Abstract: An epicyclic gear system (A) includes sun and ring gears (2, 4) and planet pinions (6, 8) arranged in two side-by-side arrays (a, b) between the sun and ring gears, there also being a carrier (10, 50) to which planet pinions are coupled through flexpins (30). The carrier has primary and secondary walls (20, 22) between which the pinions are located and webs (24) connecting the walls. The flexpins for one array of pinions are cantilevered from the primary wall and the flexpins for the other array of pinions are cantilevered from the secondary wall. When the gear system operates, the carrier along its primary wall is subjected to an externally applied torque which transfers through the system at the planet pinions of the two arrays. The load path (pa) for the pinions at the primary wall is shorter than the load path (pb) for the pinions at the secondary wall, and this disparity causes the carrier to distort.

Abstract: A flexpin assembly (B) for an epicyclic gear system (A) includes a flexpin (20) that at one end is cantilevered from a carrier end wall (12) and a sleeve (22) that surrounds the flexpin and is cantilevered from the flexpin at the other end of the flexpin. In addition, the assembly has an antifriction bearing (24) for supporting a planet pinion (6) around the sleeve. The flexpin has a base (30) that is configured to be anchored to a carrier wall, a head (32) to which the sleeve is attached, and a shank (34) located between the base and head. The sleeve has a mounting segment (78) that is connected to the head of the flexpin without a weld. Both may have tapered surfaces secured in contact by a plate (66) clamped against the mounting portion with screws (68) that thread into the head, thus enabling the sleeve to be detached from the pin. The head may have a cylindrical surface (72) over which the mounting segment of the sleeve fits with an interference fit exists.

Abstract: A bearing assembly for accommodating rotation about an axis includes an outer race (2) having a raceway (6) presented toward the axis and an inner race (4) having a raceway (8) presented toward the raceway (6) of the outer race (2) and forming a bore (12) there between. The inner race (4) includes at an end a sealing surface (20) that is inclined away from the raceways (6, 8) and toward the axis. Rollers (16) are arranged in a row between the outer raceway (6) and the inner raceway (8). A seal (22) closes the end of the bore (12). The seal (22) includes a seal case (24) supported by the outer race (2) at its end. A first sealing element (26) is carried by the seal case (24) and bears against the sealing surface (20) on the inner race (4) and forms a first stage sealing contact. A second sealing element (36) is carried by the seal case (24) and forms second stage sealing contact.

Abstract: A bearing system (A) that supports a shaft (4) in a housing (2) includes two single row tapered roller bearings (6, 8) mounted in opposition. One of the bearings (8) compensates for thermal variations that would otherwise produce excessive preload in the system. It has a conventional cup (48) in the housing and tapered rollers (52) arranged in a single row along the raceway (54) of the cup. It also has a compensating assembly (50, 100, 110, 120, 130) on the shaft, and it includes a ribless cone (60) having a raceway (70) around which the rollers are organized, an axially displaceable rib ring (64) for positioning the rollers, a spring (66) for urging the rib ring against a stop surface (74) on the cone, and a compensating ring (68) formed from a material having a high coefficient of thermal expansion for displacing the rib ring against the force exerted by the spring when the temperature of the compensating assembly exceeds a prescribed set point temperature so as to reduce preload in the bearing system.

Abstract: A locating bearing assembly (10) is provided that optimizes load distribution between bearing rows and for all rolling elements within the rows in either positive or negative torque conditions, by combining a single row tapered roller bearing with an angular contact ball bearing. The outer race (60) for the ball bearing is preloaded by a spring element (72) to prevent the balls (26) from floating freely between the ball bearing's inner and outer raceways (16, 64). This will insure that the balls (26) are always sufficiently loaded to roll along a single axis which is off set from the radial direction. The use of the single row tapered bearing and the preloaded angular contact ball bearing provides for a locating bearing assembly (“LBA”) in which the ball bearing supports only reversing axial loads. All radial loads are borne by the tapered roller bearing and transmitted to the bearing assembly housing (30).

Abstract: A bearing assembly (A-H) enables one member (4) to rotate relative to another member (2) about an axis (X). It includes a bearing (6) having an inner race (54) on one of the members, an outer race (74, 126, 164, 250) in the other member, and rolling elements (58) between raceways on the two races. A seal (10, 180, 210, 256) excludes contaminants from the interior of the bearing, and it includes a wear ring (92, 184, 214, 276) carried by an extension (80, 128, 144, 168, 252) on the outer race beyond the raceway of that race, a contacting wear ring (90, 182, 212, 278) carried by the member on which the inner race is located or else by a can (110, 230, 254) that is fitted to the inner race. The seal also includes backing elements (94, 96, 192, 194, 216, 218, 294) for supporting the wear rings on that which carries them, and in most instances the backing elements exert a biasing force on the wear rings to maintain them in contact, so that they establish a dynamic fluid barrier.

Abstract: An epicyclic gear system (A) includes a sun gear (2), a ring gear (4) located around the sun gear, planet gears (6) organized in two arrays between the sun and ring gears, and a carrier (8) having walls (14) located beyond the planet gears and flexpins (24) that project from the walls into the planet gears. Each flexpin includes an inner pin (30) provided with a flange 36 that is secured to the wall from which the inner pin projects, thus cantilevering the inner pin from the wall, and a sleeve (32) that is cantilevered from the opposite end of the inner pin and extends back over the inner pin, thus providing a double cantilever. Between the sleeve of the flexpin and the planet gear for that flexpin is a double row tapered roller bearing (26). The planet gears on the one array may be offset angularly with respect to the planet gears of the other array.

Abstract: A transmission for a wind turbine includes a housing (20) in which two shafts (26, 28) rotate, each being supported on a locating bearing (50, 60) which transmits thrust loads to the housing as well as radial loads and on a nonlocating bearing (48, 58) which transmits only radial loads to the housing. The shafts carry helical gears (52, 52, 62) which induce thrust loads in the shafts when the shafts transmit torque. The locating bearings are unitized single row tapered roller bearings which are oriented to transmit thrust loads in the primary direction through their raceways (132, 138) and in the secondary direction through ribs (134, 144) at the ends of their rollers (146). The nonlocating bearings take the form of a single row cylindrical roller bearings which accommodate differential thermal expansion and contraction between the shafts and housing.

Abstract: An epicyclic gear system (A, B), which is highly compact, yet capable of transferring substantial torque, includes a sun gear (2, 62), a ring gear (4, 64) around the sun gear, and planet gears (6, 8, 66, 68) organized in two rows between the sun and ring gears. In addition, the gear system has a carrier (10, 70) provided with one or two flanges (14, 72, 74) and flexible pins (20, 22, 80, 82) around which the planet gears revolve. The planet gears are mounted on the pins in a double cantilever arrangement to improve the mesh with the sun and ring gears and achieve better load distribution.

Abstract: A backing ring that serves to back an antifriction bearing on the journal of a rail car axle includes an annular body that seats against a fillet that is located at the end of the journal and also a lip that projects over a larger dust guard diameter that is located on the axle immediately beyond the fillet. In addition, the backing ring includes a stabilizing element which cooperates with the lip and with the dust guard diameter to lessen the tendency of the annular body to work against the fillet and create a fretting wear when the journal undergoes cyclic flexures. The stabilizing element accommodates dust guard diameters of varying size. The stabilizing element may also establish a seal between the lip and the dust guard diameter.

Abstract: An epicyclic gear system has a sun gear, a ring gear, and planet gears between the sun and ring gears. In addition, it has a carrier including a carrier flange offset axially from the planet gears and carrier pins that project from the flange into the planet gears, each with a shank anchored to the flange, a head remote from the flange, and a groove between the shank and head. Between the planet gears and the carrier pins are bearings, each including an inner race and rollers between the inner race and planet gear. Whereas the carrier pins are cantilevered from the carrier flange, the inner races are cantilevered from the heads of the carrier pins. The grooves in the pins enhance pin deflection, so that the axes about which the planet gears rotate remain parallel to the central axis of the system.

Abstract: A backing ring that serves to back an antifriction bearing on the journal of a rail car axle includes an annular body that seats against a fillet that is located at the end of the journal and also a lip that projects over a larger dust guard diameter that is located on the axle immediately beyond the fillet. In addition, the backing ring includes a stabilizing element which cooperates with the lip and with the dust guard diameter to lessen the tendency of the annular body to work against the fillet and create a fretting wear when the journal undergoes cyclic flexures. The stabilizing element accommodates dust guard diameters of varying size. The stabilizing element may also establish a seal between the lip and the dust guard diameter.

Abstract: An epicyclic gear system (A) has a sun gear (2), a ring gear (4) located around the sun gear, and planet gears (6) located between and engaged with sun and ring gears. In addition, it has a carrier (8) including a carrier flange (30) offset axially from the planet gears, carrier pins (34) projecting from the carrier flange into the planet gears, and bearings (72) between the planet gears and the carrier pins so that the planet gears rotate on the pins. Each bearing includes an inner race (46) having tapered raceways (56) presented away from the carrier pin, opposing tapered raceways (24) on the ring gear, and tapered rollers (70) organized in two rows between the raceways. Whereas the carrier pin is cantilevered from the carrier flange, the inner race is cantilevered from the carrier pin remote from the carrier flange, and this insures that the axes (Y) about which the planet gears rotate remain parallel to the central axis (X) of the system.

Abstract: An epicyclic drive has its planet gears integrated into separately built planet assemblies. Each planet assembly, in addition to its planet gear, includes a pin which extends through the planet gear and an antifriction bearing located between the gear and the pin. The outer raceways for the bearing are machined into the gear, whereas the inner raceways are machined into the pin. The bearing also has rolling elements organized in two rows between the inner and outer raceways. The pins have mounting ends which lie beyond the ends of the planet gear to anchor the planet assembly in a carrier. The planet gear and the pin define lubrication channels adjacent each raceway, permitting a flow of lubricating oil to the rolling elements. The bearing, inasmuch as it is assembled separately, is set with considerable precision, preferably in preload, so the planet gear does not skew with respect to sun and ring gears with which it meshes during operation at the epicyclic drive.

Abstract: A full complement antifriction bearing includes an inner race, an outer race, and rolling elements organized in a circular row between the races without a cage or retainer for separating the rolling elements. While the absence of a cage or retainers enable the bearing to have the maximum number of rolling elements and thus transfer greater loads, adjacent rolling elements contact each other. Each rolling element or every other rolling element is covered with a tribological coating that retards adhesive wear and reduces friction.

Abstract: An epicyclic drive has its planet gears integrated into separately built planet assemblies. Each planet assembly, in addition to its planet gear, includes a pin which extends through the planet gear and an antifriction bearing located between the gear and the pin. The outer raceways for the bearing are machined into the gear, whereas the inner raceways are machined into the pin. The bearing also has rolling elements organized in two rows between the inner and outer raceways. The pins have mounting ends which lie beyond the ends of the planet gear to anchor the planet assembly in a carrier. The planet gear and the pin define lubrication channels adjacent each raceway, permitting a flow of lubricating oil to the rolling elements. The bearing, inasmuch as it is assembled separately, is set with considerable precision, preferably in preload, so the planet gear does not skew with respect to sun and ring gears with which it meshes during operation at the epicyclic drive.

Abstract: A two-piece seal is provided for a bearing assembly. The seal includes a first seal ring or labyrinth element received on an inner diameter of the bearing outer race and a second seal ring or labyrinth received on an outer diameter of the bearing inner race. The labyrinth include ribs and channels on facing or opposed surfaces which are sized and shaped such that the rib of one seal ring is received in the groove of the opposing seal ring to thereby form a labyrinth path between the two labyrinth elements. Additionally, a flexible seal lip is formed on one of the labyrinth elements to form a dynamic seal between the two labyrinth elements at an inner end of the labyrinth path.

Abstract: A full complement antifriction bearing includes an inner race, an outer race, and rolling elements organized in a circular row between the races without a cage or retainer for separating the rolling elements. While the absence of a cage or retainers enable the bearing to have the maximum number of rolling elements and thus transfer greater loads, adjacent rolling elements contact each other. Each rolling element or every other rolling element is covered with a tribological coating that retards adhesive wear and reduces friction.

Abstract: A bearing for enabling an axle shaft to rotate in a housing includes a cup which is attached to the housing, a cone which fits over the axle shaft, and tapered rollers arranged in a single row between tapered raceways on the cup and cone. The cup has a thrust rib at the large diameter end of its raceway, while another thrust rib is located at the small diameter end of the cone raceway. The arrangement is such that the bearing transmits radial loads and thrust loads in both directions. In one direction the thrust loads are taken on the raceways; in the other through the ribs. The cup contains an oblique bore which opens toward the axis of rotation beyond the small diameter end of the cup raceway, and this bore contains a speed sensor. An excitor ring rotates with the cone immediately inwardly from the speed sensor, and it has disruptions which cause the sensor to produce a pulsating signal, the frequency of which reflects the angular velocity.

Abstract: A bearing assembly which enables a hub to rotate on a spindle and has two single row tapered roller bearings, is adjusted by forcing the inner races or cones together with a spacer between them, all while the hub is off the spindle. This force, which is applied by an adjusting tool that fits through the cones much like the spindle, compresses the spacer and causes it to yield both elastically and plastically. The force is applied incrementally, and with each incremental advance the drag torque in the bearing assembly is checked by simply turning the adjusting tool. When the drag torque reaches a prescribed magnitude, the compressive force is removed and the adjusting tool withdrawn. Now the two races, the collapsed spacer and the hub, are installed on the spindle, followed by a spindle nut over the end of the spindle. The spindle nut clamps the two races and the spacer together, with the spacer establishing the distance that the races are separated--and hence the setting for the bearing assembly.