Double row bearing assembly with tapered roller bearings

• US 4,085,984 A
• Filed: 06/30/1977
• Issued: 04/25/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MPB Corp. (The Timken Company)
• Original Assignee: The Timken Company
• Inventors: Cameron, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Douglas C.
• Application Number:
  US05/811,577
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 308/207, 308/208, 308/211, 308/214, 308/216, 308/202, 308/219, 308/231, 308/226, 308/234, 308/189, 308/DIG. 15, 308/196, 308/174-176, 180/9.62
• US Class Current: 384/563
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/543 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/083 with resilient means acting axially on a race ring to preload the bearing

Abstract

A high speed bearing assembly for supporting a shaft within a housing includes two single row tapered roller bearings mounted indirectly so as to in effect create a double row bearing which is capable of accommodating thrust loading in both axial directions, as well as radial loading. The cones of the two bearings are clamped tightly together on a shaft with their thrust ribs and back faces presented away from each other. The cups are fitted loosely into the housing with their back faces presented toward each other. The housing contains a rigid spacer which is interposed between the back faces of two cups, and the spacer carries springs which urge the cups away from each other. When a thrust load is applied to the shaft, one of the single row bearings will take that load, the particular bearing being dependent on the direction in which the load is applied. The cup for whichever bearing takes the thrust load bears against the spacer, and the rollers for that bearing have their large diameter end faces in contact with the cone thrust rib for a full 360° so that all are oriented by the thrust rib. The rollers for the other bearing, that is the bearing that does not take the thrust load, are likewise oriented by the cone thrust rib of that bearing for a full 360°, since the springs in the spacer bear against the cup of that bearing, urging it away from the spacer so as to impose a light preload on the bearing.

Claims

1. A double row bearing assembly for supporting a structure such as a shaft within another structure such as a housing and being capable of accommodating thrust loading in both axial directions as well as radial loading;

said bearing assembly comprising;

a set of inner races positioned on the one structure with each inner race having an outwardly presented raceway;

a set of outer races positioned on the other structure with each outer race having an inwardly presented raceway located opposite the outwardly presented raceways of the inner races, the races of one of the sets being fixed in position with respect to each other and the races of the other set being movable axially with respect to each other;

rolling elements between the raceways of corresponding inner and outer races, whereby the rolling elements are arranged in two circumferential rows, the rolling elements of one of the rows and the raceways against which they are located being configured to accommodate thrust loading in one axial direction, the rolling elements of the other row and the raceways against which they are located being configured to accommodate thrust loading in the other axial direction;

a spacer between the axially movable races and being fixed in position with respect to the structure along which those races are located so as to serve as an abutment for those races; and

springs carried by the spacer and urging the movable raceways away from each other, whereby when a thrust load is applied in one axial direction, one movable race will be blocked by the spacer and the thrust load will maintain the rolling elements of that race seated against its raceway and the raceway of the corresponding fixed race for a full 360°

, and the springs will urge the other movable race away from the spacer to the extent that the rolling elements along that movable race will remain seated against its raceway and against the raceway for the corresponding fixed race for a full 360°

, and vice-versa when the thrust loading is applied in the other direction.

2. A bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the inner races are on a shaft and the outer races are in a housing through which the shaft extends;

and wherein the outer races are movable in the axial direction and the spacer is fixed in position with respect to the housing.

3. A bearing assembly according to claim 2 and further comprising a sleeve fixed in position with respect to the structure in which the axially movable races are fitted and holding the spacer in a fixed position within that structure;

and wherein one of the axially movable outer races is within the sleeve.

4. A bearing assembly according to claim 3 wherein the sleeve is formed integral with the spacer.

5. A bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the inner races are cones having tapered raceways and thrust ribs at the large diameter ends thereof, the outer races are cups having inwardly presented tapered raceways, and the rolling elements are tapered rollers located between the cups and cones and having their large diameter end faces presented toward the thrust ribs, whereby when the thrust load is applied in one axial direction, the thrust load itself will cause the large diameter ends of the rollers for one row to bear against the thrust rib on the cone for that row and the springs will cause the large diameter ends of the rollers for the other row to bear against the thrust rib on the cone for that other row, and vice-versa, when the thrust loading is applied in the other axial direction.

6. A bearing assembly according to claim 5 wherein the spacer is interposed between the two cups, and the cups have their back faces presented toward the spacer.

7. A bearing assembly according to claim 6 wherein the spacer has a plurality of pockets which open axially out of it and the springs are in the pockets.

8. A bearing assembly according to claim 7 wherein the pockets extend completely through the spacer and the springs are maintained in a compressed condition within the pockets.

9. A bearing assembly according to claim 6 and further comprising another spacer interposed between the cones and means for clamping the cones and the other spacer tightly together in a rigid position on the shaft with the front faces of the cones against the other spacer.

10. A bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the spacer has a plurality of pockets which open axially out of it and the springs are in the pockets.

11. A bearing assembly for mounting a shaft in a housing and for accommodating thrust loading in both axial directions, said bearing assembly comprising first and second cones mounted in a fixed position on the shaft with their back faces presented away from each other and each having a tapered raceway and a thrust rib at the large diameter end of its tapered raceway, first and second cups surrounding the first and second cones, respectively, and positioned within the housing with their back faces presented toward each other, the cups being capable of shifting with respect to the housing;

tapered rollers arranged in first and second rows with the rollers of the first row being between the raceways of the first cup and first cone and the rollers of the second row being between the raceways of the second cup and second cone, the rollers of each row being oriented such that their large diameter ends are presented toward the thrust ribs on the cone around which the row is disposed;

a spacer located between the back faces of the two cups and being fixed in position with respect to the housing; and

springs carried by the spacer and oriented such that they urge the cups away from the spacer so that the rollers of each row will remain seated against the raceways of their respective cups and cones and the large diameter ends for those rollers will remain against the thrust ribs of their respective cones for a full 360°

, even when the rollers are not taking a thrust load, whereby the rollers remain properly oriented in the zone of no loading.