# US 10,371,210 B2 · Slinger for roller bearing seal, and associated assemblies and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,210 B2 - Document ID: US10371210B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/621,898 - Filed: 2017-06-13 - Published: 2018-12-13 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-13 - Assignees: Amsted Rail Company, Inc. - Applicants: Amsted Rail Company, Inc. - Inventors: James A. Hargraves; Michael A. Mason - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371210B2 ## CPC - F16C 33/7816: {Details of the sealing or parts thereof, e.g. geometry, material} - F16C 13/006: {Guiding rollers, wheels or the like, formed by or on the outer element of a single bearing or bearing unit, e.g. two adjacent bearings, whose ratio of length to diameter is generally less than one} - F16C 33/76: of ball or roller bearings - F16C 33/7813: {for tapered roller bearings} - F16C 33/80: Labyrinth sealings {(F16C33/761 takes precedence)} - F16J 15/3264: the elements being separable from each other - F16J 15/4478: {Pre-assembled packings} - F16C 2326/10: Railway vehicles - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS - F16J: PISTONS {(specially adapted for dampers F16F9/32)}; CYLINDERS; SEALINGS ## Abstract A slinger for a roller bearing seal includes (a) an inner section extending at least in a first direction parallel to a rotation axis of the slinger, encircling the rotation axis and forming a plurality of tabs configured to pressure fit the slinger onto a rotor of a roller bearing seal, (b) an outer section extending at least in the first direction at a greater distance than the inner section from the rotation axis and encircling the rotation axis, and (c) a middle section encircling the rotation axis and spanning between the inner section and the outer section, wherein the inner section, the middle section, and the outer section define respective portions of a single continuous part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A slinger for a roller bearing seal, comprising: an inner section extending at least in a first direction parallel to a rotation axis of the slinger, encircling the rotation axis and forming a plurality of tabs configured to pressure fit the slinger onto a rotor of a roller bearing seal, each of the tabs having an outward facing surface that (a) faces away from the rotation axis and (b) is configured to press against an inward facing surface of the rotor facing the cylinder axis, an outer section extending at least in the first direction at a greater distance than the inner section from the rotation axis and encircling the rotation axis; and a middle section encircling the rotation axis and spanning between the inner section and the outer section; wherein (a) the outward facing surface of each tab is angled away from the rotation axis such that distance from the rotation axis to the outward facing surface is less at a first location closer to the middle section than at a second location farther from the middle section, and (b) the inner section, the middle section, and the outer section define respective portions of a single continuous part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The slinger of claim 1, the outward facing surface of each tab being angled further away from the rotation axis than the outward facing surface of portion of the inner section between the tabs and the middle section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The slinger of claim 1, the tabs being flexible to enable said pressure fit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The slinger of claim 1, the plurality of tabs being positioned at a respective plurality of azimuthal angles relative to the rotation axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The slinger of claim 4, adjacent each of the tabs, the inner section forming recesses, penetrating into the inner section in direction opposite the first direction, to reduce stress in the slinger when a roller bearing seal assembly incorporating the slinger and the rotor is integrated in a roller bearing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The slinger of claim 5, for each of the tabs, one of the recesses being located adjacent the tab at a greater azimuthal angle than the tab and another one of the recesses being located adjacent the tab at a smaller azimuthal angle than the tab. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The slinger of claim 1 being composed of a polymer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The slinger of claim 1 being integrally formed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The slinger of claim 1, between the first location and the second location, the outward surface being at an angle to the rotation axis that is in the range between 0.5 and 1.5 degrees. ### Claim 10 A roller bearing seal assembly forming a labyrinth seal, comprising: a seal case; a rotor coupled to the seal case to form a first portion of the labyrinth seal between the rotor and the seal case; and a slinger coupled to the rotor via a pressure fit between an inward facing surface of the rotor and a plurality of tabs of the slinger, the slinger and the rotor forming a second portion of the labyrinth seal therebetween. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The roller bearing seal assembly of claim 10 being a noncontact seal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The roller bearing seal assembly of claim 10, the slinger further comprising features protruding into the labyrinth seal to enhance sealing capability. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The roller bearing seal assembly of claim 10, the seal case including an outer case and an insert positioned in the outer case, the rotor being coupled to the seal case via the insert. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The roller bearing seal assembly of claim 13, the first portion of the labyrinth seal being at least partly between the insert and the rotor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The roller bearing seal assembly of claim 10, the slinger including: an inner section extending at least in a first direction parallel to a cylinder axis of the roller bearing seal assembly, the inner section forming the tabs; an outer section extending at least in the first direction at a greater distance than the inner section from the cylinder axis; and a middle section spanning between the inner section and the outer section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The roller bearing seal assembly of claim 15, adjacent each of the tabs, the inner section forming recesses, penetrating into the inner section in direction opposite the first direction, to reduce stress in the slinger when the roller bearing seal assembly is integrated in a roller bearing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The roller bearing seal assembly of claim 10, the inward facing surface of the rotor having a plurality of notches accommodating the plurality of tabs, respectively, for registering the slinger to the rotor and limiting rotation about the rotation axis of the slinger relative to the rotor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The roller bearing seal assembly of claim 10, an inward facing surface of the slinger being pressure fit on a wear ring. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The roller bearing assembly of claim 10, the inward facing surface of the rotor being parallel to rotation axis of the roller bearing assembly. ### Claim 20 A method for assembling at least a portion of a roller bearing, comprising: positioning a rotor in a seal case to form a first portion of a labyrinth seal; and pressure fitting a slinger onto the rotor by pressure fitting a plurality of tabs of the slinger onto an inward facing surface of the rotor, to form a second portion of the labyrinth seal. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, the tabs being part of an inner section of the slinger extending at least in a first direction parallel to rotation axis of the rotor, the slinger further including (a) an outer section extending at least in the first direction at a greater distance than the inner section from the rotation axis and (b) a middle section spanning between the inner section and the outer section, the step of pressure fitting comprising positioning a portion of the seal case and a portion of the rotor between the inner and outer sections to form a labyrinth seal. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising: inserting an insert into an outer case to form the seal case; and in the step of positioning the rotor in the seal case, mating the rotor to the insert. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, the step of mating comprising at least partly forming the first portion of the labyrinth seal between the insert and the rotor. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising: mounting the roller bearing seal assembly on a wear ring by pressing the wear ring into aperture formed by slinger, while the tabs keep the slinger secure on the rotor. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, the tabs being part of an inner section of the slinger extending at least in a first direction parallel to rotation axis of the rotor, an inward facing surface of the inner section forming the aperture, and, prior to the step of mounting, the tabs being angled radially outward from the rotation axis to contact an inward facing surface of the rotor facing the rotation axis, wherein the step of mounting includes the wear ring pressing on the inner section to at least reduce the degree by which the tabs are angled radially outward. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, the step of mounting comprising flattening the tabs against the inward facing surface of the rotor. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising sliding the wear ring onto a journal. ### Claim 28 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, the step of pressure fitting the slinger onto the rotor comprising registering the plurality of tabs to a corresponding plurality of notches in the inward facing surface of the rotor, the notches being configured to limit rotation about the rotation axis of the slinger relative to the rotor.