High performance low torque anti-friction bearing assembly

A heavy-duty anti-friction bearing assembly suitable for use in supporting a stabilized platform or the like with minimal torque losses under simultaneously occurring axial, radial and moment loads capable of causing distortion of said bearing assembly comprising:

• a forged alloy steel nose ring having an annular radial nose, said nose ring being concentric to a pair of forged alloy steel cup-forming rings provided with a pair of arcuate raceways converging toward a respective arcuate raceway on the opposite sides of said radial nose of said nose ring;
• said pair of cup-forming rings having axially internesting flange and groove means between the raceways thereof and which axial flange is spaced generally radially opposite the nose of said nose ring;
• separate rows of balls mounted between an associated pair of raceways of said nose and cup-forming rings;
• a plurality of elongated cage ring segments for each of said rows of balls which segments are provided with a plurality of holes each loosely accommodating a single ball, said cage ring segments in the two annular rows thereof being canted away from one another with their adjacent lateral edges positioned radially between the radial nose of said nose ring and the axial flange means on a first one of said cup-forming rings and cooperating with one another to retain both of said rows of balls and cage ring segments in position during assembly and disassembly of the second one of said cup-forming rings.

A heavy-duty anti-friction bearing assembly suitable for use in supporting a stabilized platform or the like with minimal torque losses under loads capable of causing distortion of said bearing assembly comprising:

• a forged alloy steel nose ring having an annular radial nose, said nose ring being concentric to a pair of forged alloy steel cup-forming rings provided with a pair of arcuate raceways converging toward a respective arcuate raceway on the opposite sides of said radial nose of said nose ring and each of which raceways have hardened surfaces;
• said pair of cup-forming rings having axially internesting flange and groove means between the raceways thereof;
• separate rows of balls mounted between an associated pair of raceways of said nose and cup-forming rings including means in each of said rows of balls for maintaining adjacent balls spaced apart;
• and
• each of said raceways extending over an arc of approximately 90.degree. and said balls and said raceways having a conformity constant of approximately 0.59.

A heavy-duty anti-friction bearing assembly suitable for use in supporting a stabilized platform with minimal torque losses under severe dynamic operating conditions comprising:

• three one-piece rings of homogenous material including a first ring having an annular radially disposed nose concentric to a pair of cup-forming second the third rings concentric to said first ring and provided with a pair of arcuate raceways converging toward a respective arcuate raceway on the opposite sides of the annular nose of said first ring;
• said second the third rings having interfitting means for maintaining the same against radial displacement relative to one another;
• separate rows of balls, including spacer means between adjacent balls in each row, mounted between a respective pair of raceways of said first and second rings;
• each of said raceways extending over an arc of approximately 90.degree.;
• and
• the contact angle between the balls in each of said raceways under static conditions being approximately 35.degree. to a plane between said two rows of balls and normal to the axis of said bearing assembly.

A heavy-duty anti-friction bearing assembly suitable for use in supporting a stabilized platform or the like with minimal torque losses under loads capable of causing distortion of said bearing assembly comprising:

• a nose ring having an annular radial nose provided with an arcuate raceway on both lateral sides thereof;
• cup ring means concentric to said nose ring having a pair of arcuate raceways facing toward a respective one of said nose ring raceways;
• a row of balls separated by spacer means between each of said nose ring raceways and the adjacent one of said raceways in said cup ring means;
• and
• each of said row of balls and the pair of said raceways associated therewith having a conformity constant of approximately 0.59.