Roller follower assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a roller follower assembly, comprising the steps of fabricating a lash adjuster body, fabricating a roller follower body, fabricating a leakdown plunger, fabricating a socket, wherein at least one of the lash adjuster body, roller follower body, leakdown plunger, and socket is fabricated at least in part by forging.

1 . A method for manufacturing an assembly that includes a socket body, a leakdown plunger, and a roller follower body comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing at least one parts former that includes a punch side and a die side;    b) locating a plurality of pins on at least one of the punch side and the die side of at least one parts former;    c) providing a first rod with a first end and a second end;    d) fabricating the socket body from the first rod, comprising the steps of: 
 1) cold forming the first rod to provide at least a portion of the socket body including the steps of: 
 i) using a first pin and a first punch to form, at least in part, a first socket surface and a second socket surface;  
 ii) using a second pin and a second punch to form, at least in part, a push rod cooperating surface;  
 
 2) providing the socket body with an outer socket surface and a socket passage that fluidly links the first and second socket surfaces;  
   e) providing a second rod that includes a first end and a second end    f) fabricating the leakdown plunger from the second rod including the steps of: 
 1) cold forming the second rod to provide at least a portion of the leakdown plunger including the steps of 
 i) using a third pin and a third punch to form, at least in part, an annular plunger surface into the first end of the second rod;  
 ii) using a fourth pin and a fourth punch to form, at least in part, an inner plunger surface;  
 
 2) providing the annular plunger surface located at the first end with a plunger hole;  
   g) providing a third rod;    h) fabricating the roller follower body from the third rod including the steps of: 
 1) cold forming the third rod to provide at least a portion of the roller follower body including the steps of: 
 i) using a fifth pin and a fifth punch to form, at least in part, a first roller cavity that includes a first roller opening and a first inner roller surface that is provided with a first wall, a second wall, a third wall, a fourth wall, a first angled wall, a second angled wall, a third angled wall, a fourth angled wall, a first curved surface, and a second curved surface, wherein: 
 (a) the walls and the angled walls extend axially into the body from the first opening and are positioned so that the first wall faces the second wall, the third wall faces the fourth wall, the first angled wall faces the second angled wall, and the third angled wall faces the fourth angled wall;  
 (b) the first curved surface abuts the first wall and the second curved surface abuts the second wall; and  
 
 
 2) providing a second roller cavity that includes a second roller opening and a second inner roller surface that is configured to accommodate the socket body and the leakdown plunger.  
   
   
   
       2 . The method of manufacturing the assembly of  claim 1  further including the step of using the second pin and the second punch to form, at least in part, a protruding surface located between a first flat surface and a second flat surface on the second socket surface.  
   
   
       3 . The method of manufacturing the assembly of  claim 1  further including the step of providing the inner plunger surface of the leakdown plunger with a first inner cylindrical surface and a second inner cylindrical surface that abuts an annular plunger surface that has been fabricated at the second end of second rod.  
   
   
       4 . The method of manufacturing the assembly of  claim 1  further including the step of using the fifth pin and the fifth punch to cold form, at least in part, the first roller cavity to further provided a first angled surface, a second angled surface, a third angled surface, and a fourth angled surface so that at least one of the angled surfaces extends from one of the angled walls at an angle.  
   
   
       5 . The method of manufacturing the assembly of  claim 4  wherein the angle between the angled wall and the angled surface measures between sixty-five and about ninety degrees.  
   
   
       6 . The method of manufacturing the assembly of  claim 1  further including a lash adjuster body and further including the steps of: 
 a) providing a fourth rod    b) fabricating a lash adjuster body from the fourth rod comprising the steps of: 
 1) cold forming the fourth rod to provide at least a portion of the lash adjuster body including the step of using a sixth pin and a sixth punch to form, at least in part, a lash adjuster cavity that includes an inner lash adjuster surface; and  
 2) providing the inner lash adjuster surface with a lash adjuster well, a first cylindrical lash adjuster surface, and a second cylindrical lash adjuster surface so that the lash adjuster well is defined, at least in part, by the second cylindrical lash adjuster surface.  
   
   
   
       7 . The method fort manufacturing an assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of using a sixth pin and a sixth punch to cold form, at least in part, the socket passage.  
   
   
       8 . The method for manufacturing an assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of using a sixth pin and a sixth punch to cold form, at least in part, the plunger hole within the annular plunger surface.  
   
   
       9 . The method for manufacturing an assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising the steps of heat treating the socket body, the leakdown plunger and the roller follower body and then assembling the socket body and the leakdown plunger within the roller follower body so that the socket body and the leakdown plunger are located at least in part within the second roller cavity and the second socket surface of the socket body faces an annular plunger surface that has been fabricated at the second end of second rod.  
   
   
       10 . The method for manufacturing an assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of using a sixth pin and a sixth punch to cold form, at least in part, the second roller cavity.  
   
   
       11 . The method for manufacturing an assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of providing a transition opening linking the first roller cavity with the second roller cavity.  
   
   
       12 . The method for manufacturing an assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of providing a frustoconical roller surface generally located where the first roller cavity transitions into the second roller cavity.  
   
   
       13 . The method for manufacturing an assembly according to  claim 1  further comprising the step of using the fifth pin and the fifth punch to cold form, at least in part, the first roller cavity to further provided a first angled surface that extends from the first angled wall, a second angled surface that extends from the fourth angled wall, a third angled surface that extends from the second angled wall, and a fourth angled surface that extends from the third angled wall, whereby: 
 a) the first angled surface is at an angle relative to the first angled wall and is located adjacent to the first wall, the fourth wall, the first angled wall, and the first curved surface;    b) the second angled surface is at an angle relative to the fourth wall and is located adjacent to the first wall, the third wall, the fourth angled wall, and the second curved surface;    c) the third angled surface is at an angle relative to the second angled wall and is located adjacent to the second wall, the third wall, the second angled wall, and the second curved surface; and    d) the fourth angled surface is at an angle relative to the third angled wall and is located adjacent to the second wall, the fourth wall, the thud angled wall, and the first curved surface.    
   
   
       14 . The method for manufacturing an assembly according to  claim 13  wherein each of the angles measures between sixty-five and about ninety degrees.