Roller bearing

Claim 2

The combination of a rotating roller, particularly a cutting roller of a cross cutter, which is periodically subjected to radial inward stress from the outside, and a rotary supporting structure for said roller comprising rotary end supports operatively associated with said roller so as to prevent radial displacement thereof by said inward stress, and radial load transmitting means cooperable with said roller intermediate its ends so as to rotatably brace said roller against said radially inward stress independently of said end supports.

Claim 3

The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the roller is designed as a hollow roller; wherein said mounting structure comprises a rigid carrier extending through the interior of said hollow roller, and support means rigidly sustaining the two ends of said carrier outward beyond the ends of said hollow roller, and wherein said load transmitting means are operatively interposed between said carrier and said roller.

Claim 4

The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said load transmitting means comprise at least one bearing member mounted on said carrier between the ends of said hollow roller for cooperative engagement with said roller frOm the inside during inward stress upon the latter.

Claim 5

The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said load transmitting means comprise a plurality of bearing members arranged at axial intervals along that carrier for cooperative engagement with said roller from the inside during inward stress upon the latter.

Claim 6

The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said bearing members is in the form of a roller bearing which is inwardly supported on said carrier and bears outwardly upon the inner wall of said hollow roller.

Claim 7

The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said roller bearing comprises a ring of rollers which are arranged in a circle around the circumference of said carrier in supported relation thereto and in supporting relation to said roller.

Claim 8

The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said roller bearings is in the form of a supporting roller cooperable with the inner wall of said hollow roller and rotatably mounted on said carrier at a point where said hollow roller is subjected to said inward stress from the outside.

Claim 9

The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said roller bearings comprises a set of at least two supporting rollers arranged successively in the direction of the carrier circumference for rolling engagement with the inner wall of said hollow roller and rotatably mounted on said carrier at a point at which said hollow roller is subjected to said inward stress from the outside.

Claim 10

The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said carrier extends only a short radial distance from the inner wall of said hollow roller at least in the circumferential area of the latter where said hollow roller is subjected to said inward stress from the outside, and wherein the interior of said carrier comprises a longitudinally extending flow channel and at least one auxiliary channel which branches radially from said flow channel in the direction toward the area of said inward stress upon said hollow roller and terminating at the circumference of said carrier, and conduit means connecting said flow channels in pressure receiving relation to a source of fluid pressure.

Claim 11

The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the interior of said carrier comprises a longitudinally extending flow channel and at least one auxiliary flow channel which branches radially from said longitudinal flow channel in the direction toward the area of said inward stress upon said hollow roller and terminating at the circumference of said carrier, and a spring loaded ball valve in the mouth of each auxiliary flow channel on the circumference of said carrier normally operative to close the auxiliary channel, the ball of each valve projecting above the circumference of said carrier to such an extent that, when said hollow roller is not subjected to said inward stress, a small intermediate space remains between said ball and said inner wall of said hollow roller, and so that when the hollow roller is subject to said inward stress, its inner wall comes into contact with said ball and presses it inwards in opposition to the closing pressure of said valve, whereby said valve is opened; and conduit means connecting said longitudinally extending flow channel with a source of fluid pressure.

Claim 12

The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said load transmitting means are arranged exteriorly of said roller so as to afford at least one bearing point in the vicinity of the outer circumference of said roller and between its opposite ends.

Claim 13

The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein said load transmitting means comprise at least one concentric ring segment on the outer periphery of said roller which extends above the wall of said roller and is arranged diametrically opposite the area of said inward stress upon the roller, the outer circumference of said ring segment being designed as a sliding face; and complementary arc shaped supporting means for said ring element securely mounted in a position lying diametrically opposite the point Where the roller is subjected to said inward stress, so that when the roller rotates, it is braced against said inward stress by cooperative engagement of said ring segment with said arc shaped supporting means.

Claim 14

The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said arc shaped supporting means is provided with an arc shaped sliding face complementary to said sliding face of said ring element.

Claim 15

The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said arc shaped supporting means is provided with a plurality of supporting rollers mounted in a circular arc for cooperative engagement with said ring segment as the latter moves over said supporting rollers.

Claim 16

The combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said load transmitting means comprise a plurality of ring segments arranged at axial intervals along said roller.

Claim 17

The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein a radially outward extending cutting element is secured to said roller and wherein each ring segment extends radially outward from the circumference of said roller to a greater extent than said cutting element.

Claim 18

The combination of a pair of rollers which are each subjected to radial inward stress from the outside at a given point on the path of rotation and at a given point on their respective circumferences, particularly a pair of cutting rollers of a cross cutter which are subjected, respectively, to stress in the vicinity of their cutting elements during each cutting operation, and a rotary mounting structure for said rollers comprising a plurality of ring elements which are arranged at axial intervals along said rollers, respectively, and are arranged diametrically opposite the area of said inward stress upon the respective roller, and said mounting structure further comprising arc shaped supporting means securely mounted, respectively, in positions lying diametrically opposite the points where the rollers are subjected to said inward stress so that when the rollers rotate they are braced by cooperative engagement of said ring segments with said arc shaped supporting means, said ring segments of one roller being arranged axially therealong at points lying between the ring elements of the other roller.

Claim 19

The combination of a pair of rollers which are each subjected to radial inward stress from the outside at a given point on the path of rotation and at a given point on their respective circumferences, particularly a pair of cutting rollers of a cross cutter which are subjected, respectively, to stress in the vicinity of their cutting elements during each cutting operation, and a rotary mounting structure for said rollers comprising a plurality of ring elements which are arranged at axial intervals along said rollers, respectively, and are arranged diametrically opposite the area of said inward stress upon the respective roller, and said mounting structure further comprising arc shaped supporting means securely mounted, respectively, in positions lying diametrically opposite the points where the rollers are subjected to said inward stress so that when the rollers rotate they are braced by cooperative engagement of said ring segments with said arc shaped supporting means, said ring segments of one roller being arranged axially therealong at points lying between the ring elements of the other roller.

Claim 20

In a rotary cutting apparatus, the combination of a cutting roller, a cutting element on said roller projecting outwardly therefrom and subjecting said roller to inward stress during each cutting operation, and a rotary supporting structure for said roller comprising at least one eccentric disc which is rotated synchronously with said roller about an axis spaced radially from and extending parallel to the axis of said roller, the contour of said disc and the spacing of its axis from said roller axis being such that said disc comes into radial load transmitting engagement with said roller in the area of maximum inward stress thereupon during each cutting operation and so that a space between said roller and disc is cleared for the passage of said cutting element therethrough after each cutting operation.

Claim 21

In a rotary cutting apparatus, the combination of a cutting roller, a cutting element on said roller projecting outwardly therefrom and subjecting said roller to inward stress during each cutting operation, and a rotary supporting structure for said roller comprising at least one eccentric disc which is rotated synchronously with said roller about an axis spaced radially from and extending parallel to the axis of said roller, the contour of said disc and the spacing of its axis from said roller axis being such that said disc comes into radial load transmitting engagement with said roller in the area of maximum inward stress thereupon during each cutting operation and so that a space between said roller and disc is cleared for the passage of said cutting element therethrough after each cutting operation.