Unitized multirow tapered roller bearing

• US 4,336,971 A
• Filed: 07/28/1980
• Issued: 06/29/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MPB Corp. (The Timken Company)
• Original Assignee: The Timken Company
• Inventors: Reiter, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Footland, Lenard A.
• Application Number:
  US06/172,816
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 308/187.2, 308/187.1, 308/207 R, 308/214, 308/218, 308/208, 308/212, 308/213, 308/209
• US Class Current: 384/484
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 31/07 Adaptation of roll neck bearings bearings in general F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/388 with four rows, i.e. four row tapered roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2322/12 Rolling apparatus, e.g. rolling stands, rolls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/605 with a separate retaining member, e.g. flange, shoulder, guide ring, secured to a race ring, adjacent to the race surface, so as to abut the end of the rolling elements, e.g. rollers, or the cage
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/768 between relatively stationary parts, i.e. static seals
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/7813 for tapered roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/7886 mounted outside the gap between the inner and outer races, e.g. sealing rings mounted to an end face or outer surface of a race

Abstract

A multirow bearing for supporting a work or back-up roll of a rolling mill includes inner and outer races and tapered rollers arranged in two end rows and two intermediate rows between corresponding raceways on the inner and outer races. The inner race is a unitary structure, while the outer race is comprised of two double cups. The tapered rollers of the intermediate rows have their large ends presented toward each other and those ends bear against a center thrust rib that may be free to float in the axial direction so as to equalize radial loads between the rollers of the two intermediate rows. The radial clearance between these rollers and their respective raceways can be less than the clearance between the rollers of the end rows and their respective raceways so that the rollers of the intermediate rows carry most of the radial loading. Also, the rollers of the end rows can be at a steeper angle than the rollers of the intermediate rows, and are therefore better able to accommodate thrust loads and moments. The large ends of the rollers in the end rows bear against rib rings that are secured to the double cups of the outer race by seal cases which serve to unitize the bearing for handling purposes. Seal elements are bonded to the seal cases and they bear against the inner races to close the ends of the bearing.

Claims

1. A multirow bearing comprising:

an inner race having a pair of tapered end raceways and at least one intermediate raceway located between the end raceways, the end raceways having their large ends presented away from each other and away from the intermediate raceway;

an outer race having at least one intermediate raceway surrounding the intermediate raceway of the inner race and a pair of end raceways surrounding the end raceways of the inner race so that each raceway on the outer race surrounds and corresponds to a different raceway on the inner race;

rollers arranged in rows between corresponding raceways of the inner and outer races, there being a different row of rollers between each set of corresponding intermediate and end raceways;

end rib rings located against the ends of the outer race and projecting inwardly past the large diameter ends of the end raceways such that the large ends of the rollers in the end rows abut against the end rib rings and are prevented from being expelled from the bearing by the rib rings;

seal cases fitted over the end rib rings, the seal cases being configured to capture the rib rings therein such that the rib rings cannot move axially away from the outer race and further being secured to the outer race to unitize the bearing for handling purposes; and

sealing means on the seal cases for cooperating with the inner race to form barriers at the ends of the bearing.

2. A multirow bearing according to claim 1 wherein the outer race is segmented and the tapered end raceways of the outer race are on different segments of the outer race.

3. A multirow bearing according to claim 2 wherein a pair of intermediate raceways are located on the inner race, and a pair of intermediate raceways are on the outer race.

4. A multirow bearing according to claim 3 and further comprising means located between the intermediate rows of rollers for separating the rollers of the two intermediate rows in the axial direction.

5. A multirow bearing according to claim 4 wherein the means located between the intermediate rows of rollers is a rib ring that is free to shift axially with respect to the inner and outer races.

6. A multirow bearing comprising:

an inner race having a pair of tapered end raceways and at least one intermediate raceway located between the end raceways, the end raceways having their large ends presented away from each other and away from the intermediate raceways;

an outer race having at least one intermediate raceway surrounding the intermediate raceway of the inner race and a pair of end raceways surrounding the end raceways of the inner race so that each raceway on the outer race surrounds and corresponds to a different raceway on the inner race, the outer race further having outwardly opening grooves set slightly inwardly from its ends;

rollers arranged in rows between corresponding raceways of the inner and outer races, there being a different row of rollers between each set of corresponding intermediate and end raceways;

end rib rings located against the ends of the outer race and projecting inwardly past the large diameter ends of the end raceways such that the large ends of the rollers in the end rows abut against the end rib rings and are prevented from being expelled from the bearing;

retaining elements surrounding the outer race at its ends and also the end rib rings, the retaining elements being projected into the grooves of the outer race to interlock the elements with the outer race and further being engaged with the rib rings such that the rib rings are prevented from moving away from the ends of the outer race, whereby the bearing is unitized for handling purposes; and

sealing means at the ends of the bearing for forming barriers between the end rib rings and the inner race.

7. A multirow bearing according to claim 6 wherein the retaining elements are formed from metal and are deformed into the grooves.