Apparatus for controlling shaft end play

Claim 1

In combination a housing, a bearing mounted in said housing, a shaft rotatably supported by said bearing, an end portion of said shaft extending beyond said bearing in an outwardly direction relative to said housing, said end portion having a circumferential groove of a specified width therein, a spring washer having a predetermined spring coefficient including radially extending substantially spaced teeth defining a centrally located aperture of a predetermined diameter, said radially inwardly extending teeth comprising predetermined dimensions and a specified space therebetween so as to provide a specified spring resistive force in an axial direction perpendicular to the plane of the surface of said washer, said radially inwardly extending teeth being received in the circumferential groove of said shaft, a stepped end surface in said housing, a radially extending inwardly disposed end face defined by said step engaging a portion of the outer periphery of said washer, a circumferential surface defined by the axially extending portion of said step having a circumferential groove therein, and a locking ring spring biased into said groove engaging said outer peripheral portions of said washer thereby retaining the latter in place relative to said housing whereby axial end play of said shaft causes said circumferential groove to engage the radially inwardly extending teeth of said washer such that the end play is maintained within predetermined limits in both axial directions due to the spring coefficient and spacing of the teeth as well as the width of the shaft end portion groove.