Piston Alignment Fixture

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is involved in research and design of highefficiency hybrid vehicles based on hydraulic systems. Building and testing hydraulic piston pumps form part of this study. Nine pistons in a two-inch circle are spherically-jointed to connecting rods and surround a central constant velocity (CV) joint. The pistons and CV joint must be assembled simultaneously into a mating barrel inside the pump housing; the multiple joints make it difficult to align all parts at once. This project is to design a removable fixture to position the pistons and line up the CV joint for proper assembly within tight quarters.