Bearing seal for electric motor

• US 3,112,417 A
• Filed: 04/18/1962
• Issued: 11/26/1963
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1962
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emil S. Tamm
• Original Assignee: Emil S. Tamm
• Inventors: Tamm, Emil S.
• Application Number:
  US04/188,320
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• US Class Current: 310/90
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2380/26 Dynamo-electric machines or combinations therewith, e.g. electro-motors and generators in general H02K
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6622 Details of supply and/or removal of the grease, e.g. purging grease
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/7886 mounted outside the gap between the inner and outer races, e.g. sealing rings mounted to an end face or outer surface of a race
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/042 Housings for rolling element bearings for rotary movement
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/1732 radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor H02K5/1737 takes precedence

Claims

1. IN AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, (A) A STATOR HOUSING WITH A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PART MOUNTING THE STATOR AND ITS WINDINGS, (B) A ROTOR ON A SHAFT ARRANGED CENTRALLY WITHIN SAID STATOR, SAID SHAFT HAVING CYLINDRICAL SURFACES AT AXIALLY SPACED POSITIONS THEREIN, (C) RADIAL SHOULDERS ON SAID SHAFT ADJACENT SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACES AND FACING OUTWARDLY, (D) BALL BEARING RACES ON SAID SHAFT AT EACH END OF SAID SHAFT WITH THE INWARDLY FACING RADIAL FACE OF THE RESPECTIVE RACES POSITIONED AGAINST AN OUTWARDLY FACING SHOULDER OF SAID MOTOR SHAFT, (E) END BELLS FIXED ON THE OPPOSITE OPEN ENDS OF THE CYLINDRICAL PART OF SAID STATOR HOUSING, (F) BEARING HOUSINGS WITH AXIALLY ALIGNED APERTURES FOR SAID SHAFT IN EACH OF SAID END BELLS THROUGH WHICH SAID MOTOR SHAFT PROJECTS, SAID BEARING HOUSINGS SURROUNDING THE RESPECTIVE PORTIONS OF SAID MOTOR SHAFT HAVING SAID OUTWARDLY FACING SHOULDERS, AND SAID BEARING HOUSING HAVING INWARDLY FACING SHOULDERS DISPOSED OPPOSITE TO THE OUTER RADIAL FACE OF THE RESPECTIVE BALL BEARING RACES AND PROVIDING A CAVITY THEREABOUT, (G) A GREASE FITTING ON THE EXTERIOR OF EACH OF SAID BEARING HOUSINGS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CAVITIES THEREIN FOR PRESSURE LUBRICATION OF SAID BEARINGS, (H) RETAINING RINGS EMBRACING THE RESPECTIVE AXIAL CYLINDRICAL PORTIONS OF SAID SHAFT, SAID RINGS BEING FIXED IN POSITION AXIALLY OF SAID SHAFT AND PARTIALLY CLOSING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID SHAFT AND SAID BEARING HOUSINGS AT THE INTERIOR ENDS THEREOF, (I) STATIONARY CYLINDRICAL SURFACES WITHIN SAID CAVITIES OF SAID BALL BEARING RACES LOCATED OPPOSITE THE RESPECTIVE SPACED CYLINDRICAL SURFACES ON SAID SHAFT, (J) ANNULAR MEMBERS OF RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL, HAVING A FLANGE AT ONE PERIPHERY, A CURVED LIP AT THE OTHER PERIPHERY AND AN INTERVENING RADIALLY EXTENDING END WALL, TO FORM AN ANNULAR TROUGH BETWEEN SAID FLANGE AND SAID LIP, SAID LIP BEING RELATIVELY MORE FLEXIBLE THAN THE OTHER PARTS OF SAID MEMBERS, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BALL BEARING RACES, AND THEIR ADJACENT RETAINING RINGS WITH THE END WALL OF THE RESPECTIVE ANNULAR MEMBERS ENGAGING THEIR ADJACENT RETAINING RINGS, AND THE FLANGES OF THE RESPECTIVE ANNULAR MEMBERS BEING IN GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH AN ADJACENT ONE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACES, THE FLEXIBLE CURVED LIP OF THE RESPECTIVE ANNULAR MEMBERS EXTENDING IN PROXIMITY TO THE OTHER ADJACENT ONE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACES AND HAVING A RUNNING CLEARANCE THEREWITH, AND THE OPEN SIDE OF THE ANNULAR TROUGH IN THE RESPECTIVE ANNULAR MEMBERS BEING ADDRESSED TOWARD THE ADJACENT BALL BEARING RACE;

AND EACH OF SAID CURVED LIPS BEING SO DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO ITS ADJACENT RETAINER RING AND ITS PROXIMATE ONE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACES AS TO CO-ACT THEREWITH AND FORM A GREASE SEAL THEREBETWEEN IN RESPONSE TO ABNORMAL GREASE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID TROUGH, SAID PRESSURE FLATTENING SAID CURVED LIP AND FORCING IT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PROXIMATE CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND FORCIBLY MAINTAINING SUCH ENGAGEMENT TO PREVENT MIGRATION OF GREASE INWARDLY OF THE SHAFT FOR A PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW THE ABNORMAL GREASE PRESSURE TO DISSIPATE.