Bearing assembly with splined inner race and hay balers including same
AssigneeAGCO Corporation
InventorsDon Line, Al Uetz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing assembly includes an outer race, an inner race, a plurality of rolling elements, such as bearing balls positioned in a raceway between the outer race and the inner race. The inner race has a series of splines which extend radially inwardly of the spline, the splines increase the amount of surface area which extends radially, or normal to the inner race to contact a similarly configured shaft member. The splined inner race eliminates pounding or knocking noises associated with hexagonal bearings.
Claims20
In a hay baler having a baling chamber defined by at least two sidewalls and a rotating assembly which contacts hay entering the baling chamber to form it into a bale of hay, the rotating assembly having at least one roller, the roller extending generally between said baling chamber sidewalls, the improvement comprising:
- a bearing associated with said roller which substantially reduces knocking noises associated with the bearing during operation of said hay baler, said bearing having an outer race member, an inner race member, a plurality of rolling elements disposed in a space defined between the bearing outer and inner race members and contacting said bearing outer and inner race members, said bearing inner race member including a plurality of splines extending radially inwardly from said bearing inner race member and separated by intervening grooves, said splines being integrally formed on said inner race member, said roller having a shaft member thereon which slidingly engages said bearing inner race in a manner so as to permit limited axial relative movement between said shaft member and inner race member, said inner race member splines, said shaft member splines and said sliding engagement therebetween cooperating to reduce knocking noises of said bearing during operation of said hay baler.
An improved hay baler comprising at least two sidewalls defining an interior baling chamber, the baling chamber having at least one rotating assembly extending between the sidewalls of said baling chamber, the rotating assembly contacting hay entering said baling chamber to form it into a bale of hay within said baler, said rotating assembly including an elongated roller having an elongated shaft member, the roller being rotatably mounted in said baling chamber by at least one bearing assembly, the bearing assembly having an outer race, an inner race and a plurality of rolling elements disposed in a space existing between the inner and outer race, the rolling elements thereby permitting relative rotation between said inner and outer races, said inner race being a single piece and having a plurality of radially inwardly extending involute splines formed thereon, adjacent ones of the inner race splines being separated by intervening grooves, said shaft member having an end portion having a plurality of involute splines formed thereon and extending radially outwardly, adjacent ones of the shaft member splines being separated by intervening grooves, said shaft member end portion being received within said inner race such that said shaft member splines are received within said inner race grooves and said inner race splines are received within said shaft member intervening grooves in a general sliding engagement which permits limited axial relative movement between said shaft member and said inner race during operation of said hay baler, and, said inner race splines, said shaft member splines and sliding engagement therebetween cooperating to provide means for substantially reducing knocking noises of said bearing during operation of said hay baler.
An improved hay baler comprising at least two sidewalls defining an interior baling chamber, the baling chamber having at least one rotating assembly extending between the sidewalls of said baling chamber the rotating assembly contacting hay entering said baling chamber to form it into a bale of hay, said rotating assembly including an elongated roller having an elongated shaft member, the roller being rotatably mounted in said baling chamber by at least one bearing assembly which substantially reduces knocking noises associated with the bearing assembly during operation of said hay baler, the bearing assembly having an outer race member, an inner race member and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner and outer race members which permit relative movement between same, said inner race member having a plurality of radial splines formed thereon separated by intervening grooves, said shaft member having a plurality of radial splines formed on an end portion thereof separated by intervening grooves, said shaft member end portion being received within said inner race member such that said shaft member splines and intervening grooves slidingly engage respective opposing inner race member grooves and splines, said inner race member splines, said shaft member splines and said sliding engagement therebetween providing means for substantially reducing knocking noises associated with said bearing during operation of said baler.
In a hay baler having a baling chamber defined by at least two sidewalls and a rotating assembly which contacts hay entering the baling chamber to form it into a bale of hay, the rotating assembly having at least one roller, the roller extending generally between said baling chamber sidewalls, the improvement comprising:
- a bearing associated with said roller, the bearing having an outer race member, an inner race member, a plurality of rolling elements disposed in a space defined between the bearing outer and inner race members, said bearing inner race member including a plurality of splines extending radially inwardly from said bearing inner race member and separated by intervening grooves, said roller having a shaft member thereon which slidingly engages said bearing inner race, said shaft member including means for limiting axial movement between said shaft member and said bearing, wherein said axial movement limiting means includes a ring member disposed in a circumferential groove disposed on said shaft member at an angle from a longitudinal axis of said shaft member.
In a hay baler having a baling chamber defined by at least two sidewalls and a rotating assembly which contacts hay entering the baling chamber to form it into a bale of hay, the rotating assembly having at least one roller, the roller extending generally between said baling chamber sidewalls, the improvement comprising:
- a bearing associated with said roller which substantially reduces knocking noises associated with said bearing during operation of said hay baler, the bearing having an outer race member, an inner race member, a plurality of rolling elements disposed in a space defined between the bearing outer and inner race members, said bearing inner race member including a plurality of splines extending radially inwardly from said bearing inner race member and separated by intervening grooves, said roller having a shaft member with a plurality of splines extending radially outwardly from said shaft member and separated by intervening grooves, said inner race member splines slidingly engaging said shaft member grooves and said shaft member splines and grooves permitting limited axial movement of said shaft member within said inner race member during operation of said hay baler, said bearing inner race member splines, said shaft member splines and said sliding engagement therebetween cooperating to provide means for substantially reducing knocking of said hay baler during operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.