Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Process for making bearing or component thereof
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-23
2003-01-28
Vidovich, Gregory M. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Process for making bearing or component thereof
C029S464000, C029S898062, C029S724000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06510609
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present, invention is related to a method and an apparatus for arranging balls in a ball bearing, specifically to a method and an apparatus for arranging a plurality of balls circumferentially with a uniform interval (uniform space) before the step of mounting a retainer in assembling the ball bearing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In assembling a ball hearing comprising an inner ring
1
and an outer ring
2
, at first, as shown in
FIG. 7
(A), a plurality of balls
3
are installed in an annular space
4
between an inner ring raceway in the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring
1
and an outer ring raceway on the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring
2
, and a plurality of the balls
3
are arranged circumferentially with a uniform interval therebetween as shown in
FIG. 7
(B). Next, an annular retainer (not shown) is pushed in the annular space
4
between the inner ring raceway and the outer ring raceway so as to rotatably retain the balls
3
.
When the plurality of the balls
3
, installed and arranged with uneven spaces in the annular space
4
as shown in
FIG. 7
(A), are arranged with the uniform interval, as shown in
FIG. 7
(B), the force of the hydraulic fluid is utilized to circumferentially move each of the balls
3
while preventing the rolling surface of each of the balls
3
from being injured, which is conventionally known, for examples, in Japanese Patent Publications No. Toku Kai Hei 05-104361, or No. Toku Kai Hei 05-104362.
FIGS. 8
(A) to
8
(C) show the first example of the invention described in Japanese Patent Publication No. Toku Kai Hei 05-104362. A compressor is used to supply the compressed air, one kind of pressurized fluid, to a nozzle device
7
comprising an annular manifold
5
(refer to
FIG. 10
described below, omitted in FIGS.
8
(A) to
8
(C)) which is connected to the discharge opening of the compressor, and nozzles
6
which are provided on one surface of the manifold
5
circumferentially with a uniform interval. The number (sixteen in the example shown) of the nozzles
6
is twice the number of the balls
3
to be arranged (eight in the example shown). Valve devices (not shown), which are electromagnetically opened and closed, are provided in the air paths communicated with the nozzles
6
, respectively, and signals produced by a controller (not shown) are used to independently open and close each of the valve devices.
With the nozzle device
7
constructed as mentioned above, the balls
3
existing with uneven spaces between the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring and the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring as shown in
FIG. 8
(A), are arranged with a uniform interval in the circumferential direction, as shown in
FIG. 8
(C), through the steps as described below.
At first, as shown in
FIG. 7
(A), the balls
3
are inserted between the inner ring raceway provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring
1
and the outer ring raceway provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring
2
. This inserting operation is conducted in the condition that the centers of the inner ring
1
and the outer ring
2
are displaced from each other, and the width of the annular space
4
between the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring
1
and the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring
2
is increased at one circumferential portion. Accordingly, the balls
3
, immediately after installed, are concentrated at the one circumferential portion. In this condition, the nozzle device
7
is placed axially beside the inner ring
1
and the outer ring
2
, so that the nozzles
6
face the annular space
4
(refer to
FIG. 7
(A)) between the inner ring raceway and the outer ring raceway.
Next, shown in
FIG. 8
(B), by spouting the compressed air from one or some of the nozzles
6
, the balls
3
are moved in the circumferential direction, so that the balls
3
, are arranged circumferentially with a uniform interval as shown in
FIG. 8
(C). That is to say, as shown in
FIG. 9
, when spouting the compressed air to one of the balls
3
from one of the nozzles
6
, as clear in the Bernoulli's theory, pressure (the static pressure) acts onto the either side of the ball
3
, such that it is low on the side where the nozzle
6
exists and the stream is swift, and high on the opposite side. Accordingly, the ball
3
is drawn toward the center axis of the nozzle
6
. And, after the center of this ball
3
has moved on the extension line (center axis) of the nozzle
6
, as long as the compressed air continues spouting from the nozzle
6
, the ball
3
is sustained in the position facing the nozzle
6
.
Accordingly, by proper switching between on and off in spouting the compressed air from the sixteen nozzles
6
provided in the manifold
5
, the eight balls
3
are moved in the circumferential direction, so that the balls
3
are placed at the respective positions facing the respective alternate eight nozzles
6
. Then the eight balls
3
are arranged circumferentially with a uniform interval.
Next,
FIG. 10
shows the second example of the prior art method described in the publication. Although, in the first example shown above, the number (sixteen) of the nozzles
6
in the nozzle device
7
is twice the number (eight) of balls
3
to be arranged, in this example, the number of the nozzles
6
in the nozzle device
7
a
is equal to the number (eight) of the balls
3
. Instead, the manifold
5
, which forms the nozzle device
7
a
together with the nozzles
6
, is rotatable in either of the circumferential directions, as shown by the arrow ‘X’ in FIG.
10
.
In the case of arranging the balls
3
circumferentially with a uniform interval by the second example method using the nozzle device
7
a,
the compressed air is spouted from one or some of the plurality of the nozzles
6
, while the manifold
5
is rotated in the circumferential direction, clockwise and counterclockwise, so that every ball
3
is retained in the position facing each of the eight nozzles
6
. In this case, by properly regulating the speed and the angle of rocking of the manifold
5
, it is prevented that two or more balls
3
are kept to be attracted to one nozzle
6
. That is, the extra balls
3
are shaken off.
Moreover, as a method for the purpose of the more smooth operation for arranging a plurality of balls by compressed fluid, Japanese Patent Publication No. Toku Kai Hei 07-290329 (US 5,678,310) disclosed a method using the apparatus as shown in
FIG. 11
or FIG.
12
. With the third and fourth examples described as prior art methods in this publication, in the third example using the apparatus as shown in
FIG. 11
, a positioning land
9
is formed at the upper center portion of a mounting block
8
functioning as the manifold, and the inner ring
1
is fitted without play onto the positioning land
9
. Then, the compressed air, or the pressurized fluid is spouted out of the upper opening of each of the nozzles
6
around this positioning land
9
to the annular space
4
existing between the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring
1
and the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring
2
. The number of the nozzles
6
is the same to that of the balls
3
.
Further, in this example, no special device such as electromagnetic valve is provided between each of the nozzles
6
and the air supplying path
11
communicated with the source of the compressed air, such as the compressor
10
. Consequently, while opening the electromagnetic valve, not shown, which is provided between the air tank attached to the compressor
10
and the air supplying path
11
, the same amount of the compressed air is spouted at the same velocity from each of the nozzles
6
.
And, above the upper opening of the annular space
4
, a rod
14
is hung, and a disturbance plate
12
is connected to the lower end of the rod
14
. The annular disturbance plate
12
is provided, so that the sloped lower surface
13
of this disturbance plate
12
faces to the upper end opening of the annular space
4
. The disturbance plate
1
Chiba Kazuyasu
Shibazaki Hiroshi
Compton Eric
NSK Ltd.
Vidovich Gregory M.
LandOfFree
Method and apparatus for arranging balls with uniform... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for arranging balls with uniform..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for arranging balls with uniform... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3034971