Bearing cage

In a bearing including inner and outer rings, two axially spaced first and second annular rows of balls between said rings, and a cage insertable between said rings for separating said balls, the improvement in combination therewith wherein said cage has a generally annular shape about a central axis, and is flexible and deformable from said annular shape and comprises a plurality of generally U-shaped cage segments spaced apart around the circumference of said cage, each segment having walls defining a generally U-shaped recess open at one end and closed at the other end, junction means between and joining each two adjacent cage segments, each recess having dimensions of breadth in said circumferential direction and depth in the axial direction, each recess containing a pair of first and second generally axially aligned balls, each of said pairs of balls comprising one ball from each of said first and second rows of balls, and at least one pair of resilient holding means projecting from walls of each recess for holding said first ball in one of said ends of said recess in fixed position relative to said walls, said second ball situated generally at the opposite end of each recess and able to move relative to said walls in only said depth direction.

In a ball bearing including inner and outer rings having axially spaced forward and rearward parts, corresponding axially spaced front and rear annular rows of balls between said rings, and cage means between said rings for separating the balls circumferentially, the improvement in combination therewith, wherein said cage means comprises front and rear annular elements corresponding to said front and rear rows of balls, said front element being a flexible strip having two ends and a front-facing edge with a plurality of spaced ball-receiving pockets open in a front-facing direction along the length of said edge, said strip being bendable from a generally straight configuration into said annular shape with said pockets engaging and spacing circumferential balls of said first row, and said strip having an axial length of dimension "D", said rear element being removable and said rear row of balls, in the absence of said rear element, being relatively movable to provide between two adjacent rear-row balls a circumferential space of length greater than dimension "D", whereby said front element in generally straight configuration is insertable generally axially through said circumferential space and thence bendable to be urged into its annular configuration engaging and spacing said front row balls.

A bearing cage for separating two first and second annular rows of balls, and comprising a flexible generally annular ring and a plurality of partitions spaced apart around the circumference of said ring and extending generally axially, said partitions having walls which define a generally U-shaped recess between each two adjacent partitions, each recess being open at one end and closed at the other end and having breadth in said circumferential direction and depth in the axial direction, and each recess containing a pair of first and second balls which are generally axially aligned, each of said pairs comprising one ball from each of said first and second rows of balls, at least one pair of resilient holding means projecting from walls of each recess for holding said first ball of said pair of balls in one of said ends of said recess fixed from movement in the breadth direction while allowing movement in the axial direction, said second ball situated generally at the opposite end of each recess and able to move relative to said walls in both of said breadth and depth directions.

A bearing cage for separating two annular first and second rows of balls, and formed as a generally annular member which is flexible and deformable from said annular configuration comprising a plurality of cage segments spaced apart around the circumference of said cage, each segment having walls defining a generally U-shaped recess open at one end and closed at the other end, junction means between and joining each two adjacent cage segments, each recess having dimensions of breadth in said circumferential direction and depth in the axial direction, each recess containing a pair of first and second generally axially aligned balls, each said pairs comprising one ball from each of said first and second rows of balls, and at least one pair of resilient holding means projecting from walls of each recess for holding said first ball in one of said ends of said recess in fixed position relative to said walls, said second ball situated generally at the opposite end of each recess and able to move relative to said walls in only said depth direction.