Production of hollow components for rolling element bearings by diffusion welding

Claim 1

A method of fabricating a hollow rolling element for a bearing from preformed half shell members having a thickness of about one-sixteenth inch comprising the steps of forming a substantially flat surface about the periphery of each of said members, assembling said members into said hollow rolling element configuration in a jig with said flat surfaces in mating contact, placing said assembled members and said jig in a vacuum furnace, evacuating said furnace to a pressure between about 2 X 10 5 and 4 X 10 5 torr, applying dead weight pressure of about 4 psi to said assembled members, and heating said assembled members in said vacuum furnace to an elevated temperature between 1,900*F and 2,150*F while maintaining said dead weight pressure for about one-half hour to about 4 hours to diffusion weld said members at said flat surfaces.

Claim 2

A method of fabricating a hollow rolling element for a bearing from preformed half shell members having a thickness of about one-sixteenth inch comprising the steps of forming a substantially flat surface about the periphery of each of said members, assembling said members into said hollow rolling element configuration in a jig with said flat surfaces in mating contact, placing said assembled members and said jig in a vacuum furnace, evacuating said furnace to a pressure between about 2 X 10 5 and 4 X 10 5 torr, applying dead weight pressure of about 4 psi to said assembled members, and heating said assembled members in said vacuum furnace to an elevated temperature between 1,900*F and 2,150*F while maintaining said dead weight pressure for about one-half hour to about 4 hours to diffusion weld said members at said flat surfaces.