Abstract: A universal joint includes a bush, a bearing journal supported in the bush by a bearing and a seal assembly configured to form a seal between the bearing journal and the bush. The seal assembly includes an outer body formed from a first material having a first hardness, and a reinforcing body at least partially embedded in the outer body is formed from a second material having a hardness greater than the hardness of the first material. The reinforcing body contacts and forms a slip surface for a rolling element of the bearing. The reinforcing body and the outer body are configured such that the reinforcing body compresses a portion of the outer body against the journal when the seal assembly is mounted on the bearing journal.

Abstract: A mechanical assembly including a shaft, a mechanical device providing, a bearing mounted on the shaft and including at least one ring that is able to move in rotation about the shaft, a lubrication system having a channel to allow lubricant fluid to flow, formed at the interface between the shaft and the bearing, distribution ducts for lubricant fluid, formed in the bearing and fluidically connected to the channel. The channel provides at least one constriction to create a loss of head of the lubricant fluid flowing in the channel.

Abstract: A method for detecting a load distribution in a roller bearing having at least one row of rollers and a strain sensor attached to a first ring, wherein the first ring is configured to rotate relative to a second ring. The method comprises steps of: (a) detecting peak heights and peak positions in roller load induced strain signals obtained from the strain sensor, and (b) calculating a load acting on at least one angle range of the second ring using peak heights of a plurality of peak positions falling in the angle range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of condition monitoring and detection of vibration generated from at least two different sources using a single sensor/transducer is provided. The method and apparatus provides switchably adapting signal processing, such as amplification and frequency filtering, to one at a time of the at least two different signal sources. An example of which is vibration sources. This adapts the analogue signal from the sensor/transducer to the analogue to digital converter and any further optional analogue signal processing, so that it is possible to maximize use of available dynamic range of these and without any saturation of these. Suitably, the signal processing to analyze the vibration signals is also appropriately adapted to the vibration source in question.

Abstract: A wind turbine rotor shaft arrangement, e.g. of horizontal type, comprising a rotor shaft for supporting wind turbine blades, a non-rotating first housing structure for supporting the rotor shaft, and a first rolling bearing arranged to support, in a first axial direction, the rotor shaft in relation to the first housing structure at a first support point. The first rolling bearing is a single row self-aligning bearing comprising an inner ring, an outer ring, and a set of rolling elements formed of rollers arranged in an intermediate configuration between the inner and outer rings. Each roller is a symmetrical bearing roller having a curved raceway-contacting surface arranged contacting a curved inner raceway of the inner ring and a curved outer raceway of the outer ring. A contact angle between each roller and the inner and/or outer raceway is inclined in relation to the radial direction of the rotor shaft.

Abstract: The invention relates to a load measuring device including a deformable component configured to be deformed under a load to be measured and a sensor assembly attached to a first portion of the deformable component and to a method for determining load using such a sensor assembly. It is proposed that the sensor assembly includes at least one acceleration sensor configured to detect a change in an orientation of the first portion with regard to the direction of gravity and that the deformable component is formed as a seal configured to be in sliding contact with a component configured to rotate in relation to the seal.

Abstract: A method of determining the geographical position of a rail vehicle travelling on a defined route that has a number of known stopping locations separated by known distances. The method comprises steps of: recording a linear speed signal of the vehicle; processing the linear speed signal to identify a plurality of preceding stationary periods when linear speed equals zero, including a last stationary period, and to calculate the distance traveled between the plurality of preceding stationary periods; comparing the calculated distances with the known distances between stopping locations, to match the last identified stationary period to a corresponding one of the known stopping locations and identify the direction of travel of the rail vehicle; and determining the geographical position of the rail vehicle by processing a portion of the speed signal obtained since the last identified stationary period, to calculate the distance traveled from the corresponding stopping location.

Abstract: A retaining element configured to retain an outer ring of a bearing in a housing, the retaining element having a body having a first side and a second side and a substantially circular through-hole extending from the first side to the second side and an axial thickness from the first side to the second side. A boundary of the through-hole includes two or fewer recesses. The retaining element is configured to hold an attachment element in the two or fewer recesses, the attachment element being configured to engage a groove in a bearing to hold the bearing in the retaining element.

Abstract: An actuator includes a housing, a first nut in the housing, a second nut in the housing, and a threaded spindle screwed into the first nut and the second nut. The first nut exerts a first force in a first direction on the threaded spindle, and the second nut exerts a second force in a second direction on the threaded spindle, the first direction being different than the second direction.

Abstract: A rolling-element bearing assembly includes a rolling-element bearing and an oil conditioning system for conditioning oil used to lubricate the bearing. The bearing has an inner ring and an outer ring and a plurality of rolling elements rotatably disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring. The bearing includes openings for discharging oil from the bearing and for introducing oil into the bearing, and the openings are connected to the oil conditioning system. A raceway of the inner ring and/or a raceway of the outer ring is coated with a first coating, and the rolling elements are at least partially coated with a second coating that is different from the first coating.

Abstract: A planetary roller screw mechanism includes a screw shaft provided with at least one external thread, a nut provided with at least three internal threads and at least three rollers arranged, radially with respect to a central axis of the screw shaft, between the screw shaft and the nut. Each roller is provided with at least two external threads. The number of external threads of the screw shaft is a multiple of the number of external threads of a roller. The number of internal threads of the nut is a multiple of the number of external threads of a roller.

Abstract: A vehicle wheel hub assembly includes an outer member configured to be mounted to a non-rotatable portion of the vehicle and an inner member rotatably supported in the outer member by a bearing and configured to support a vehicle wheel. A first target member is coupled with the inner member, and a first sensor is fixed to the outer member and positioned to sense an angular displacement of the first target member relative to the outer member and to produce a first output signal. A second target member is coupled with the inner member and is spaced axially from the first target member, and a second sensor is fixed to the outer member and positioned to sense an angular displacement of the second target member relative to the outer member and to produce a second output signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a measurement device for a rotating system, the measurement device providing a first sensor arranged in the vicinity of a shaft of the rotating system, the first sensor being configured to generate a signal relating to a rotation of the shaft, and a control unit connected to the first sensor. The control unit is further configured to form a first parameter based on the signal from the first sensor, determine a current time reference, form a data package having the first parameter and a time stamp relating to the current time reference, and distribute the data package to at least one monitoring device over a network connected to the control unit. The present invention also relates to a monitoring system having the measurement device and a corresponding method for monitoring a condition of a rotating system.

Abstract: A gear-driven bearing unit comprising a housing, a drive gear and a rolling element bearing The rolling element bearing comprising: an outer member with teeth for meshing with drive gear teeth, an inner member and rolling elements between the inner and outer members. At one axial side, the housing is connected to the inner member enclosing the outer member. A first radial gap extends between an outer member radially inner surface and an inner member radially outer surface. A second radial gap exists between an outer member radially outer surface and a housing radially inner surface. The radial gaps are sealed by seals, each comprising radial sealing lips. The unit is lubricated with a grease comprising a calcium-based thickener or calcium salt additives and the teeth on the outer member are made of a hardening treated bearing-grade steel which diffuses nitrogen into the surface of the teeth.

Abstract: A measurement system with improved data transmission capabilities to enable efficient data transfers in a radio frequency difficult environment. According to the invention two different data transmission protocols are used, each transmitting within its own radio frequency band. The first data transmission protocol is an unsynchronized network where nodes can actively poke a concentrator to get attention. When a node has the concentrator's attention, the concentrator will then switch the node over to a second data transmission protocol which is a time division multiplexing network at a different frequency band. The TDM network is able to selectively and efficiently transfer both small and larger data packets. The concentrator is able to have both networks active at the same time.

Abstract: A sensorized roller of a bearing, the sensorized roller having a sensor module located within an axially extending hollow cylindrical bore. The sensor module is equipped with one or more deformation sensors for detecting deformation of the roller bore due to a radial load acting on the roller. The sensor module comprises a rigid housing that is shaped to fit inside the roller bore and is mounted to the roller bore with a small radial clearance between an outer cylindrical surface of the housing an inner cylindrical surface of the bore. Each of the one or more deformation sensors is formed by a proximity sensor that is accommodated at the outer cylindrical surface of the housing. A sensing element of the proximity sensor faces the inner cylindrical surface of the roller bore and measures a radial gap therebetween; the radial gap being indicative of bore deformation.

Abstract: A flanged inner ring for wheel hub bearings, the inner ring comprising a tubular body supporting the bearing, the body being coaxial with an axis (A), and a flange, which is transversal to the axis (A), the flange being provided with a plurality of threaded through holes that are distributed around the axis (A) and includes: —an outer annular mounting surface and an inner surface that is axially faced towards an outer ring of the bearing; the flange having a respective base axial thickness (SAF) and comprising for each threaded through hole, a respective radial arm which is arranged on the inner surface of the flange facing the outer ring; the inner ring being forged in one piece together with the flange and the radial arms. Between each pair of adjacent arms there is a flower-shaped sector with a chamfer made by forging along the outer surface thereof.

Abstract: A bearing cage for retaining rolling elements of a rolling element bearing, the bearing cage constructed from a sheet metal element. The cage having at least one cage pocket configured to receive at least one rolling element. The at least one cage pocket is formed by two abutting cage bars that extend axially between a first and a second axially displaced ring element. At least one of the cage bars includes a first portion. The first portion is constructed by folding a part of the sheet metal element such that the first portion extends in a radial direction of the cage and such that an axially extending fold is provided on the cage bar. A rolling element bearing and a method of producing the bearing cage is also provided.

Abstract: Low-friction sealing assembly for a vehicle wheel-hub unit to be inserted in an annular space defined between a flanged rotating element and a stationary element, to protect at least one ring of rolling members arranged between the stationary element and the rotating element; the flanged rotating element being provided with a flange and a mounting seat delimited by a cylindrical bottom wall and by an axial shoulder arranged on the opposite side to the flange. Nominal dimensions of an internal diameter of a sleeve portion of an annular screen are substantially the same as nominal dimensions of an outer diameter of a cylindrical bottom wall of the mounting seat, and the axial shoulder has an entry edge with a substantially conical form for facilitating mounting of the annular screen on the rotating annular element.

Abstract: A seal assembly is for a closure element of a valve assembly including a valve body with a flow passage and an annular seat extending about the passage, the closure element being linearly displaceable along a central axis and including a cylindrical body. The seal assembly includes an outer seal including an annular body formed of a polymeric material and having a centerline, an inner circumferential surface defining a seal bore, an outer circumferential surface, and opposing first and second axial ends, the first axial end having a generally radially-extending, annular sealing surface sealingly engageable with the valve seat. An inner connector includes a generally annular body formed of a substantially rigid material and disposed at least partially within the seal bore, the connector body having an inner circumferential surface frictionally engageable with the valve body outer surface to couple the seal with the closure element.