Side race ball bearing

Claim 2

In a ball bearing having: an annular inner race; an annular outer race; one of said races having an annular, concave bearing surface that faces in one axial direction; the other of said races having an annular, concave bearing surface that is spaced axially from and faces toward said bearing surface of said one race; and a row of circumferentially arranged, identical, spherical bearing balls engaged axially between said bearing surfaces of the inner and outer races; each of said concave bearing surfaces of the inner and outer races projecting both radially inward and radially outward past the axial centerline of each ball; the improvement wherein: each of said concave bearing surfaces of the inner and outer races has a compound curvature with a first location of minimum radius from the center of each ball which is offset radially outward from the axial centerline of the ball and a second location of minimum radius from the center of each ball which is offset radially inward from the axial centerline of the ball, said minimum radius of the concave bearing surfaces being substantially equal to the radius of each ball, and each of said concave bearing surfaces throughout its annular extent having a larger radius from the center of each ball throughout its extent radially outward from said first minimum radius location thereon and throughout its extent radially inward from said second minimum radius location thereon.

Claim 3

A ball bearing according to claim 1, wherein: said one race is an inner race having an annular, radially outwardly projecting flange providing said first-mentioned concave bearing surface; and said other race is an outer race having an annular, radially inwardly projecting segment providing said second-mentioned concave bearing surface.

Claim 4

A ball bearing according to claim 1, and further comprising means for selectively adjusting said races axially with respect to one another to adjust the loading on the balls.

Claim 5

A ball bearing according to claim 1, wherein each of said concave bearing surfaces throughout its annular extent between said first and second minimum radius locations thereon has a larger radius from the center of each ball than said minimum radius.

Claim 6

A bearing according to claim 1, wherein: the concave bearing surface of each race in longitudinal cross-section has a circular curvature, radially outward from the axial centerline of the adjoining ball, whose radius is centered at said second minimum radius location on the opposite concave bearing surface; and the concave bearing surface of each race in longitudinal cross-section has a circular curvature, radially inward from the axial centerline of the adjoining ball, whose radius is centered at said first minimum radius location on the opposite concave bearing surface.

Claim 7

A ball bearing according to claim 5, wherein: said one race is an inner race having an annular, radially outwardly projecting flange providing said first-mentioned concave bearing surface; and said other race is an outer race having an annular, radially inwardly projecting segment providing said second-mentioned concave bearing surface.

Claim 8

A ball bearing according to claim 6, and further comprising means for selectively adjusting said races axially with respect to one another to adjust the loading on the balls.

Claim 9

A ball bearing according to claim 1, and further comprising a cage providing circumferentially spaced pockets which rotatably receive the individual balls, said pockets being open at each axial end to expose the respective balls to the adjacent concave bearing surfaces, said cage extending circumferentially around the outside and the inside of said row of balls between said concave bearing surfaces.

Claim 10

A bearing according to claim 1, wherein said first and second minimum radius locations on both concave bearing surfaces are substantially equally offset radially from the axial centerline of the ball.

Claim 11

In a double row ball bearing: an annular inner race; an annular outer race; one of said races having an annular, radially projecting segment with oppositely facing, annular, concave bearing surfaces at its opposite axial end faces; the other of said races having a pair of axially spaced, annular, radially projecting segments spaced axially on opposite sides of said radially projecting segment of said one race and presenting respective annular, concave bearing surfaces which face respectively toward the bearing surfaces of said one race; and two axially spaced, circumferentially arranged rows of identical spherical bearing balls engaged axially between the respective confronting bearing surfaces of the outer and inner races; each of said concave bearing surfaces projecting both radially inward and radially outward past the axial centerline of the adjacent ball; the improvement wherein: each of said concave bearing surfaces of the inner and outer races has a compound curvature with a first location of minimum radius from the center of the adjoining ball which is offset radially outward from the axial centerline of the ball and a second location of minimum radius from the center of the adjoining ball which is offset radially inward from the axial centerline of the ball, said minimum radius of the concave bearing surfaces being substantially equal to the radius of each ball, and each of said concave bearing surfaces throughout its annular extent having a larger radius from the center of the ball throughout its extent radially outward from said first minimum radius location thereon and throughout its extent radially inward from said second minimum radius location thereon.

Claim 12

In a double row ball bearing: an annular inner race; an annular outer race; one of said races having an annular, radially projecting segment with oppositely facing, annular, concave bearing surfaces at its opposite axial end faces; the other of said races having a pair of axially spaced, annular, radially projecting segments spaced axially on opposite sides of said radially projecting segment of said one race and presenting respective annular, concave bearing surfaces which face respectively toward the bearing surfaces of said one race; and two axially spaced, circumferentially arranged rows of identical spherical bearing balls engaged axially between the respective confronting bearing surfaces of the outer and inner races; each of said concave bearing surfaces projecting both radially inward and radially outward past the axial centerline of the adjacent ball; the improvement wherein: each of said concave bearing surfaces of the inner and outer races has a compound curvature with a first location of minimum radius from the center of the adjoining ball which is offset radially outward from the axial centerline of the ball and a second location of minimum radius from the center of the adjoining ball which is offset radially inward from the axial centerline of the ball, said minimum radius of the concave bearing surfaces being substantially equal to the radius of each ball, and each of said concave bearing surfaces throughout its annular extent having a larger radius from the center of the ball throughout its extent radially outward from said first minimum radius location thereon and throughout its extent radially inward from said second minimum radius location thereon.

Claim 13

A bearing according to claim 10, wherein: said one race is an inner race having an annular, outwardly projecting flange providing said oppositely facing concave bearing surfaces; and said other race is an outer race having annular, radially inwardly projecting segments on opposite axial sides of said flange on the inner race which provide the respective concave bearing surfaces facing toward the concave bearing surfaces on said flange.

Claim 14

A bearing according to claim 11, wherein said outer race comprises: a first annular outer race member extending on one axial side of one of said rows of balls; a second annular outer race member extending on the opposite axial side of the other row of balls; and a third annular outer race member extending circumferentially around said flange on the inner race and around both said rows of balls and in screw-threaded engagement with said first and second outer race members.

Claim 15

A bearing according to claim 12, wherein each of said first and second outer race members is screw-threadedly adjustable along said third outer race member to adjust the loading on the bearing balls or compensate for wear.

Claim 16

A bearing according to claim 13, and further comprising a cage for each row of bearing balls providing circumferentially spaced pockets which rotatably receive the individual balls, said pockets being open at each axial end to expose the respective balls to the adjacent concave bearing surfaces, each of said cages extending circumferentially around the respective row of balls between the adjacent concave bearing surfaces.

Claim 17

A bearing according to claim 14, wherein each of said bearing surfaces throughout its annular extent between said first and second minimum radius locations thereon has a larger radius from the center of each adjoining ball than said minimum radius.

Claim 18

A bearing according to claim 14, wherein: each bearing surface of each race in longitudinal cross-section has a circular curvature, radially outward from the axial centerline of the adjoining ball, whose radius is centered at said second minimum radius location on the opposite bearing surface; and each bearing surface of each race in longitudinal cross-section has a circular curvature, radially inward from the axial centerline of the adjoining ball, whose radius is centered at said first minimum radius location on the opposite bearing surface.

Claim 19

A bearing according to claim 10, wherein each of said concave bearing surfaces throughout its annular extent between said first and second minimum radius locations thereon has a larger radius from the center of each adjoining ball than said minimum radius.

Claim 20

A bearing according to claim 10, wherein: each concave bearing surface of each race in longitudinal cross-section has a circular curvature, radially outward from the axial centerline of the adjoining ball, whose radius is centered at said second minimum radius location on the opposite concave bearing surface; and each concave bearing surface of each race in longitudinal cross-section has a circular curvature, radially inward from the axial centerline of the adjoining ball, whose radius is centered at said first minimum radius location on the opposite concave bearing surface.

Claim 21

A bearing according to claim 10, and further comprising: a cage for each row of bearing balls providing circumferentially spaced pockets which rotatably receive the individual balls, said pockets being open at each axial end to expose the respective balls to the adjacent concave bearing surface, each of said cages extending circumferentially around the respective row of balls between the adjacent concave bearing surfaces; and wherein: said first and second minimum radius locations on the concave bearing surfaces are substantially equally offset radially from the axial centerline of the adjoining ball.