Roller seating device for tapered roller bearings

An assembly tool for positioning rolling elements of a bearing assembly only during a preloading operation and thereafter being removed from the bearing assembly, so that after removal of the assembly tool, the bearing assembly can operate under a preload established by the preloading operation, the assembly tool comprising:

• a roller seating actuator configured to be removably coupled to a portion of the bearing assembly only during the preloading operation and thereafter removed from the bearing assembly;
• and
• a roller seating ring movably coupled to the roller seating actuator, the roller seating ring configured to be removably coupled to the portion of the bearing assembly only during the preloading operation and thereafter removed from the bearing assembly, and the roller seating ring including a distal end configured to engage ends of a plurality of the rolling elements of the bearing assembly upon mounting of the roller seating actuator to the bearing assembly such that the distal end of the roller seating ring engages and presses the plurality of rolling elements axially into engagement with a rib of a race of the bearing assembly only during the preloading operation;
• wherein the roller seating actuator is configured to be removably coupled to the bearing assembly by a plurality of mounting fasteners, each of the plurality of mounting fasteners extending through a respective aperture in the roller seating actuator and a corresponding respective aperture in the roller seating ring.

A combination of a bearing assembly and an assembly tool for positioning rolling elements of the bearing assembly during a preloading operation, the combination comprising:

• a bearing assembly including an inner ring defining thereon an inner raceway, an outer ring defining thereon an outer raceway, a rib adjacent at least one of the inner and outer raceways, a plurality of rolling elements positioned between the inner and outer raceways, a housing radially outside of the outer ring, and a clamping plate coupled with the housing via an adjustable clamping member and abutting the outer ring;
• and
• an assembly tool including a roller seating actuator configured to be removably coupled to at least one of the housing and the clamping plate during the preloading operation, and a roller seating ring movably coupled to the roller seating actuator, the roller seating ring including a distal end configured to engage respective ends of the rolling elements of the bearing assembly upon mounting of the roller seating actuator to at least one of the housing and the clamping plate such that the distal end of the roller seating ring engages and presses the rolling elements axially into engagement with the rib of the bearing assembly;
• wherein the clamping plate is configured to abut the outer ring such that the bearing assembly is preloaded by adjusting the adjustable clamping member while the rolling elements are pressed against the rib, and wherein the assembly tool is removed from the bearing assembly after the adjustable clamping member is adjusted to preload the bearing assembly, so that after removal of the assembly tool including the roller seating actuator and the roller seating ring, the bearing assembly can operate under a preload established by the preloading operation;
• and
• wherein the roller seating actuator is configured to be removably coupled to the bearing assembly by a plurality of mounting fasteners, each of the plurality of mounting fasteners extending through a respective aperture in the roller seating actuator and a corresponding respective aperture in the roller seating ring.

A method of installing and preloading a roller bearing assembly about a shaft, the roller bearing assembly including an inner ring defining thereon an inner raceway, an outer ring defining thereon an outer raceway, a rib adjacent at least one of the inner and outer raceways, a plurality of rolling elements positioned between the inner and outer raceways, a housing radially outside of the outer ring, and a clamping plate coupled with the housing via an adjustable clamping member and abutting the outer ring, the method comprising:

• installing each of the inner ring, the outer ring, the plurality of rolling elements, the housing, and the clamping plate about the shaft;
• removably coupling an assembly tool to at least one of the housing and the clamping plate, the assembly tool including
• a roller seating actuator removably coupled to at least one of the housing and the clamping plate;
• a roller seating ring movably coupled to the roller seating actuator, the roller seating ring including a distal end engaging respective ends of the rolling elements of the bearing assembly;
• and
• a plurality of mounting fasteners removably coupling the roller seating actuator to the bearing assembly, each of the plurality of mounting fasteners extending through a respective aperture in the roller seating actuator and a corresponding respective aperture in the roller seating ring;
• preloading the bearing assembly by adjusting the adjustable clamping member while the rolling elements are pressed against the rib by the assembly tool;
• and
• removing the assembly tool from the bearing assembly after the preloading step has been completed, so that after removal of the assembly tool including the roller seating actuator and the roller seating ring, the bearing assembly can operate under a preload established by the preloading step.