Amsted Rail Company, Inc.

Other

James A Hargraves

Michael A Mason

James Myers

Arman Sarwar

A two-piece seal assembly includes first and second seal subassemblies, each shaped as a semicircular ring. The first seal subassembly has a first stator subassembly and a first rotor subassembly that cooperate to form a first semicircular segment of a labyrinth. The second seal subassembly has a second stator subassembly and a second rotor subassembly that cooperate to form a second semicircular segment of the labyrinth. The first and second stator subassemblies, when affixed to each other, form a ring-shaped stator that encircles a rotation axis. The first and second rotor subassemblies, when affixed to each other, form a ring-shaped rotor that encircles the rotation axis and can rotate about the rotation axis relative to the stator. When the first and second seal subassemblies are affixed to each other, the first and second semicircular segments meet such that the labyrinth encircles the rotation axis.

Two-piece seal assembly

A labyrinth seal includes a seal case with an inner-diameter leg encircling a rotation axis, and an insert fixed in the seal case and encircling the rotation axis. The labyrinth seal also includes a slinger encircling the rotation axis and wrapping around the inner-diameter leg to cooperate with the seal case to form a first part of a labyrinth path. The slinger rotates relative to the seal case. The labyrinth seal also includes a rotor that encircles the rotation axis, cooperates with the insert to form a second part of the labyrinth path, and interlocks with the insert to limit axial movement of the rotor when the rotor rotates relative to the insert. The labyrinth seal may be combined with a bearing cone, a bearing cup, and a plurality of rollers to form a roller bearing assembly.

Labyrinth seal with interlocking rotor and seal case insert

A temperature-robust polymer shroud for a roller bearing seal includes a shroud body and an inner diameter leg defining respective portions of a single continuous part. The shroud body encircles a rotation axis of the polymer shroud and extends predominantly in directions orthogonal to the rotation axis from an inner diameter to an outer diameter. The inner diameter leg connects to the shroud body at the inner diameter and encircles the rotation axis, wherein, along the entire inner diameter of the shroud body, the inner diameter leg is oriented at an oblique angle to the rotation axis to extend both (a) radially inward from the inner diameter and (b) axially away from the inner diameter along a first direction parallel to the rotation axis. A roller bearing seal includes a seal case, an elastomer lip, and the temperature-robust polymer shroud.

Temperature-robust polymer shroud for roller bearing seal

A temperature-robust polymer shroud for a roller bearing seal includes a shroud body and an inner diameter leg defining respective portions of a single continuous part. The shroud body encircles a rotation axis of the polymer shroud and extends predominantly in directions orthogonal to the rotation axis from an inner diameter to an outer diameter. The inner diameter leg connects to the shroud body at the inner diameter, encircles the rotation axis, and is oriented at an oblique angle to the rotation axis to extend both (a) radially inward from the inner diameter and (b) axially away from the inner diameter along a first direction parallel to the rotation axis. A roller bearing seal includes a seal case, an elastomer lip, and the temperature-robust polymer shroud.

A slinger for a roller bearing seal includes (a) an inner section extending at least in a first direction parallel to a rotation axis of the slinger, encircling the rotation axis and forming a plurality of tabs configured to pressure fit the slinger onto a rotor of a roller bearing seal, (b) an outer section extending at least in the first direction at a greater distance than the inner section from the rotation axis and encircling the rotation axis, and (c) a middle section encircling the rotation axis and spanning between the inner section and the outer section, wherein the inner section, the middle section, and the outer section define respective portions of a single continuous part.

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Petersburg, VA, United States of America

James A Hargraves