Process for setting bearings
First Claim
1. A process for setting a pair of bearings which support a shaft in a housing and are mounted in opposition, initially in a condition of end play, each bearing having a first race in the housing and a second race on the shaft, said process comprising:
- causing relative rotation between the shaft and housing;
monitoring torque transmitted between the shaft and housing as a result of the rotation;
reducing the end play in the bearings while monitoring the transmitted torque; and
when the transmitted torque increases, thus indicating that the end play has been eliminated and the bearings have reached the onset of preload, changing the axial spacing between like races of the two bearings a prescribed distance to impart a desired setting to the bearings.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The indirectly mounted tapered roller bearings which support a pinion shaft in a differential housing are set by turning a nut at the end of the shaft down to reduce the spacing between the cones of the two bearings. Initially, the bearings exist in end play, and as the end play diminishes, the torque transmitted through the bearings from the rotating shaft to the housing is monitored. When the transmitted torque increase, signifying that the bearings have entered preload, the nut is rotated still further, through a prescribed angle relative to the shaft. Thus, the preload in the bearings is set to be a prescribed dimensional magnitude. The bearings may also be set to a prescribed condition of end play by rotating the nut in the opposite direction when the transmitted torque increases.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A process for setting a pair of bearings which support a shaft in a housing and are mounted in opposition, initially in a condition of end play, each bearing having a first race in the housing and a second race on the shaft, said process comprising:
- causing relative rotation between the shaft and housing;
monitoring torque transmitted between the shaft and housing as a result of the rotation;
reducing the end play in the bearings while monitoring the transmitted torque; and
when the transmitted torque increases, thus indicating that the end play has been eliminated and the bearings have reached the onset of preload, changing the axial spacing between like races of the two bearings a prescribed distance to impart a desired setting to the bearings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- causing relative rotation between the shaft and housing;
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6. A process for setting two single row antifriction bearings which support a shaft in a housing and are configured to accommodate both radial and axial loads, each bearing having an outer race that is mounted in a fixed position in the housing, an inner race that is mounted on the shaft, and rolling elements that are located in a single row between the outer and inner races, the bearings being mounted in opposition so that one takes axial loads in one direction and the other takes axial loads in the opposite direction, the shaft locating the inner race of the one bearing in a fixed axial position on the shaft and having a screw thread and a nut which locates the inner race of the other bearing on the shaft, the nut initially being backed off so that the bearings are in a condition of end play;
- said process comprising;
rotating the shaft relative to the housing;
rotating the nut relative to the shaft such that the inner race of said other bearing moves toward the inner race of said one bearing and the end play in the bearings diminishes;
monitoring the torque transmitted from the shaft to the housing to detect when the bearings enter preload; and
when the bearings enter preload, rotating the nut through a prescribed angle relative to the shaft to advance the inner race of said other bearing still farther toward the inner race of said one bearing, whereby the preload is set to a desired dimensional magnitude. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
- said process comprising;
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9. A process for setting inner and outer single row tapered roller bearings which support a pinion shaft in a differential housing, each bearing having a cup that is mounted in a fixed position in the housing, a cone that is mounted on the shaft, and tapered rollers arranged in a single row between the cup and cone, the bearings being oriented such that the small ends of the rollers for the two bearings are presented toward each other, the shaft having a pinion gear at its one end and threads at its other end, the cone of the inner bearing being located in a fixed position on the shaft with respect to the pinion gear, the cone of the outer bearing being shiftable axially on the shaft with its axial location determined by a nut threaded over the screw threads of the shaft, the nut initially being backed off sufficiently to place the bearings in end play;
- said process comprising;
rotating the shaft relative to the housing;
rotating the nut relative to the shaft such that the cone of the outer bearing is moved toward the cone of the inner bearing, whereby the end play in the bearings is decreased;
monitoring the torque transmitted from the shaft to the housing to detect when the torque undergoes an increase, signifying that the bearings have reached the onset of preload; and
when the bearings reach the onset of preload, rotating the nut through a prescribed angle relative to the shaft, whereby the setting in the bearings is set to a desired dimensional magnitude. - View Dependent Claims (10)
- said process comprising;
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11. A process for setting first and second bearings which support a first machine component, such as a shaft, in a second machine component, such as a housing, each bearing including an inner race on the first machine component and an outer race on the second machine component and rolling elements arranged in a single row between the races, the races and rolling elements of each bearing being configured to carry radial loads and to also carry axial loads in only one axial direction, the bearings being mounted in opposition so that one bearing carries axial loads in one direction and the other bearing carries axial loads in the opposite direction, the bearings further initially being in a condition of end play, said process comprising:
- causing relative rotation between the machine components;
monitoring torque transmitted between the machine components during the relative rotation;
moving a race of one of the bearings axially with respect to the like race of the other bearing to reduce the end play in the bearings, all while monitoring the transmitted torque; and
when the transmitted torque exhibits an increase which indicates that end play within the bearings has been eliminated and that the bearings have reached the onset of preload, moving a race of one of the bearings a prescribed axial distance with respect to the machine component on which it is mounted to impart a desired setting to the bearings. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- causing relative rotation between the machine components;
Specification