Roller skew control for tapered roller bearings

A bearing comprising inner and outer members having inner and outer raceways confronting one another to define an annular space, at least one rolling element rotatable about an axis in said annular space adapted to engage said members at inner and outer raceway contact zones and mounting said members for rotation relative to one another in a path about a bearing axis, said rolling element having a profile tapered at a predetermined angle with respect to its rotational axis, the apex of the taper angle of the rolling element being spaced from said bearing axis when the bearing is under a predetermined external load and surface means on at least one of said raceways to cause said rolling element at a predetermined position in the load zone to assume a non-negative skew angle within a predetermined angular range, said rolling element having a skew angle when the rolling element axis and bearing axis are not coplanar and said skew angle being positive when the axial friction force component on a raceway arising between said rolling element and said raceway in said contact zone is so directed that it counteracts the axial component of the external load on said one raceway.