VERFAHREN ZUM HERSTELLEN EINES KREUZGELENKELEMENTS AUS BLECH

A process for manufacturing a universal joint which involves punching a blank out of a metal sheet material, the blank having a hub member portion, edge member portions on the opposite ends of the hub member portion, and a pair of prong portions projecting from one of the side edges of the hub member portion, with a neck portion therebetween, pressing the free edges of the edge member portions to form slanted surfaces on the ends thereof and to increase the width of the blank from the original punched out size and pressing the neck portion for removing fine cracks therefrom, and bending the edge member portions against the hub member portion with the slanted surfaces facing away from the surface of the hub member portion. Then the hub member portion is bent into a cylinder with the edge member portions abutting each other and projecting from the cylinder and with the slanted surfaces substantially aligned with the inner surface of the cylinder. Holes are bored in the prong member portions to receive a pin for a cross-arm, and the edge member portions are secured together. Thereafter the inner circumferential surface of the hub is splined. The blanks can be punched from the sheet material without any allowance being left between blanks or at the edges of the sheet material.