Bearings

Claim 1

A bearing assembly for a rotary shaft, comprising a fixed support member having an opening extending therethrough, the periphery of said opening being closed and being of generally circular shape, having two relatively angularly spaced, generally radially extended portions; a bearing housing having an externally generally cylindrical portion which engages within said opening, said portion including a pair of axial grooves in the exterior thereof, said grooves being relatively angularly spaced to correspond with said generally radially extended portions of the periphery of the opening, and said housing also having a pair of radially outwardly directed abutments extending circumferentially around said generally cylindrical portion and arranged at relatively angularly spaced positions, said axial grooves being disposed alternately therebetween and the radial size of the abutments being greater than that of said opening so as to prevent said abutments from passing through said opening; an end cap which fits on the end of the bearing housing remote from said fixed support member and which includes a pair of axially extending, relatively angularly spaced arms slidably engaging within said axial grooves, each of said arms having at the end thereof remote from the cap a radially outwardly projecting lug so that, on passing the bearing housing with the cap fitteD thereon into the opening, the lugs pass through the opening at the radially extended portions of the periphery thereof, rotation of the housing with the cap fitted thereon moving the lugs out of register with said radially extended portions, thereby preventing withdrawal of the bearing housing and cap from the support member; a tubular bearing sleeve which is adapted to be mounted on the rotary shaft and which fits within the housing, the bearing sleeve having at each end thereof a reduced portion of part-spherical external configuration, the housing including, at the end thereof which is engaged within the aperture of the support member, an interior part-spherical portion within which one of said part-spherical portions of said bearing sleeve engages; an abutment washer provided within the housing at the end thereof remote from the support member, said washer having a part-spherical portion which engages the other of said part-spherical portions of said bearing sleeve; and spring means located between said abutment washer and said end cap so as to tend to urge said end cap in a direction away from said fixed support member.