The Torrington Company

Other

Matthew G Urmaza

Richard F Murphy

Edward P Butler, Iii

Leo M Reubelt

Douglas Wennberg

John A DiLauro

Rollers are aligned radially within a bearing cage, for rolling contact with a first thrust washer concentric with the bearing cage. The first thrust washer has a flat raceway portion and a curled portion that wraps around a portion of the bearing cage to retain the bearing cage and the first thrust washer together as an assembly. The curled portion includes a rim that extends radially 360 degrees with respect to the axis of the thrust washer and has a folded configuration such that a doubled portion is offset with respect to an axial midpoint of the thrust bearing to prevent the thrust bearing from being installed with a reversed orientation.

Thrust bearing with heavy-duty anti-reversal feature

Inner and outer thrust washers are separated by rollers in rolling contact with the inner and outer thrust washers. Two tabs extend radially from the raceway of one of the inner and outer thrust washers. The two tabs have different configurations and are distributed circumferentially at less than 180 degrees separation.

Thrust bearing assembly

A substantially flat steel ring with a round perimeter and a central aperture has at least two arcuate slots concentric with the round perimeter. The arcuate slots are defined by arcs about the axis of the flat steel ring such that at least a portion of the arcuate slots is in axial alignment with planetary rollers when the planet washer is positioned in a planetary gear set.

Planet washer

A thrust bearing assembly has inner and outer races having radially directed portions with a free outer edge. A selective washer is positioned over the free edge of one of the outer and inner races, the selective washer being engageable with that race to retain the selective washer to the thrust bearing assembly. Rolling elements are positioned between the inner race and the outer race and are retained within a bearing retainer. Axially inwardly extending flanges of the inner and outer races locate and retain the outer and inner races and the bearing retainer together as a thrust bearing assembly.

Selective washer and thrust bearing assembly

A bearing support member has two support arms extending in opposite directions along an axis. A bearing cup extends over each support arm and into a bore of the rocker arm and has a radially outwardly extending protrusion engageable with the rocker arm to limit axially outward movement of the bearing cups. A radially inwardly extending protrusion of the bearing cups abuts rolling members between the bearing support member and the bearing cups to limit axially outward movement of the rolling members. A stepped bearing sleeve and pedestal may be provided to limit axially inward movement of the rolling members. During assembly, components are inserted through an opening in the rocker arm intersecting the bore.

Rocker arm assembly and method of assembly

A bearing support member has two support arms extending in opposite directions along an axis and is adapted for mounting about a stud means. A bearing cup is fixed to the rocker arm, extending over each support arm. Rolling members are provided within an annulus formed between the support member and the bearing cups such that the rocker arm is free to oscillate rotatably with respect to the bearing support member. The bearing cups have a bottom surface forming an interference fit, axially, with an end surface of the bearing support member such that a preload is applied to the bearing support arm to reduce and control axial play. A protrusion and cutouts facilitating the preload and a method of assembly are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

New Hartford, CT, United States of America

Matthew G Urmaza