Bearing locking device

Abstract

Abstract A bearing locking device assembly is provided operable for releasably locking a bearing on a shaft. The assembly consists of a bearing mountable on a shaft and a locking shoe member cooperatively associated with the bearing and operable to lock the bearing to the shaft. The bearing is substantially cylindrical in shape and has a bore formed internally thereof. The bore of the bearing is provided with inclined sidewalls at one end thereof. The latter sidewalls are inclined inwardly beginning at the outer edge of the end of the bore and extending inwardly into the bore for a relatively short distance thereby to provide a radially extending shoulder within the bore adjacent one end thereof. The radial shoulder is eccentric in that the width thereof varies from a maximum dimension on one side of the bore to a minimum dimension on the opposing side of the bore. The locking shoe member in accord with one embodiment thereof is generally arcuate in configuration and has a length which is slightly longer than the diameter of the bore of the bearing. The outer surface of the locking shoe member is inclined at an angle which is the complement of the angle at which the aforereferenced sidewalls of the bore of the bearing are inclined. In addition, the thickness of the locking shoe member varies from a maximum at the center thereof to a minimum at each end thereof. Moreover, the thickness of the locking shoe member corresponds to the width of the radial shoulder formed in the bore of the bearing. Namely, the maximum thickness of the locking shoe member is substantially equivalent to the maximum width of the radial shoulder and the minimum thickness of the locking shoe member is substantially equivalent to the minimum width of the radial shoulder. Preferably, internally the locking shoe member is provided with a knurled surface for purposes of improving the gripping action thereof. In accord with the mode of operation of the bearing locking device assembly, the locking shoe member is first inserted into the bore of the bearing so as to be supported on the radial shoulder of the latter. With the bearing and locking shoe member so assembled, the bearing is mounted on the shaft. To lock the bearing to the shaft the former is rotated manually relative to the latter. The effect of this rotation is to cause the locking shoe member to become wedged between the inner surface of the bore of the bearing and the circumference of the shaft thereby locking the bearing to the shaft. To unlock the bearing, the latter need merely be rotated in the opposite direction relative to the shaft.

Inventors

• 👤 Charles W Warda

Bibliographic Details