The Timken Company

Chicago Rawhide Mfg. Co.

Other

Atlantic Richfield Company

Dennis L Otto

Donald K Ross

Gordon T Drygalski

William E Harbottle

John D Dougherty

Orestes J Varonis

Jon A Chandler

Mark E Baker

Joseph A Abbruzzi

Edward S Czekansky

Richard O Dimit

Raj B Seth

Mark R Moldovan

James Eddie Jones

A seal for separating a viscous lubricant, such as grease, from contaminants in the surrounding environment, includes case having axial and radial walls, a shield located in the case and also having axial and radial walls, a primary seal element attached to the radial wall of the case and establishing two fluid barriers along the axial wall of the shield, and a secondary seal element attached to the radial wall of the shield and establishing another fluid barrier along the axial wall of the case. The primary seal element includes a labyrinth which is spaced slightly away from the axial wall of the shield and contains pumping cavities which drive the lubricant away from the primary seal element when relative rotation exists between the primary seal element and the shield. The primary seal element also has a contact lip provided with inside and outside beveled surfaces which converge toward a band along which the contact lip bears against the axial wall of the shield. The primary seal element is for the most part molded from an elastomer, but it contains an insert having a higher modulus of elasticity than that of the elastomer. The inside beveled surface, which is presented toward the labyrinth, lies along the insert as does the adjoining region of the band. The outside beveled surface lies along the elastomer as does the adjoining region of the band. The seal is particularly effective under frigid conditions when grease may not migrate to the band on the contact lip to lubricate it.

Seal with bi-modulus lip

A multibarrier seal having outer and inner cases fitted to the outer and inner races of a bearing respectively. The outer case carries a primary lip which bears against an axial wall on the inner case. The inner case carries a secondary lip which bears against an axial wall on the outer case. The outer case also carries a tertiary lip which bears against a radial sealing surface which may be on a carrier fitted to the inner case. All three lips are inclined with respect to the surfaces against which they bear, and have back faces which are presented away from the interior of the bearing. Initially atmospheric air bears against the back face of the primary lip and urges it with greater force against the axial wall of the inner case to hold a vacuum within the interior of the bearing. Should the primary lip fail, the secondary lip will serve to hold the vacuum in the same way, with atmospheric air urging it with greater force against the axial wall of the outer case. Should the secondary lip fail, the tertiary lip will hold the vacuum with atmospheric pressure urging it with greater force against the sealing surface. The multibarrier seal establishes a formidable obstacle to the entry of contaminants into the bearing and is useful for sealing a bearing operated in hostile environments, even in the absence of pressure differentials.

Multibarrier seal

A seal suitable for closing the annular space between the races of an antifriction bearing includes a case which fits into the outer race and a shield that fits over the inner race. Both the case and shield have axial and radial walls that enclose a cavity within the seal. The seal also includes an elastomeric seal element which is bonded to the radial wall of the case and includes a lip which extends obliquely into the cavity and toward the axial wall of the case which it contacts to create a dynamic barrier. The shield also has an outer radial wall that encircles the inner radial wall and extends along the axial wall of the case such that a small gap exists between the outer axial wall of the shield and the axial wall of the case. The outer axial wall of the shield is either out of round or eccentric with respect to the inner axial wall, so that the size of gap varies circumferentially along the gap. As a consequence of this variance, the seal will pump fluent contaminants, such as water. Under static conditions the fluent contaminants drain from the cavity through the gap.

Seal with pumping capabilities

A hub rotates around the end of an axle housing on a tapered roller bearing which is packed with grease. The axle housing, which is part of a drive axle, conveys lubricating oil to the interior of the hub, but the oil does not encounter the grease, for a seal, which is fitted into the end of the bearing, separates the oil from the grease. The seal pumps the grease back to the interior of the bearing and the oil away from the interior of the bearing.

Lip seal separating oil and grease

A seal for an antifriction bearing having a fixed inner race and a rotating outer race includes inner and outer seal cases which are pressed over cylindrical mounting surfaces on the inner and outer races, respectively. To this end, the seal cases have extended axial walls which actually fit over the mounting surfaces in the bearing races and radial walls, connected to the extended axial walls. The radial walls of the two cases are spaced apart so that an annular chamber exists between the two radial walls. Each seal case has an elastomeric seal element supported by its radial wall remote from its extended axial wall and that seal element establishes a fluid barrier along the other seal case, so that the two seal elements isolate the chamber from the interior of the bearing and from the environment at the exterior of the bearing. The inner case carries a sensor having a head that is located in the annular chamber between the two axial walls. The radial wall of the outer case carries means for exciting the sensor such that it produces a pulsating signal when the outer case rotates relative to the inner case, and the frequency of the signal reflects the angular velocity.

Bearing seal for sensing angular velocity

A seal for a bearing having a rotating outer race and fixed inner race, closes the annular space between the two races and further excites a sensor which delivers a signal that reflects the angular velocity of the outer race. The seal has outer and inner cases and elastomeric sealing elements bonded to the cases. The outer race fits into a bore that opens out of the outer race and its seal element contacts the inner case along the inner race. The inner case fits over the inner race and its seal element is directed outwardly toward the outer case and outer race. In addition, the seal has an encoder ring which is secured to the outer case and presents a radial wall containing disruptions which excite the sensor when the disruptions move past the sensor as the encoder ring rotates with the outer race.

Bearing seal with encoder

A package bearing includes outer and inner rings, provided with opposing raceways, and rolling elements located between the raceways. The inner ring has a flange which projects outwardly past one end of the outer ring and is provided with a radially directed sealing surface that is located opposite the end of the outer ring. Here the outer ring is fitted with a seal including a case that is pressed over the outer surface of the outer ring and an elastomeric seal element having lips that bear against the sealing surface on the flange of the inner ring to establish a dynamic fluid barrier. The case surrounds the seal element to protect it from stone impingement. The seal is large enough to pass over the nearby set of rolling elements in the bearing and thus does not interfere with assembly of the bearing.

Seal for package bearing

A seal for a roll neck bearing has a two interlocked components - a rotating component fitted to the inner race of the bearing and a stationary component fitted to the outer race. The rotating component includes a shield which fits around the end of the inner race, and, while it establishes a static barrier along the inner race, it can float or be displaced axially on the inner race. The stationary component has a seal case which fits snugly in a bore that opens out of the end of the outer race, it being trapped in that bore by a chock into which the bearing fits. Both the shield and case have axial walls and radial walls, and at the ends of their radial walls carry elastomeric seal elements. The seal element of the shield contacts the axial wall of the seal case, whereas the seal element of the seal case contacts the axial wall of the shield and further establishes a labyrinth along the shield. The two seal elements include bumpers which are presented toward the radial walls and limit the distance the rotating component may be displaced axially relative to the stationary component.

Two component bearing seal with bumpers

A multirow bearing assembly for the roll neck of a working rolling mill in which the bearing is composed of rolling elements between outer and inner members in which the inner members are positioned in axial endwise abutment and are formed with undercut counterbore formations facings the roll neck. The bearing assembly includes sealing components operative in the counterbore cavity formations to exclude water and contaminants getting into the endwise abutment of the inner members. In addition, the sealing components include one or more devices to adjust the effect of the wear on the seal in the event that water and contaminants get into the sealing components.

Cone bore seal

A seal is particularly suited for closing the ends of an antifriction bearing which is located on a journal where its inner races are captured between wear rings and backing elements having overhangs which are directed back toward the end of the bearings and, as such, encircle the wear rings. Indeed, a seal exists at each end of the bearing for isolating the annular space between the inner and outer races of the bearing. Each seal includes a case that is fitted into the end of the outer race and projects axially from that race as well as radially inwardly toward the wear ring. In addition, it has two elastomeric lips which are presented toward the wear ring, one being configured primarily to retain lubricant in the annular space between the two races of the bearing and the other to exclude contaminants from that space. The seal also has an elastomeric spray shield which is attached to the case and projects radially outwardly from it toward the overhang. Indeed, the inwardly presented surface of the overhang deflects the shield back toward the end of the bearing. The elastomer of the shield may have low resistance to abrasion, in which case, it wears away until it offers very little resistance to rotation, or it may have a high compression set, in which case, it acquires a permanent deformation and again offers very little resistance to rotation.

Seal assembly for use with an overhang

A seal assembly for antifriction bearings in which a cone and a cup have raceways for roller bearings, a seal case carried by the cone and by the cup for supporting a seal element on each of the seal cases to provide a space therebetween for retention of a body of lubricant in position to create a barrier for blocking the ingress of contaminants from the exterior. One of the seals is positioned to be exposed to the outside to have a lip operative on one of the seal cases to preclude the ingress of contaminants, and the other one of the seals is exposed to the bearing interior to allow lubricant to pass into the cavity between the seals and also to assure the presence of lubricant to the interior of the bearing assembly.

Seal assembly for antifriction bearings

The interior of an antifriction bearing is isolated with an enclosure having a case which fits into the outer race of the bearing and primary and secondary lips which establish a barrier along a sealing surface that is located beyond the inner face of the bearing. The primary lip, which is presented toward the interior of the bearing, does not actually contact the sealing surface, but does have pumping cavities which direct lubricant, that migrates along the sealing surface, back toward the interior of the bearing. The secondary lip projects away from the primary lip and actually contacts the sealing surface. The case, primary lip and sealing lip are all molded from a common polymer as an integral unit. Where the journal around which the bearing fits ends beyond one end of the bearing, a polymer cover may be snapped over the enclosure at that end of the bearing to provide an extra measure of isolation.

Unitary enclosure and cover therefor

A seal assembly for closing the end of a bearing includes a seal and a shield on which the seal is captured. The shield has an axially directed mounting portion, an axially directed overhang and a radial end wall between the mounting portion and overhang. The seal has a pumping labyrinth presented toward the mounting portion, yet spaced from it, a dirt lip directed obliquely toward and contacting the mounting portion, and a secondary lip directed obliquely toward, yet normally spaced from, the overhang, with the dirt lip being between the labyrinth and the secondary lip. The labyrinth is exposed toward the interior of the bearing and has pumping cavities which impel lubricant back into the bearing. Between the dirt and secondary lip is a groove which opens toward the radial wall of the shield, and this groove contains a ring of grease-type lubricant which extends to and adheres against the radial wall, thus forming a barrier to the ingress of contaminants. The ring of lubricant may become temporarily pressurized, in which event it will deflect the secondary lip against the overhang of the shield to prevent excessive leakage, yet the pressure will be relieved through vent notches in the contacting edge of the lip.

Shielded seal assembly

A flap seal assembly for anti-friction bearings wherein the seal components function to retain the lubricant against leakage to the outside and to function to prevent contaminants entering the bearing from the outside. The seal assembly may have a single set of flaps in combination with a dust lip type seal in one form and it may have a double set of flaps in another form. The seal assembly reduces torque drag on the bearing in the dust lip type seal and is torque free in the double flap seal form.

Flap seal for anti-friction bearings

A compact seal assembly fits into the end of a bearing and effectively retains grease within the bearing while excluding contaminants, notwithstanding operation of the bearing within a hostile environment. The seal assembly includes a shield having an axial mounting portion which fits over the inner race of the bearing and an outwardly directed flange, as well as a smooth sealing surface on both. The seal has a case which fits into the outer face of the bearing and an elastomeric sealing element which establishes several barriers along the sealing surface of the shield. The first barrier exists at a pumping labyrinth which encircles, but is spaced outwardly from the axial segment of the sealing surface where it is exposed to the interior of the bearing. The labyrinth contains wedge-shaped cavities which pump the grease back toward the interior of the bearing. The next barrier is along a primary dirt lip which actually contacts the axial portion of the sealing surface, it being urged against that surface by a garter spring. Another barrier exists along a secondary dirt lip which contacts the radial portion of the sealing surface, that is the portion on the flange of the shield. The primary dirt lip lies between the pumping labyrinth and the secondary dirt lip, with these portions of the sealing element being separated by grooves. Rings of grease occupy the grooves, and this grease extends outwardly to and adheres to the sealing surface so as to establish still more barriers along the sealing surface.

Growing community of inventors

Malvern, OH, United States of America

Dennis L Otto