Brenco, Incorporated

Means Industries, Inc.

Danny R Sink

Brian D Klecker

Martin Earl Reed

William J Hatcher

Mark W Garnett

An improved unitized bearing seal assembly employs a resilient primary seal lip, a secondary seal lip and an excluder lip carried by a first seal case. The seal lips contact surfaces of a second seal case. One of the seal cases rotates relative to the other. The bearing seal assembly also includes a labyrinth seal positioned radially inboard of the resilient seal lips. The labyrinth seal has two axially-extending gaps. One of the axially extending gaps is defined by a resilient axial lip. The two axial gaps are joined by a radial gap. One of the surfaces defining the radial gap comprises chaplets with recessed surfaces between the chaplets. The chaplets include radially directed surfaces and inclined surfaces joining the radially directed surfaces with the recessed surfaces. These surfaces are shaped to provide hydrodynamic pumping action. A lubricant cavity is located between the labyrinth seal and the primary seal lip. The labyrinth seal restricts exchange of lubricant between the seal lubricant cavity and a lubricant-bearing cavity of a bearing element with which the seal is used. The three resilient seal lips limit ingress of contaminants into the seal cavity. The outermost excluder lip has an increased surface area in contact with the sealing surface of the second seal case.

Seal assembly

An overrunning clutch assembly including first and second ring-shaped clutch members with face surfaces disposed in opposing relation and with at least one rigid strut disposed therebetween for movement to engage recessed pockets in the opposed surfaces upon rotation in one direction and for movement out of engagement with the pockets in at least one of the face surfaces upon relative rotation in the opposite direction. A retaining member permanently retains the clutch in assembled relation and cooperates with the ring-shaped clutch members to form a lubricant reservoir maintaining the struts in a lubricant bath during operation. The retaining member forms a weir over which the lubricant flows from the reservoir at a radial location to assure that the struts remain submerged during operation.

One-way overrunning clutch

An improved one-way clutch assembly according to this invention includes a drive member and a driven member each having a generally planar annular surface and assembled for rotation about a common axis with the planar annular surfaces in opposed spaced relation. A coupling system is mounted between the driving and driven members and rotatably fixed for rotation with the drive member. The coupling system includes a plurality of struts or pawls supported one on one end of each of a plurality of elongated, resilient arms for movement between a retracted position within a recess in the drive member and a drive position engaging a shoulder in a pocket in the driven member.

One-way high torque clutch mechanism

An overrunning clutch comprising annular drive and driven members having generally planar clutch plate sections supported in fixed parallel relation for rotation about a common axis. One clutch plate section has an annular row of ratchet teeth formed in the inner surface and the other clutch plate section has at least one aperture extending therethrough, with an elongated rigid pawl supported on one end of a resilient arm located in the aperture. The aperture provides an abutment surface for one end of the pawl and the resilient arm is biased to urge the other end of the pawl from the aperture to engage the ratchet teeth. The rigid pawl, the resilient arm and the other clutch plate section may be integrally formed, and the clutch assembly may consist of two pieces only.

One-way overrunning clutch mechanism

A combined lip and sleeve seal for use with a generally cylindrical surface relatively rotating shaft is formed by a molding operation and includes a sleeve seal portion for contacting and forming a first oil seal with the shaft and an integrally joined radial lip seal spaced axially from the sleeve seal for contacting and forming a second oil seal with the shaft. The seal may also include an integrally formed dust seal lip at a location spaced axially from the radial lip seal on the side thereof opposite the sleeve seal. The radial lip seal and sleeve seal may include a liner formed from a low friction synthetic resin material such as a sintered polytetrafluoroethylene. The sleeve seal is formed as an initially generally radially inwardly extending annular flange having an inner diameter less than the outer diameter of the cylindrical surface of the relatively rotating shaft and is deflected axially and expanded radially to provide a substantially cylindrical sealing surface contacting the shaft surface when installed on the shaft.

Combination lip and sleeve seal and its method of manufacture

A bearing assembly employs an improved seal wear ring comprising a rigid metal sleeve having an internal diameter greater than that of the shaft to provide a clearance therebetween along the full length of the wear ring. An annular spacer ring of a dense, dimensionally stable synthetic resin material such as polyvinylchloride is fitted within an annular recess on the inner surface of the metallic sleeve, with the spacer ring having an internal diameter slightly less than the external diameter of the shaft to provide an interference fit therebetween when the bearing assembly is pressed onto the shaft.

Shaft journal bearing having improved seal wear ring

A radial seal assembly for sealing a lubricant-containing bearing cavity in an anti-friction bearing includes a rigid annular ring mounted in a cylindrical bore of the outer bearing case and a resilient sealing body bonded onto the ring and engaging an outwardly directed cylindrical sealing surface supported for rotation relative to and coaxially with the cylindrical bore in the bearing case. The seal body includes an outer dust seal lip engaging the sealing surface and a primary lubricant seal lip forming a dynamic seal with the sealing surface. The primary seal lip has a generally conical surface on the side thereof directed toward the bearing cavity, and a plurality of oil deflectors are integrally formed on and project from the conical surface within the annular space between the conical surface and the sealing surface, with the respective oil deflectors having leading and trailing surfaces inclined with respect to the direction of relative rotation.

Bearing seal with oil deflectors

Compression molding of elastomer to form an annular sealing lip bonded to a sintered polytetrafluoroethylene line over the lip, and to bond the elastomer to an annular metal case for the seal. The mold elements, anchoring the inner margin of the liner preform during molding, slide against each other for concentric alignment, bend the metal case to control back pressure on the elastomer being applied to the liner, and form a thin annular link of elastomer between the seal formed in the mold and the excess elastomer to be trimmed from the seal.

Compression molding method for shaft seal

Disclosed is a double row tapered roller bearing assembly employing a contoured, maximum journal-contact bearing seal wear ring especially adapted to be installed on a journal at the end of a shaft or axle with the wear ring providing an interference fit contact area engaging the journal over at least a major portion of the axial length of the wear ring. Stress risers are eliminated by providing smooth contoured surface junctures to thereby substantially reduce fretting wear on the journal, with the increased contact area facilitating heat transfer to the shaft to extend seal life.

Shaft journal bearing assembly improved seal wear ring

A seal assembly for sealing an annular space between a housing having a cylindrical bore therein and a shaft member extending into and mounted for coaxial rotation relative to the bore, includes a resilient sealing body having an annular lubrication sealing lip and a dust seal including first inwardly directed resilient dust sealing lip having an inside diameter less than the diameter of the shaft member for contacting the shaft member and forming a primary dust seal therewith and a second inwardly extending annular dust seal lip between the first dust seal lip and the second dust seal lip having an inside diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said shaft member to form a non-contacting type seal with the other surface of the shaft member.

Growing community of inventors

Chester, VA, United States of America

Danny R Sink