Sealed anti-friction bearing

Claim 1

IN AN ANTI-FRICTION BEARING HAVING AN OUTER RACE UNIT AND AN INNER RACE UNIT WHICH ARE ADAPTED WHEN IN OPERATING INSTALLATION TO ROTATE FREELY RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, THE COMBINATION PROVIDING A SEAL AT THE AXIAL ENDS OF THE BEARING AND BETWEEN SAID TWO RACE UNITS WHICH PERMITS A FREE RUNNING BEARING AS TO THE RACE UNITS THEREOF, SAID COMBINATION COMPRISING AN ANNULAR GROOVE EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY IN AT LEAST ONE AXIAL END PORTION OF SAID OUTER RACE UNIT, AN ANNULAR GROOVE EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY IN AT LEAST ONE AXIAL END PORTION OF SAID INNER RACE UNIT, EACH SAID GROOVE DEFINED ON BOTH AXIAL SIDES BY LANDS ON SAID RACE UNITS, WITH SAID GROOVES IN CORRESPONDING END PORTIONS OF SAID RACE UNITS AXIALLY DISPLACED FROM ONE ANOTHER WHEN SAID BEARING IS IN OPERATING INSTALLATION, A FLAT ANNULAR ONE-PIECE SEALING RING OF ESSENTIALLY RIGID BUT SLIGHTLY RESILIENT NON-METALLIC MATERIAL SECURED BY AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID GROOVES IN CORRESPONDING END PORTIONS OF SAID RACE UNITS, SAID SEALING RING HAVING A FIRST PERIPHERAL SURFACE AND EXTENDING RADIALLY INTO A CORRESPONDING ANNULAR GROOVE IN ONE RACE UNIT TO PROVIDE A RUNNING CONTACT FIT THEREWITH AND A SECOND PERIPHERAL SURFACE EXTENDING INTO A CORRESPONDING ANNULAR GROOVE IN THE OTHER RACE UNIT TO PROVIDE AN INTERFERENCE FIT THEREWITH, WITH SAID SEALING RING SUPPORTED SOLELY BY ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID GROOVES, AND WITH EACH SEALING RING BEING SLIGHTLY FLEXED IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION WHEN IN OPERATING INSTALLATION TO PROVIDE A CONTACT SEAL WITH THE WALLS OF SAID ONE GROOVE AND BEING SECURED TO RESIST AXIAL DISPLACEMENT BY SAID INTERFERENCE FIT WITH THE OTHER GROOVE, WHEREBY SAID SEALING RING SEALS THE AXIAL END OF THE BEARING TO RETAIN LUBRICANT AT THE ANTI-FRICTION ELEMENTS THEREOF AND TO EXCLUDE FOREIGN MATERIAL THEREFROM.