# US 2014/0193112 A1 · Method of manufacturing roller bearing cage > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193112 A1 - Document ID: US20140193112A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/007,238 - Filed: 2012-03-06 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-28 - Assignees: Cooper Roller Bearings Company Ltd - Inventors: Martin Janek Caspall - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193112A1 ## CPC - B23P 15/003: {bearings (see also F16C33/00)} - F16C 33/4641: {comprising two annular parts joined together} - F16C 33/4676: {of the stays separating adjacent cage pockets, e.g. guide means for the bearing-surface of the rollers} - F16C 33/516: {with two segments, e.g. double-split cages with two semicircular parts} - F16C 19/26: with a single row of rollers - F16C 33/4629: {made from metal, e.g. cast or machined window cages} - F16C 33/504: {with two segments, e.g. two semicircular cage parts} - F16C 2220/60: by removing material, e.g. machining - F16C 2220/82: by cutting - Y10T 29/49691: Cage making - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A method of manufacturing a roller cage for mounting rollers around a circle in a bearing includes a) making a roller cage blank of cylindrical form, b) cutting the cage blank on opposite diagonal sides to form two generally semi-cylindrical halves, c) re-assembling the two semi-cylindrical halves of the cage blank by releasably clamping adjacent cut edges of each semi-cylindrical half together, and d) either before or after the cutting step, forming pockets for mounting a set of rollers in the cage on a circle about the axis of the reassembled cage. The last step d) allows one to provide pockets which mount the rollers in the correct position relative to the axis of the bearing even though the two semi-cylindrical halves when re-assembled no longer form a circle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing a roller bearing cage for mounting rollers around a circle in a bearing, said manufacturing method comprising: a) making a roller bearing cage blank of cylindrical form, b) cutting the cage blank on substantially opposite diagonal sides to form two substantially semi-cylindrical halves, c) re-assembling the two substantially semi-cylindrical halves of the cage blank by releasably connecting adjacent cut edges of each substantially semi-cylindrical half together, and d) either before or after the cutting step, forming pockets for mounting a set of rollers in the cage on a circle centred on the axis of the re-assembled cage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket forming step (d) comprises selecting the positions of the pockets in the cage such as to compensate for the material which has been removed in the cutting step, whereby the axes of the rollers mounted in the pockets are set out on a circle centred on the cage axis when the cage is completed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method as claimed in claim 2 in which the pocket forming step further comprises selecting, for pockets which are or will be furthest from the joints between the two substantially semi-cylindrical halves of the cage, a position further from an inner circumferential face of the cage than for the pockets which are or will be closest to the joints between the two substantially semi-cylindrical halves of the cage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the pocket forming step comprising selecting the shape of the pockets or their positions so that the position of a roller in the pocket is such as to compensate for the material which will be removed in the cutting step, whereby the axes of the rollers mounted in the pockets are set out on a circle about the cage axis when the cage is completed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the pocket forming step comprises providing for each pocket a selected width between opposite faces where a roller mounted in the pocket engages opposite faces of the pocket, selecting the width for pockets which are or will be furthest from the joints between the two substantially semi-cylindrical halves of the cage to be less than for the pockets which are closest to the joints between the two substantially semi-cylindrical halves of the cage so that a roller mounted therein will be further from the inner circumferential surface of the cage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method as claimed in claim 5 in which the width for each pocket is chosen so that rollers mounted in the pockets furthest from these joints are held slightly further away from an inner circumferential surface of the cage thereby compensating for the loss of material in the cage caused by the cut and mounting the rollers in positions wherein their axes are on a circle centred on the cage axis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 in which step (a) comprises machining the roller cage blank from solid material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7 in which the solid material is brass. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7 in which the solid material is bronze. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) The method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 in which the pocket forming step includes forming means in each pocket to prevent the rollers, when engaged in the pocket, from easily moving out of the pocket away from the axis of the cage so as to retain the rollers in the pockets during disassembly or reassembly. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10 in which the pocket forming step includes forming retaining lips on said opposite faces of the pocket prevent the rollers, when engaged in the pocket, from easily moving out of the pocket away from the axis of the cage so as to retain the rollers in the pockets during disassembly or reassembly. ### Claim 12 The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the cutting step (b) is carried out before the pocket forming step (d). ### Claim 13 The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the cutting step (b) is carried out after the pocket forming step (d). ### Claim 14 The method as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which step (c) includes releasably connecting adjacent cut edges of each substantially semi-cylindrical half together by means of a clamp. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14 in which the clamp comprises a spring clamp. ### Claim 16 A roller bearing cage manufactured by the method of any of the preceding claims. ### Claim 17 A roller bearing cage for mounting rollers around a circle in a bearing, said roller bearing cage comprising: two substantially semi-cylindrical halves of the cage cut from a cylindrical cage blank and re-assembled by releasably connecting adjacent cut edges of each substantially semi-cylindrical half together, and pockets for mounting a set of rollers in the cage, the shape of the pockets or their positions being provided so that the position of a roller in the pocket is such as to compensate for the material removed in the cutting step, whereby the axes of the rollers mounted in the pockets are set out on a circle centred on the cage axis. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A roller bearing cage as claimed in claim 17 in which the pockets which are furthest from joints between the two substantially semi-cylindrical halves of the cage are positioned further from an inner circumferential face of the cage than for the pockets which are closest to the joints between the two substantially semi-cylindrical halves of the cage.