Apparatus for preloading antifriction shaft bearings located in a casing

An apparatus for preloading antifriction bearings located within a casing, said casing comprising first and second casing portions adapted for mutual connection, and having a first bearing recess in the first casing portion and second bearing recess in the second casing portion, a tightenable attachment means for forcing the casing portions into mutual contact, a first bearing located in a first bearing recess, a second bearing located in a second bearing recess, said first and second bearings having a surface adapted for contact with its respective bearing recess, and

• a shaft supported on said first bearing and on said second bearing, said apparatus comprising;
• a plate located between the casing portions having a recess within which the second bearing is located;
• means contacting the second bearing recess at a first axial side facing the second bearing at a second axial side opposite the first side for measuring along the axis of the shaft the displacement of the second bearing relative to the second bearing recess when the attachment is tightened;
• and
• a replaceable shim supported on the shaft, the shim being located between the first bearing and the first bearing recess or between the second bearing and the recess of said plate.

An apparatus for preloading antifriction bearings located within a casing, said casing comprising first and second casing portions adapted for mutual contact, and having a first bearing recess in the first casing portion and second bearing recess in the second casing portion, means for forcing flanges of the casings into mutual contact, a first bearing located in, and contacting a stop surface in the first bearing recess, a second bearing, and a shaft supported on the first bearing and on the second bearing, said shaft having a first blocking shoulder adapted for contact with the first bearing, and a second blocking surface adapted for contact with the second bearing, said apparatus comprising:

• a plate located between the casing portions, having a third bearing recess within which the second bearing is located;
• load block means for resiliently, elastically resisting displacement of the third bearing recess relative to the second bearing recess along the axis of the shaft as the first and second casing portions are forced into mutual contact, said load block means developing a resisting force between the second bearing recess and the third bearing recess in accordance with the magnitude of said displacement;
• displacement measuring means located in parallel with the load block means between the second and third bearing recesses, for measuring and indicating the magnitude of displacement of the third bearing recess relative to the second bearing recess along the axis of the shaft;
• and
• a replaceable shim supported on the shaft, the shim being located between the first bearing and the first bearing recess or between the second bearing and the third bearing recess, the thickness of the shim corresponding to a desired magnitude of bearing preload.