Roller bearing assembly

Claim 2

A roller bearing assembly comprising radially inner and outer bearing race members coaxially disposed for rotation relative to one another, at least one circumferential row of cylindrical rollers and a pair of circumferential rows of tapered rollers disposed radially between said radially inner and outer bearing race members, each said row of rollers being rotatably engaged with a respective pair of radially opposed raceway surfaces formed in said bearing race members, said rows of tapered rollers being inclined relative to one another so as to accept thrust loads in opposite directions, said raceway surfaces receiving said tapered rollers being conical raceway surfaces, said outer bearing race member including at least a pair of separate conical race member portions axially separated from one another, each conical race member portion including one said conical raceway surface for receiving a respective one of said rows of tapered rollers, one raceway surface of each of said pair of raceway surfaces being non-recessed so as to provide no restraint to said rollers in engagement therewith, the other of said raceway surfaces of each of said pair of raceway surfaces being recessed so as to axially restrain said rollers in engagement therewith, said conical race member portions being interchangeable with one another, said radially outer bearing race member further including a separate cylindrical outer bearing race member portion for said cylindrical rollers, said cylindrical outer race member portion and said cylindrical rollers being axially interposed between said conical race member portions having said conical raceway surfaces, said radially inner and outer bearing members having a predetermined, fixed radial bearing clearance between said at least one row of cylindrical rollers, the radial bearing clearance between said pair of rows of tapered rollers being determined solely by the distance said conical race member portions are axially separated from one another, an uninterrupted, circumferential, ring shaped, axial spacer member having a predetermined fixed axial length disposed between and abutting against the axially inward end of at least one of said conical race member portions such that the axial length of said spacer member determines the radial bearing clearance between said pair of rows of tapered rollers, whereby said conical race member portions may be interchanged with one another and/or said axial spacer member may be reversed, all without altering the radial bearing clearance between any of said rows of rollers.

Claim 3

The roller bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein said radially inner bearing race member includes separate inner bearing race member portions for each of said rows of tapered rollers, the axially inward ends of said inner bearing race member portions being in abutting engagement with the remainder of said radially inner bearing race member and having a groove, and a sealing member located within each said groove whereby the juncture between said inner bearing race member portions with the remainder of said radially inner bearing race member is fully sealed.

Claim 4

The roller bearing assembly of claim 2 wherein said radially inner bearing race member includes a separate cylindrical inner bearing race member portion for said cylindrical rollers, said cylindrical inner bearing race member portion and said cylindrical rollers being axially interposed between said inner bearing race member portions carrying said tapered rollers.

Claim 5

The roller bearing assembly of claim 3, wherein said at least one circumferential row of cylindrical rollers is a single row.

Claim 6

The roller bearing assembly of claim 4, wherein said axial spacer member is interposed between one of said conical race member portions of said radially outer bearing race member and said cylindrical outer bearing race member portion, and a second uninterrupted, circumferential ring shaped axial spacer member being interposed between the remaining said conical race member portion and said cylindrical outer bearing race member portion.

Claim 7

The roller bearing assembly of claim 5, wherein said radially outer bearing race member includes an outer sealing member at each axial outer end of the outer diametric surface thereof, an end sealing member being located at each axial end of said bearing assembly and between the respective said radially inner and outer bearing race members, said outer sealing members and said end sealing members thereby providing a fully sealed roller bearing assembly adapted to be sealingly bound within a chock assembly of a rolling mill.

Claim 8

The roller bearing assembly of claim 6, wherein said inner bearing race includes a constant inner diameter whereby said roller bearing assembly is adapted to be slipped onto and support a roll-neck portion of a rolling mill, said outer bearing race member having a constant outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of said axial spacer member whereby said roller bearing assembly may be slideably received within and supported by the chock assembly of a rolling mill, and each said outer sealing member comprising an O-ring partially disposed within and retained by a respective groove in the outer diametric surface of said outer bearing race member.

Claim 9

The roller bearing assembly of claim 3, wherein said at least one row of cylindrical rollers includes two rows of cylindrical rollers.

Claim 10

The roller bearing assembly of claim 3, wherein said at least one row of cylindrical rollers includes two rows of cylindrical rollers, said axial spacer member being interposed between one of said conical race member portions of said radially outer bearing race member and said cylindrical outer bearing race member portion, and a second uninterrupted, circumferential ring shaped axial spacer member being interposed between the remaining said conical race member portion and said cylindrical outer bearing race member portion, said radially outer bearing race member including an outer sealing member at each axial outer end of the outer diametric surface thereof, an end sealing member being located at each axial end of said bearing assembly and between the respective said radially inner and outer bearing race members, said outer sealing members and said end sealing members thereby providing a fully sealed roller bearing assembly adapted to be sealingly bound within a chock assembly of a rolling mill.

Claim 11

The roller bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein said radially outer bearing race member includes an outer sealing member at each axial outer end thereof, an end sealing member being located at each axial end of said bearing assembly and between the respective said radially inner and outer bearing race members, said outer sealing members and said end sealing members thereby providing a fully sealed roller bearing assembly adapted to be sealingly bound within a chock assembly of a rolling mill.

Claim 12

The roller bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein said inner bearing race member includes a constant inner diameter whereby said roller bearing assembly is adapted to be slipped onto and support a roll-neck portion of a rolling mill, said outer bearing race member having a constant outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of said axial spacer member whereby said roller bearing assembly may be slideably received within and supported by the chock assembly of a rolling mill, said radially outer bearing race member including an outer sealing member at each axial outer end of the outer diametric surface thereof, an end sealing member being located at each axial end of said bearing assembly and between the respective said radially inner and outer bearing race members, said outer sealing members and said end sealing members thereby providing a fully sealed roller bearing assembly adapted to be sealingly bound within a chock assembly of a rolling mill.

Claim 13

A roller bearing assembly comprising radially inner and outer bearing race members coaxially disposed for rotation relative to one another, a pair of circumferential rows of cylindrical rollers and a pair of circumferential rows of tapered rollers disposed radially between said radially inner and outer bearing race members, each said row of rollers being rotatably engaged with a respective pair of radially opposed raceway surfaces formed in said bearing race members, each said row of cylindrical rollers being carried by a respective outer bearing race member portion at the axially outward ends thereof, and each said row of tapered rollers being carried at the axially inward ends of said outer bearing race member portions, said rows of tapered rollers being inclined relative to one another so as to accept thrust loads in opposite directions, said raceway surfaces receiving said tapered rollers being conical raceway surfaces, said outer bearing race member including at least a pair of separate race member portions axially separated from one another, each race member portion including one said conical raceway surface for receiving a respective one of said rows of tapered rollers, one raceway surface of each of said pair of raceway surfaces being non-recessed so as to provide no restraint to said rollers in engagement therewith, the other of said raceway surfaces of each of said pair of raceway surfaces being recessed so as to axially restrain said rollers in engagement therewith, said race member portions being interchangeable with one another, said radially inner and outer bearing members having a predetermined, fixed radial bearing clearance between each row of cylindrical rollers, the radial bearing clearance between said pair of rows of tapered rollers being determined solely by the distance said race member portions are axially separated from one another, an uninterrupted, circumferential, ring shaped, axial spacer member having a predetermined fixed axial length disposed between and abutting against the axially inward end of at least one of said race member portions such that the axial length of said spacer member determines the radial bearing clearance between said pair of rows of tapered rollers, whereby said race member portions may be interchanged with one another and/or said axial spacer member may be reversed, all without altering the radial bearing clearance between any of said rows of rollers, said inner bearing race member including a constant inner diameter whereby said roller bearing assembly is adapted to be slipped onto and support a roll-neck portion of a rolling mill, said outer bearing race member having a constant outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of said axial spacer member whereby said roller bearing assembly may be slideably received within and supported by the chock assembly of a rolling mill, said radially outer bearing race member including an outer sealing member at each axial outer end thereof, an end sealing member being located at each axial end of said bearing assembly and between the respective said radially inner and outer bearing race members, said outer sealing members and said end sealing members thereby providing a fully sealed roller bearing assembly adapted to be sealingly bound within a chock assembly of a rolling mill.

Claim 14

A roller bearing assembly comprising radially inner and outer bearing race members coaxially disposed for rotation relative to one another, a pair of circumferential rows of cylindrical rollers and a pair of circumferential rows of tapered rollers disposed radially between said radially inner and outer bearing race members, each said row of rollers being rotatably engaged with a respective pair of radially opposed raceway surfaces formed in said bearing race members, each said row of cylindrical rollers being carried by a respective outer bearing race member portion at the axially outward ends thereof, and each said row of tapered rollers being carried at the axially inward ends of said outer bearing race member portions, said rows of tapered rollers being inclined relative to one another so as to accept thrust loads in opposite directions, said raceway surfaces receiving said tapered rollers being conical raceway surfaces, said outer bearing race member including at least a pair of separate race member portions axially separated from one another, each race member portion including one said conical raceway surface for receiving a respective one of said rows of tapered rollers, one raceway surface of each of said pair of raceway surfaces being non-recessed so as to provide no restraint to said rollers in engagement therewith, the other of said raceway surfaces of each of said pair of raceway surfaces being recessed so as to axially restrain said rollers in engagement therewith, said race member portions being interchangeable with one another, said radially inner and outer bearing members having a predetermined, fixed radial bearing clearance between each row of cylindrical rollers, the radial bearing clearance between said pair of rows of tapered rollers being determined solely by the distance said race member portions are axially separated from one another, an uninterrupted, circumferential, ring shaped, axial spacer member having a predetermined fixed axial length disposed between and abutting against the axially inward end of at least one of said race member portions such that the axial length of said spacer member determines the radial bearing clearance between said pair of rows of tapered rollers, whereby said race member portions may be interchanged with one another and/or said axial spacer member may be reversed, all without altering the radial bearing clearance between any of said rows of rollers, said inner bearing race member including a constant inner diameter whereby said roller bearing assembly is adapted to be slipped onto and support a roll-neck portion of a rolling mill, said outer bearing race member having a constant outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of said axial spacer member whereby said roller bearing assembly may be slideably received within and supported by the chock assembly of a rolling mill, said radially outer bearing race member including an outer sealing member at each axial outer end thereof, an end sealing member being located at each axial end of said bearing assembly and between the respective said radially inner and outer bearing race members, said outer sealing members and said end sealing members thereby providing a fully sealed roller bearing assembly adapted to be sealingly bound within a chock assembly of a rolling mill.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said radially inner bearing race member includes a separate inner bearing race member portion for each of said rows of tapered rollers, the axially inward ends of said inner bearing race member portions being in abutting engagement with the remainder of said radially inner bearing race member and having a groove, and a sealing member located within each said groove whereby the juncture between said inner bearing race member portions with the remainder of said radially inner bearing race member is fully sealed.