Bearing-surface Treatment Patents (Class 384/625)
  • Patent number: 6062735
    Abstract: A corrosion resistant bearing includes a bearing insert and a housing supporting the bearing insert. The bearing insert includes an outer ring, an inner ring and a plurality of rolling bearing elements disposed between the rings. At least one of the bearing components includes a multi-layer corrosion resistant system for inhibiting or delaying corrosion of the substrate of the component. The substrate may be made of high carbon or alloy steel. The corrosion resistant system includes a galvanic or sacrificial metallic plating layer disposed directly on the component substrate. One or more mechanical protection layers is formed or disposed over the plating layer. A first mechanical protection layer includes a clear chromate coating formed on the plating layer. Additional mechanical protection layers include non-metallic layers, such as acetate or polytetrafluoroethylene coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Reliance Electric Industrial Company
    Inventor: Robert E. Ward
  • Patent number: 6059460
    Abstract: There are provided a plain bearing which is excellent in oil retaining property and wear-resistant property. The plain bearing has a number of fine grooves which are formed in the circumferential direction on each of the inner surfaces of semi-cylindrical bearing metals. Lands are defined as portions of the plain bearing which are left between the fine grooves. The lands comprise higher projecting lands and lower projecting lands. With this arrangement, a rotating shaft is supported by the higher projecting lands and a large amount of lubricating oil can be retained between the higher projecting land and the next higher projecting land thereto. Consequently, the bearing and its associated rotating parts can be prevented from the possible seizure in the running-in period at the early stage when using the bearing, which is liable to cause the seizure in particular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Daido Metal Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Ono, Hideyumi Matsumura, Masayuki Niwa, Shoji Nawa, Takayuki Shibayama
  • Patent number: 6051080
    Abstract: The invention relates to a power roller used for a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission. This power roller has on its first side a groove for receiving a bearing, and the surface of the groove (bearing surface) has a carbon concentration which is not lower than that of the back surface of a second side opposed to the first side. The power roller has a hardened outer layer having first and second portions which are respectively defined by the bearing surface and the back surface. The first portion of the hardened outer layer has an effective depth which is not shallower than that of the second portion thereof. The power roller is prepared by the sequential steps of surface-hardening, quenching, and grinding. The surface-hardening process is one of carburizing and carbonitriding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Kino, Toshifumi Hibi
  • Patent number: 6046430
    Abstract: A method for designing bearings, of improved performance, the load-bearing surfaces of which feature micropores about 2 to 10 microns deep and, preferably, aspect ratios on the order of 7 to 20. The hydrodynamic pressure distribution of a suite of bearing surfaces with different micropore geometries and densities is modeled numerically. The load-bearing surfaces of the bearings are fabricated with micropores having the optimal density and geometry determined by the numerical modeling. Conical micropores may be created by single laser pulses, with the pore size and shape controlled by controlling the laser beam profile, the laser beam power, and the optical parameters of the focusing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Surface Technologies Ltd.
    Inventor: Izhak Etsion
  • Patent number: 6045200
    Abstract: A track assembly for a track-type machine includes a track bushing that defines first and second end portions and first and second sealing end faces that are defined by the respective end portions. The track bushing also defines a bore that extends therethrough between the end portions thereof. A first bearing surface is defined on the bore adjacent the first end portion and a second bearing surface is defined on the bore adjacent the second end portion. An abrasion resistant coating is deposited on at least one of the first and second end surfaces and the first and second bearing surfaces. The coating is selected from the group consisting of chromium nitrides, chromium carbonitrides, and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Peter W. Anderton, Chuong Q. Dam, Alan P. Dremann, William A. Holt, Phil J. Shankwitz
  • Patent number: 6012851
    Abstract: A rolling bearing comprises a rolling element, an outer ring having an outer circumferential surface portion subjected to surface hardening and an inner circumferential surface portion acting as an orbit of the rolling element, the outer circumferential surface portion being in contact with other members so as to be used as a roll, and an inner ring having an outer circumferential surface portion acting as an orbit of the rolling element. The hardness of a core portion of the outer ring is set to be in a range of from Hv 500 to Hv 650.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hirakawa, Akio Aoki, Kanichiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6007251
    Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a bearing, which has increased adhesive strength of lubricant to surfaces of rolling elements, a surface of a raceway or a surface of a cage. A surface of a ball, a raceway surface of an inner ring and a raceway surface of an outer ring are subjected to fluoride coating substitution process or ion bombardment process so that their oxygen concentration becomes not more than 2 ppm/mm.sup.2, by which surface oxide is removed. After the removal of the oxide, the surfaces are coated with a solid lubricant of silver, lead or the like. The surfaces from which oxide has been removed have good lubricant adhesion, making breaks in the lubricant unlikely to occur. Thus, the life of the bearing is prolonged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Hayashida, Hiroaki Takebayashi, Shoji Eguchi, Kouichi Okuda
  • Patent number: 6002100
    Abstract: A method for designing bearings, of improved performance, the load-bearing surfaces of which feature micropores about 2 to 10 microns deep and, preferably, aspect ratios on the order of 7 to 20. The hydrodynamic pressure distribution of a suite of bearing surfaces with different micropore geometries and densities is modeled numerically. The load-bearing surfaces of the bearings are fabricated with micropores having the optimal density and geometry determined by the numerical modeling. Conical micropores may be created by single laser pulses, with the pore size and shape controlled by controlling the laser beam profile, the laser beam power, and the optical parameters of the focusing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Surface Technologies Ltd.
    Inventor: Izhak Etsion
  • Patent number: 5997988
    Abstract: A machine part has a rolling contact surface (11a) having a lot of very small recesses which are independent of each other formed thereon. The maximum height (Ry) of a roughness profile (R) obtained by cutting the contact surface (11a) by a plane perpendicular to the contact surface (11a) is 1 to 3 .mu.m, and the peak height Rp of a center line of the roughness profile (R) and the valley depth Rv of the center line satisfy the relationship of Rp/Rv.ltoreq.0.3. In this case, the contact surface (11a) has very low crests which are relatively densely distributed and very deep troughs which are relatively sparsely distributed. A sufficiently wide contact area is ensured by the former very low crests which are relatively densely distributed. An oil sump in a sufficient amount is formed by the latter deep troughs which are sparsely distributed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Sada
  • Patent number: 5967672
    Abstract: A rolling or sliding machine part that has an improved oil film formation capacity. The machine part has a rolling or sliding contact surface formed with discontinuous grooves, which are dispersedly arranged and extend across the direction in which the machine part rolls or slides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Akamatsu, Fuyuki Ito, Shiro Deguchi
  • Patent number: 5952080
    Abstract: A method for designing bearings, of improved performance, the load-bearing surfaces of which feature micropores about 2 to 10 microns deep and, preferably, aspect ratios on the order of 7 to 20. The hydrodynamic pressure distribution of a suite of bearing surfaces with different micropore geometries and densities is modeled numerically. The load-bearing surfaces of the bearings are fabricated with micropores having the optimal density and geometry determined by the numerical modeling. Conical micropores may be created by single laser pulses, with the pore size and shape controlled by controlling the laser beam profile, the laser beam power, and the optical parameters of the focusing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Surface Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Izhak Etsion, Ofer Kinrot
  • Patent number: 5927865
    Abstract: A rolling apparatus comprising rolling elements disposed between an outer member and an inner member, the rolling elements rolling along a first contact surface, which is the contact surface of the outer member with the rolling elements, and along a second contact surface, which is the contact surface of the inner member with the rolling elements, wherein a film composed of a nickel-tungsten alloy is formed on at least one of the rolling elements, the first contact surface and the second contact surface, and the film has a thickness of from 2 to 30 .mu.m and a tungsten atom weight ratio of at least 35% by weight. The rolling apparatus has a high corrosion resistance to a strong acid such as hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid and a strong alkali.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ito, Koichi Hachiya
  • Patent number: 5921684
    Abstract: In a thrust ball bearing, the heat treating hardness and heat treatment hardening depth of a bearing ring 4a (4b) are prescribed such that, at any depth from the raceway surface 4a1 (4b1), the value which is seven times the dynamic shearing stress .tau..sub.ZY produced at a certain depth from the raceway surface 4a1 (4b1) by the rolling movement of the rolling element 4c does not exceed the hardness at that depth. More particularly, with Vickers hardness Hv=520 adopted as a reference hardness, heat treatment (for example, carburizing) is effected such that a hardened layer with Hv=520 is present at a depth not less than 4% of the diameter d of the balls 4c.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventor: Masatoshi Niina
  • Patent number: 5887985
    Abstract: A bearing includes a first component having a surface and a second component having a surface moveable relative to the surface of the first component and contacting that surface when the components are at rest relative to each other. The surface of the second component is coated with a ceramic material and the surface of the second component is implanted with ions. The bearing can be used in an implantable heart pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Thermo Cardiosystems Inc.
    Inventors: Howard M. Loree, II, David B. Gernes, Anthony J. Armini, Dennis A. Gadarowski
  • Patent number: 5879816
    Abstract: A metallic sliding material including at least a support member with a sliding surface and an inorganic compound coating layer formed on the sliding surface is disclosed. The sliding surface is formed from an aluminum alloy or a reinforcing material-containing aluminum alloy. The inorganic compound coating layer is formed from at least one aluminum compound, and at least one phosphorus compound, and at least one member selected from the group of molybdenum compounds, tungsten compounds, and chromium compounds. These compounds are present in such concentrations that molybdenum, tungsten, and chromium collectively constitute 2 to 48% by weight of the inorganic compound coating layer, aluminum constitutes 1 to 25% by weight of the inorganic compound coating layer, phosphorus constitutes 1 to 25% by weight of the inorganic compound coating layer, and the balance of the inorganic compound coating layer is oxygen and impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignees: Nihon Parkerizing Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Mori, Jun Kawaguchi, Takashi Koyama, Yoshio Fuwa, Hirofumi Michioka
  • Patent number: 5862592
    Abstract: A cage for a roller bearing which is free of fretting and abnormal noise, which can be manufactured at low cost, and which can be easily mounted in the bearing. The cage is formed by bending a metal sheet having pockets into a ring shape, temporarily joining its ends, heat-treating the ring thus formed to remove stress, and separating the temporarily joined portion. Such a cage tends to rotate slower than the raceway members on the driving side of the bearing, making it possible to reduce fretting. Such a cage can be used under high-temperature conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Harimoto, Tsutomu Hashimoto, Eiji Ohsugi, Keiji Suzuki, Kiyoshi Kaneko, Atsushi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 5860749
    Abstract: In a rolling bearing comprising at least one member of an inner race and a shaft, the member having an inner raceway on an outer circumference, an outer race having an outer raceway on an inner circumference, and a plurality of rolling elements interposed rollingly between the inner raceway and the outer raceway, the member having raceways or rolling elements are formed of a steel containing 5-18 wt% of Cr, 0.5-1.2 wt% of C and the balance being Fe. The steel is tempered at a temperature for secondary hardening or subjected to shot peening after low-temperature tempering, so that its hardness is increased to H.sub.2 C 57 or more. At the same time, the amount of retained austenite in the steel is reduced to 6 vol% or less. As a result, the impression resistance of the raceways is sufficiently improved to insure that there is no deterioration in acoustic characteristics due to indentation. In addition, the fatigue life and wear resistance of the bearing are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hirakawa, Akihiro Kiuchi
  • Patent number: 5861067
    Abstract: A machine component which is formed from a high alloy steel has, along a surface where the component is subjected to cyclic loading, a glaze in which the steel has a refined microstructure that resists spalling. Whereas the microstructure of the core underlying the glaze contains carbides of relatively large particle size, the microstructure of the glaze contains carbides of a much smaller particle size. For the most part the microstructure of the glaze comprises martensite and retained austenite in a fine dendritic network. The glaze is acquired by directing a laser beam at the surface, with the beam having sufficient energy and intensity to melt the component where it illuminates the surface, thus creating a puddle. Relative motion between the beam and the component advances the puddle over the surface. The molten metal in the previously illuminated region loses its heat to the underlying core of the component and solidifies, in effect undergoing a self-quench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventor: Dennis W. Hetzner
  • Patent number: 5855531
    Abstract: In a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission including input and output side disks and a pair of power roller bearings, rolling elements of the power roller bearings are made of a steel which is to be case hardened, a medium-carbon steel or a high-carbon steel which is such a steel as containing carbon in an amount of 0.2 wt % or more, and are subjected to a carbonitriding process and hardening and tempering treatments. The toroidal-type continuously variable transmission has a long life by improving the rolling life of the power roller bearings, the input side disks, and the output side disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Mitamura, Tsutomu Abe, Hideki Kokubu
  • Patent number: 5853249
    Abstract: A rolling contact bearing made from intermediate or high carbon steels including a bearing ring composed of an inner ring and an outer ring, rolling elements rotatably interposed between the inner and outer rings and a peripheral snap ring groove provide on the outer periphery of the bearing ring. The rolling contact bearing is characterized in that the groove includes a mill scale portion having a carbonitrided layer beneath the mill scale portion and substantially remaining unremoved after carbonitriding, that the carbonitrided layer contains a precipitated carbonitride content in a range from 10 to 30% by area of the carbonitrided layers and/or that the maximum grain diameter of carbonitrided precipitated in the carbonitrided layer beneath the mill scale portion on the inner surface of the snap ring groove of the bearing is 8 .mu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Kikuo Maeda, Katsunori Ito
  • Patent number: 5848846
    Abstract: A method of producing a shell type needle roller bearing having a shell type outer ring whose opposite ends in the axial direction thereof are bent radially inwardly to form flanges; and a plurality of needle rollers arranged along an inner circumferential area of the outer ring. The method comprises the steps of: a) bending one end of the outer ring radially inwardly to form a flange portion on one end of the outer ring for forming the outer ring in the specified shape; b) assembling hardened/tempered needle rollers or un-hardened needle rollers into the outer ring; c) bending other end of the outer ring radially inwardly to form another flange to form a final shape of the needle roller bearing; d) performing a carbonitriding treatment to the assembled needle roller bearing; and then e) performing hardening and tempering treatments to the assembled needle roller bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Sugiyama, Yukihiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 5834094
    Abstract: A method for designing bearings, of improved performance, the load-bearing surfaces of which feature micropores about 2 to 10 microns deep and, preferably, aspect ratios on the order of 7 to 20. The hydrodynamic pressure distribution of a suite of bearing surfaces with different micropore geometries and densities is modeled numerically. The load-bearing surfaces of the bearings are fabricated with micropores having the optimal density and geometry determined by the numerical modeling. Conical micropores may be created by single laser pulses, with the pore size and shape controlled by controlling the laser beam profile, the laser beam power, and the optical parameters of the focusing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Surface Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Izhak Etsion, Ofer Kinrot
  • Patent number: 5833373
    Abstract: A bearing retainer having a body formed of steel has a nitride layer on the body surface. The average particle diameter of a nitride contained in the nitride layer is not more than 1 .mu.m. The surface of the retainer is subjected to fluoriding treatment, and is then subjected to nitriding treatment. The above-mentioned oxide is removed by replacing an oxide on the surface of the retainer with a metal fluoride film by the fluoriding treatment. In the nitriding treatment, a gaseous mixture of gas for nitriding, for example, ammonia gas and hydrogen gas for removing the metal fluoride film is brought into contact with the surface of the retainer. A precise and uniform nitride layer is obtained in a state where the oxide is reliably removed from the surface of the retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ueno, Kazuhisa Kajihara, Akihiro Bun, Hideki Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 5823687
    Abstract: In a rolling bearing with aligning ring (A) in which rollers (3) serving as rolling elements are interposed between an inner ring (1) and an outer ring (2) having on its outer periphery a spherical portion (21) and in which an aligning ring (4) is fitted on a spherical portion (21) of the outer ring (2), the aligning ring (4) is composed of two members separable along a plane perpendicular to an axis of the aligning ring (4) at the center portion in the axial direction thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinya Matsuda
  • Patent number: 5800065
    Abstract: A linear motion bearing assembly is provided having a rail assembly comprising a base member and a pair of vertical arms which have flexible characteristics with respect to the base member. A bearing carriage assembly is also included which has a bearing carriage and a pair of legs extending therefrom. The extending legs define a longitudinal channel for accommodating the rail assembly, and are flexible with respect to the bearing carriage. A plurality of load bearing race inserts are positioned on the vertical arms of the rail assembly and the extending legs of the bearing carriage assembly. A load bearing surface of the plurality of load bearing inserts has a predisposed compressive stress. A plurality of rolling elements are disposed in load bearing tracks which are defined by the plurality of load bearing race inserts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Thomson Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory S. Lyon
  • Patent number: 5782566
    Abstract: A bearing-upright unit supporting a rotary hub of a vehicle wheel, wherein the bearing has the inner ring fitted to the rotary hub of the wheel, and the outer ring locked stably to the upright; and the outer ring has an asymmetrical tubular projection extending from only one side of the outer ring, and which is interference-fitted to the upright and locked axially by cold rolling the outer edge of the projection. Advantages: assembly is simplified by involving fewer operations; the outer ring is of simple design, small size, and cheap to produce; the upright may be of simpler design, lighter in weight, and therefore cheaper to produce; and, in the case of an aluminium upright, the outer ring remains safely and firmly locked to the upright at high temperature, by virtue of the greater axial expansion of the upright with respect to the outer ring compensating for any reduction in radial interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: SKF Industrie S.p.A.
    Inventor: Paolo Bertetti
  • Patent number: 5780165
    Abstract: There is disclosed a bearing member which is enhanced in toughness without lowering the hardness of a core portion so as to prevent an instantaneous rupture of the bearing member, and is excellent in rolling fatigue service life characteristics. Martensitic Fe-based bearing steel of the invention contains, by weight, not more than 0.4% carbon, not more than 2% silicon, not more than 2% manganese, not more than 5% nickel, 3.5 to 7.0% chromium, at least one of tungsten and molybdenum an tungsten equivalent defined by (?W!+2?Mo!) of which at least one is 3 to 15%, and not less than 0.5% but less than 1.1% vanadium. A ratio of Cv/Ceq is not more than 0.3 where Cv represents a carbon equivalent of vanadium defined by 0.2?V!, and Ceq represents a carbon equivalent of carbide-forming elements defined by (0.063?Cr!+0.06?Mo!+0.033?W!+0.2?V!). With this construction, the precipitation of MC carbides is suppressed, and M.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shiho Fukumoto, Hideki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5735614
    Abstract: A crankshaft bearing arrangement for a two cycle crankcase compression internal combustion engine that provides a low frictional resistance and corrosion resistant. Electro galvanic corrosion is precluded by the utilization of an electrical insulating substance and by minimizing the electrical potential differences between the materials of the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Isogawa
  • Patent number: 5735769
    Abstract: A toroidal type continuously variable transmission includes an input disk mounted on an input shaft; an output disk mounted on an output shaft; and a pair of power roller bearings each of which includes an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of rolling elements. The inner races are engaged with the input and output disks to transmit the power of the input shaft to the output shaft. The inner races, outer races, input disk and output disk are made of case hardening steel, and are each subjected to a heat treatment in which carburizing or carbonitriding, hardening and tempering are performed sequentially, and then to shot peening, and finished by grinding of a predetermined grinding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Takemura, Hideki Kokubu
  • Patent number: 5727317
    Abstract: An outer ring of an axle bearing is heat-treated and a through hole can be formed quickly and reliably. The outer ring has raceways on its inner periphery along which rolling elements roll. A through hole for mounting an antilock brake sensor is formed in the outer ring to extend from its outer periphery to the inner periphery. A plug is inserted into the hole thus formed. After hardening the raceways, the plug is pulled out of the hole. Since the hole is formed before hardening the raceways, it can be formed easily by drilling with an ordinary carbon steel tool. Since the raceways are hardened after inserting the rod-shaped metal plug into the hole 9, the heat produced during hardening will disperse through the plug. It is thus possible to prevent shoulder portions of the raceways from melting due to overheating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Itsuro Bekku, Eiji Tajima
  • Patent number: 5718516
    Abstract: A spindle motor having hydrodynamic bearings formed between a hardcoated shaft with a radial thrust bearing plate substantially perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, a hard coated sleeve, and a hardcoated thrust ring. An axial bearing cavity is formed between the sleeve and the shaft. A first radial bearing cavity is formed between a radial surface of the sleeve and a lower radial plate surface. A second radial bearing cavity is formed between a lower surface of the thrust ring and an upper radial plate surface. Lubricant at least partially fills the cavities to form hydrodynamic bearings therein. The surface hard coats are preferably ceramic-like coatings such as titanium nitride, boron carbide, or Laser Cut 964. A method for fabricating a motor having hydrodynamic bearings includes the steps of machining motor components from a metal such as steel or bronze, coating the components with a surface hard coat, and assembling the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: SAE Magnetics (H.K.) Ltd.
    Inventors: Charles J. Cheever, Frank Alton Gray
  • Patent number: 5704720
    Abstract: A helical groove 1B is formed in the sliding surface 1A of a sliding bearing 1 over the entire axial region thereof. To establish the height of a peak 1a defined by the helical groove 1B, an imaginary reference line L extending parallel to the axis is formed which is determined such that the total cross-sectional area of all the peaks 1a is equal to the total cross-sectional area of all the valleys 1b when the helical groove 1B is considered in axial section. A height, as measured from the reference line L to the top 1a' of the peak 1a is chosen in the range of from 1 to 8 .mu.m. The space created by forming the valleys 1b allows the supply of lubricant oil to be increased, thereby simultaneously achieving a reduction in the frictional resistance and the occurrence of an impact sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Taiho Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Kumada, Katsuyuki Hashizume, Soji Kamiya
  • Patent number: 5700094
    Abstract: A bearing assembly comprising, an inner race, an outer race spaced apart from the inner race and a plurality of rolling elements disposed in the space between the inner race and the outer race. The rolling elements are in rolling contact with the inner and outer races. An abrasion resistant coating is deposited on at least one of the inner race and the outer race. The coating is selected from the group consisting of metallic nitrides, metallic carbonitrides, and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Caterpillar, Inc.
    Inventors: Chuong Q. Dam, Gregory G. Hafner, Kenneth W. Burris
  • Patent number: 5685797
    Abstract: The production of a bearing surface by coating a known bearing material directly on the surface of a gear bore. A process of coating bearing materials directly onto the surface of a gear and the product thereof. The surface is preferably the inner bore surface of a planet gear. The coating methods include sputtering and vapor deposition. The bearing material applied as a coating is preferably a copper-lead composition. The resultant gear having a bearing coating can be useful in any high density, high efficiency epicyclic gear train for aircraft, marine or land based power transmissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Roger Michael Barnsby, Albert Hunt McKibbin, Rainer Werner Aufischer
  • Patent number: 5683183
    Abstract: A bearing device includes a housing, a shaft arranged in an inner circumference of the housing, and a pair of bearings arranged between the shaft and the housing, and spaced from each other in an axial direction of the shaft, at least one of the bearings comprising a sleeve inserted in the housing and formed cylindrically. The sleeve has an outer layer portion including an outer cylindrical surface and an inner layer portion including an inner cylindrical surface, the outer layer portion being harder than the inner layer portion, the inner cylindrical surface having a groove for generating dynamic pressure. The sleeve is improved in working accuracy, and the dynamic pressure generating grooves can be formed with ease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Tanaka, Hiromitsu Muraki, Ikunori Sakatani
  • Patent number: 5632563
    Abstract: A radial bearing with an outer race ring or bush arranged between the bearing in a housing bore having an integrally formed portion which is bent at a certain angle to a bearing axis and merges into a portion extending coaxially with the outer race ring so that a structural unit open in an axial direction and having spring elastic properties is formed that can be economically manufactured and used in a wide variety of areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler KG
    Inventor: Alexander Zernickel
  • Patent number: 5626974
    Abstract: In a rolling bearing including an inner race, an outer race and a plurality of rolling elements in which at least one member of the inner race, the outer race and the rolling elements is made of a high carbon steel material and has a Rockwell hardness of H.sub.R C 60 or more, the high carbon steel material including, in a surface thereof, solid solution of carbon C and solid solution of nitrogen N which are adjusted to satisfy relationships of 0.8 wt %.ltoreq.C.ltoreq.1.2 wt % and 0.1 wt %.ltoreq.N.ltoreq.0.5 wt % with the balance Fe, and in which the retained austenite existing in the high carbon steel material is adjusted to substantially 0 wt %, the rolling beating exhibits superior dimensional stability and high endurance even when it is used under high-temperature conditions, and exhibits high productivity with low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuaki Mitamura
  • Patent number: 5618114
    Abstract: In a guide rail for a linear guide apparatus including a plurality of rolling elements and a slider, the guide rail includes a pair of rolling grooves formed in side surfaces of the guide rail for supporting the slider through the rolling elements, the rolling-element rolling grooves axially extending in parallel with each other, a pair of hardened surface layers formed continuously all over the side surfaces by subjecting the side surfaces to induction hardening, and a hole formed penetratingly in a soft portion existing between the hardened surface layers for fixing the guide rail. The hardened surface layers thus formed are sufficient to receive a shearing force which is applied to the guide rail when the linear guide apparatus is in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: NSK. Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Katahira
  • Patent number: 5603576
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing steel balls for use in a ball bearing comprising an inner steel race or shaft with an inner raceway formed around its outer peripheral surface, an outer steel race with an outer raceway formed around its inner peripheral surface, and the steel balls freely rotatably disposed between the inner raceway and the outer raceway comprises the steps of providing steel balls, quenching the steel balls, preliminarily tempering the steel balls after quenched, rough-polishing the steel balls after preliminarily tempered, surface-hardening the steel balls after rough-polished, tempering the steel balls after surface-hardened, and finish-polishing the steel balls after tempered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hirakawa, Akira Suzuki, Jiami Pu, Katsunori Yanase, Minoru Kohari, Eiichi Takahashi, Yasushi Mutoh
  • Patent number: 5586826
    Abstract: A roller bearing includes an inner raceway member having an inner raceway surface and an outer raceway member having an outer raceway surface. The inner and outer raceway surfaces are spaced apart from one another to define an annular space and a plurality of rolling elements are disposed in the annular space for engaging the inner and outer raceway surfaces as the rolling elements roll in a rolling direction. During operation of the roller bearing, friction forces arise at regions of the inner and outer raceway surfaces that give rise to positive skew moments. Those regions of the raceway surfaces are designed to have greater frictional characteristics than those regions of the inner and outer raceway surfaces where negative skew moment producing friction forces arise. In that way, the skew of the roller can be controlled to be not excessively negative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: SKF Sverige AB
    Inventors: Magnus Kellstrom, Joacim Fogelstrom, Henning Wittmeyer
  • Patent number: 5584586
    Abstract: A bearing element having a metallic body with a bearing contact curved surface portion, at least one laser shock peened surface encompassing at least a portion of the contact surface portion, and a region having deep compressive residual stresses imparted by laser shock peening (LSP) extending into the body from the laser shock peened surface. The present invention may be used for rolling elements such as ball bearing elements or elongated roller elements and for static elements such as races which may be singular or split and may have circumferentially spaced oil feed passages radially disposed therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dominick A. Casarcia, William D. Cowie, Seetharamaiah Mannava
  • Patent number: 5582487
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a linear bearing which is easy to manufacture and has sufficient mechanical strength, and its production method. A slider 1 guides a table or other movable bodies along a rail 2 and includes a thin ball plate 6 in which load ball channels 61 are formed to move balls 5 therein, and a thin mounting plate 7 adapted to secure the movable body. A molding material 8 such as resin or die cast alloy is molded to insert the ball plate 6 and the mounting plate 7 thereinto. The rail 2 is made of a metallic material 2 whose surface is hardened to a predetermined level when subjected to plastic deformation. During plastic deformation, the ball channels 23 are hardened to a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Teramachi
  • Patent number: 5577846
    Abstract: In a rolling bearing device mounted on an eccentric mounting shaft, its outer race ring is formed by pressing, and the outer cylindrical surface thereof is left as it is, not polished. Hence, an oil film is stably formed on the whole outer cylindrical surface of the outer race ring, which is a cam surface, thus preventing the cam surface from being seized or worn out. The outer race has a diameter "D" and a radial thickness "t", and the outer race has a large radial thickness which is accomplished by providing that the diameter "D" and the radial thickness "t" satisfy a formula t/D.gtoreq.0.07.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko, Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5567508
    Abstract: One of components of a rolling bearing which includes an inner race, an outer race and a plurality of rolling elements is carburized or a carbonitrided to form a surface hardened layer, and the depth of the hardened layer is 0.025 to 0.045 times the average diameter of the rolling elements at a point Zo and the depth ratio (Zo/Yo) of the point Zo to a point Yo is less than or equal to 0.8. The rolling bearing having the surface hardened layer is capable of improving both the rolling life and the impact strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1996
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuo Murakami
  • Patent number: 5556348
    Abstract: A toroidal-type continuously variable transmission provides an input side disk disposed on an input shaft, an output side disk disposed on an output shaft, and a power roller for transmitting motive power of the input shaft to the output shaft while engaging both the input side disk and the output side disk, in which the input side disk, the output side disk, and the power roller made of a material are subjected to either a carburizing and grinding process or to a carbonitriding and grinding process so that effective carburized depths of the input side disk, the output side disk, and the power roller are limited to a range between 2.0 mm and 4.0 mm. The toroidal-type continuously variable transmission is capable of improving not only the rolling contact lives of the traction surfaces of the input and output side disks as well as the traction surfaces of the power rollers, but also the fatigue fracture lives of the input and output side disks and power rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Kokubu, Tsutomu Abe, Hisashi Machida
  • Patent number: 5554008
    Abstract: The casing of the high-pressure pump consists of two integral segments. The first segment comprises a cylindrical borehole receiving the pump shaft 5 and its ball bearings 4. The second segment 1b comprises another borehole receiving a swash plate 9 rigidly affixed to the pump shaft 5, a cylindrical core 11 with parallel sides 11a, 11b and crossed by a plurality of open-end boreholes 12 receiving the pistons 13, a second cylindrical core 16 bearing check-valves 17, and a plug 19 resting against a shoulder 18 of the second core 16 in such manner as to keep the cores 11 and 16 compressed against each other and resting against a circular stop 7 in the second segment 1b of the pump casing 1. The inner boreholes of the two segments 1a and 1b are separated by a seal 2 and the parts located in the second segment 1b are in contact with the injection gasoline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Hydro Rene Leduc
    Inventor: Louis-Claude Porel
  • Patent number: 5547233
    Abstract: A device and a method for making a device for rotatably connecting fluid flow lines such that fluid is flowable between the fluid flow lines. The device has a male component which has a male portion and a female component which has a female portion. The male and female components each have flow line connecting mechanisms. The male portion fits within the female portion such that the male and female components are rotatable with respect to one another. The male portion has both hardened and unhardened regions and the female portion has a hardened region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: Remanco Hydraulics, Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce A. Hoegger
  • Patent number: 5528706
    Abstract: A cage for a roller bearing which is free of fretting and abnormal noise, which can be manufactured at low cost, and which can be easily mounted in the bearing. The cage is formed by bending a metal sheet having pockets into a ring shape, temporarily joining its ends, heat-treating the ring thus formed to remove stress, and separating the temporarily joined portion. Such a cage tends to rotate slower than the raceway members on the driving side of the bearing, making it possible to reduce fretting. Such a cage can be used under high-temperature conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Harimoto, Tsutomu Hashimoto, Eiji Ohsugi, Keiji Suzuki, Kiyoshi Kaneko, Atsushi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 5520987
    Abstract: A rolling/sliding member for use in conditions of rolling and/or sliding contact with a mating member opposed to the rolling/sliding member under the following conditions;(a) the rolling/sliding member are formed with a large number of fine protrusions and depressions in at least the surface area which comes into contact with the mating member,(b) the total volume per unit area of the fine depressions is in the range of 5.times.10.sup.-8 to 5.times.10.sup.-7 cc/mm.sup.2, and(c) the average volume of the fine depression is 10 to 100 .mu.m.sup.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Narai, Satoshi Kadokawa, Hiroshi Iwasa, Yasuo Murakami
  • Patent number: RE35860
    Abstract: A rolling element bearing includes a first ring having a first raceway; a second ring having a second raceway, and rolling elements between the two raceways. The first and second rings are positioned and configured so that the first and second raceways form a channel which retains the rolling elements. A first zinc alloy plated layer is on the first ring including at the first raceway, and a second zinc alloy plated layer is on the second ring including at the second raceway. The rolling elements may also be plated with a zinc alloy layer. The layers are porous and thus permit hydrogen to escape from the rings and rolling elements when baked, so that the rings and rolling elements possess low hydrogen embrittlement. The layers provide physical and galvanic protection to the underlying substrates for the rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: MPB Corporation
    Inventor: Peter C. Ward