US 6,682,226 B2 · Cylindrical roller bearing with preload capability

Abstract

A cylindrical roller bearing having preloading capability is disclosed. A preloading mechanism having an annular groove having a deformable raceway and which is configured to accept a segmented support ring is incorporated into either the outer race of the inner race. A plurality of fasteners are installed in holes in the flanges of the annular groove and into the segmented support ring. By tightening the fasteners, the flanges of the annular groove are tightened against the segmented support ring, thereby deforming the deformable raceway from an arcuate shape to a flat or slightly crowned shape, placing a preload on the rollers of the bearing. The amount of preload is determined by the angular and dimensional interface between the segmented support ring and the annular groove.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims20

Dependent claims

A cylindrical roller bearing having preload capability comprising:

an inner race having an inner raceway;
a plurality of cylindrical rolling elements;
and
an outer race having an outer raceway;
and
a preloading mechanism, said preloading mechanism comprising a deformable raceway and an annular groove having a support ring positioned therein, said deformable raceway having an arcuate surface which is capable of being deformed to achieve a flat to slightly crowned surface, and wherein the preload mechanism is incorporated into one of either the inner race or the outer race.

3 more elements

A cylindrical roller bearing having preload capability comprising:

an outer race having an outer raceway;
an inner race having an inner raceway;
a preload mechanism, said preload mechanism comprising a deformable raceway and an annular groove, said deformable raceway having an arcuate surface capable of being deformed into a flat to slightly crowned surface, and said annular groove having two flanges and an outside diameter and being in cooperative relationship with the deformable raceway, and wherein said preload mechanism is incorporated into one of either the inner race such that the deformable raceway is the inner raceway, or the outer race such that the deformable raceway is the outer raceway;
a plurality of cylindrical rolling elements, said rolling elements being positioned between the inner raceway and the outer raceway and retained therein by a cage;
a support ring, said support ring comprising at least two support ring segments, each of said support ring segments having a plurality of holes;
and
a plurality of fasteners for securing the at least two support ring segments within the annular groove of the preload mechanism.

4 more elements

A cylindrical roller bearing having preload capability comprising:

an outer race having an outer raceway;
an inner race having an inner raceway;
a plurality of cylindrical rolling elements, said rolling elements being positioned between the inner raceway and the outer raceway;
a cage;
a preload mechanism, said preload mechanism comprising and a deformable raceway, an annular groove, and a support ring,
wherein the deformable raceway having an arcuate surface with a radius of RRing i, and capable of being deformed into a flat to slightly crowned surface;
wherein said annular groove has a depth of HRing, a width of LRing, an inside diameter, two flanges having a series of holes, two end faces, and two inside faces which are slightly angled toward the two end faces at an angle of αRing;
and
wherein said support ring comprises at least two support ring segments, wherein each of said at least two support ring segments having a plurality of holes sized and located to match the series of holes in each of the two flanges of the annular groove, wherein each of the two support ring segments also has a front face, a rear face, an outside face, and an inside face, the front face and the rear face being offset in relation to the inside face by an angle of αSupport, wherein the height of the at least two support ring segments is HSupport wherein the inside face of the at least two support ring segments is arcuate having a radius of Rsupport, wherein the value of the angle of αSupport for the at least two support ring segments and the value of the angle of αRing for the annular groove are coordinated to achieve a set preload value for the cylindrical roller bearing when the at least two support ring segments have been secured within the annular groove of the outer race by the plurality of fasteners, and wherein the dimensional value of HSupport is greater than the dimensional value of HRing and the dimensional value of LRing is equal to or greater than the dimensional value of LSupport;
and
a plurality of fasteners for securing the at least two support ring segments within the annular groove of the outer race.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description3,178 words

Summary930 words

#Not applicable.

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention relates in general to a cylindrical roller bearing and, more particularly, to a cylindrical roller bearing having preloading capability.

Brief description of the drawings6 figures

#FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the cylindrical roller bearing of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a front view of the support ring.

#FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the support ring.

Detailed description2,175 words

#Please note that the angles and radii shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are not to scale and have been greatly exaggerated to better show the geometric relationship between the components of the cylindrical roller bearing of the present invention. The actual dimensions and dimensional relationships between the bearing components are as described elsewhere herein.

#Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

#The present invention discloses a cylindrical roller bearing having a preload mechanism for preloading the internal components of the bearing. While either the inner race or the outer race may be configured to incorporate the preloading mechanism of the present invention, the first embodiment described herein incorporates the preloading mechanism into the outer race of the bearing.

Facts

Application

10/142,294Filed 9 May 2002

Published

US 2003/0210843 A113 Nov 2003

Granted

27 Jan 2004

Term ended

9 May 2022

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification7 codes

F16C 23/088
Self-adjusting: by means of crowning
F16C 19/26
For radial load mainly: with a single row of rollers
F16C 25/06
Bearings for exclusively rotary movement adjustable for wear or play: ball or roller bearings
F16C 33/586
Details of specific parts of races: outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring

Cylindrical roller bearing with preload capability

Life of this patent

Cylindrical roller bearing with preload capability

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims20

Description3,178 words

Drawings

Classification7 codes

Life of this patent

Description3,178 words