Bearing adjustment and monitoring system

• US 6,257,078 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1999
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vencill R. Lee
• Original Assignee: Vencill R. Lee
• Inventors: Vencill, R. Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US09/330,535
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 738/659, 335/17, 384/260
• US Class Current: 73/865.9
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/364 with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/548 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/06 Ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/146 measuring play on bearings
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/045 Acoustic or vibration analysis

Abstract

A bearing adjustment and monitoring system is provided for a bearing mounted between a hub and a spindle, one of which is rotatable relative to the other and one of which has a threaded end section with traversing keyway and the other of which has an abutment for limiting inward movement of the bearing. A backing washer member is arranged to removably abut the bearing on the end opposite the abutment and has a key extending into the keyway to secure it against rotation, and a calibrated nut member has threads configured for threading onto the threaded end section. One of the backing washer member and calibrated nut member has a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings and the other of the backing washer member and calibrated nut member has a plurality of openings registering with the openings in the one member but spaced apart differently therefrom, whereby to provide vernier adjustment of rotation of the calibrated nut member. A lock removably secures the backing washer member and calibrated nut member together, and a measuring device operatively interengages the hub and spindle for measuring the relative movement between them for adjusting the axial end play between the hub and spindle.

Claims

1. A system for adjusting end play of a bearing interposed between relatively rotatable members one of which includes a threaded section and traversing keyway and the other of which has an abutment for securing the bearing, the system comprising:

a) a backing washer configured to abut said bearing and having a key projecting into said keyway, and

b) a calibrated nut having threads configured to receive said threaded section and arranged to abut the side of the backing washer opposite said bearing,

c) one of said backing washer and calibrated nut having circumferentially spaced calibration openings and the other of said backing washer and calibrated nut having circumferential openings spaced apart to distances different from the spacings between said calibration openings, whereby to provide vernier adjustment of said calibration nut.

2. The system of claim 1 including lock means removably interengaging said backing washer and calibration nut for securing them together in the position of rotational adjustment of the calibrated nut.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the lock means comprises a pin configured for reception in aligned ones of said openings in said backing washer and calibrated nut.

4. The system of claim 2 including retainer means removably interengaging the calibrated nut and lock means for securing the lock means against removal.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the retainer means comprises a resilient split ring engageable removably in a groove in the calibrated nut and configured for engagement by the lock means when in said securing position.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the lock means pin and retainer means resilient spaced ring are separate components.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the lock means pin and retainer means resilient spaced ring are secured together as an integral unit.

8. The system of claim 1 including distance measuring means for measuring the relative movement between said relatively movable members, for determining the spacing between a bearing and the member movable relative thereto.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the backing washer has vernier openings therein and the calibrated nut has openings therein cooperating with the vernier openings.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the openings in the backing washer are inward of the outer circumference thereof.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the openings in the backing washer extend inward from the outer circumference thereof.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the openings in the calibrated nut extend inward from the outer circumference thereof and are configured to removably receive a tool for rotating the nut.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the tool is a spanner type wrench.

14. The system of claim 1 including sensor stator means mounted removably on the member having the threaded section, sensor status means mounted for rotation with the rotatable member and spaced from the sensor stator means by an air gap, and data processor means for measuring the dimension of said air gap.

15. The system of claim 1 including sensor stator means mounted removably on the member having the threaded section, sensor status means mounted for rotation with the rotatable member and spaced from the sensor stator means by an air gap, and data processor means for measuring the dimension of said air gap, and vibration characteristics.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the backing washer has vernier openings therein and the calibrated nut has openings therein cooperating with the vernier openings, the openings in the calibrated nut extend inward from the outer circumference thereof and are configured to removably receive a tool for rotating the nut, and distance measuring means for measuring the relative movement between said relatively movable members, for determining the spacing between a bearing and the member movable relative thereto.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the distance measuring means comprises sensor stator means mounted removably on the member having the threaded section, sensor status means mounted for rotation with the rotatable member and spaced from the sensor stator means by an air gap, and data processor means for measuring the dimension of said air gap.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the distance measuring means comprises sensor stator means mounted removably on the member having the threaded section, sensor status means mounted for rotation with the rotatable member and spaced from the sensor stator means by an air gap, and data processor means for measuring the dimension of said air gap and vibration characteristics.