Fmc Corporation

William J Derner

Connor E Price

James R Elliott

Ronald P Spalding

A nut is provided for preloading a sleeve which is wedged between a tubular member and a shaft. The nut, which is threadedly received on the tubular member, has a resilient, radially inwardly extending portion to engage the end of the wedge sleeve. When the nut is tightened on the tubular member, the inwardly extending portion of the nut is deflected to produce a stress-created force on the wedge sleeve, continuously urging the wedge sleeve toward a tightening position between the tubular member and the shaft.

Preloading nut for wedge sleeve

A bearing assembly retainer ring has pockets for holding cylindrical rollers in arcuately spaced relationship about a central axis of the retainer ring. Each pocket has two end faces that are spaced axially of the retainer ring and two side faces that are spaced laterally of the axial spacing between the two end faces. The pocket extends radially through inner and outer peripheral edges of the retainer ring to receive a roller therein having a diameter which is greater than the radial span of the pocket end faces so that the roller extends beyond the inner and outer peripheral edges of the retainer ring. The axial spacing between the pocket end faces is slightly greater than the axial length of the roller to provide restricted clearances between the ends of the roller and the end faces of the pocket when the roller is centered within the pocket. Chamfers are provided on the end faces of the pockets at the inner and outer peripheral edges thereof. These chamfers enable the roller to pivot within the pocket from a position wherein the roller is aligned axially between the pocket end faces to a cocked position wherein both end faces of the pocket contact the roller and/or the side faces of the pocket contact the roller to resist further pivotal movement.

Retainer ring for cylindrical roller bearings

A geared belt provides for the positive transmission of motion between the belt and a sprocket. The belt has inwardly projecting gear teeth, with tooth faces that are contacted by sprocket teeth, and thin flexible portions bridging the space between successive gear teeth, with inwardly facing surfaces that define a dedendum line of the belt gear teeth. The belt gear teeth are substantially stiffer than the flexible portions between teeth. When the belt is in engagement with the sprocket and when transmitting motion therebetween, the belt is subjected to tension stress. The belt is also subjected to bending stresses that are induced by contact between teeth of both the belt and the sprocket upon entering or leaving meshing engagement. The belt is shaped along transverse sections, at the junctures of the tooth faces and the dedendum lines, with the neutral zones of the transverse sections being offset perpendicularly from the line of belt tension. Thus, belt tension induces flexural stresses within the transverse sections that counteract the bending stresses induced within the transverse sections by contact between the belt gear teeth and the sprocket teeth when entering or leaving meshing engagement. The belt can be formed by welding or bonding the relatively stiff teeth to a pre-shaped flexible band, or the teeth can be formed integrally with the bend by a broaching process or a molding process. The teeth can be split transversely to provide flexibility for softening tooth contacts.

Geared belt for positive drive transmission

A ball bearing retainer in the form of a unitary molded plastic ring has a central axis with an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge spaced about the axis. A base portion of the retainer ring extends between the inner and outer peripheral edges, and a plurality of ball bearing receiving pockets open axially of the retainer ring in a direction opposite from the base portion. Each pocket has a generally truncated spherical concave seat for retaining a ball bearing within the pocket. Each pocket has at least one generally cylindrical surface extending radially from one of the peripheral edges to intersect with the generally truncated spherical concave seat and thereby relieve the truncated spherical portion of the pocket adjacent the peripheral edge from which the cylindrical surface extends.

Ball bearing retainer

A housing is provided for mounting a bearing adjacent a wall to support a rotatable shaft that projects perpendicularly through the wall. The housing has a thin-stock stamping that forms on end cap having an axially extending hub and a mounting flange projecting radially outward at one end of the hub. An axial bore is provided within the end cup for receiving a first longitudinal portion of a bearing. A thick plate has an opening therein for receiving a second longitudinal portion of the bearing that projects axially outward from the hub end adjacent the mounting flange. One side of the plate is mounted flush with the wall, and an opposite side of the plate is mounted flush with the mounting flange of the thin-stock stamping. The plate has a surface adjacent the bearing opening that radially supports the second longitudinal portion of the bearing. This plate extends radially outward from the bearing opening. Both the mounting flange and the plate have openings therein for receiving bolts that fasten the housing to the wall. In a preferred embodiment, the plate has a thickness that is more than double the thickness of the thin-stock stamping and about one-third the axial length of the hub.

Bearing housing

A wedge-shaped sleeve is inserted between the inner race of a bearing and a shaft to clamp the bearing to the shaft. The sleeve, which is resilient with a longitudinal slit, has a rib thereon to engage a groove in the bearing race to hold the sleeve and bearing in assembled relation when the sleeve is relaxed. An alternative sleeve, which is split to constitute two separate halves, is disclosed. There is also shown a bearing mounted in a bore in which the tapered sleeve is received between the bore and the outer race of the bearing.

Wedge mounted machine element

A double row spherical roller bearing has a pair of inner races formed on a unitary member and a pair of outer races formed on spaced apart ring members. A housing with an internal nut received therein forms an annular channel to embrace the split outer race ring members. A spring is mounted between one leg of the channel and one race ring member to exert an axial preload force on the ring members. A pair of spring members is mounted between the outer race members to constitute a restoring force and cushion the outer race members.

Growing community of inventors

Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

William J Derner