US 4,150,468 A · Adjusting process for bearings

Abstract

A shaft is confined within a housing by two indirectly mounted tapered roller bearings, and these bearings are adjusted by applying opposed axial forces to their cups, the spacing between which is dependent on the thickness of a deformable spacer located within the housing. A force of sufficient magnitude is applied to plastically deform the spacer that is between the two cups, and as the force is applied the spacing between the raceways of the two cups is monitored. The force is released when the size of the spacer will cause the cup raceways to be spaced apart a distance which provides the bearings with the correct adjustment. This distance is determined by measuring a master cup and adjusting the dimension so derived for the desired amount of end play or preload and for spring back of the spacer, hub and cups when the load is released. The process may be used where the cones are press-fitted over the shaft and have their front faces abutting. In that case, further adjustments from the raceway spacing of the master may be made to accommodate changes in the positioning of the cone raceways which result from variations in the cone bore diameters and in the locations of the cone front faces. The measurement of the cone bore diameters and front face locations are made in a fixture and compared with measurements derived from master cones which are also measured in the fixture, all for the purpose of determining deviations from the master cones.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A process for adjusting a bearing assembly that mounts a shaft within a housing and includes a pair of outer raceways located in the housing and a pair of inner raceways adapted to be fixed in position around the shaft, with each inner raceway being located opposite a different outer raceway, and rolling elements arranged in two rows between opposed inner and outer raceways, the raceways and the rolling elements being configured such that the bearing assembly takes thrust loading in both axial directions as well as radial loading, at least the raceways of one pair being on separate races so that axial positioning of the races relative to each other determines the adjustment of the bearing, said process comprising:

placing a deformable spacer between the races on which the raceways of said one pair are located, the spacer being of lesser compressive strength than the races;
applying a compressive force to at least one of the races with the force being directed such and being of sufficient magnitude to plastically deform the spacer between the two races, but not the races themselves, whereby the spacing between the racewyas of the two races diminishes, the force being applied while the bearing assembly is disassembled so that the inner raceways are outside of and remote from the outer raceways;
and while the force is applied, measuring and monitoring the spacing between the raceways of the two races, the force being applied until the space between the raceways on the two races is such that the bearing assembly, upon being assembled, will have the desired adjustment.

A process for adjusting a bearing assembly including two tapered roller bearings used to mount a shaft within a housing, each bearing including a cup within the housing and having an inwardly presented tapered raceway, a cone around the shaft and having an outwardly presented tapered raceway, and tapered rollers between the raceways of the cup and cone, the cups of the bearings having back faces which face each other and the cones having front faces which face each other, said process comprising:

interposing a deformable spacer between the back faces of the two cups so that the spacing between the raceways on the cups is determined by the thickness of the spacer, the spacer being of lesser strength than the cups;
with the cones and tapered rollers removed from the cups, measuring the axial distance between the raceways of the cups such that any changes in the axial distance are detected;
and while the axial distance between the raceways of the cups is being monitored, forcing the cups together under an axially applied force of sufficient magnitude to deform the spacer with the force being applied until the axial distance between the raceways of the cups, after release of the axial force, will provide the bearing assembly with the desired adjustment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Adjusting process for bearings

Life of this patent

Adjusting process for bearings

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23