Method of aligning a freely carrying bearing assembly on a cylinder in a fiber-making machine

• US 6,349,469 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Voith Sulzer Paper Technology North America, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Voith Sulzer Paper Technology North America, Inc.
• Inventors: Larson, Kenneth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, MARC WINSTON
• Application Number:
  US09/324,396
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 298/980.7, 298/980.9, 298/980.62, 294/070.5, 294/070.1, 294/070.4
• US Class Current: 29/898.07
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 5/021 Construction of the cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: D21G 1/0226 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49696 Mounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49771 Quantitative measuring or gauging

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of aligning a bearing assembly relative to a roll in a fiber-making machine. The method of the present invention is particularly adapted for dryer cylinders in a paper-making machine, the dryer cylinders having an end rotatably mounted in a preferably freely carrying bearing assembly such as a continuous aligning roller bearing (CARB) that allows for axial (z direction) movement of the cylinder particularly axial movement due to thermal expansion. The bearing assembly includes inner and outer races of which the outer race is stationary with the inner race is affixed to the journal and moves therewith. For axially aligning or providing an initial offset of the outer race to the inner race, an alignment plate is mounted to the end of the cylinder journal during bearing housing installation that allows various measurements to be taken.

Claims

1. A method for aligning a freely carrying bearing assembly mounted on a dryer cylinder in paper-making machine, the freely carrying bearing assembly including an outer race, an inner race, and a plurality of rollers therebetween, the inner race coupled with a journal of the dryer cylinder by a locknut, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting a seating structure onto the outer race, the seating structure adapted to be fixedly mounted relative to the journal;

fixedly mounting the seating structure relative to the journal;

providing an alignment plate having an opening therein sized to receive the journal, a plurality of measurement slots radially extending from the opening and equally radially spaced thereabout, and a plurality of mounting bores;

attaching the alignment plate onto one side of the seating structure with use of the plurality of mounting bores, wherein the journal extends through the opening;

mounting an inner cover to another side of the seating structure;

maintaining the outer race against the inner cover;

determining a desired outer race to inner race offset;

determining an existing outer race to inner race offset relative to the alignment plate by utilizing measurements taken through the plurality of measurement slots;

determining a correction outer race to inner race offset between the determined desired outer race to inner race offset and the determined existing outer race to inner race offset; and

axially aligning the seating structure according to any determined correction outer race to inner race offset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an existing outer race to inner race offset comprises the steps of:

determining an axial length of the locknut;

determining an axial length from the alignment plate to the outer race;

adding the axial length of the locknut to the axial length of the alignment plate to the outer race;

determining an axial length of the alignment plate to the locknut; and

subtracting the added axial lengths of the locknut and alignment plate to the outer race from the axial length of the alignment plate to the locknut.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining the axial length of the locknut comprises the steps of:

measuring, before installation of the locknut, an axial distance from an end of the journal to the inner race;

measuring, after installation of the locknut, an axial distance from the end of the journal to the locknut; and

subtracting the end of the journal to the locknut measurement from the end of the journal to the inner race measurement.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each measurement comprises four distance values thereof taken at radial locations corresponding to 0°

, 90°

, 180°

, and 270°

.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining a desired outer race to inner race offset comprises the steps of:

determining a temperature of the cylinder in a non-operating state; and

correlating the determined temperature of the cylinder in the non-operating state with a bearing offset chart.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

mounting an outer c or to the seating structure.

7. A method of mounting a freely carrying bearing assembly on and relative to a journal of a dryer cylinder in a paper-making machine, the freely carrying bearing assembly having an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of rollers disposed between the inner and outer races, the method comprising the steps of:

seating the freely carrying bearing assembly axially onto the journal;

installing a locknut assembly;

mounting a seating structure onto the outer race, the seating structure adapted to be fixedly mounted relative to the dryer cylinder;

mounting the seating structure relative to the dryer cylinder;

mounting an inner cover to the seating structure;

providing an alignment plate having an opening therein sized to receive the journal and a plurality of measurement slots radially extending from the opening;

mounting the alignment plate onto the seating structure wherein the journal extends through the opening;

maintaining the outer race against the inner cover;

leveling the seating structure;

squaring the seating structure relative to the journal;

determining a desired outer race to inner race offset;

determining an existing outer race to inner race offset relative to the alignment plate by utilizing measurements taken through the plurality of slots;

determining a correction outer race to inner race offset between the determined desired outer race to inner race offset and the determined existing outer race to inner race offset; and

positioning axially the seating structure according to any determined correction outer race to inner race offset.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining an existing outer race to inner race offset comprises the steps of:

determining an axial length of the locknut assembly;

determining an axial length from the alignment plate to the outer race;

adding the axial length of the locknut assembly to the axial length of the alignment plate to the outer race;

determining an axial length of the alignment plate to the locknut assembly; and

subtracting the added axial lengths of the locknut assembly and alignment plate to the outer race from the axial length of the alignment plate to the locknut assembly.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining the axial length of the locknut assembly comprises the steps of:

measuring, before installation of the locknut assembly, an axial distance from an end of the journal to the inner race;

measuring, after installation of the locknut assembly, an axial distance from the end of the journal to the locknut assembly; and

subtracting the end of the journal to the locknut assembly measurement from the end of the journal to the inner race measurement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each measurement comprises four distance values thereof taken at radial locations corresponding to 0°

, 90°

, 180°

, and 270°

.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining a desired outer race to inner race offset comprises the steps of:

determining a temperature of the cylinder in a non-operating state; and

correlating the determined temperature of the cylinder in the non-operating state with a bearing offset chart.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

mounting an outer cover to the seating structure.