Dust boot for a tie rod end of a sickle bar of a combine and a method of making
The tie rod end includes a housing with an inner bore that extends along a central axis. A stud is partially received in the inner bore and has a shank portion which extends out of the inner bore for attachment with a gearbox. The tie rod end further includes an elastic boot body which extends from a first boot end, which is sealed with the housing, to a second boot end. A boot bearing, which is made of a plastic material, is secured with the second boot end. The boot bearing is in a dynamic sealing engagement with the shank portion of the stud. The boot bearing presents a plurality of radially inwardly extending and annularly-shaped ribs that contact the shank portion.
1. A sickle bar assembly for a combine, comprising:
a sickle bar;
a gearbox that includes a block; and
a tie rod end interconnecting said sickle bar with said block for transferring motion from said gearbox to said sickle bar, said tie rod end including;
a housing with an inner bore that extends along a central axis,
a stud partially received in said inner bore and having a shank portion which extends out of said inner bore and is fixedly attached with said block of said gearbox,
an boot body which is made of an elastic material and which extends from a first boot end that is sealed against said housing to a second boot end,
a boot bearing made of a polyoxymethylene material and fixedly attached directly to said elastic material of said second boot end and said boot bearing establishing a dynamic seal between said second boot end of said elastic boot body and said shank portion of said stud and also establishing a dynamic seal between said second boot end of said elastic boot body and said block of said gearbox, and
said boot bearing presenting a plurality of radially inwardly extending and annularly shaped first ribs that contact said shank portion of said stud and that are spaced from one another in an axial direction by a plurality of first grooves for reducing surface-to-surface contact area between said bearing and said shank portion of said stud.
2. The sickle bar assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said boot bearing further includes a plurality of axially extending and annularly shaped second ribs that contact said block of said gearbox and that are spaced radially from one another by a plurality of second grooves.
3. The sickle bar assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said boot bearing is in an overmolding engagement with said elastic boot body.
4. The sickle bar assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said elastic boot body further includes an axially extending lip which is in a dynamic sealing engagement with said block of said gearbox.
5. A method of making a sickle bar assembly, comprising the steps of:
inserting a portion of a stud into an open bore of a housing such that the stud extends along a central axis out of the inner bore through an open end of the housing;
preparing a boot body that is made of an elastic material and that extends from a first boot end to a second boot end;
fixedly attaching a boot bearing that is made of polyoxymethylene directly with the elastic material of the second boot end of the boot body and wherein the boot bearing has a plurality of radially inwardly extending and annularly shaped first ribs that are separated from one another by at least one first groove;
establishing a static seal between the first boot end of the elastic boot body and the housing;
establishing a dynamic seal between the first ribs of the boot bearing and the stud;
fixedly attaching the housing with a sickle bar;
fixedly attaching the stud with a gearbox; and
establishing a dynamic seal between the boot bearing and a component of the gearbox.
6. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the boot bearing further includes a plurality of axially extending and annularly shaped second ribs that are spaced radially from one another by at least one second groove.