Granted Patent B2

US 7,845,320 · App. 11/811,187 · Granted Dec 7, 2010

Abstract

Claims (23)

1. An adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly comprising:

a hub adapted to be secured to an associated camshaft, said hub comprising a flange;

a sprocket body selectively engaged with said hub flange using at least one fastener, wherein said sprocket body is selectively angularly adjustable relative to said hub flange when said at least one fastener is loosened and said sprocket body is angularly fixed relative to said hub flange when said at least one fastener is tightened;

a stud-receiving opening defined in one of said hub flange and said sprocket body, and a tool-receiving opening defined in the other of said hub flange and said sprocket body, said tool-receiving opening aligned with said stud-receiving opening and adapted to receive a body portion of an associated adjustment tool, and said stud-receiving opening adapted to receive an eccentric stud of the associated adjustment tool, wherein either the stud-receiving opening or the tool-receiving opening is elongated to allow relative sliding movement of the associated adjustment tool therein, wherein rotation of the associated adjustment tool when its body is located in the tool-receiving opening and its eccentric stud is located in the stud-receiving opening causes relative angular movement between said hub and said sprocket body when said at least one fastener is loosened.

2. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said stud-receiving opening is defined in said hub flange and said tool-receiving opening is defined in said sprocket body.

3. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 2 , wherein said stud-receiving opening is elongated so as to define an adjustment slot.

4. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said tool-receiving opening is circular.

5. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said tool-receiving opening is elongated so as to allow the body portion of the associated tool to pivot about the eccentric stud portion of the associate tool when the associated tool is rotation in said tool-receiving opening.

6. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 5 , wherein said stud-receiving opening is defined in said sprocket body and said tool-receiving opening is defined in said hub flange.

7. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said stud-receiving opening is defined in the sprocket body and is elongated so as to define an adjustment slot.

8. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 7 , wherein said tool-receiving opening is circular and defined in the hub flange.

9. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said hub is adapted to be non-rotatably keyed to said camshaft.

10. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the at least one fastener non-rotatably clamps the hub flange to the sprocket body and also non-rotatably clamps the sprocket body to the associated camshaft when tightened.

11. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the at least one fastener comprises a radially enlarged flange, wherein when said at least one fastener is tightened, the radially enlarged flange of the at least one fastener exerts an axial clamping force on said hub flange which, in turn, exerts an axial clamping force on the sprocket body.

12. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said hub is adapted to be non-rotatably bolted to the associated camshaft.

13. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the sprocket body comprises a web defining a plurality of elongated slots and said hub flange comprises a plurality of tapped bores aligned respectively with the elongated slots, wherein said at least one fastener comprises a plurality of fasteners inserted respectively through the elongated slots and threaded into the tapped bores, wherein said plurality of fasteners clamp said web of said sprocket body to said hub flange when tightened.

14. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the sprocket body comprises a web defining a plurality of tapped bores and said hub flange comprises a plurality of elongated slots aligned respectively with the tapped bores, wherein said at least one fastener comprises a plurality of fasteners inserted respectively through the elongated slots and threaded into the tapped bores, wherein said plurality of fasteners clamp said web of said sprocket body to said hub flange when tightened.

15. An adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly comprising:

a hub adapted to be secured to an associated camshaft, said hub comprising a flange;

a sprocket body secured to said hub flange using at least one fastener, wherein said sprocket body is selectively angularly adjustable relative to said hub flange when said at least one fastener is loosened and wherein said sprocket body is immovably fixed to said hub flange when said at least one fastener is tightened;

a stud-receiving slot defined in the hub flange adapted to receive a projecting eccentric stud of an associated adjustment tool;

a tool-receiving opening defined in the sprocket body and aligned with said stud-receiving slot and adapted to receive a body portion of the associated adjustment tool;

wherein rotation of the associated adjustment tool body in the tool-receiving opening with the associated adjustment tool eccentric stud located in the stud-receiving slot causes relative angular movement between said hub and said sprocket body when said at least one fastener is loosened.

Assignments (18)