and having a ball joint opening 18 formed therethrough. A spindle receiving opening 20 is machined through the casting such that its axis is angularly disposed in intersecting relationship to the axis of the opening 18.

As in the case of the assembly described in the above noted related application, the casting 12 may also include upper and lower brake rails 22 and 24, a steering arm 26 having an opening 28 threthrough, dust shield mounting bosses 30, a grease seal boss 32, and a tapped hole 34 for receiving a steering mount stop.

The forging 14 is constructed as an integral forging including a tempered and case hardened spindle shaft 36 and a flange portion 37 intermediate the spindle shaft and a lower knuckle boss 38. The spindle shaft itself includes a shrink fit portion 40, an inside bearing section 42, a frustoconical section 44, an outside bearing section 46, and a threaded outer end 48 provided with a cotter pin opening therethrough (not shown).

The lower knuckle boss 38 projects outwardly from the flange portion 37 of the forging 14 with the opening 50 therethrough disposed oppositely to the opening 18 in the upper knuckle boss 16 when the shrink fitted section 40 of the spindle shaft 36 is received in the spindle receiving opening 20 and fixed therein, preferably by means of a shrink fitting so that the walls of the spindle receiving opening grip the section 40 of the spindle shaft.

Projecting outwardly from the casting 12 is a substantially V-shaped member 52 having a pair of diverging legs 54 opening downwardly toward the spindle receiving opening 20. The flange portion 37 of the forging 14 is provided with an upwardly projecting rib 56 receivable in the groove 58 defined by the legs 54 when the spindle shaft is shrink fitted in position in the casting 12, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the forging 14 may be fixed to the casting 12 by induction heating the area of the casting 12 about the spindle opening 20, the forging 14 inserted in the spindle receiving opening as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3 of the drawings, and the assembly then quenched to provide a shrink fit.

While, if an exact fit is desired between the upstanding rib 56 and the groove 58, the rib 56 and/or the groove 58 may be machined, in most instances it will be satisfactory to allow a slight amount of clearance between the rib 56 and the groove 58, since any relative rotation permitted by these clearances is of a small enough magnitude to be acceptable, while the manufacturing costs are appreciably diminished by eliminating a separate machining step for the rib and groove 56, 58.

From the above it will be seen that the present invention provides an interlocking knuckle assembly which prevents misalignment of the upper and lower knuckles thereof and separation of the knuckle components.

While the product herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise product, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a knuckle assembly including an integrally formed casting, a first knuckle boss formed integrally with and projecting from said casting, means defining a spindle receiving opening formed through said casting in spaced relationship to said first knuckle, an integral forging consisting of a spindle shaft and a second knuckle boss formed integrally with said spindle shaft, and wherein said spindle shaft is received in said spindle receiving opening and fixed therein with the wall of said opening engaging a section of said spindle shaft and said second knuckle boss is positioned in opposition to said first knuckle boss, improved means for preventing rotational movement of said spindle shaft within said opening and misalignment of said first and second knuckle bosses with respect to each other comprising:

a. first interlocking means formed integrally with said casting outwardly of said spindle receiving opening therein,

b. second interlocking means complementary to said first interlocking means and formed integrally with said forging,

c. said second interlocking means being formed on a surface of said forging other than said section thereof engaged by said wall of said opening, and

d. said first and second interlocking means being in engagement with each other outwardly of said spindle receiving opening with said first and second knuckle bosses positioned in opposition to each other.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the interlocking means on said casting and said forging comprises:

a. interlocking rib and groove means.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said interlocking rib and groove means comprises:

a. a substantially V-shaped member having diverging legs defining said groove therebetween.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein:

a. said substantially V-shaped member is formed on said casting.

5. The assembly of claim 2 wherein:

a. said groove is slightly larger than said rib.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

a. said interlocking means is formed on said casting adjacent said spindle receiving opening and on said forging adjacent second said knuckle boss thereof.