Bearing stand-off devices

• US 9,555,976 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solus Industrial Innovations, LLC (Power Transmission Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Solus Industrial Innovations, LLC (Power Transmission Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eure, Tom, Phillips, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughan, Jason L
• Application Number:
  US14/339,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20150026983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 13/00 Accessories or details of general applicability for machines or apparatus for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 39/09 Arrangements of bearing or sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 19/02 Bolts or sleeves for positioning of machine parts, e.g. notched taper pins, fitting pins, sleeves, eccentric positioning rings
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 43/00 Washers or equivalent devices; Other devices for supporting bolt-heads or nuts circlips F16B21/18; for indicating tensile load F16B31/02; forming a whole with the bolt or nut F16B33/00; locking bolts or nuts by means of a fixed plate or ring, or washer-like resilient plates F16B39/10, F16B39/24
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 13/02 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2235/00 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/00 Rigid support of bearing units; Housings, e.g. caps, covers F16C23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/02 in the case of sliding-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/045 with a radial flange to mount the housing
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 43/00 Assembling bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49679 Anti-friction bearing or component thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53104 Roller or ball bearing

Abstract

Various embodiments of stand-off devices and methods are disclosed. The stand-off device can space a bearing assembly apart from a support, such as a frame of a conveyor belt, thereby providing access between the bearing assembly and the frame, such as for cleaning fluid. Certain embodiments of the stand-off device include a first end and a second end, with the first end being receivable in a securing hole of the bearing assembly and the second end configured to protrude from the bearing assembly.

Claims

1. A method of installing a bearing housing on a frame of a processing system such that the bearing housing is positioned a distance apart from the frame to facilitate a flow of cleaning fluid between the frame and a surface of the bearing housing that faces the frame, the method comprising:

obtaining a stand-off device that comprises;

a smaller diameter portion;

a larger diameter portion; and

a port extending through the smaller diameter portion and the larger diameter portion and configured to receive a fastener therethrough;

inserting the smaller diameter portion of the stand-off device into a channel in the bearing housing;

maintaining the larger diameter portion of the stand-off device outside of the bearing housing;

positioning the bearing housing such that the larger diameter portion of the stand-off device is between the bearing housing and the frame;

inserting a fastener through the port in the stand-off device; and

tightening the fastener, thereby securing the bearing housing with the frame, wherein at least a portion of the stand-off device is between the bearing housing and the frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises removing a sleeve from the channel in the bearing housing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises abutting a shoulder of the stand-off device against the bearing housing, the shoulder being between the smaller diameter portion and the larger diameter portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning fluid can readily access at least about 95% of the surface area of the surface of the bearing housing that faces the frame.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising retaining the smaller diameter portion of the stand-off device in the channel in the bearing housing with magnetism.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a second stand-off device; and

inserting a smaller diameter portion of the second stand-off device in the port of the stand-off device such that the smaller diameter portion of the second stand-off device is received in the larger diameter portion of the stand-off device,

wherein, when the bearing housing is secured with the frame, the bearing housing is positioned apart from the frame by a distance that is at least the sum of the longitudinal length of a larger diameter portion of the second stand-off device and the longitudinal length of the larger diameter portion of the stand-off device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame of the processing system comprises the frame of a conveyor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the smaller diameter portion and the larger diameter portion is generally cylindrical.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the larger diameter portion of the stand-off device being positioned between the bearing housing and the frame facilitates access by cleaning fluid to substantially the entire surface area between the bearing housing and the frame.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the larger diameter portion of the stand-off device being positioned between the bearing housing and the frame facilitates visual access of substantially the entire surface area between the bearing housing and the frame.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a bearing assembly comprises a rotation unit and the bearing housing, and the method further comprises:

removing a fastener from the channel in the bearing housing;

removing the bearing housing from the frame;

removing a shaft of a roller from the bearing assembly; and

journaling the same shaft in the bearing assembly after the larger diameter portion of the stand-off device is between the bearing housing and the frame.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rotation unit comprises a bushing, ball bearing, or roller bearing.

13. A method of obtaining a housing stand-off assembly, the method comprising:

obtaining a housing having a recess and a plurality of anchor holes, the recess configured to receive a rotation unit;

obtaining a plurality of stand-off devices, each comprising;

a nesting portion having a first diameter;

a spacing portion having a second diameter;

a shoulder positioned between the nesting and spacing portions; and

a port extending through the nesting and spacing portions and configured to receive a fastener therethrough;

removing a sleeve from one of the plurality the anchor holes of the housing before installing the nesting portion of one of the plurality of stand-off devices into the one of the plurality of anchor holes; and

engaging the shoulder with the housing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising installing the spacing portion of the stand-off device against a conveyor frame, the bearing housing being spaced from the conveyor frame by a length of the spacing portion.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising installing a fastener through the port.