Suspension bushing service tool and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9981368-B2
Application number	US-201514879384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2015
Priority date	Oct 9, 2015
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A bushing service tool kit includes a clamping plate, head plate, and a mounting plate for a hydraulic cylinder, as well as a clamping member. An alignment member is mounted on one side of a bushing that is mounted in a bushing mount and that is to be replaced, and the clamping plate is mounted over the alignment member. The head plate is mounted on an opposite side of the bushing, and the clamping member clamps the head plate and clamping plate toward each other to clamp the bushing mount therebetween. The mounting plate, with a hydraulic cylinder mounted thereon, is mounted on the clamping member facing toward the clamping plate, whereby the hydraulic cylinder is aligned with the bushing. The cylinder can then be operated to remove the bushing and install a replacement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tool for servicing a bushing received in a bushing mount, comprising:
a first plate that defines a first axial hole sized to allow a bushing to pass therethrough;
a first member that is removably mountable on the first side of the bushing, and that has an outer surface that is complementary with the first axial hole, the outer surface defining a mounting point for the first axial hole of the first plate that is aligned with the bushing when the first member is mounted on the first side of the bushing;
a second plate that defines a second axial hole sized to allow the bushing to pass therethrough; and
at least one second member configured to clamp the first plate to the second plate with the bushing mount therebetween such that the second plate is mounted on a second side of the bushing opposite the first side, and such that the second axial hole is aligned with the first axial hole;
the at least one second member defining a mounting point for a hydraulic cylinder, the mounting point being aligned with the first axial hole, second axial hole, and the bushing.

2. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising a third plate that defines a third axial hole, and that is removably mountable on the mounting point of the at least one member such that the third axial hole is aligned with the first axial hole, second axial hole, and the bushing, the third axial hole configured to receive a hydraulic cylinder.

3. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising a third member that defines:
a protrusion that is removably receivable within the bushing; and
an outer surface;
wherein the first member further defines a fourth axial hole with an inner surface that is complementary to the outer surface of the third member, such that the third member provides a mounting point for the fourth axial hole of the first member on the first side of the bushing that is aligned with the bushing when the protrusion of the third member is received in the bushing.

4. The tool of claim 3 , wherein the protrusion of the third member is further configured to be removably receivable in an operative end of a hydraulic cylinder such that the third member enables the hydraulic cylinder to act on bushings through the third member.

5. The tool of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the first plate and second plate further defines at least one longitudinal hole configured to be aligned with each other when the first plate and second plate are aligned with each other; and
the at least one second member includes:
at least one rod that, when passed through the longitudinal holes, aligns the first plate with the second plate; and
at least one fastener that is configured to be mounted on the at least one rod on a portion facing away from the first plate and the bushing, the fastener being operable to engage the first plate and clamp the second plate to the first plate.

6. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third member defines a recess configured to receive at least a portion of a bushing such that a face of the third member opposite the recess defines a planar operating face for acting on the bushing.

7. The tool of claim 6 , wherein the recess of the third member has a D-shaped profile configured to receive at least a portion of a D-pin bushing.

8. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fourth member configured to be removably receivable in an operative end of the actuating device such that the fourth member enables the actuating device to act on bushings through the fourth member.

9. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydraulic cylinder configured to be mounted onto the aligned mounting point of the at least one second member via a third plate that defines a sixth axial hole, such that the hydraulic cylinder is oriented toward and aligned with the bushing.

10. A tool for servicing a bushing received in a bushing mount, comprising:
at least one first member having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion;
a first plate that defines a first axial hole and that is mounted on the second portion of the at least one first member;
a second plate that defines a second axial hole and that is mounted on the first portion of the at least one first member;
a third plate that defines a third axial hole and that is mounted on the third portion of the at least one first member, the first, second, and third axial holes aligned with each other, and the third axial hole of the third plate defining a mounting point for a hydraulic cylinder that is aligned with the bushing;
a second member that is removably mountable to the bushing to align the first axial hole of the first plate with the bushing; and
at least one fastener configured to be mounted on the at least one first member between the third plate and the first plate, the at least one fastener configured to engage the first plate to clamp the first plate to the second plate with the bushing mount therebetween.

11. The tool of claim 10 , further comprising:
a third member that removably mountable in the bushing to form a mounting point for the second member that is aligned with the bushing.

12. The tool of claim 11 , wherein the third member is further configured to be removably received in an operational end of the hydraulic cylinder so that the actuating device acts through the third member when operating on a bushing.

13. The tool of claim 10 , further comprising:
a fourth member that is configured to be positioned between the hydraulic cylinder and the bushing mount during operation of the actuation device, and that is configured to receive at least a portion of the bushing.

14. The tool of claim 10 , further comprising:
a fifth member that is configured to be received in an operational end of the hydraulic cylinder so that the actuating device acts through the fifth member when operating on a bushing.

15. The tool of claim 10 , further comprising:
a sixth member configured to be at least partially received in the second axial hole of the second plate and facing toward the first plate, the sixth member configured to radially support the bearing as the bearing is removed from the bushing mount.

16. The tool of claim 10 , further comprising a hydraulic cylinder configured to be mounted in the third axial hole of the third plate such that an operational end of the hydraulic cylinder is axially aligned with the bushing mount, the hydraulic cylinder operable to remove and install bushings in the bushing mount.

17. The tool of claim 10 , further comprising:
at least one nut configured to fasten the at least one first member to the third plate; and
at least one nut configured to fasten the at least one first member to the second plate.

18. The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fifth member that defines a fifth axial hole and an annular collar surrounding the fifth axial hole that is configured to be received in the second axial hole of the second plate to mount the fifth member between the second plate and the bushing, the fifth member configured to radially support the bushing as the bushing is removed from the bushing mount.

19. The tool of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second member includes:
at least one nut configured to fasten the at least one second member to a third plate with a hydraulic cylinder mounted therein; and
at least one nut configured to fasten the at least one second member to the second plate.

Assignees

• Zeren Erol
• Norland Stanley R
• Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Inc
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Zeren Erol
• Norland Stanley R

Classifications

• B23P19/027

  using hydraulic or pneumatic means (B23P19/033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B25B27/28 Primary

  positioning or withdrawing resilient bushings or the like · CPC title