The ball socket assembly includes a housing with an open interior which extends along an axis. A bearing is disposed in the open interior of the housing and has a curved primary contact surface which surrounds the axis and surrounds a stud ball opening. A stud ball is disposed in the opening and is in sliding contact with the primary contact surface for allowing rotation of the stud ball relative to the bearing. The stud ball has an equator and is in sliding contact with the bearing on both sides of the equator. A stud is operably connected with the stud ball. A shoe is further provided and has a pair of supplemental contact surfaces that are biased against the stud ball. The shoe provides the stud with a predetermined rotational torque and also adjusts for wear in the assembly to maintain the performance of the socket assembly.

A ball joint includes a cover plate with a nested portion along an outer perimeter having a nested portion thickness, a domed portion located radially inward of the outer perimeter having a domed portion thickness, and a pressed portion located between the nested portion and the domed portion having a pressed portion thickness. The pressed portion thickness is less than the domed portion thickness, which during manufacture, is formed when the cover plate and bearing are simultaneously pressed into their final form and position. A tool can be used to press the cover plate and bearing in a single operation. The tool can have interchangeable components, allowing for the manufacture of differently sized ball joints.

A ball joint includes a cover plate with a nested portion along an outer perimeter having a nested portion thickness, a domed portion located radially inward of the outer perimeter having a domed portion thickness, and a pressed portion located between the nested portion and the domed portion having a pressed portion thickness. The pressed portion thickness is less than the domed portion thickness, which during manufacture, is formed when the cover plate and bearing are simultaneously pressed into their final form and position. A tool can be used to press the cover plate and bearing in a single operation. The tool can have interchangeable components, allowing for the manufacture of differently sized ball joints.

A sealing fin fixing apparatus can fix a sealing fin to a rotor in a shortened period of time to minimize variations of the pullout strength of the sealing fin. In the sealing fin fixing apparatus that fixes the sealing fin in a sealing groove defined in the outer circumference of the rotor of a rotary machine and includes a headstock for setting a rotor thereon, a Z-stage movable along a Z-axis, an X-stage movable along an X-axis, a tool rest supported on the X-stage, and a caulking tool mounted on the tool rest and including a shank and a pressing roller, while the pressing roller is being held against a caulking wire inserted, together with the sealing fin, in the sealing groove in the rotor that is set on the headstock, the headstock is actuated to rotate the rotor, thereby caulking the caulking wire to fix the sealing fin to the rotor.

A method of manufacturing a vehicle suspension component includes inserting a cover body into an aperture of a housing, the cover body being disposed about a central axis concentric with the aperture of the housing, the cover body having a convex side and a concave side and an outer perimeter disposed about the central axis, the cover body defining a threaded bore concentric with the central axis, and deforming the cover body into retaining engagement with the housing by pressing against the convex side until the cover body is at least partial deformed and the outer perimeter is expanded compared to a pre-deformed state of the cover body.

A structural component, or parts thereof, for a machine system or vehicle, such as an aircraft, is provided. In some examples, the structural component includes at least one embedded passageway or line. In other examples, the passageway or line is formed integrally on the exterior surface of the structural component. In some of these examples, the structural component can benefit from additive manufacturing techniques or methodologies.

A method of manufacturing a vehicle suspension component includes inserting a cover body into an aperture of a housing, the cover body being disposed about a central axis concentric with the aperture of the housing, the cover body having a convex side and a concave side and an outer perimeter disposed about the central axis, the cover body defining a threaded bore concentric with the central axis, and deforming the cover body into retaining engagement with the housing by pressing against the convex side until the cover body is at least partial deformed and the outer perimeter is expanded compared to a pre-deformed state of the cover body.

The ball socket assembly includes a housing with an open interior which extends along an axis. A bearing is disposed in the open interior of the housing and has a curved primary contact surface which surrounds the axis and surrounds a stud ball opening. A stud ball is disposed in the opening and is in sliding contact with the primary contact surface for allowing rotation of the stud ball relative to the bearing. The stud ball has an equator and is in sliding contact with the bearing on both sides of the equator. A stud is operably connected with the stud ball. A shoe is further provided and has a pair of supplemental contact surfaces that are biased against the stud ball. The shoe provides the stud with a predetermined rotational torque and also adjusts for wear in the assembly to maintain the performance of the socket assembly.

A sealing fin fixing apparatus can fix a sealing fin to a rotor in a shortened period of time to minimize variations of the pullout strength of the sealing fin. In the sealing fin fixing apparatus that fixes the sealing fin in a sealing groove defined in the outer circumference of the rotor of a rotary machine and includes a headstock for setting a rotor thereon, a Z-stage movable along a Z-axis, an X-stage movable along an X-axis, a tool rest supported on the X-stage, and a caulking tool mounted on the tool rest and including a shank and a pressing roller, while the pressing roller is being held against a caulking wire inserted, together with the sealing fin, in the sealing groove in the rotor that is set on the headstock, the headstock is actuated to rotate the rotor, thereby caulking the caulking wire to fix the sealing fin to the rotor.

A composite open web beam joist includes a cambered beam joist portion including a top end, a bottom end, a first side, a second side, and an open web layout extending from end to end. The open web layout includes triangular web sections and openings between each of the triangular web sections. Each triangular web section includes a peak. A first chord angle beam is attached to the first side of the cambered beam-joist portion at the peaks of the triangular web sections. A second chord angle beam is attached to the second side of the cambered beam-joist at the peaks of the triangular web sections. A plate is vertically attached to a center of the top end of the cambered beam-joist. The plate extended longitudinally along the center of the top end of the cambered beam joist portion. The plate includes a distal end having a flange and a recess.