The present invention relates to an elastic junction device for the dynamic connection, in a rolling mill, between the motor side and the head of an adapter or between the adapter and one or more rolling rolls. The junction device comprises a central body which can be connected to an end of said flange so that it can rotate integrally therewith, said device comprising two skids through a connecting pin so that said block rotates integrally with said flange, said skids being mechanically couplable to said adapter to allow the rotation thereof upon the rotation of said flange and vice versa. The junction device comprises at least a first damper element and at least a second damper element housed in the block and which act on opposite parts of the connecting pin so as to absorb the axial tensions which are transmitted along the adapter as a result of the stresses caused by rolling.

A cross joint comprises a flange yoke and a stab yoke, each comprising a based end portion and a pair of arm portions having a shaft hole and extending from both sides of the base end portion, and a spider having a first shaft fitted into the shaft hole of the flange yoke and a second shaft fitted into the shaft hole of the stab yoke, wherein the cross joint further comprises a flexing limiting portion, which limits a flexing angle of the cross joint due to mutual contact of a protruding portion of the base end portion and a flange portion of the spider when the flange yoke is flexed to a predetermined angle.

A universal joint includes a first joint member having a first end to which a second joint member is coupled and a second end to which a third joint member is coupled. The first and the second joint members are pivotally connected with each other about a first axis of rotation. The first and third joint member are pivotally connected with each other about a second axis of rotation. A retaining device which includes a first resilient member and a first retainer working cooperatively for preventing inadvertent relative movements between the first and the second joint members. The first retainer is urged by the first resilient member.

A method of manufacturing a universal joint includes: temporarily assembling a bearing, which supports a shaft portion of a joint spider such that the shaft portion is rotatable, with respect to a through-hole and the shaft portion by press-fitting the bearing to a first position in the through-hole of a yoke; and clinching, after the bearing is temporarily assembled, a portion of the yoke around the through-hole, and pressing the bearing deeper into the through-hole with a clinched portion formed by the clinching to press-fit the bearing to a second position located deeper than the first position in the through-hole.

A method of manufacturing a universal joint includes: temporarily assembling a bearing, which supports a shaft portion of a joint spider such that the shaft portion is rotatable, with respect to a through-hole and the shaft portion by press-fitting the bearing to a first position in the through-hole of a yoke; and clinching, after the bearing is temporarily assembled, a portion of the yoke around the through-hole, and pressing the bearing deeper into the through-hole with a clinched portion formed by the clinching to press-fit the bearing to a second position located deeper than the first position in the through-hole.

A rotary position sensor senses rotation of a first member, having a first torque coupling surface, about an axis relative to a second member by sensing movement of a torque receiving component of the rotary. The isolator may include a mount, a linkage and a torsion spring. The linkage is to be coupled to the torque receiving component of the rotary sensor. The linkage has a second torque coupling surface separable from the first torque coupling surface by a play gap, wherein during rotation of the first member, the first torque coupling surface is to contact the second torque coupling surface to transmit torque to the linkage. The torsion spring is captured between the mount and the linkage independent of the torque receiving component to resiliently bias the second torque coupling surface through the play gap and into engagement with the first torque coupling surface.

A cross joint comprises a flange yoke and a stab yoke, each comprising a based end portion and a pair of arm portions having a shaft hole and extending from both sides of the base end portion, and a spider having a first shaft fitted into the shaft hole of the flange yoke and a second shaft fitted into the shaft hole of the stab yoke, wherein the cross joint further comprises a flexing limiting portion, which limits a flexing angle of the cross joint due to mutual contact of a protruding portion of the base end portion and a flange portion of the spider when the flange yoke is flexed to a predetermined angle.

In order to attach cup bearings 18 with good precision in portions between circular holes 15 that are formed in joining-arm sections 10 of yokes 7a, 7b of a cross shaft universal joint 6 and the tip-end sections of a shaft section 17a of a cross shaft 8 regardless of variation in the dimensions of the joining-arm sections 10, the circular holes 15 in the tip-end sections thereof, and the cup bearings 18, and elastic deformation of the joining-arm sections 10 of the yoke 7a during press-fitting work, press-fitting punches 33 are used to pressure fit the cup bearings 18 to a preset reference position inside the circular holes 15, and the value of the pressure that is applied to the press-fitting punches at that instant is set as a reference pressure, and at the instant when the pressure applied to the press-fitting punches becomes larger than the reference pressure by a preset specified value, the cup bearings 18 are determined to have reached positions where press-fitting is complete.

A rotary position sensor senses rotation of a first member, having a first torque coupling surface, about an axis relative to a second member by sensing movement of a torque receiving component of the rotary. The isolator may include a mount, a linkage and a torsion spring. The linkage is to be coupled to the torque receiving component of the rotary sensor. The linkage has a second torque coupling surface separable from the first torque coupling surface by a play gap, wherein during rotation of the first member, the first torque coupling surface is to contact the second torque coupling surface to transmit torque to the linkage. The torsion spring is captured between the mount and the linkage independent of the torque receiving component to resiliently bias the second torque coupling surface through the play gap and into engagement with the first torque coupling surface.

A universal joint includes a bearing including a bearing cup fitted in a bearing hole of a yoke and rolling elements arranged between the bearing cup and a shaft portion of a cross shaft. A method for manufacturing the universal joint includes: simulating a shrunken state in which a sample bearing cup selected from bearing cups in a same lot is fitted in the bearing hole such that only an outside diameter is restrained, by press-fitting the sample bearing cup into a reference hole of a reference jig; measuring a diameter of an inscribed circle inscribed to the rolling elements in the shrunken state; setting an outside diameter of the shaft portion to a required outside diameter according to the diameter of the inscribed circle; and inserting the bearing cup with the rolling elements between the shaft portion having the required outside diameter and the bearing hole.