Machine assembly

Claim 1

A WHEELHEAD ASSEMBLY FOR GRINDING MACHINES COMPRISING, A CARRIER ADAPTED FOR MOUNTING ON THE BASE OF SUCH A MACHINE FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG IN A GRINDING OPERATION, A SPINDLE, MEANS SUPPORTING AND FIXEDLY MOUNTED SAID SPINDLE AGAINST ROTATION ON SAID CARRIER, AN ANNULAR LOAD RECEIVING HOUSING, A GRINDING WHEEL CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING, COMBINATION RADIAL AND AXIAL THRUST ROLLER BEARING ASSEMBLIES RELATIVELY SPACED ALONG SAID SPINDLE, EACH OF SAID ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING INNER AND OUTER RINGS RESPECTIVELY COOPERATING WITH SAID SPINDLE AND SAID HOUSING AND TAPERED ROLLER ANTIFRICTION ELEMENTS THEREBETWEEN INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF SAID SPINDLE, THE CONES OF REVOLUTION OF SAID ANTIFRICTION ELEMENTS FOR THE RESPECTIVE BEARING ASSEMBLIES FACING OPPOSITELY AND IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CORRESPONDING ENDS OF SAID SPINDLE FOR OPPOSED THRUST EFFECTIVENESS AND RESPECTIVELY TRANSFERRING AXIAL THRUST BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND SAID SPINDLE DIRECTED TOWARD THE CORRESPONDING SPINDLE ENDS, SAID BEARING ASEMBLIES BEING MOUNTED ON SAID SPINDLE TO RECEIVE A LOAD FROM SAID LOAD RECEIVING HOUSING DIRECTED GENERALLY TRANSVERSE AND BETWEEN SAID ASSEMBLIES, SAID BEARING ASSEMBLIES PROVIDING THE SOLE SUPPORT FOR SAID HOUSING WHILE HOLDING SAID HOUSING RADIALLY SPACED AWAY FROM SAID SPINDLE, FIRST RESTRAINING MEAN COOPERATING BETWEEN SAID SPINDLE AND EACH OF THE INNER RINGS OF SAID BEARING ASSEMBLIES RESTRICTING THE RESPECTIVE INNER RINGS AGAINST MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID SPINDLE IN THE RESPECTIVE DIRECTIONS OF AXIAL THRUST TRANSFER THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE BEARING ASSEMBLIES, SECOND RESTRAINING MEANS COOPERATING BETWEEN SAID HOUSING AND EACH OF SAID OUTER RINGS OF SAID BEARING ASSEMBLIES RESTRICTING SAID OUTER RINGS AGAINST RELATIVE MOVEMENT TOWARD ONE ANOTHER, SAID FIRST RESTRAINING MEANS INCLUDING ADJUSTABLE MEANS THREADED ON SAID SPINDLE ADJUSTABLE THEREALONG AXIALLY TOWARD THE OUTER END FACE OF THE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID INNER RINGS FOR DIRECTLY APPLYING COMPRESSIVE FORCE TO THE CORRESPONDING BEARING ASSEMBLY AND THROUGH SAID HOUSING TO THE OTHER OF SAID BEARING ASSEMBLIES FOR OBTAINING EFFECTIVE PRELOADING BETWEEN THE COMPONENTS OF BOTH SAID BEARING ASSEMBLIES, THROUGH A SINGLE ADJUSTMENT, SAID AJUSTABLE MEANS INCLUDING RESILIENTLY YIELDING MEANS OPERATIVE THROUGH SAID ADJACENT INNER RING ON BOTH SAID BEARING ASSEMBLIES FOR MAINTAINING SAID PRELOADING EFFECTIVE THROUGHOUT VARYING OPERATING AND LOAD CONDITIONS, AND DRIVE MEANS ON SAID CARRIER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATION OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID GRINDING WHEEL IN FORMING OPERATIONS.