Bearing preload cage assembly

• US 20050135718A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martin J. Vezina
• Original Assignee: Martin J. Vezina
• Inventors: Vezina, Martin J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,971,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 384/517
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/163 with angular contact
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/543 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/08 self-adjusting
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/083 with resilient means acting axially on a race ring to preload the bearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/061 mounting a plurality of bearings side by side
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/077 between housing and outer race ring

Abstract

A bearing preload cage assembly for rotatably supporting an axially loaded shaft includes a bearing housing including stationary axially opposed supporting members, first and second axially spaced bearings, each including inner and outer races and rolling elements, first and second cylindrical cage segments coaxial with the shaft, each including a sleeve and circumferentially spaced axially protruding castellations, the outer races engageably received on an internal surface of their associated sleeve, the castellations of each cage segment proximate to and engageable with the outer race of the adjacent bearing, the supporting members proximate to and engageable with an adjacent cage segment, a resilient member biasing at least one of the outer races into full engagement with its rolling elements and, in turn, its rolling elements into full engagement with their inner race whereby the rolling elements of both bearings are maintained in full engagement with their inner and outer races continuously during shaft rotation.

Claims

1. A bearing preload cage assembly for rotatably supporting a shaft subject to axial loading comprising:

a bearing housing including first and second stationary axially opposed supporting members;

first and second axially spaced bearings for supporting the shaft on the bearing housing, the first bearing including a first inner race fixed on the shaft, a first outer race, and a first plurality of rolling elements engageably interposed between the first inner race and the first outer race, the second bearing including a second inner race fixed on the shaft, a second outer race, and a second plurality of rolling elements engageably interposed between the second inner race and the second outer race,

a first cylindrical cage segment coaxial with the shaft including a first sleeve having an internal surface and a plurality of circumferentially spaced castellations axially protruding from the first sleeve;

a second cylindrical cage segment coaxial with the shaft including a second sleeve having an internal surface and a plurality of circumferentially spaced castellations axially protruding from the second sleeve;

the first outer race engageably received on the internal surface of the first sleeve;

the second outer race engageably received on the internal surface of the second sleeve;

the castellations of the first cage segment proximate to and engageable with the outer race of the second bearing;

the castellations of the second cage segment proximate to and engageable with the outer race of the first bearing;

the first supporting member proximate to and engageable with the first cage segment;

the second supporting member proximate to and engageable with the second cage segment;

a resilient member biasing at least one of the first and second outer races into full engagement with its associated plurality of rolling elements and, in turn, its associated plurality of rolling elements into full engagement with their associated inner race;

whereby, at all times during rotation of the shaft, the rolling elements of the first bearing are maintained in full engagement with the first inner race and with the first outer race; and

whereby, at all times during rotation of the shaft, the rolling elements of the second bearing are maintained in full engagement with the second inner race and with the second outer race.

2. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

wherein the resilient member biases the first cage segment into engagement with the second outer race and biases the second cage segment into engagement with the first outer race.

3. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

wherein the resilient member is intermediate and engaged with the first and second cage segments.

4. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

wherein the castellations of the first cage segment interdigitate with the castellations of the second cage segment, each castellation of the first cage segment being engageable with adjacent castellations of the second cage segment.

5. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

wherein each castellation of the first cage segment terminates at a radially inwardly extending first castle flange;

wherein each castellation of the second cage segment terminates at a radially inwardly extending second castle flange; and

wherein the resilient member is intermediate and engaged with the first and second castle flanges biasing the first castle flange into engagement with the second outer race and the second castle flange into engagement with the first outer race.

6. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 5

wherein each of the first castle flanges has a first annular recess facing the second castle flanges;

wherein each of the second castle flanges has a second annular recess facing the first castle flanges; and

wherein the resilient member is received in the first and second annular recesses for thereby biasing the first cage segment into engagement with the second outer race and the second cage segment into engagement with the first outer race.

7. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 5

wherein the resilient member is an annular spring washer;

and

including;

a retainer removably attachable to at least one of the first castle flange and the second castle flange for positioning the annular spring washer intermediate the first and second castle flange.

8. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

wherein the first and second bearings are positioned in a back-to-back arrangement.

9. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 8

wherein the first and second inner races are fixed on a reduced intermediate end portion of the shaft;

wherein the first inner race engageably abuts an annular shoulder of the shaft facing the reduced intermediate end portion; and

wherein a nut is threadedly received on a threaded terminal end portion of the shaft, the terminal end portion being reduced in diameter from the intermediate end portion, the nut when tightened being engaged with the inner race of the second bearing and biasing the inner races of the second bearing and of the first bearing against the annular shoulder of the shaft.

10. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 9

a ring-like spacer received on the intermediate end portion between the inner races of the first and second bearings.

11. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

wherein the bearing housing includes:

a main housing member;

the first supporting member being an inboard bearing end cover fixed to the main housing member and engageable with the first cage segment for preventing axial movement thereof in an inboard direction; and

the second supporting member being an outboard bearing end cover fixed to the main housing member and engageable with the second cage segment for preventing axial movement thereof in an outboard direction.

12. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

an anti-rotation member intermediate and engaged with the bearing housing and with one of the cage segments for preventing rotation of the first and second cage segments relative to the bearing housing.

13. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 11

wherein the main housing member has an axially extending slot;

and

wherein a radially extending pin is fixed on one of the cage segments and slidably received with the axially extending slot for preventing rotation of the cage segments relative to the bearing housing.

14. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

wherein the resilient member is intermediate and engaged with the first and second outer races.

15. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 14

wherein each castellation of the first cage segment terminates at a radially inwardly extending first castle flange having a terminal rim;

wherein each castellation of the second cage segment terminates at a radially inwardly extending second castle flange having a terminal rim; and

wherein the resilient member is received on the terminal rims of the first and second castle flanges intermediate and engaged with the first and second outer races biasing the first outer race into full engagement with the first plurality of rolling elements and, in turn, the first plurality of rolling elements into full engagement with the first inner race, and biasing the second outer race into full engagement with the second plurality of rolling elements and, in turn, the second plurality of rolling elements into full engagement with the second inner race.

16. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 15

wherein the resilient member is an annular spring washer having an outer surface with an outer diameter and an inner surface with an inner diameter;

and

including;

an annular retainer engageably supporting the inner surface of the spring.

17. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 14

wherein the first and second bearings are positioned in a back-to-back arrangement.

18. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 17

wherein the first and second inner races are fixed on a reduced intermediate end portion of the shaft;

wherein the first inner race engageably abuts an annular shoulder of the shaft facing the reduced intermediate end portion; and

wherein a nut is threadedly received on a threaded terminal end portion of the shaft, the terminal end portion being reduced in diameter from the intermediate end portion, the nut when tightened being engaged with the inner race of the second bearing and biasing the inner races of the second bearing and of the first bearing against the annular shoulder of the shaft.

19. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 18

a ring-like spacer received on the intermediate end portion between the inner races of the first and second bearings.

20. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 14

wherein the bearing housing includes:

a main housing member;

the first supporting member being an inboard bearing end cover fixed to the main housing member and engageable with the first cage segment for preventing axial movement thereof in an inboard direction; and

the second supporting member being an outboard bearing end cover fixed to the main housing member and engageable with the second cage segment for preventing axial movement thereof in an outboard direction.

21. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 14

an anti-rotation member intermediate and engaged with the bearing housing and with one of the cage segments for preventing rotation of the first and second cage segments relative to the bearing housing.

22. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 20

wherein the main housing member has an axially extending slot;

and

wherein a radially extending pin is fixed on one of the cage segments and slidably received with the axially extending slot for preventing rotation of the cage segments relative to the bearing housing.

23. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

wherein the resilient member directly biases the second cage segment into engagement with the first outer race and indirectly biases the second outer race into engagement with the first cage segment.

24. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 23

wherein the resilient member is intermediate and engaged with one of the first supporting member and the first cage segment and of the second supporting member and the second cage segment.

25. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 23

wherein the first and second bearings are positioned in a back-to-back arrangement.

26. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 25

wherein the first and second inner races are fixed on a reduced intermediate end portion of the shaft;

wherein the first inner race engageably abuts an annular shoulder of the shaft facing the reduced intermediate end portion; and

wherein a nut is threadedly received on a threaded terminal end portion of the shaft, the terminal end portion being reduced in diameter from the intermediate end portion, the nut when tightened being engaged with the inner race of the second bearing and biasing the inner races of the second bearing and of the first bearing against the annular shoulder of the shaft.

27. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 26

a ring-like spacer received on the intermediate end portion between the inner races of the first and second bearings.

28. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 23

wherein the bearing housing includes:

a main housing member;

the first supporting member being an inboard bearing end cover fixed to the main housing member for preventing axial movement of the first cage segment in an inboard direction;

the resilient member being intermediate and engageable with one of the inboard bearing end cover and first cage segment or the outboard bearing end cover and second cage segment; and

the second supporting member being an outboard bearing end cover fixed to the main housing member for preventing axial movement of the second cage segment in an outboard direction.

29. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 23

an anti-rotation member intermediate and engaged with the bearing housing and with one of the cage segments for preventing rotation of the first and second cage segments relative to the bearing housing.

30. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 11

wherein the main housing member has an axially extending slot;

and

wherein a radially extending pin is fixed on one of the cage segments and slidably received with the axially extending slot for preventing rotation of the cage segments relative to the bearing housing.

31. A bearing preload cage assembly as set forth in claim 1

wherein each castellation of the first cage segment terminates at a radially inwardly extending first castle flange;

wherein each castellation of the second cage segment terminates at a radially inwardly extending second castle flange;

wherein the resilient member is intermediate and engaged with the first and second castle flanges biasing the first castle flange into engagement with the second outer race and the second castle flange into engagement with the first outer race;

wherein each of the first castle flanges has a first annular recess facing the second castle flanges;

wherein each of the second castle flanges has a second annular recess facing the first castle flanges;

wherein the resilient member is received in the first and second annular recesses for thereby biasing the first cage segment into engagement with the second outer race and the second cage segment into engagement with the first outer race;

wherein the first and second bearings are positioned in a back-to-back arrangement;

wherein the first and second inner races are fixed on a reduced intermediate end portion of the shaft;

wherein the first inner race engageably abuts an annular shoulder of the shaft facing the reduced intermediate end portion;

wherein a ring-like spacer is received on the intermediate end portion between the inner races of the first and second bearings.

wherein a nut is threadedly received on a threaded terminal end portion of the shaft, the terminal end portion being reduced in diameter from the intermediate end portion, the nut when tightened being engaged with the inner race of the second bearing and biasing the inner races of the second bearing and of the first bearing against the annular shoulder of the shaft;

wherein the bearing housing includes;

a main housing member;

an inboard bearing end cover fixed to the main housing member and engaged with the first cage segment for preventing axial movement thereof in an inboard direction; and

an outboard bearing end cover fixed to the main housing member and engaged with the second cage segment for preventing axial movement thereof in an outboard direction; and

wherein one of the cage segments has an annular mounting flange fixed between one of the bearing end covers and main housing member for preventing rotation of the first and second cage segments relative to the bearing housing.