Method of inspecting bearing insert assemblies
AssigneeIngersoll-Rand Company
InventorEdwin E. Rice
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A crankshaft bearing inspection system for confirming the presence of bearing inserts and the proper amount of bearing crush during assembly of reciprocating machines accomplished by measuring a fastener tension related function and a function fastener rotation, and evaluating the curves thus obtained to confirm and identify a characteristic signature of the bearing presence as, for example, a first constant rate of tension increase followed by a second increased constant rate of tension increase falling within expected inspection limits.
Claims9
A method of inspecting fastener-secured, deformable bearing insert assemblies, said method comprising:
- continuously measuring a tension-related variable during a tightening sequence of a fastener of a bearing assembly;
- simultaneously continuously measuring a rotation-related variable during said tightenlog sequence of said fastener of said bearing assembly;
- determining a tightening rate of tension rise from a ratio of the measured tension-related variable and rotation-related variable;
- determining from said tightening rate of tension rise a first constant rate of tension rise associated with deformation of the bearing insert of said bearing assembly, and a second constant rate of tension rise associated with continued fastener tightening subsequent to bearing insert deformation, and thereafter determining, from inspection of the tightening rate of tension rise, the point of start of said second constant rate;
- and
- determining if said point of start of said second constant rate falls within predetermined prescribed limits of said tension-related variable and said rotation-related variable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.