Antifriction bearings including means for coupling them to shafts

Claim 1

IN A BEARING STRUCTURE OF THE TYPE HAVING A ONE PIECE INNER RACE ADAPTED TO BE APPLIED TO A CYLINDRICAL SHAFT AND BE SECURED THERETO, AN OUTER RACE CONCENTRICALLY POSITIONED OVER THE INNER RACE AND HAVING A SPHERICAL OUTER SURFACE ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED WITHIN A COMPLEMENTAL HOUSING FOR LIMITED TILTING MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO, AND A PLURALITY OF ROTATABLE BEARING ELEMENTS POSITIONED IN A SINGLE RACEWAY BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER RACES AND PROVIDING ROLLING SUPPORT FOR THE OUTER RACE UPON THE INNER RACE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN THE INNER RACE IS HARDENED, AT LEAST IN THE AREA OF SAID RACEWAY, AND HAS A LATERIAL EXTENSION ON ONE SIDE THEREOF WHICH IS A PART OF THE INNER RACE, AND IS PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOTS SPACED ABOUT THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE EXTENSION, SAID SLOTS EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE END OF THE EXTENSION TO AN AREA SHORT OF SAID RACEWAY, THE LENGTH OF SAID EXTENSION BEING SUCH THAT IT FALLS WITHIN THE RADIUS OF SAID SPHERICAL SURFACE AS EXTENDED, AND MEANS FOR CLAMPING THE INNER RACE EXTENSION TO A SHAFT HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER WHICH MAY BE BETWEEN ZERO AND ABOUT .003 INCH SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID INNER RACE IN THE AREA OF SAID RACEWAY WITH SUBSTANTIAL ELIMINATION OF FRETTING CORROSION OVER LONG PERIODS OF USE, SAID CLAMPING MEANS INCLUDING SAID INNER RACE SLOTTED EXTENSION AND AN ANNULAR COLLAR FITTED OVER SAID EXTENSION, SAID COLLAR BEING NON-CONTINUOUS IN AT LEAST ONE PLACE IN ITS CIRCUMFERENCE TO PROVIDE ADJACENT PORTIONS, AND SCREW MEANS ADAPTED TO DRAW TOGETHER SAID ADJACENT PORTIONS TO DEFLECT SAID SLOTTED EXTENSION INWARDLY INTO FIRM CONCENTRIC CLAMPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHAFT.