Granted Patent B2

US 8,863,711 · App. 13/663,067 · Granted Oct 21, 2014

Abstract

Claims (29)

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 by at least one fastener that non-rotatably connects said sprocket body to said hub flange when said at least one fastener is tightened and that allows relative rotation between said sprocket body and said hub flange when said at least one fastener is loosened;

a stud-receiving opening defined in said hub flange and a tool-receiving opening defined in 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 a projecting eccentric stud of the associated adjustment tool, wherein the stud-receiving opening is elongated for relative sliding movement of the eccentric stud of the associated adjustment tool therein, and 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 tool-receiving opening is circular.

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

4. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 3 , 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.

5. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 4 , 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.

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

7. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 6 , 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.

8. 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 sprocket body and adapted to receive a projecting eccentric stud of an associated adjustment tool;

a tool-receiving opening defined in the hub flange 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 sprocket body and said hub when said at least one fastener is loosened.

9. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said hub is adapted to be non-rotatably connected to the associated camshaft.

10. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 9 , 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 non-rotatably clamp said web of said sprocket body to said hub flange when tightened.

11. An adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly comprising:

a sprocket body adapted to be mounted to an associated camshaft;

a mounting plate adapted to be non-rotatably mounted on the associated camshaft and abutted with the sprocket;

at least one fastener that is selectively threadably advanced into a mating bore of the associated camshaft from a loosened position to a tightened position, wherein: (i) said at least one fastener clamps said mounting plate against said sprocket body and non-rotatably clamps said sprocket body to the associated camshaft when in said tightened position; and, (ii) an angular position of said sprocket body on the associated camshaft is adjustable when said at least one fastener is in said loosened position;

an adjustment tool opening defined in the mounting plate;

a stud-receiving location defined in the sprocket body and aligned with the adjustment tool opening;

wherein said adjustment tool opening is adapted to receive a body of an associated adjustment tool and the stud-receiving bore is adapted to receive a projecting eccentric stud of the associated adjustment tool, such that rotation of the associated adjustment tool in the adjustment tool opening causes relative angular movement between said sprocket body and said camshaft and said mounting plate when said at least one fastener is in said loosened position.

12. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the adjustment tool opening is elongated and the stud-receiving bore is conformed to allow only rotational movement of the associated adjustment tool eccentric stud therein such that the associated adjustment tool pivots about its eccentric stud causing relative angular movement between said sprocket body and said mounting plate when said at least one fastener is in said loosened position.

13. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 11 , wherein said adjustment tool opening opens through a peripheral edge of the mounting plate.

14. The adjustable camshaft sprocket assembly as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the mounting plate comprises a projecting key that is adapted to be received in a corresponding keyway of the associated camshaft to non-rotatably engage the mounting plate to the associated camshaft.

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

Assignments (11)