The Torrington Company

Leo Stella

Cameron G Gardella

Americo E Marola

Edward F De Vito

America E Marola

The combined radial and thrust bearing has an annular series of rollers in the annular space between an inner race and an outer race for taking radial forces. The thrust bearing part includes a pair of axially spaced apart washers at each longitudinal end of the bearing. An annular series of balls are located in the annular space between the washers. The ball bearing retainer is dimensioned so that a very close clearance exists with the two washers in order to maintain a very small labyrinth clearance for sealing purposes.

Combined radial and thrust bearing

The ball bearing assembly includes an outer race, an inner race, and a ball cage. The cage is molded of a resilient plastic material and has features located on one rim which retains the outer race and inner race in the assembly.

Ball bearing assembly

An outer cup made from flat sheet metal encloses an inner cup also made from flat sheet metal. The inner cup has an open end adapted to receive the end of a rotatable member, such as a shaft. The other end of the inner cup has a closed end axially spaced from the closed end of the outer cup to provide a lubricant reservoir in communication with the rollers in the annular space between the cups.

Roller bearing with lubricant reservoir

A longitudinal lubrication passage and a cross hole in the inner race are used for lubricating rollers in the annular space between the inner race and the outer race. At least a portion of the longitudinal lubrication passage is non-circular. The cylindrical shank of a lubrication fitting is press fit into the non-circular longitudinal lubrication passage portion.

Bearing with a lubrication fitting

The annular seal is located in the annular space between a first member and a second member of a bearing. The seal has an annular lip portion normally in contact with one of the members around the entire circumference of the seal to keep lubricant in the annular space behind the annular seal. The seal has protrusions behind that portion of the lip which contacts the member and at circumferentially spaced locations on the annular seal. The protrusions are adapted to keep the back portion of the annular seal adjacent each side of the protrusions spaced from the member the lip contacts.

Bearing seal

A plug with enough stiffness to normally remain in its original position but resilient enough to be moved by the application of lubricant pressure is located in the longitudinal bore of the inner member of a cam follower.

Lube plug

A longitudinal lubrication bore extends at least partially through the inner member of a bearing. A radial bore may extend from the longitudinal bore to the raceway on the bearing inner member. A one-way check valve is permanently assembled in the longitudinal bore. The valve permits the flow of lubricant into the longitudinal bore and into the bearing space between the inner race and outer race of the bearing.

Bearing with lubricating system

An annular seal is located in the annular space between a housing and a relatively rotatable shaft mounted in the housing. The annular seal includes a plurality of axially spaced annular lips. An opening is provided through the annular lip facing the annular bearing space which contains lubricant and preferably an opening is provided through each of the other axially spaced annular lips. Also, preferably the opening through each annular lip is circumferentially spaced approximately 180.degree. from the opening through each adjacent lip in order to have a longer labyrinth passageway and to assure complete filling of the seal space between the sealing lips with lubricant.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, CT, United States of America

Leo Stella