Abrading – Abrading process – Ring – tube – bushing – sleeve – or cylinder abrading
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-27
2004-04-27
Morgan, Eileen P. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Abrading process
Ring, tube, bushing, sleeve, or cylinder abrading
C451S312000, C451S324000, C451S061000, C451S163000, C451S173000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06726544
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for slidingly contacting a superfinishing stone with a raceway surface formed in an outer ring of a tapered roller bearing to thereby superfinish the raceway surface and, more particular, to an improved technology which can avoid an interference between the superfinishing stone and the outer ring.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, to superfinish a raceway surface of an outer ring of the tapered roller bearing, for example, there is used such a superfinishing apparatus
1
as shown in FIG.
7
. The superfinishing apparatus
1
includes a backing plate
5
, a pair of pusher rollers
7
(only one of them is shown), a pair of shoes
9
(only the lower portion is shown), a superfinishing stone holder
13
, a superfinishing stone clamp bolt
17
, a pressurizing cylinder
21
and an oscillation table
23
. The backing plate
5
causes an outer ring
3
to rotate. The pair of pusher rollers
7
pushes the outer ring
3
against the backing plate
5
. The shoes
9
support the outer ring
3
on the lower and lateral sides thereof. The superfinishing stone holder
13
supports a superfinishing stone
11
at a leading end portion thereof. The clamp bolt
17
is threadedly engaged with the leading end portion of the superfinishing stone holder
13
for fixing the superfinishing stone
11
through a superfinishing stone holding plate
15
. The pressurizing cylinder
21
moves the superfinishing stone holder
13
in a direction where the superfinishing stone
11
is pushed against a raceway surface
19
. The oscillation table
23
moves the superfinishing stone holder
13
and the pressurizing cylinder
21
in such a manner that the superfinishing stone
11
can approach or move away from the backing plate
5
.
And, when the backing plate
5
rotates, the outer ring
3
, which is placed on the shoes
9
and is pushed by the pusher rollers
7
, is rotated in synchronization with the backing plate
5
. Next, the superfinishing stone
11
is moved toward the inner periphery of the outer ring
3
by the oscillation table
23
and the pressurizing cylinder
21
is driven, so that the leading end face of the superfinishing stone
11
is pressed against the raceway surface
19
of the outer ring
3
. The superfinishing stone
11
is disposed perpendicular to the raceway surface
19
and the leading end face of the superfinishing stone
11
is slidingly contacted with the raceway surface
19
.
The superfinishing stone
11
, the leading end portion of which has been worn due to such superfinishing, is moved from the inner periphery of the outer ring
3
to the outside. After then, the superfinishing stone clamp bolt
17
is loosened, whereby the superfinishing stone
11
is fed out to the leading end side thereof. And, by tightening the superfinishing stone clamp bolt
17
again, the superfinishing stone
11
is manually fed out sequentially from the leading end side thereof and is consumed accordingly.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional superfinishing apparatus
1
, as shown in
FIG. 8
, since the superfinishing stone
11
is disposed perpendicular to the raceway surface
19
of the outer ring
3
, a non-working raceway surface
19
b
located on the opposite side to a working raceway surface
19
a
and a rear end portion
11
a
of the superfinishing stone
11
interferes with each other, which limits the length of the superfinishing stone
11
to be used. Therefore, when an outer ring having a small bore diameter is superfinished, it is necessary to use a short superfinishing stone that can be inserted into the inner periphery of the outer ring, which increases the frequency of replacement of the superfinishing stone, resulting in the lowered operation efficiency. Also, a superfinishing stone requires a clamp portion which is not used and, therefore, in the case of a short superfinishing stone, the clamp portion to be wasted increases, which results in the uneconomical superfinishing stone. Further, the interference of the superfinishing stone rear end portion with the non-working raceway surface of the outer ring not only, as described above, disables use of a long superfinishing stone but also provides an obstacle to realization of an automatic superfinishing stone feed-out mechanism which automatically feeds out the superfinishing stone depending on the consumption.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at eliminating the above drawbacks found in the conventional method and apparatus for superfinishing a tapered roller bearing. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for superfinishing a tapered roller bearing which can reduce the frequency of replacement of superfinishing stones to thereby enhance operability, can enhance the economy of consumption of a superfinishing stone, and can realize automated feed-out of the superfinishing stone.
In attaining the above object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a superfinishing method of a tapered roller bearing, including the steps of: rotating an outer ring of the tapered roller bearing about a center axis thereof; inserting a straight-shaped superfinishing stone from a front face of outer ring; and slidingly contacting a leading end face of the superfinishing stone with a taper-shaped raceway surface formed in an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring to thereby superfinish the raceway surface. The superfinishing stone is inclined outwardly of the front face of outer ring with respect to a vertical line of the raceway surface.
According to the superfinishing method of the first aspect, since the superfinishing stone is inclined outwardly of the front face of outer ring with respect to the vertical line of the raceway surface, there can be avoided interference between the rear end portion of the superfinishing stone and the non-working raceway surface located on the opposite side to the working raceway surface, thereby removing a length limit of the superfinishing stone. Accordingly, the superfinishing stone can increase the length thereof, which can reduce the frequency of replacement of superfinishing stone. And, the elimination of interference of the rear end portion of the superfinishing stone makes it possible to employ a superfinishing stone feed-out mechanism which sequentially feeds out the long-sized superfinishing stone depending on the consumption of the superfinishing stone. That is, the present superfinishing method can remove an obstacle to an automated superfinishing apparatus.
And, in the present superfinishing method, the inclination angle of the superfinishing stone with respect to the vertical line of the raceway surface may be preferably in the range of 5°-25° in almost all bearings. When the taper half angle of the raceway surface is small, the inclination angle may be more preferably in the range of 10°-20°, and when the outer ring width is large, the inclination angle is further preferably in the range of 15°-20°.
That is, according to the superfinishing method of the tapered roller bearing, since the inclination angle of the superfinishing stone with respect to the vertical line of the raceway surface is in the range of 5°-25°, not only there can be prevented interference between the rear end portion of the superfinishing stone and the non-working raceway surface located on the opposite side to the working raceway surface, which can be caused when the inclination angle is less than 5°, but also there can be prevented from chipping the sharpened shape of the leading end portion of the superfinishing stone, which can be caused when the inclination angle is more than 25°.
In the superfinishing working, it is generally known that the surface pressure of superfinishing stone is an important element of the working conditions. Therefore, in case where the contact area S of superfinishing stone on the working surface increases, the pressurizing force of the superfinishing stone is increased so as to secure the
Fukano Tomeo
Ozaki Tai
Sugiyama Tooru
Morgan Eileen P.
NSK Ltd.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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