The Timken Company

Douglas H Smith

Peter Holland

Larry L Bahney

Peter Standring

Alan Charles Webb

Kevin Rehfus

Rahul Chaudhari

Robert Ringle

Geoffrey William Branfield

Lloyd William Sparrow

A bearing cage is formed from a single piece of wire bent into shape and includes a first axial end ring, a second axial end ring including a distal end of the single piece of wire, a plurality of axially-extending bridge portions between the first and second axial end rings, and a plurality of circumferentially-extending connection portions interconnecting adjacent bridge portions. The connection portions are alternately positioned adjacent the first and second axial end rings.

Wire-formed bearing cage

A hub ( ) includes a spindle ( ) which projects through a housing ( ) and rotates relative to the housing ( ) on a bearing ( ) that is located between the spindle ( ) and the housing ( ). The bearing ( ) has two sets of raceways ( ) that are oblique to the axis x, and in addition rolling elements ( ) arranged in two rows between the sets of raceways ( ). The inner raceways ( ) that fit around the spindle ( ) and have back faces ( ), with the back face ( ) for one of the races ( ) being against a shoulder ( ) from which the spindle ( ) projects. Initially, the end of the spindle ( ) projects straight beyond the back face ( ) of the outer race&mdash;indeed, so that the races ( ) can be installed over the spindle ( ). But once the housing ( ) and races ( ) are in a position around the spindle ( ), the projecting end portion of the spindle ( ) is deformed radially and axially in a rotary forming operation such that it transforms into a formed end ( ) that lies behind back face ( ) of the race ( ). With the two races ( ) between the formed end ( ) and the shoulder ( ). During the rotary forming operation the hub ( ) rotates, and the end of its spindle ( ) is forced against a rotating forming tool and the force is monitored. The housing ( ) is restrained and the torque transferred from the rotating hub ( ) to the housing ( ) is monitored.

Component assembly with formed spindle end portion

Deformable spindle end portion

Process and machine for uniting rotatable machine components

A product with an automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) device associated with a physical measurement, authentication code or operating condition of the product is disclosed. A bearing with an embedded transponder is illustratively described. The transponder contains data specific to the manufactured bearing, such as physical measurements or identification numbers.

Bearing with data storage device

A wheel mounting includes an axle provided with a spindle, a hub located around the spindle, and an antifriction bearing located between the spindle and the hub for enabling the hub to rotate on the spindle with minimal friction. The axle also has a cylindrical ring seat located beyond its spindle and a shoulder located between the spindle and the ring seat. The ring seat has a stop located along it. The bearing has a cone located around the spindle, with its back face being against the shoulder, a cup located in the hub, and tapered rollers located between tapered raceways on the cone and cup. Beyond the large end of its raceway the cup is fitted with an excitor ring having a radial wall at the inboard end of the bearing. The ring seat carries a mounting ring having an axial wall provided with a formation that bears against the stop on the seat and an end edge that is against the back face of the inboard cone. Indeed, the axial wall is compressed between the back face of the inboard cone and the stop, so that the formation on the axial wall bears tightly against the stop on the ring seat. This fixes the mounting ring firmly in position axially with respect to the radial wall on the excitor ring. The mounting ring carries a sensor which is presented toward the radial wall of the excitor ring. The sensor produces a pulsating signal when the excitor ring rotates, and the frequency of that signal reflects the angular velocity of the hub.

Wheel mounting with axle-mounted sensor

Spindle and component assembly with formed spindle end portion

Growing community of inventors

Akron, OH, United States of America

Douglas H Smith