SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRELOADING A BEARING AND ALIGNING A LOCK NUT

• US 20180161967A1
• Filed: 02/01/2018
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Temper AXLE Products Corporation
• Original Assignee: Temper AXLE Products Corporation
• Inventors: RODE, JOHN E., STRAIT, SEAN E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,493,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/10 Aligning parts to be fitted together
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 27/062 using screws
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/10 by a plate, spring, wire or ring immovable with regard to the bolt or object and mainly perpendicular to the axis of the boltF16B39/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 39/12 by means of locknuts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2226/80 with splines, serrations or similar profiles to prevent movement between joined parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2229/00 Setting preload
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors in general B60B
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2361/31 Axle
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/06 Ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 43/04 Assembling rolling-contact bearings

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a load on a bearing mounted to a shaft includes an attaching member releasably connectable to the shaft. A press mechanism is coupled to the attaching member and is configured to provide a compressive load to the bearing. An optical sending unit is configured to output a high intensity light to allow a user to locate a shaft slot of the shaft to align the press mechanism relative to the shaft when the attaching member connects to the shaft.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a load on a bearing mounted to a shaft, the apparatus comprising:

an attaching member releasably connectable to the shaft;

a press mechanism coupled to said attaching member, said press mechanism configured to provide a compressive load to the bearing; and

an optical sending unit configured to output a high intensity light to allow a user to locate a shaft slot of the shaft to align said press mechanism relative to the shaft when said attaching member connects to the shaft.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said optical sending unit comprises a laser light source.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said press mechanism comprises a plurality of extensions extending towards a wheel hub assembly, said plurality of extensions being configured to contact a wheel hub or/or a bearing of said wheel hub assembly when said member is attached to the shaft.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a lock nut engageable with the shaft and having a plurality of engaging teeth configured to engage a plurality of keeper teeth of a keeper, said keeper having a radial inner side configured to engage a shaft slot of the shaft to inhibit rotational movement of said nut relative to the shaft when said plurality of engaging teeth engages said plurality of keeper teeth and said radial inner side engages the shaft.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wrench engageable with a lock nut on the shaft, and configured to rotate the nut when said attaching member connects to the shaft.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a controller configured to cause a rotation of said wrench to rotate the nut on the shaft.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said wrench is extendable toward the nut and retractable away from the nut.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 comprising a controller configured to cause the wrench to extend toward the nut and the wrench to retract away from the nut.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising locating optical sending units located on circumferential opposite sides of a housing of said press mechanism and directed toward a nut on the shaft to allow an indicating portion of the nut to be aligned with a locating light beam directed from one of the locating optical sending units.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an optical receiver configured to receive a reflection from a light beam from one of the locating optical sending units, the optical receiver coupled to a controller configured to control a wrench extending from the press mechanism to align an indicating portion of the nut with the locating light beam directed from the one of the locating optical sending units.

11. A method for use in providing a load on a bearing mounted to a shaft, the method comprising:

mounting an attaching mechanism to an end of the shaft;

coupling a press mechanism to the attaching member, the press mechanism configured to provide a compressive load to the bearing;

directing a high intensity light beam from a sending unit toward the shaft; and

aligning a shaft slot of the shaft with the light beam to align the press mechanism relative to the shaft.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the directing the high intensity light beam comprises a laser sending unit directing a laser beam toward the shaft.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising directing a second high intensity light beam from a second sending unit toward the shaft and wherein the aligning the shaft slot comprises aligning the light beam with a first end of the slot and aligning the second light beam with a second end of the slot to align the press mechanism.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising directing a third high intensity light beam from a third sending unit toward the shaft and directing a fourth high intensity light beam from a fourth sending unit toward the shaft.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising selectively rotating a nut relative to the third light beam and/or the fourth light beam to align an indicating portion of the nut relative to the third light beam or the fourth light beam.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the indicating portion of the nut corresponds to a root of a plurality of roots of a plurality of engaging teeth of the nut.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising a controller locating the shaft slot of the shaft based on the directing and an optical receiver receiving a reflection of the light, and the controller aligning the press mechanism relative to the shaft based on the locating of the shaft slot.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the controller locating the shaft slot comprises the controller locating the shaft slot based on a comparison of a first location of the sending unit, a second location of the receiving unit and information received by the receiving unit relative to the reflection.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising a controller causing a locating optical sending unit to direct a light beam toward a nut on the shaft, an optical receiver receiving a reflection of the light, and the controller controlling a wrench to rotate the nut on the shaft to align an indicating portion of the nut with the light.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a compressive load to the bearings by a plurality of extensions of the press mechanism by engaging the extensions with an inner race of the bearing.

21. The method of claim 11 further comprising engaging a lock nut with the shaft and rotating the lock nut to a particular position by a wrench controlled by a controller to achieve a desired preload on the bearing.

22. An apparatus for providing a load on a bearing mounted to a shaft, the apparatus comprising:

an attaching member releasably connectable to the shaft;

a press mechanism coupled to said attaching member, said press mechanism configured to provide a compressive load to the bearing; and

said press mechanism comprising a wrench engageable with a lock nut on the shaft, and said press mechanism configured to rotate the nut when said attaching member connects to the shaft.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising a controller configured to cause a rotation of said wrench to rotate the nut on the shaft.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising arms configured to extend from the press mechanism and past the attaching member to directly contact the bearing.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said wrench is extendable toward the nut and retractable away from the nut.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said wrench comprises teeth configured to engage nut teeth of the nut to allow the engaging of the wrench and the nut.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said wrench comprises radially external teeth configured to engage internal nut teeth of the nut to allow the engaging of the wrench and the nut.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising a drive mechanism configured to move said wrench toward the nut and configured to rotate the nut as controlled by a controller.