IP Library Granted Patent US 10,744,556
Granted Patent B2
US 10,744,556 · App. 15/849,928 · Granted Aug 18, 2020

Method for forming a toothed article

Inventors: Moshe Rothstein (Oak Park, MI); Cory J. Padfield (Royal Oak, MI)
Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
B21K1/30B23P15/14F16H55/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,744,556
App. No.
15/849,928
Granted
Aug 18, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for fabricating an article that includes: providing a first workpiece component formed of a first steel material; joining a second workpiece component to the first workpiece component to form a workpiece, the second workpiece component being formed of a second steel material that is different from the first steel material; and forming a plurality of teeth on the workpiece, the teeth being wholly formed of the first steel material.

Claims (10)

1. A method for fabricating an article, the method comprising:

providing a first workpiece component formed of a first steel material;

forging the first workpiece component to form a first forged workpiece component having a plurality of bevel gear teeth that are disposed about an axis;

forming a second workpiece component that is formed of a second steel material that is different from the first steel material, the second workpiece component having a set of locating features; and

joining the second workpiece component to the first forged workpiece component to form a workpiece via friction welding, the workpiece being a bevel gear having a frusto-conical surface that is defined by a back cone of a predetermined cone angle and which intersects the bevel gear teeth, the frusto-conical surface diverging inwardly toward the axis with increasing distance along the axis from the bevel gear teeth;

wherein the first workpiece component has a first side and a second side, wherein the bevel gear teeth are disposed on the first side of the first workpiece component, wherein a through-bore is formed through the first workpiece component along the axis, wherein the second side of the first workpiece component is formed perpendicular to the axis and intersects the frusto-conical surface of the workpiece that is defined by the back cone such that the frusto-conical surface is partly formed by the first forged workpiece component and partly formed by the second workpiece component.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising hardening the bevel gear teeth prior to joining the second workpiece component to the first forged workpiece component.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of locating features comprise a circumferentially extending surface and a radially extending surface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second steel material has a carbon content that is lower than a carbon content of the first steel material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is a hypoid ring gear.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2025
From: AMERICAN AXLE MANUFACTURING, INC.; MD INVESTORS CORPORATION; AAM NORTH AMERICA, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073005/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2022
From: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 060244/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2017
From: ROTHSTEIN, MOSHE; PADFIELD, CORY J.
To: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.
Reel/Frame 044459/0863 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190193140A1 · Jun 27, 2019