Maintenance free extended life cam follower for a necker machine
AssigneeRoller Bearing Company of America, Inc.
InventorsRobert Pallini, Michael Coppola, Bradley Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cam follower for a ram of a metal can necker machine is provided. The cam follower has an outer ring and an inner ring coaxially disposed in the outer ring. A plurality of rolling elements is disposed in an annular cavity between the outer ring and the inner ring. The plurality of rolling elements is disposed between a first seal and a second seal. A shaft is received in a bore in the inner ring and is fixed relative thereto about the shaft axis. The outer ring is received in a tire. The tire has a thickness and a crown radius. The composition of the tire includes a metallic material, a plastic material, a non-metallic material, and combinations thereof.
Claims7
A cam follower comprising:
- a shaft extending from a first axial shaft end to a second axial shaft end, the shaft having a first groove proximate to the first axial shaft end, a shoulder formed in the shaft between the first groove and the second axial shaft end, and a first clip radially engaged in the first groove;
- a first cam follower segment comprising a first tire defining a first interior area and the first cam follower segment having a first ball bearing and a second ball bearing partially disposed in the first interior area;
- a second cam follower segment comprising a second tire defining a second interior area, the second cam follower segment having a third ball bearing and a fourth ball bearing partially disposed in the second interior area, and
- a spacer disposed on the shaft between the second ball bearing and the third ball bearing;
- wherein the first cam follower segment and the second cam follower segment are axially retained on the shaft by the first clip, the spacer and the shoulder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.