Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Process for making bearing or component thereof
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-10
2002-05-28
Bryant, David P. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Process for making bearing or component thereof
C384S282000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06393699
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to a journal bearing assembly and to a method for fabricating the journal bearing assembly.
Shear shredder machines, briquetting machines, grinding machines, and other types of material processing machines typically use a pair of co-acting, substantially parallel, counter-rotating roller assemblies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,112 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,753 disclose a modular material processing apparatus that includes a pair of co-acting, substantially parallel, counter-rotating roller assemblies, where each of the roller assemblies includes a substantially cylindrical, material processing roller member mounted to a rotating shaft which extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal sides of the frame of the apparatus. Each of the roller assemblies are supported onto the frame by a pair of supports, a first support mounted to one lateral end of the frame and a second support is mounted to the opposite lateral end of the frame. Each of the supports include a bearing housing journalling a cylindrical bearing member mounted or keyed to the shaft of the associated roller assembly.
Conventional bearing assemblies for use with such material processing apparatuses commonly utilize roller-bearing components, such as tapered roller bearings. A disadvantage with such roller-bearing components is their expense and relatively short life span. Another disadvantage of such roller-bearing components is that they provide a limited surface area for bearing the load of the rotational member. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a bearing assembly which has a greater life span than the comparably size roller-bearing assemblies, that is less expensive than conventional roller-bearing assemblies, and which provides a greater surface area to bear the load of the rotating members.
SUMMARY
The present invention provides a bearing assembly comprising a pair of relatively rotatable bearing components, where at least a portion of one of the bearing components is journalled to at least a portion of the other one of the bearing components. One of the first bearing component includes an outer, annular journalled surface and the second bearing component includes an inner, annular journalled surface, and one of the outer or inner and inner journalled surfaces include a plurality of recesses disposed there about. Each of the plurality of recesses are filled with an insert formed from a solid, abrasion resistant, self lubricating material; and the insert protrudes outwardly from the recesses, thereby providing a bearing surface for wearing against the other one of the annular journalled surfaces. Preferably, the solid, abrasion resistant, self-lubricating material is a polyamide resin material such as Vespal, commercially available from DuPont Corporation. Alternatively, the material may be a high load, high heat, low expansion ceramic composite material.
Preferably, the recesses and associated inserts are provided both on an annular circumferential surface and a radial side surface. Accordingly, the inserts are adapted to withstand both the perpendicular moment loads and the thrust loads of the bearing assembly.
The recesses and associated inserts on the annual circumferential surface preferably extend in an axial direction and are preferably substantially evenly distributed thereabout. The recesses and associated inserts on the side surfaces preferably extend substantially radially, and in one embodiment, may be angled with respect to the radius of the side surfaces.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a cylindrical bearing member mounted to or keyed to the roller member shaft of the material processing assembly, and further includes a bearing housing fixedly attached to the frame of the material processing apparatus, where the bearing housing includes a cylindrical cavity for receiving the cylindrical bearing member therein. The cylindrical bearing member preferably includes a plurality of axially extending, oblong inserts mounted on the outer circumferential surface thereof, and also preferably includes a plurality of substantially radially extending, oblong inserts mounted to both radial side surfaces. The inserts are preferably formed from a solid, abrasion resistant, self-lubricating polyamide material, and the inserts protrude above their respective surfaces to a certain extent. Accordingly, when the cylindrical bearing member is journalled within the cylindrical cavity of the bearing housing, only the inserts contact the inner surfaces of the bearing housing. Additionally, in the preferred embodiment, the bearing housing includes a lubricant channel in fluid communication with the inner interior surfaces of the bearing housing which allows for the injection of lubricating fluids, such as grease or oil, between the journalled bearing member and bearing housing.
The present invention also provides a method of forming a bearing comprising the steps of: (a) forming an outer member having a radially inwardly facing bearing surface, (b) forming an inner member having a radially outwardly facing bearing surface, (c) forming a plurality of recesses in the radially outwardly facing bearing surface of the inner member, (d) attaching a plurality of solid, abrasion resistant, friction members to the radially outwardly facing bearing surface by inserting the friction members into the recesses such that a portion of the friction members protrudes outwardly therefrom, (e) turning the inner member to remove material from the protruding portion of the friction members such that a selected overall dimensional tolerance of the inner member is achieved, and (f) assembling the bearing by inserting the inner member into the outer member.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a journal bearing that provides a greater life span than comparably sized roller bearings, that is less expensive than comparably sized roller bearing assemblies, and that provides greater bearing surfaces than comparably sized roller bearing assemblies. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
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Bryant David P.
Stanley & Gilcrest LLP
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