Abstract: A bearing assembly includes an outer ring having an outer raceway and an inner ring having an inner raceway and a flange defining an outer diameter of the inner ring. A plurality of rolling elements is retained between the outer and inner rings on the outer and inner raceways. A cage has first and second side rings interconnected by a plurality of bridges to form a plurality of windows, each window receiving a respective rolling element to maintain relative spacing between adjacent rolling elements. At least some of the bridges include a projection on a radially inner side such that the plurality of proj ections together define an inner diameter of the cage, the inner diameter of the cage being smaller than the outer diameter of the inner ring to create interference and deformation of the cage as the cage is installed over the flange of the inner ring.

Abstract: A bearing assembly (10 includes an outer ring (14) having an outer raceway (18) and an inner ring (22) having an inner raceway (26) and a flange (54) defining an outer diameter of the inner ring. A plurality of rolling elements (30) is retained between the outer and inner rings on the outer and inner raceways. A cage (34) has first and second side rings (38) interconnected by a plurality of bridges (42) to form a plurality of windows (46), each window receiving a respective rolling element (30) to maintain relative spacing between adjacent rolling elements. At least some of the bridges (42) include a projection (50) on a radially inner side such that the plurality of projections (50) together define an inner diameter of the cage (34), the inner diameter of the cage (34) being smaller than the outer diameter of the inner ring (22) to create interference and deformation of the cage (34) as the cage is installed over the flange of the inner ring.

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 system senses real-time rolling element loads in a rolling element bearing having a plurality of rolling elements disposed between an inner race and an outer race. A plurality of sensors are disposed about one of the inner race and the outer race of the bearing to output sensor data corresponding to detected loads. A control unit predicts bearing life from the sensor data and determines a load zone of the bearing in real time from the sensor data. Before operation of the system in real-time, the sensors are calibrated to model a relationship of roller load and measured strain. The bearing is then rotated and sensor data is output from each the sensors. The sensor data is cyclical, and peaks and valleys are extracted from the sensor data to determine rolling element loads and measured bearing speed. Load components from a plurality of bearings are then summed to obtain total applied system load in real time.

Abstract: A plurality of wedge-shaped separator elements are pivotably mounted on a retainer ring such that the separator elements may space rollers of a roller bearing circumferentially. The separator elements include a narrow portion for engagement with a thrust flange of one of the inner and outer bearing rings to restrain the bearing retainer in the axially outward direction and include a wide portion for engagement with the rollers to retain the rollers in one of the radially outward and radially inward directions. The retainer ring engages the rollers to retain the bearing retainer in the axially inward direction.

Abstract: An electrophotographic printing machine utilizing a scanning light beam to produce generated characters is disclosed. The start of character generation is controlled by the edge position of paper receiving the image. Edge position of the paper is sensed prior to entry of the paper into the print receiving station. Signal(s) representing the edge position are sent to data processing control means. The signals are converted into an appropriate shift factor for controlling the start of pel generation. In that manner, the image to be generated is shifted in accordance with paper position so that proper margins are maintained regardless of paper position.

Abstract: A bender bar intercepts xerographic copier paper traveling from a transfer corona to the fuser rolls in a manner that compensates for sheet skew before the sheet arrives at the nip of the transfer rollers. The bender bar is fixed in position but adjustable so that copy sheets encountering the bar can have different path lengths with respect to opposite ends of the bar as encountered by the sheets. The sheet leading edges arrive at the fuser roll nip in a manner that compensates for any transfer distortion caused by factors such as axial misalignment between the fuser and input rolls, engagement of the paper by other elements associated with the transfer station paper path, or the like.

Abstract: A document feed device, illustrated with a copier machine, for recirculating documents through a processing station. A movable portion of the document feed device is mounted for pivoting movement to expose a lower document feed path. The movable portion contains several document moving rollers but no prime movers, gears or belts; these rolls are driven by frictional contact with each other and ultimately by contact with a set of driven rollers located in the nonmoving portion of the document feed device. The rollers comprising a document moving nip are oppositely skewed relative to the direction of document travel in order to move documents gently toward a reference edge and coefficients of friction of roller materials are chosen to insure correct document alignment.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copier has an extended transport path, including a storage for duplex functions, for copying documents which may be reproduced, to a selectable number of copies, from a master. The master is positioned first at an imaging station, so that the desired number of image transfers to copies can be made. The master document transport system recirculates the imaged master, holding it at a storage station spaced apart from the image station, while a second master is positioned at the image station. The system need not be delayed by requiring that all of the copy documents reach an exit position before the second master is inserted. Moreover if a jam occurs in any of a number of modes of operation the system is able to recall one or two masters as needed to complete the run in most expeditious fashion.

Abstract: Paper aligning rolls wherein the drive roll is skewed to the direction of travel in order to move paper toward a referencing edge while the backup roll is oppositely skewed to urge the paper away from the referencing edge. By selecting the coefficient of friction of the drive roll to be higher than the coefficient of friction of the backup roll, the paper is moved into the referencing edge with a controlled small resultant force tending to not crumple the paper. This system maintains a high forward drive force while minimizing the force tending to crumple.