Flanged bearings

• US 5,520,466 A
• Filed: 06/07/1994
• Issued: 05/28/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Glacier Garlock Bearings Incorporated (The Timken Company)
• Original Assignee: T&N Technology Limited (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parker, David A., Davies, Glyndwr J., Everitt, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannon, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US08/244,676
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 384/125, 384/124, 384/215, 384/216, 384/294, 384/295, 384/296, 384/275, 384/276, 384/288, 384/297-300, 384/429, 384/430
• US Class Current: 384/294
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/047 with fixed wedges to generate hydrodynamic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/10 for both radial and axial load
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2208/36 Polyarylene ether ketones [PAEK], e.g. PEK, PEEK F16C2208/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2226/76 with tongue and groove or key and slot
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/22 Internal combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/1075 Wedges, e.g. ramps or lobes, for generating pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/208 Methods of manufacture, e.g. shaping, applying coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/24 with different areas of the sliding surface consisting of different materials
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 43/02 Assembling sliding-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 9/02 Crankshaft bearings

Abstract

A flanged half bearing (10;50) comprises a shell portion (12;52) which provides a bearing surface (14;54) against which a shaft can rotate. A flange portion (16,18;56,58) of the bearing provides a thrust surface (20,22;60,62) to resist axial movement of the bearing. The thrust surface (20,22;60,62) is formed from injection moulded plastics material either integrally with the shell portion (12;52) or a layer thereof, or the flange portion is injection moulded as a separate piece and secured to the shell portion.

Claims

1. A flanged half bearing comprising a shell portion which comprises a layer of bearing material and a backing layer on which the bearing material layer is fixedly mounted, the bearing material layer providing a plain bearing surface against which a shaft can rotate, the half bearing also comprising a flange portion joined to the backing layer, the flange portion extending radially outwardly from said shell portion at one axial end thereof, the flange portion providing a thrust surface to resist axial movement of the bearing, wherein the flange portion providing the thrust surface is formed from injection moulded plastics material.

2. A half bearing according to claim 1, wherein the bearing also comprises a further flange portion extending radially outwardly at the other axial end of the bearing, the further flange portion providing a further thrust surface which is also formed from injection moulded plastics material.

3. A half bearing according to claim 1, wherein the backing layer is formed from injection moulded plastics material.

4. A half bearing according to claim 3, wherein the plastics material of the backing layer and the plastics material of the flange portion are moulded as one piece.

5. A half bearing according to claim 4, wherein a plastics hinge joins the flange portion to the backing layer.

6. A half bearing according to claim 1, wherein the bearing material layer has keying means which is embedded in the backing layer to secure the layers of the shell portion together.

7. A half bearing according to claim 1, wherein the thrust surface is profiled to provide at least one wedge-shaped surface portion, extending along the thrust surface.

8. A half bearing according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion is formed as a hollow injection moulding containing at least one chamber.

9. A half bearing according to claim 8, wherein the at least one chamber is wedge-shaped in the direction of the thrust surface.

10. A half bearing according to claim 8, wherein the at least one chamber is filled with material which is more resilient than the plastics material forming the thrust surface.