Ball bearing assembly with dust shield

Claim 1

In a bearing assembly for a roller conveyor, the assembly including an outer housing adapted to engage in the open end portion of a conveyor tube for providing bearing support for the tube, an outer race member mounted to and within the said housing concentrically thereof, an inner race member concentrically in spaced relationship to said outer race member, said inner race member having an annular groove formed in its outer circumferential surface thereof adjacent a first axial end thereof away from said outer race member, and a plurality of ball bearings arranged in a circle between the inner and outer race members to provide bearing inter-engagement therebetween, the improvement of a cup-shaped dust shield of material having the strength and rigidity to be self-sustaining in mounted position and having a degree of flexible yieldability required for mounting to the assembly in the position herein claimed, said material being selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, nylon and Teflon, said dust shield having an outer portion disposed adjacent said first axial end of the assembly, said outer portion having an inner edge portion disposed in said annular groove in the inner race member and firmly held therein to support the shield in position, said shield having an axially and radially portion extending at an angle from said outer portion and spaced radially outward of said outer race member to clear the same, said shield having a circumferential outer edge portion adjoining the innermost portion of the said shield extending away from said outer race member and spaced from said housing to clear the same, whereby said shield is fixed to said inner race member and free of frictional contact with said outer race member sand housing, said shield being sufficiently rigid to be self sustaining for support in the described position and being sufficiently resiliently yieldable to permit the shield to be pressed upon said inner race member and for said inner edge portion of the shield to clear the inner race member and to enter said annular groove.