An apparatus for manufacturing a rack bar includes a pre-forming machine forming a flattened portion on an outer peripheral surface of a hollow shaft member, a teeth forming machine forming rack teeth on the flattened portion, a heat treatment machine quenching the rack teeth, a first conveying machine carrying the shaft member into and from the pre-forming machine, a second conveying machine carrying the shaft member into and from the teeth forming machine, and a third conveying machine carrying the shaft member into and from the heat treatment machine. The first conveying machine, the second conveying machine, and the third conveying machine hold one end of the shaft member from a radially inner side of the shaft member. The apparatus of the rack bar are suitable for manufacturing a relatively short hollow rack bar having rack teeth formed over substantially an entire length of a shaft member.

A device is provided with a first die, a second die and a pressing machine. The second die is provided with a plastic processing hole where a core metal is disposed on a hole center line. On the inner peripheral surface of the plastic processing hole, three projecting portions are provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of the hole center line. By the approach of the first and second dies to each other, the core metal is inserted into a guide hole of a contact tip, and the projecting portions plastically deform the head end side of the contact tip by pressing it until it is in contact with the core metal.

To provide a rotating member that allows formation of protrusions to be dug into an opposite surface with a simple configuration, and that can prevent a direction-dependent reduction of anti-slip effect and provide sufficient slip prevention in the direction of torque as well as in the radial direction, and a method of forming this rotating member. The rotating member has a boss and an anti-slip surface on at least one of both axial end faces of the boss. The anti-slip surface includes a plurality of crater-like depressions each having a peripheral protrusion. At least some of the plurality of crater-like depressions are arranged serially to form a plurality of crater chains.

To provide a rotating member that allows formation of protrusions to be dug into an opposite surface with a simple configuration, and that can prevent a direction-dependent reduction of anti-slip effect and provide sufficient slip prevention in the direction of torque as well as in the radial direction, and a method of forming this rotating member. The rotating member has a boss and an anti-slip surface on at least one of both axial end faces of the boss. The anti-slip surface includes a plurality of crater-like depressions each having a peripheral protrusion. At least some of the plurality of crater-like depressions are arranged serially to form a plurality of crater chains.

A forging apparatus includes an ironing mechanism and a phase alignment mechanism. The ironing mechanism includes: a punch set, which is fitted into a cylindrical portion of a pre-processing material to be formed into the outer joint member, and is radially expandable and contractible, the cylindrical portion having grooves formed in an inner peripheral surface thereof; and a die having a hole into which the cylindrical portion is press-fitted. The phase alignment mechanism is configured to align phases of the grooves in the inner peripheral surface of the pre-processing material and phases of track groove portion forming surfaces of the punch set with each other before the pre-processing material is fitted to the punch set.

A forging apparatus includes an ironing mechanism and a phase alignment mechanism. The ironing mechanism includes: a punch set, which is fitted into a cylindrical portion of a pre-processing material to be formed into the outer joint member, and is radially expandable and contractible, the cylindrical portion having grooves formed in an inner peripheral surface thereof; and a die having a hole into which the cylindrical portion is press-fitted. The phase alignment mechanism is configured to align phases of the grooves in the inner peripheral surface of the pre-processing material and phases of track groove portion forming surfaces of the punch set with each other before the pre-processing material is fitted to the punch set.

Methods for forming fixed-cutter earth-boring drill bits include retrieving a forged steel drill bit body from an inventory of substantially identical forged steel drill bit bodies including fixed blades and junk slots between the fixed blades. Cutter pockets are formed in the blades. Nozzle holes are formed in the drill bit body to provide fluid communication from an interior of the forged steel drill bit body to the junk slots. Additional methods include forging first and second steel drill bit bodies substantially identical in shape and configuration, forming first cutter pockets in the first steel drill bit body in a first configuration, and forming second cutter pockets in the second steel drill bit body in a second, different configuration.

Methods for forming fixed-cutter earth-boring drill bits include retrieving a forged steel drill bit body from an inventory of substantially identical forged steel drill bit bodies including fixed blades and junk slots between the fixed blades. Cutter pockets are formed in the blades. Nozzle holes are formed in the drill bit body to provide fluid communication from an interior of the forged steel drill bit body to the junk slots. Additional methods include forging first and second steel drill bit bodies substantially identical in shape and configuration, forming first cutter pockets in the first steel drill bit body in a first configuration, and forming second cutter pockets in the second steel drill bit body in a second, different configuration.

A processing unit for processing a workpiece wall of a workpiece with a forward stroke carried out by the processing unit in a forward stroke direction of the processing unit towards the workpiece, and with a backward stroke carried out by the processing unit in a backward stroke direction of the processing unit away from the workpiece, wherein the workpiece and the processing unit move relative to each other along a working axis of the processing unit. A processing machine for processing a workpiece wall of a workpiece contains the processing unit.

A processing unit for processing a workpiece wall of a workpiece with a forward stroke carried out by the processing unit in a forward stroke direction of the processing unit towards the workpiece, and with a backward stroke carried out by the processing unit in a backward stroke direction of the processing unit away from the workpiece, wherein the workpiece and the processing unit move relative to each other along a working axis of the processing unit. A processing machine for processing a workpiece wall of a workpiece contains the processing unit.