The Torrington Company

John A Larson

Walter P Waskiewicz

Maksimilijan Godec

Michael A Gantt

Joseph F Braza

A ball bearing assembly includes a polymer outer bearing ring molded over and partially enclosing a metal annular outer raceway. The metal annular outer raceway may be economically formed from sheet metal or wire. The polymer outer bearing ring may be mounted within a metal housing to provide support and/or self-alignment capability.

Ball bearing assembly with polymer bearing ring

An annular collar includes a first clamping surface to be positioned radially outwardly of a surface of a bearing inner ring. The annular collar is made of a thermoelastic material such that an increase in temperature decreases the circumference of the annular collar and causes the first clamping surface to clamp against the surface of the bearing inner ring. The thermoelastic material may be a shape memory alloy or a polymer.

Locking device for a bearing assembly

There is disclosed a bearing for mounting on a multi-sided shaft having an outer race and an inner race coaxial with and rotatable relative to the outer race. The inner race is formed with a central bore having a plurality of internal corners which accommodate a multi-sided shaft. The central bore is preferably adapted to accommodate hexagonal and square shafts. The central bore has at least one circumferential groove in the bore and an elastomeric ring mounted into the groove. The grooves are formed at such depth that the elastomeric ring is exposed at the internal corners of the central bore whereby when the bearing is mounted the elastomeric material will contact the shaft and dampen the relative motion between the bearing and the shaft.

Bearing having multi-sided inner ring bore with elastomeric rings

A bearing assembly has a stationary housing with a bore with a constant inside diameter. The non-metallic or powdered metal outer assembly is fixedly retained in the housing. A non-metallic or powdered metal inner assembly ring is slidably retained in the outer assembly ring. A ball bearing is retained by the inner assembly ring.

Bearing assembly

A bearing blank is cast or machined of cast iron to a configuration near a final shape of a desired bearing element. A first surface of the bearing blank, corresponding to a sliding surface of the desired bearing element, is remelted while other portions of the bearing blank remain in a solid state. The remelted first surface is quenched such that fine particles of iron carbide precipitate in a remelted zone having an increased hardness and a decreased presence of graphite particles. A bearing element having a core portion composed of cast iron and an integral first surface portion including a precipitate of fine iron carbide particles, and having greater hardness and lesser incidence of graphite particles than the core portion, is also described.

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New Hartford, CT, United States of America

John A Larson