Bearing assembly with vent means in the bearing thereof

Claim 2

A bearing comprising: a unitary outer race having a pair of inwardly presented raceways thereon and an intervening surface separating the raceways, the outer race further having an aperture extending completely through it in the radial direction with the inner end of the aperture being at the intervening surface; inner race means positioned within the outer race and having a pair of raceways located opposite the pair of raceways on the outer race; rolling elements arranged in two circumferential rows located between the opposed raceways of the inner race means and the outer race; and a tubular vent fitting installed firmly in the aperture and oriented generally radially with respect to the axis of rotation for the bearing, the outer end of the tubular vent fitting being disposed within the aperture and the inner end being located radially inwardly from the intervening surface between the two raceways on the outer race, whereby a portion of the vent fitting projects radially inwardly from the intervening surface, said portion of the vent fitting being substantially imperforate so that a lubricant in the bearing will not flow into the vent fitting if the vent fitting is at the bottom of the bearing, the vent fitting allowing fluid to flow from its inner end out of its outer end so that excessively high pressures will not develop in the interior of the bearing.

Claim 3

A bearing according to claim 13 wherein the vent fitting includes a closure which is normally closed but can open to equalize the pressure on each side thereof so as to vent the interior of the bearing.

Claim 4

A bearing according to claim 2 wherein the closure is a wall formed from an elastomeric material and having at least one slit therein to divide the wall into segments which flex relative to each other.

Claim 5

A bearing according to claim 1 wherein the vent fitting includes an elastomeric closure wall extended across and normally closing the tubular fitting, the closure wall having two slits therein which divide the wall into segments which flex relative to one another to equalize the pressure on each side of the closure wall.

Claim 6

A bearing according to claim 4 wherein the raceways are tapered, the inner race means comprises a pair of cones, and the rolling elements are tapered rollers.

Claim 7

A bearing assembly for a shaft having a journal at the end thereof, said bearing assembly comprising: a backing ring positioned firmly at the innermost portion of the journal; an end cap fastened to and extended across the opposite end of the journal; a sealed bearing on the journal between the end cap and the backing ring, the bearing including a unitary outer race having two inwardly presented raceways and an intervening surface between the raceways; an inner race having outwardly presented raceways located opposite to the raceways on the outer race, rolling elements arranged in two circumferential rows between the inner and outer races and engaging the raceways, and a tubular vent in the outer race between the two raceways for venting the interior of the bearing, the vent projecting radially inwardly beyond the intervening surface and the raceways of the outer race and having substantially imperforate sidewalls inwardly from the intervening surface so that lubricants will not enTer the vent if vent is located at the bottom of the outer race; an inboard wear ring encircling the journal between the backing ring and the inner race of the bearing, the inboard wear ring being imperforate and abutted tightly against the backing ring and inner race so that lubricants will not flow past the ends of the inboard wear ring; an outboard wear ring encircling the journal between the end cap and the inner race of the bearing, the outboard wear ring being imperforate and abutted tightly against the end cap and inner race so that lubricants will not flow past the ends of the outboard wear ring; and seal means carried by the outer race of the bearing at each end thereof and having elastomeric seal lips which embrace the wear rings and form a barrier to the passage of a lubricant along the wear rings.

Claim 8

A bearing assembly for a shaft having a journal at the end thereof, said bearing assembly comprising: a backing ring positioned firmly at the innermost portion of the journal; an end cap fastened to and extended across the opposite end of the journal; a sealed bearing on the journal between the end cap and the backing ring, the bearing including a unitary outer race having two inwardly presented raceways and an intervening surface between the raceways; an inner race having outwardly presented raceways located opposite to the raceways on the outer race, rolling elements arranged in two circumferential rows between the inner and outer races and engaging the raceways, and a tubular vent in the outer race between the two raceways for venting the interior of the bearing, the vent projecting radially inwardly beyond the intervening surface and the raceways of the outer race and having substantially imperforate sidewalls inwardly from the intervening surface so that lubricants will not enTer the vent if vent is located at the bottom of the outer race; an inboard wear ring encircling the journal between the backing ring and the inner race of the bearing, the inboard wear ring being imperforate and abutted tightly against the backing ring and inner race so that lubricants will not flow past the ends of the inboard wear ring; an outboard wear ring encircling the journal between the end cap and the inner race of the bearing, the outboard wear ring being imperforate and abutted tightly against the end cap and inner race so that lubricants will not flow past the ends of the outboard wear ring; and seal means carried by the outer race of the bearing at each end thereof and having elastomeric seal lips which embrace the wear rings and form a barrier to the passage of a lubricant along the wear rings.

Claim 9

A bearing assembly according to claim 6 wherein the backing ring is imperforate in the radial direction and is press fitted onto the shaft.

Claim 10

A bearing assembly according to claim 6 wherein the outer race of the bearing has a radial bore in it intermediate its two raceways and the vent is fitted into the bore, the vent being tubular and projecting inwardly beyond the inwardly presented surface of the outer race.

Claim 11

A bearing assembly according to claim 8 wherein the raceways of the outer and inner races are tapered, the inner race is segmented into a pair of cones on which the tapered raceways of the inner race exist, and the rolling elements are tapered rollers.

Claim 12

A bearing assembly according to claim 6 wherein the end cap has a triangular rib on its end face presented away from the axle, and the size of the bearing assembly appears on each leg of the rib, whereby the size of the bearing assembly is easily discernible irrespective of the position of the end cap.

Claim 13

The structure according to claim 6 wherein the shaft journal has a center hole opening out of the end thereof and the end cap has an opening aligned with the center hole to provide access thereto the opening being sized to accommodate a machine tool center so that the shaft can be mounted between centers.

Claim 14

A bearing according to claim 1 wherein the tubular vent fitting has a shoulder intermediate its ends, the shoulder being against the intervening surface.

Claim 15

A bearing according to claim 12 wherein the portion of the vent fitting disposed within the aperture has an elastomeric covering which is engaged with and compressed by the walls of the aperture.

Claim 16

A bearing according to claim 13 wherein the elastomeric covering is bonded to and covers a steel sleeve.

Claim 17

A bearing comprising: a unitary outer race having a pair of inwardly presented raceways thereon and an intervening surface between the raceways, the outer race further having a bore extending completely through it in the radial direction with the inner end of the bore being at the intervening surface; inner race means positioned within the outer race and having a pair of raceways located opposite the pair of raceways on the outer race; rolling elements arranged in two circumferential rows located between the opposed raceways of the inner race means and the outer race; and a tubular vent installed in the bore and oriented generally in the radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation for the bearing, the vent fitting including a rigid sleeve and an elastomeric covering surrounding the sleeve, the elastomeric covering being disposed within the bore and being compressed between the walls of the bore and the sleeve to snugly retain the vent fitting in the outer race, the vent fitting projecting radially inwardly beyond the intervening surface and the raceways of the outer race with the sidewalls thereof being substantially imperforate beyond the intervening surface so that a lubricant in the bearing will not flow into the vent fitting if the vent fitting is at the bottom of the bearing; the vent fitting having a shoulder intermediate its end and the shoulder being abutted against the intervening surfaCe of the outer race, the vent fitting allowing fluid to flow from its inner end to its outer end so that excessively high pressures will not develop in the interior of the bearing.

Claim 18

A bearing comprising: a unitary outer race having a pair of inwardly presented raceways thereon and an intervening surface between the raceways, the outer race further having a bore extending completely through it in the radial direction with the inner end of the bore being at the intervening surface; inner race means positioned within the outer race and having a pair of raceways located opposite the pair of raceways on the outer race; rolling elements arranged in two circumferential rows located between the opposed raceways of the inner race means and the outer race; and a tubular vent installed in the bore and oriented generally in the radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation for the bearing, the vent fitting including a rigid sleeve and an elastomeric covering surrounding the sleeve, the elastomeric covering being disposed within the bore and being compressed between the walls of the bore and the sleeve to snugly retain the vent fitting in the outer race, the vent fitting projecting radially inwardly beyond the intervening surface and the raceways of the outer race with the sidewalls thereof being substantially imperforate beyond the intervening surface so that a lubricant in the bearing will not flow into the vent fitting if the vent fitting is at the bottom of the bearing; the vent fitting having a shoulder intermediate its end and the shoulder being abutted against the intervening surfaCe of the outer race, the vent fitting allowing fluid to flow from its inner end to its outer end so that excessively high pressures will not develop in the interior of the bearing.

Claim 19

A bearing according to claim 15 wherein the bore is of a single diameter and the outer end of the vent fitting is disposed entirely within the bore.