Abstract: A ball bearing for linear movement on a shaft has a cage with oval guideways, and an outer sleeve surrounding the case. The cage has axially extending raceways for guiding loaded balls, the ends of the raceways joining radially outwardly directed transitions. The transitions are weakened by transversely extending grooves or slots, to provide resilience. The raceways may be axially extending radially inwardly directed ridges having central axially extending grooves, and the transitions may have V-shaped recesses with their apices at the ends of the grooves, to define two-point contact with the balls in the transition area of the bearing. A split sleeve may surround the outer sleeve for additional support.

Abstract: A ball bearing adapted for axial movement on a shaft is comprised of a cage having guideways defining endless paths having axially extending portions for loaded and unloaded balls, and semicircular end portions. An outer sleeve surrounds the central portion of the bearing and defines races for balls in the endless paths. End rings on the axial ends of the bearing radially outwardly cover the semicircular guideway portions. The semicircular guideway portions have outwardly convex bottoms, and the end rings have concave recesses in their inner surfaces aligned with the semicircular guideways. The convex portions of the guideways and the concave portions of the recesses have common centers of curvature extending parallel to the bearing axis and displaced outwardly therefrom.

Abstract: A sliding seal ring for a drill bit comprising at least one cutter rotatably mounted on a journal forming part of the drill bit body. The seal ring is made of elastic metallic strip material and is of spiral configuration with the spirals in overlapping relation. The seal ring is mounted under axial tension between the pocket in an edge ring and the drill bit body and rotates with the cutter. In one form of the invention, the spirals are in abutting relation to provide a complete seal. In another form the spirals are open to define gaps permitting flow of flushing liquid to cool and lubricate the bearings supporting the cutter on the trunnion.

Abstract: Mechanism for axially shifting an anti-friction bearing mounted in a bore of a housing extension or the like. The mechanism comprises an annular member such as the outer ring of the bearing mounted in the bore which has at least one radially outwardly directed protrusion engaging through an axial slit in the housing extension. The extension has external screw threads adjacent the axial slits to receive locking nuts on either side of the protrusion to fix the annular member in a selected position relative to the extension.

Abstract: A vibration-absorbing antifriction bearing has inner and outer rings defining raceways for rolling elements distributed between the inner and outer rings. A resilient bushing surrounds the outer ring, and is held thereto by means of a sleeve having radially extending tabs engaging the sides of the outer ring and the bushing.

Abstract: Ball bearing assembly for rotatably supporting a belt support roll on an axle comprising a pair of bearing rings having confronting spaced apart sections defining inner and outer raceways disposed at an angle to the normal axis for a plurality of balls. The inner bearing ring has a radial outwardly directed flange serving as means to secure the bearing to the roll casing and a flange extending radially inwardly from the race confronting a sleeve mounted on the axle. The outer bearing ring has an annular ring flange facing inwardly to the bearing axle confronting the radial flange of the inner bearing ring and terminating in an annular shoulder running axially for fastening to the axle. A sleeve circumscribes the axle and has a radially outwardly directed rib which forms with the inner bearing ring an annular chamber for a sealing agent. A seal with flocked fibers is interposed between the confronting inner flanges of the inner and outer bearing rings.

Abstract: A rotary drill bit having a plurality of cutters, each rotatably mounted on a trunnion. The bearing support includes a friction bearing consisting of a cup member of half-moon shape preferably made of an oil soaked sintered material. The outer surface of the cup engages the bore of the cutter and forms the non-loaded part of the slip surface in the unloaded zone of the friction bearing. The cup is mounted in a manner retaining the cutter against axial displacement from the trunnion. Biasing means between the cup and trunnion presses the cup against the cutter bore and compensates for wear of the cup.

Abstract: A linear rolling bearing has an outer housing with a central bore. A plurality of radially inwardly directed axially extending projections in the bore form races for rolling elements under load, and surfaces between the projections serve as return races. A cage within the bore has a plurality of axially extending guide channels, and semicircular guide channels interconnect pairs of the guide channels to form endless channels for the rolling elements. The outer housing has inclined surfaces joining the corresponding races for loaded and unloaded rolling elements, whereby the inclined surfaces steplessly interconnect the respective races and extend radially outwardly from each of these races.

Abstract: A linear-motion ball bearing has an outer sleeve and a cylindrical cage within the sleeve, with endless raceways defined by the sleeve and cage, and balls substantially filling the raceways; the cage is formed of axially-extending sections, with a gap defined between the pair of adjacent edges of each two adjacent sections, and a projection extending circumferentially from one of each pair of edges into a recess of an adjacent edge.

Abstract: In a linear motion ball bearing having a cylindrical cage guiding endless rows of balls, an outer sleeve around the cage, and end rings overlying and defining with the ends of the cage reversing or turn-around zones for the balls, each end ring further defining therein a slot, formed as a crescent for example, extending radially through the wall of the end ring and overlying the turn-around zone, the slot width being less than the diameter of the balls, whereby the slot permits the balls to be positioned substantially outward radially, and partially in while not falling through the slot.

Abstract: A clutch release structure includes a clutch release bearing having a running portion, or the like, positioned to axially engage the diaphragm or dish-shaped clutch release elements. The bearing portion, or the like, has an axially extending portion which projects through the central boring in the clutch release elements, and damping means are provided radially between this extension and the clutch release spring elements.

Abstract: In a longitudinally movable rolling bearing having a plurality of endless rows of spherical rolling elements, elongated races are provided for supporting loaded rolling elements against the inner boring of a housing. The radially directed surfaces of the rails are identical, so that the rails may be reversed to prolong the life of the bearing. In one embodiment, the rails are straight in the lengthwise direction, for use in a bearing in a precision machine. In another embodiment of the invention, the rails are convex curved in the lengthwise direction, for use in a bearing requiring compensation for misalignment of a shaft and the housing.

Abstract: In a rolling bearing for linear movement with respect to a shaft, the bearing has a sleeve, and axially extending guide rails on the inner and outer surfaces of the sleeve. Rolling elements are guided by the guide rails, and have concave spool-like central portions matched to the shaft, to provide linear contact therewith. The ends of the rolling elements are convexly curved to match the curvature of the inner surface of the sleeve, so that the inner surface of the sleeve forms a raceway for rolling elements under load. Grooves are provided in the lateral surfaces of the guide rails for guiding balls disposed between the ends of adjacent rolling elements. End caps on the bearing have turn-around guides for directing rolling elements between the inner raceways and the raceways for unloaded rolling elements along the outer surfaces of the sleeve.

Abstract: A linear ball bearing having an outer shell and a cage which define between them a plurality of endless axial raceways filled with balls, has at each end an end ring having a shoulder extending radially outward for axially fixing the bearing in a housing bore. The end ring may be positioned and secured after the bearing shell and balls are situated in the housing. Alternatively, the shoulder may be formed of resilient tongues which are deflectable radially inwardly during insertion of the bearing shell into the housing bore, and which subsequently spring radially outwardly to engage the housing wall and secure the bearing in place.

Abstract: A system for continuous lubrication of bearings in a drilling apparatus including a roller bit having at least one pivot and a cutting roller rotatably supported on the pivot by bearings. The system comprises pumping means in the form of spiral or oblique grooves on one of the spaced confronting faces of the roller bit and cutting roller and a flow opening or port arranged to effect flow of a flushing liquid through the bearing upon rotations of the cutting roller. The grooves may be selectively oriented to pump flushing liquid through the annular gap between the roller bit and cutting roller faces radially inwardly or radially outwardly for a given direction of rotation of the cutting roller.

Abstract: A system for lubricating bearings in a drilling apparatus including a roller bit with at least one pivot and a cutting roller rotatably supported on the pivot by bearings. A cavity or chamber is formed in the roller bit for a non-compressible flushing liquid. The flow channel which communicates with the chamber at one end and the bearing cavity at the other end, provides a flow path for the flushing liquid to the bearing cavity. In one form the flushing liquid discharges to the bearing cavity at a point remote from an annular gap between the outer axial end face of the cutting roller and the roller bit. In another embodiment circumferentially spaced discharge ports are located between the bearings so that a portion of the flushing liquid is discharged to the environment and the remainder flows through the bearings and out the annular gap.

Abstract: A ball bearing with a cylindrical ball cage intermediate a shaft and outer shell, and alternately spaced longitudinal load portions and ball-return paths in the bore of the shell, has additional longitudinal recesses in the bore for receiving with play a mating longitudinal rib on the cage, which permits restricted lateral and circumferential movement of the balls relative to the shell during longitudinal movement of these balls.

Abstract: A rolling bearing for lengthwise movement with respect to a shaft has a housing with a cage for guiding endless rows of rolling elements. Race rails extend axially in the housing for radially outwardly supporting rolling elements in the portions of the portions of the lengths of the rows thereof adapted to receive loads. The race rails have first sides with convex curvature in the axial direction, and second sides opposite the first sides that extend straight in the axial direction, the race rails being adapted to be assembled in the bearing with selected ones of the sides thereof being directed radially outwardly. Both sides of the race rails may have axially extending guide grooves.

Abstract: A linear-motion ball bearing assembly wherein a metal cylindrical shell has an inner bore surface defining load zones and outwardly spaced return passages for balls in endless raceways; the shell has outwardly extending longitudinal ribs, with plastic injection molded onto the bore of the shell to form guide walls for balls in the load zone and along the ribs of the shell to form return guide passages communicating with the load zone passages.

Abstract: A ball bearing comprising an outer sleeve with raceways formed therein, and having an axial bore and a retainer including a plurality of ball guideways distributed over the periphery thereof. The ball guideways comprise axial guideway sections and semicircular deflecting way sections connecting the axial guideway sections by pairs; the outer sleeve has a length which corresponds to the length of the axial guideway sections in the retainer, the retainer being made of synthetic material and projecting with the semicircular deflecting way sections beyond the outer sleeve; and end rings mounted on projecting sections of the retainer for covering the deflecting zone.