Lined bearing with wear sensor
AssigneeThe Torrington Company
InventorMark I. Jurras, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing liner between inner and outer bearing rings, one stationary and the other rotatable, is fixed to the stationary bearing ring. A pair of electrical conductors, coiled in at least one loop encircling the inner bearing ring, is embedded within the bearing liner. The electrical conductors are electrically isolated and located such that wear of the bearing liner causes the rotatable bearing ring to contact and electrically connect the electrical conductors. An electrical circuit detects the electrical connection to indicate wear of the bearing liner.
Claims15
A lined bearing comprising:
- an inner bearing ring having an axis;
- an outer bearing ring concentric with the inner bearing ring and providing an annular space therebetween;
- one of the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring being stationary and the other of the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring being rotatable about the axis;
- a bearing liner within the annular space and fixed to the stationary bearing ring;
- and
- a pair of electrical conductors embedded in the bearing liner, coiled in at least one loop encircling the inner bearing ring, each of the electrical conductors being electrically isolated and located such that wear of the bearing liner will cause the rotatable bearing ring to contact and electrically connect the electrical conductors.
A system for monitoring wear of lined bearings, the system comprising:
- a plurality of lined bearings, each of the lined bearings having an axis, an inner bearing ring, an outer bearing ring concentric with the inner bearing ring, one of the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring being stationary and the other of the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring being rotatable about the axis, and a bearing liner between the inner bearing ring and the outer bearing ring and fixed to the stationary bearing ring;
- a pair of electrical conductors embedded in the bearing liner in each of said bearings, the pair of electrical conductors being coiled in at least one loop encircling the inner bearing ring, each of the electrical conductors being electrically isolated and located such that excessive wear of the bearing liner will cause said rotatable bearing ring to contact and electrically connect the electrical conductors;
- and
- signal processing means for processing electrical signals from the electrical conductors of the lined bearings to indicate wear of the bearing liner of each of the lined bearings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.