Abstract:
A full complement antifriction bearing (A) includes a steel inner race (2), a steel outer race (4), and rolling elements (6) organized in a circular row between the races without a cage or retainer for separating the rolling elements. While the absence of a cage or retainers enable the bearing (A) to have the maximum number of rolling elements (6) and thus transfer greater loads, adjacent rolling elements (6) contact each other. Each rolling element (6) or every other rolling element (6) is covered with a tribological coating (30) that retards adhesive wear and reduces friction.
Abstract:
A method of replacing a pillowblock and bearing assembly of a wind turbine having a mainshaft and a bedplate includes unsecuring an existing pillowblock and bearing assembly from the bedplate of the wind turbine, cutting the existing pillowblock and bearing assembly off the mainshaft to remove the existing pillowblock and bearing assembly from around the mainshaft, installing a split pillowblock (110) and bearing assembly (100) onto the mainshaft (25), and securing the installed split pillowblock and bearing assembly to the bedplate (35).
Abstract:
A two-piece seal (30) is provided for a bearing assembly (10). The seal (30) includes a first seal ring or labyrinth element (34) received on an inner diameter of the bearing outer race (12) and a second seal ring or labyrinth (32) received on an outer diameter of the bearing inner race (14). The labyrinth (32, 34) include ribs (78, 51) and channels (80, 50) on facing or opposed surfaces which are sized and shaped such that the rib of one seal ring is received in the groove of the opposing seal ring to thereby form a labyrinth path between the two labyrinth elements. Additionally, a flexible seal lip (82) is formed on one of the labyrinth elements (32, 34) to form a dynamic seal between the two labyrinth elements at an inner end of the labyrinth path (88).
Abstract:
A bearing assembly (A-H) enables one member (4) to rotate relative to another member (2) about an axis (X). It includes a bearing (6) having an inner race (54) on one of the members, an outer race (74, 126, 164, 250) in the other member, and rolling elements (58) between raceways on the two races. A seal (10, 180, 210, 256) excludes contaminants from the interior of the bearing, and it includes a wear ring (92, 184, 214, 276) carried by an extension (80, 128, 144, 168, 252) on the outer race beyond the raceway of that race, a contacting wear ring (90, 182, 212, 278) carried by the member on which the inner race is located or else by a can (110, 230, 254) that is fitted to the inner race. The seal also includes backing elements (94, 96, 192, 194, 216, 218, 294) for supporting the wear rings on that which carries them, and in most instances the backing elements exert a biasing force on the wear rings to maintain them in contact, so that they establish a dynamic fluid barrier. The backing elements may include O-rings (94,96), polymer connecting segments (200) or springs (292) and a membrane (294).
Abstract:
A backing ring (R) that serves to back an antifriction bearing (B) on the journal (2) of a rail car axle (A) includes an annular body (36, 52, 66, 88, 98, 118, 136, 160, 170, 188, 214, 234, 254) that seats against a fillet (6) that is located at the end of the journal and also a lip (46, 56, 70, 90, 100, 120, 138, 162, 172, 190, 216, 236, 268) that projects over a larger dust guard diameter (4) that is located on the axle immediately beyond the fillet. In addition, the backing ring includes a stabilizing element (38, 54, 68, 96, 102, 122, 142, 166, 178, 194, 224, 242, 256) which cooperates with the lip and with the dust guard diameter to lessen the tendency of the annular body to work against the fillet and create a fretting wear when the journal undergoes cyclic flexures. The stabilizing element accommodates dust guard diameters of varying size. The stabilizing element may also establish a seal between the lip and the dust guard diameter.
Abstract:
A backing ring (R) that serves to back an antifriction bearing (B) on the journal (2) of a rail car axle (A) includes an annular body (36, 52, 66, 88, 98, 118, 136, 160, 170, 188, 214, 234, 254) that seats against a fillet (6) that is located at the end of the journal and also a lip (46, 56, 70, 90, 100, 120, 138, 162, 172, 190, 216, 236, 268) that projects over a larger dust guard diameter (4) that is located on the axle immediately beyond the fillet. In addition, the backing ring includes a stabilizing element (38, 54, 68, 96, 102, 122, 142, 166, 178, 194, 224, 242, 256) which cooperates with the lip and with the dust guard diameter to lessen the tendency of the annular body to work against the fillet and create a fretting wear when the journal undergoes cyclic flexures. The stabilizing element accommodates dust guard diameters of varying size. The stabilizing element may also establish a seal between the lip and the dust guard diameter.
Abstract:
A bearing assembly for accommodating rotation about an axis includes an outer race (2) having a raceway (6) presented toward the axis and an inner race (4) having a raceway (8) presented toward the raceway (6) of the outer race (2) and forming a bore (12) there between. The inner race (4) includes at an end a sealing surface (20) that is inclined away from the raceways (6, 8) and toward the axis. Rollers (16) are arranged in a row between the outer raceway (6) and the inner raceway (8). A seal (22) closes the end of the bore (12). The seal (22) includes a seal case (24) supported by the outer race (2) at its end. A first sealing element (26) is carried by the seal case (24) and bears against the sealing surface (20) on the inner race (4) and forms a first stage sealing contact. A second sealing element (36) is carried by the seal case (24) and forms second stage sealing contact.
Abstract:
A bearing system (A) that supports a shaft (4) in a housing (2) includes two single row tapered roller bearings (6, 8) mounted in opposition. One of the bearings (8) compensates for thermal variations that would otherwise produce excessive preload in the system. It has a conventional cup (48) in the housing and tapered rollers (52) arranged in a single row along the raceway (54) of the cup. It also has a compensating assembly (50, 100, 110, 120, 130) on the shaft, and it includes a ribless cone (60) having a raceway (70) around which the rollers are organized, an axially displaceable rib ring (64) for positioning the rollers, a spring (66) for urging the rib ring against a stop surface (74) on the cone, and a compensating ring (68) formed from a material having a high coefficient of thermal expansion for displacing the rib ring against the force exerted by the spring when the temperature of the compensating assembly exceeds a prescribed set point temperature so as to reduce preload in the bearing system.
Abstract:
A bearing assembly (A-H) enables one member (4) to rotate relative to another member (2) about an axis (X). It includes a bearing (6) having an inner race (54) on one of the members, an outer race (74, 126, 164, 250) in the other member, and rolling elements (58) between raceways on the two races. A seal (10, 180, 210, 256) excludes contaminants from the interior of the bearing, and it includes a wear ring (92, 184, 214, 276) carried by an extension (80, 128, 144, 168, 252) on the outer race beyond the raceway of that race, a contacting wear ring (90, 182, 212, 278) carried by the member on which the inner race is located or else by a can (110, 230, 254) that is fitted to the inner race. The seal also includes backing elements (94, 96, 192, 194, 216, 218, 294) for supporting the wear rings on that which carries them, and in most instances the backing elements exert a biasing force on the wear rings to maintain them in contact, so that they establish a dynamic fluid barrier. The backing elements may include O-rings (94,96), polymer connecting segments (200) or springs (292) and a membrane (294).