Radial spline assembly for antifriction bearings

A bearing carrier disposed to support an outer race of an antifriction bearing in slidable relation within a support configuration, with a rotatable shaft extending through an inner race of said bearing, said bearing carrier and support configuration comprising:

• a generally annular ring-shaped member within which said outer race is fixed;
• a plurality of splines in an outer circumference of said ring-shaped member, said splines generally parallel with said shaft;
• and
• a like plurality of slots in said support configuration for receiving said splines, wherein sides of said splines and facing sides of said slots define first clearances, and intermediate and outermost radial portions of said splines and facing regions of said slots define second clearances, whereby side loads applied to said shaft are distributed between said sides of said splines and said sides of said slots positioned generally normal to said side loads, and slope distortions between said support configuration and said annular ring-shaped member are accommodated by said second clearances, maintaining said slidable relation of said outer race.

An antifriction bearing having a flow of coolant therethrough nd support therefor disposed for supporting a rotating shaft, in combination comprising;

• a generally annular outer race carrier for receiving an outer race of said bearing;
• a support wall having a generally circular opening for supporting said outer race carrier;
• a plurality of splines disposed about a periphery of said outer race carrier;
• and
• a like plurality of slots about an inner circumference of said opening, said slots disposed for slidably receiving said splines, said splines and said slots defining a first clearance of about 0.002" between sides of said splines and sides of said slots, and a second clearance defined by radially outer regions of said splines and facing, radially outermost regions of said slots, said second clearance being generally greater than said first clearance and disposed for providing a flow path for a portion of said coolant flow and accommodating slope distortions of said opening without restraining said annular outer race carrier, said first clearance for distributing side loads applied to said shaft on sides of said splines and sides of said slots disposed generally normal to said side loads and for preventing rotational torque applied to said bearing from rotating said outer race and said outer race carrier.