Adjustable spacer with hardened ends

• US 10,208,790 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Temper Corporation
• Original Assignee: Temper Corporation
• Inventors: Rode, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Phillip A
• Application Number:
  US15/803,057
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/12 cages for bearings
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 1/10 by electric induction
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 1/42 Induction heating
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 1/63 for bath quenching
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 9/0068 for particular articles not mentioned below
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2300/171 Steel alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 31/04 for maintaining a tensile load
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/364 with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/547 with two angular contact rolling bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2229/00 Setting preload
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2361/61 Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/086 with magnetic means to preload the bearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/063 Fixing them on the shaft with interposition of an element F16C35/07
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/146 measuring play on bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

An adjustable spacer with hardened end portions and a non-hardened intermediate portion therebetween is mountable between a pair of roller bearings also mounted on a shaft such an axle or spindle or the like. The hardened material contacts the faces of the roller bearings but helps prevent wear therebetween and unwanted movement of the bearings on the shaft. The unhardened material allows the spacer to collapse in the axial direction to maintain desired axial loads on the bearings.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an adjustable spacer comprising:

forming an annular shaped adjustable spacer comprising a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion therebetween; and

forming the first end portion and the second end portion of the annular shaped spacer of a hardened material, wherein said first end portion and said second end portion are harder than the intermediate portion and wherein the intermediate portion is more deformable than the first end portion to allow the intermediate portion to compress in an axial direction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said annular spacer is configured to be assembled on an axle or spindle between two roller bearings to apply a force axially on said two roller bearings.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first end portion comprises a face exposed in the axial direction, the face being formed of said hardened material.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the second end portion comprises a face exposed in the axial direction, the face being formed of said hardened material.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said annular spacer is formed from a first starting material and wherein at least one of the first end portion and second end portion are hardened.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said first end portion and second end portion are hardened without hardening the intermediate portion of said annular spacer.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the intermediate portion is formed from a material different from said first end portion and second end portion.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the intermediate portion is formed of separate sections, each of said separate sections having a different inner diameter.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the separate sections comprise a long section and a short section wherein the short section fits over the long section.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the intermediate portion is connected to said first end portion and second end portion by a weld or one or more pins.

11. A method of manufacturing an adjustable spacer comprising:

forming an annular shaped adjustable spacer comprising a first end portion, a second end portion and a deformable intermediate portion therebetween; and

forming the first end portion and the second end portion of the annular shaped spacer of a hardened material, wherein said first end portion and said second end portion are harder than the intermediate portion and wherein the deformable intermediate portion allows the intermediate portion to compress in the axial direction.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said annular spacer is configured to be assembled on said axle or spindle between two roller bearings to apply a force axially on said two roller bearings.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first end portion comprises a face exposed in the axial direction, the face being formed of said hardened material.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second end portion comprises a face exposed in an axial direction, the face being formed of said hardened material.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said annular spacer is formed from a first starting material and wherein at least one of the first end portion and second end portion are hardened.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said first end portion and second end portion are hardened without hardening the intermediate portion of said annular spacer.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the intermediate portion is formed from a material different from said first end portion and second end portion.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the intermediate portion is connected to said first end portion and second end portion by a weld or one or more pins.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the intermediate portion is formed of separate sections, each of said separate sections having a different inner diameter.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the separate sections comprise a long section and a short section wherein the short section fits over the long section.