Lubrication system for high speed antifriction bearings
AssigneeThe Timken Company
InventorsWilliam E. Harbottle, Tadao Tsuneyoshi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high speed antifriction bearing receives minute quantities of high performance grease or oil at selected intervals from an electrically controlled injector having a nozzle that is directed at the rolling elements of the bearing. By minimizing the lubricant in the bearing, the lubricant does not accumulate in quantities that render it susceptible to working. The high performance lubricant produces a boundary layer film between contacting critical surfaces within the bearing. That film is so thin that it has little capacity to churn or work and produce heat. The injector may be the type used for electronic injection of diesel fuel into the cylinders of diesel engines.
Claims17
The combination comprising:
- an antifriction bearing that facilitates rotation about an axis and has a first race provided with a raceway, a second race provided with a raceway that is presented toward, yet spaced from, the raceway of the first race, and rolling elements located between the races and contacting the raceways;
- and:
- an injector provided with a nozzle having an orifice that is directed toward the space between the raceways, the injector when activated having the capacity to inject a minute quantity of lubricant into the space so that the lubricant produces a thin film on the rolling elements and raceways.
The combination comprising:
- a housing;
- a spindle located within the housing;
- an antifriction bearing supporting the spindle in the housing for rotation in the housing about an axis, the bearing including an inner race located on the spindle and having a raceway presented away from, yet oblique to the axis, an outer race located in the housing and having a raceway that is presented toward, yet oblique to, the axis and surrounding the inner race, and rolling elements located between the races and contacting the raceways;
- a lubricant coating the raceways and rolling elements of the bearing;
- and an injector located on the housing and having a nozzle provided with an orifice that is directed toward the rolling elements of the bearing, the injector when activated having the capacity to discharge a minute quantity of lubricant into the bearing at selected intervals to replenish the lubricant into the bearing without excessively accumulating lubricant in the bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.