Two row angular contact wheel bearing with improved load capacity

• US 5,226,737 A
• Filed: 05/26/1992
• Issued: 07/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Sandy, William M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Footland, Lenard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/887,970
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 384/512, 384/513, 384/544, 384/510, 384/537, 384/569
• US Class Current: 384/512
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0005 with ball bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/186 with three raceways provided integrally on parts other than race rings, e.g. third generation hubs
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/505 with the diameter of the rolling elements of one row differing from the diameter of those of another row
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2240/80 Pitch circle diameters [PCD]
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors in general B60B
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 43/04 Assembling rolling-contact bearings

Abstract

A two row, angular contact, separable race ring wheel bearing is given increased load capacity by maximizing the sizes of the two ball rows within the available annular envelope available between the inner spindle and outer hub. The two pathways for the outboard ball row, the first installed ball row, are ground right out to the radial limits of the envelope, allowing the diameter of the outboard ball row to be as large as possible, and larger than the inboard ball row. The larger diameter of the one ball row increases load capacity with no other significant change in the design of the bearing.

Claims

1. In an angular contact two row ball bearing having an outer hub with a predetermined inner radius and a coaxial inner spindle with a predetermined outer radius defining the inner and outer radial limits of an annular support envelope therebetween equal in size to the difference between said outer and inner radii, the improvement comprising,

a pair of diagonally opposed, large curvature angular contact pathways integral to said hub and spindle and located on one side of said hub and spindle near the respective radial limits of said support envelope,

a first row of balls riding between said large curvature pathways with a diameter substantially equal to the size of said envelope,

one of said hub and spindle further including a first small curvature angular contact pathway located on the other side of said hub and spindle near one radial limit of said envelope,

a separable race ring of predetermined thickness having an installation surface fitted to the other of said hub and spindle and located at the other limit of said envelope and a second small curvature angular contact pathway opposed to said first small curvature pathway, and,

a second row of balls of smaller diameter riding between said small curvature pathways.

2. In an angular contact two row ball bearing having an outer hub with a predetermined inner radius and a coaxial inner spindle with a predetermined outer radius defining the inner and outer radial limits of an annular support envelope therebetween equal in size to the difference between said outer and inner radii, the improvement comprising,

a pair of diagonally opposed, angular contact outboard pathways integral to said hub and located near the respective radial limits of said support envelope,

an outboard row of balls riding between said outboard pathways with a diameter substantially equal to the size of said envelope,

said hub further including a first angular contact inboard pathway located near the outer radial limit of said envelope,

a separable race ring of predetermined thickness having an installation surface fitted to said spindle and located at the inner limit of said envelope and a second angular contact inboard pathway opposed to said first inboard pathway, and,

an inboard row of balls of smaller diameter riding between said inboard pathways.