Roller mount arrangement

• US 7,444,747 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2004
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Hood, William A., Meinders, Calvin D., Rempe, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant; David P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taousakis; Alexander P
• Application Number:
  US10/965,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 298/91, 298/95, 298/980.9, 298/952.2, 298/980.6, 384/185, 384/495, 384517-521, 384/535, 384/563, 384/571, 384/581, 415/229
• US Class Current: 29/891
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 15/18 Endless belts, rolls or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 2015/186 Constructional details of rollers or the bearings of the rollers of the press chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 13/02 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49448 Agricultural device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49544 Roller making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49556 Work contacting surface element assembled to end support members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49679 Anti-friction bearing or component thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49696 Mounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/497 Pre-usage process, e.g., preloading, aligning

Abstract

An improved roller assembly for use in machinery such as round balers is disclosed. The roller assembly of the present invention reduces sensitivity to varying dimensional tolerances on the roller assembly and the structure to which the roller assembly is mounted. At least one elastic member is used to permit the axial position of at least one of the bearings on the roller assembly shaft to vary. Spring washers provide a predetermined, axial force to at least one of the bearings.

Claims

1. An improvement to the mounting system of a roller assembly that varies in length including a roller, spacers and bearings, having radially inner and radially outer races with mounting flanges that is mounted to support panels that cooperate with the mounting flanges of the roller assembly, and that are spaced apart by a varying distance, the improvement comprising the addition of a spring to the roller assembly, inside the bearings, such that the length of the roller assembly, with the spring in an uncompressed condition, is greater than the distance between the support panels so that the spring is compressed and generates an axial load on the radially inner races of the bearings as the bearings are forced into position to mount to the support panels.

2. An improvement to the mounting of components, including a bearing, to a shaft wherein an assembly of the components are located between a shoulder of the shaft and retained to the end of the shaft by a bolt, the improvement comprising:

configuring the length of the shaft between the shoulder and the end of the shaft to be less than the total length of those parts of the mounted components disposed between the shoulder and a first major diameter on a first side of a spring, while retaining that assembly with said spring that is forced into contact with the assembly of the components at the first major diameter on the first side of the spring, while being forced to deflect by contact with at least one washer at a smaller, minor diameter, on a second side of the spring, wherein deflection of the spring generates a defined clamping force.