# US 2014/0197006 A1 · Roller structure with anti-friction bearings

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- Number: US 2014/0197006 A1
- Document ID: US20140197006A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/742,988
- Filed: 2013-01-16
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-16
- Inventors: Eugene Kverel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197006A1

## CPC

- B65G 39/09: Arrangements of bearing or sealing means
- F16C 13/02: Bearings
- F16C 33/6696: {with solids as lubricant, e.g. dry coatings, powder}
- F16C 19/06: with a single row or balls
- F16C 19/28: with two or more rows of rollers
- F16C 2326/58: Conveyor systems, e.g. rollers or bearings therefor
- Y10T 29/49547: Assembling preformed components
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- 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 roller structure including a cylindrical casing having an outer wear surface and an inner surface provided by a bore extending through the cylindrical casing. At least one anti-friction bearing is positioned within the bore in contact with the inside surface of the cylindrical casing. The anti-friction bearing includes a solid lubricant. In one embodiment, the roller structure is a roller turn roller and is a component of a guide for a turn of a conveyor system, wherein the outer wear surface is for contacting the chain of the conveyer system. A method of lubricating a roller structure is also provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A roller structure comprising:
a cylindrical casing having an outer wear surface and an inner surface provided by a bore extending through the cylindrical casing;
at least one anti-friction bearing positioned within the bore in contact with the inside surface of the cylindrical casing; and
a bushing proximate to each side of the casing, wherein the bushing has a cylindrical body in contact with a bearing bore surface of the at least one anti-friction bearing, and a flange in contact with an outside face surface of an inner ring of the at least one anti-friction bearing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The roller structure of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one anti-friction bearing comprises roller elements positioned between an inner ring and an outer ring, wherein a solid lubricant is positioned in a space defined between the inner ring, the outer ring and the roller elements.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The roller structure of claim 1, wherein the roller elements are selected from the group consisting of ball shape bearings, sphere shape bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, needle bearings, tapered bearings and a combination thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The roller structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one anti-friction bearing includes two or more anti-friction bearings with at least one spacer positioned between adjacent anti-friction bearings, wherein the at least one spacer is in contact with the inner ring of each of the adjacent anti-friction bearings that the at least one spacer is positioned between.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The roller structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one anti-friction bearing includes a first anti-friction bearing that is proximate to a first opening to the bore and a second anti-friction bearing that is proximate to a second opening to the bore, the bushing comprises a first bushing and a second bushing, and the roller structure further comprises:
the first bushing having a first flange and a first cylindrical body, wherein the first flange is in contact with an outer sidewall face of the inner ring of the first anti-friction bearing and the first cylindrical body is in contact with a bore face of the first anti-friction bearing, wherein the first cylindrical body has a first length;
the second bushing having a second flange and a second cylindrical body having a second length that is greater than the first length, wherein the second flange is in contact with the outer sidewall face of the inner ring of the second anti-friction bearing and the second cylindrical body is in contact with the bore face of the second anti-friction bearing and the bore face of the first anti-friction bearing; and
a spacer between the first anti-friction bearing and the second anti-friction bearing, wherein the spacer is in contact with the inner sidewall face of the inner ring of the first anti-friction bearing and the inner sidewall face of the inner ring of the second anti-friction bearing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The roller structure of claim 1, wherein the roller structure further comprises at least one retainer ring fitted to a groove in the inside surface of the cylindrical casing proximate to at least one of a first opening and a second opening to the bore through the casing, wherein the retainer ring contacts the outer ring of the at least one anti-friction bearing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The roller structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one anti-friction bearing includes a first anti-friction bearing that is proximate to a first opening to the bore and a second anti-friction bearing that is proximate to a second opening to the bore, and the roller structure further comprises at least one retainer ring positioned substantially in a middle of the cylinder casing between the first and the second anti-friction bearing to prevent axial movement of the first and second anti-friction bearing.

### Claim 8

A roller structure comprising:
a cylindrical casing having an outer wear surface and an inner surface provided by a bore extending through the cylindrical casing; and
at least one anti-friction bearing positioned within the bore in contact with the inside surface of the cylindrical casing, wherein the anti-friction bearing comprises a solid lubricant.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The roller structure of claim 8, wherein the at least one anti-friction bearing includes two or more anti-friction bearings.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The roller structure of claim 8, wherein each of the at least one anti-friction bearing comprises roller elements positioned between an inner ring and an outer ring, wherein the solid lubricant is positioned in a space defined between the inner ring, the outer ring and the roller elements.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The roller structure of claim 8, wherein the solid lubricant has a composition that is selected from the group consisting of graphite, molybdenum disulphide (MoS2), boron nitride (BN), tungsten disulfide (WS2), molybdenum(IV) selenide (MoSe2), tantalum(IV) selenide (TaSe2), titanium telluride (TiTe2), gallium sulfide (GaS), gallium selenide (GaSe), tin selenide (SnSe), cadmium chloride (CdCl2), cobalt chloride (CoCl2), lead chloride (PbCl2), cerium fluoride (CeF3), lead(II) Iodide (PbI2), sodium borate (Na2B4O7), silver sulfate (Ag2SO4) and combinations thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The roller structure of claim 8, wherein the solid lubricant is a polymer having a composition selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyurethane (PU), polyamide, polyacetals, polysiloxane, nylon, phenol-formaldehyde, urea-melamine-formaldehyde, epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, polyimides and a combination thereof, or the solid lubricant is an oxide selected from the group consisting of boron oxide (B2O3), molybdenum oxide (MoO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), renium oxide (Re2O7), titnaium oxide (TiO2), CuO—MoO2, NiO—Mo2, PbO—B2O3, CuO—Re2O7 and combinations thereof, or the solid lubricant is a metal selected from the group consisting of lead (Pb), tin (Sn), bismuth (Bi), indium (In), cadmium (Cd), silver (Ag) and combinations thereof, or the solid lubricant is a combination of the polymer, the oxide and the metal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The roller structure of claim 8, wherein the solid lubricant further comprises particles comprising carbon, metal chalcogenides, boron nitride, boron nitride, zinc oxide, zinc phosphide, copper, boron, diamond like carbon (DLC), cerium fluoride, idium, lead, silver, tin or a combination thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The roller structure of claim 13, wherein the particles have an average size ranging from 5 nm to 4 μm, wherein the particles have a geometry selected from the group consisting of solid sphere, hollow sphere, tubes, rods, platelets and a combination thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The roller structure of claim 14, wherein a metal element of the metal chalcogendides is selected from the group consisting of molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), vanadium (V), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhenium (Re), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), ruthenium (Ru) and a combination thereof, and the chalcogen is selected from the group consisting of selenium (Se), sulfur (S), tellurium (Te) and combinations thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The roller structure of claim 8, wherein the solid lubricant is impregnated with an oil selected from the group consisting of mineral oil, synthetic oil, synthetic hydrocarbon oil, ester oil, synthetic ester oil, synthetic hydrocarbon and ester oil blend, polyalphaolefin (PAO) oil, polyalkylene glycol (PAG) and combinations thereof.

### Claim 17

A method of lubricating a roller structure comprising:
applying a solid lubricant to at least one anti-friction bearing; and
positioning the at least one anti-friction bearing within a bore of a cylindrical casing for the roller structure.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein applying the solid lubricant to the at least one anti-friction bearing comprises:
providing a mixture of graphite and a binder;
applying the liquid mixture to the raceway of the at least one anti-friction bearing; and
curring the at least one anti-friction bearing until the liquid mixture is cured to provide a solid graphite based lubricant.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one anti-friction bearing includes a first anti-friction bearing and a second anti-friction bearing, and the method of said lubricating the roller structure comprises:
positioning a spacer between the first and second anti-friction bearings, wherein the spacer is in contact with an inner sidewall face of the inner ring of the first anti-friction bearing and the inner sidewall face of the inner ring of the second anti-friction bearing;
positioning the cylindrical body of a bushing in the bore of each of the first and second anti-friction bearings, wherein a flange of the bushing for each of the first and second anti-friction bearings is in contact with the outer sidewall face of the inner ring for each of the first and the second anti-friction bearing;
positioning an assembly of the first and second anti-friction bearings, the spacer and the bushing for each of the first and second anti-friction bearing in the cylindrical casing, wherein an outside diameter surface of the first and second anti-friction bearing contacts an inside surface of the bore through the cylindrical casing; and
engaging a retaining ring to a groove present in the inside surface of the bore proximate to at least one of a first opening and a second opening in the bore, wherein the retainer ring contacts an outer sidewall face of the outer ring for at least one of the first and second anti-friction bearing.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein said engaging the ring to the groove present in the inside surface of the bore comprises:
engaging a first ring to a first groove present in the inside surface of the bore in the cylindrical casing proximate to a first opening, wherein the first ring contacts an outer sidewall face of the outer ring of the first anti-friction bearing; and
engaging a second ring to a second groove present in the inside surface of the bore in the cylindrical casing proximate to a second opening, wherein the second ring contacts an outer sidewall face of the outer ring of the second anti-friction bearing.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein said engaging the ring to the groove present in the inside surface of the bore comprises:
providing a groove in the inside surface of the cylindrical casing proximate to a first opening of the bore, wherein a retaining ring is integral with the cylindrical casing proximate to a second opening of the bore;
positioning the assembly of the first and second anti-friction bearings, the spacer and the bushing for each of the first and second anti-friction bearing in the cylindrical casing, wherein the retaining ring that is integral with the cylindrical casing contacts an outer sidewall face of the outer ring of the second anti-friction bearing; and
engaging a detachable ring to the groove present in the inside surface of the bore in the cylindrical casing proximate to the first opening, wherein the detachable ring contacts an outer sidewall face of the outer ring of the first anti-friction bearing.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein a ridge is present on the inside surface of the casing proximate to the center of the casing length, and the at least one anti-friction bearing includes a first anti-friction bearing and a second anti-friction bearing, and said positioning of the at least one anti-friction bearing within the bore of the casing for the roll structure further comprises:
positioning a cylindrical body of a first bushing in the bore of the first anti-friction bearing, wherein the flange of the bushing is in contact with the outer sidewall face of the inner ring for the first anti-friction bearing and an end of the cylindrical body opposite the flange extends past the inner sidewall face of the inner ring of the first anti-friction bearing;
positioning a spacer on a portion of the cylindrical body of the first bushing that extends past the inner sidewall face of the inner ring of the first anti-friction bearing, wherein the spacer contacts the inner sidewall face of the inner ring of the first anti-friction bearing;
positioning an assembly of the spacer, the first bushing and the spacer in the bore of the cylindrical; casing through a first opening to the bore, wherein the inner sidewall surface of the outer ring of the first ant-friction bearing contacts the ridge; and
positioning an assembly of a second bushing and a second anti-friction bearing in the bore of the cylindrical casing through a second opening to the bore, wherein the inner sidewall face of the inner ring of the second anti-friction bearing contacts the spacer and the inner sidewall face of the outer ring of the second anti-friction bearing contacts the ridge.