CONCEALED BEARING HINGE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

A HINGE INCLUDES A FIRST HINGE LEAF (2) WITH TWO AXIALLY SPACED KNUCKLES (18) AND A SECOND HINGE LEAF (4) HAVING A KNUCKLE (28) EXTENDING BETWEEN AND AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE KNUCKLES (18) OF THE FIRST HINGE LEAF (2). THE KNUCKLES (18, 28) OF THE TWO HINGE LEAVES (2, 4) HAVE BORES (20, 30) EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND THAT OF THE SECOND LEAF (4) HAS A COUNTERBORE (32) AT EACH END THEREOF. SEATED IN THE BORE (30) AT EACH END OF THE SECOND LEAF KNUCKLE (28) IS A BEARING ASSEMBLY (6) INCLUDING A COLLAR PORTION (36) SEATED IN THE COUNTERBORE (32).THE BUSHING (8, 8A) HAS AN AXIAL BORE (42) EXTENDING THERETHROUGH AND A COUNTERBORE (48) AT ITS OUTER END.A METALLIC THRUST BEARING (10, 10A) HAS A GENERALLY AXIALLY EXTENDING BODY PORTION (62) DISPOSED IN THE COUNTERBORE (48) OF THE BUSHING (8, 8A), AND A PERIPHERAL COLLAR (64) AT THE OUTER END OVERLIES THE OUTER END OF THE BUSHING (8, 8A) AND PROVIDES A THRUST BEARING SURFACE FOR THE ADJACENT KNUCKLE (18) OF THE FIRST HINGE LEAF (2).IN ONE EMBODIMENT, THE BUSHING BORE (42) HAS CHANNELS (46) TO ALLOW FLOW OF ELECTROPLATING SOLUTION IF THE HINGE IS ELECTROPLATED AFTER ASSEMBLY.(FIG 1)