Ball Structure Patents (Class 384/491)
  • Patent number: 10302137
    Abstract: An improved bearing assembly is disclosed. Ring-shaped rolling elements in an alternating staggered formation, which allows maintenance of the bearing assembly geometry with fewer structural elements than prior bearings. The rolling elements can create a constant elastic tension, or pre-load, which maintains the bearing assembly geometry under various loads and rotational speeds, and reduces wear on the rolling elements and the raceways. The rolling elements can also comprise energy-dampening members and/or instrumentation which can monitor the functioning of the bearing assembly. An alternate embodiment in which the rolling elements are interlocked allows the use of more rolling elements in the same volume. An improved cage assembly, highly suitable for use with the improved bearing assembly, is also disclosed. The improved cage assembly comprises individual cage segments, which each retain one rolling element. The cage assembly can flex at every joint in a way not allowed by prior cage assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Inventors: Stefan Magnusson, Marta Magnusson, Maxine Magnusson
  • Patent number: 9835123
    Abstract: A roller for a mechanical fuel pump assembly includes an elongate body extending from a first axial end to a second axial end of the elongate body over an overall length of the elongate body. The elongate body defines an effective length that is less than the overall length. The elongate body defines a uniform circular cross section over a second length of the elongate body. The second length is 75 to 90 percent of the effective length and the second length extends between a first plane and a second plane. A first area of reduced cross section extends axially outward from the first plane to a third plane located axially inward of the first axial end; and a second area of reduced cross section extends axially outward from the second plane to a fourth plane located axially inward of the second axial end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Roller Bearing Company of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Kelvin M. Smith
  • Patent number: 9784313
    Abstract: Methods of screening a polycrystalline diamond element for suitability for electrical discharge machining (“EDM”). The method includes providing a PCD element including a plurality of bonded diamond grains, determining at least one characteristic of the PCD table correlated to electrical conductivity of the PCD element, and EDM the PCD element if the value of the at least one characteristic correlates to an electrical conductivity above a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: U.S. Synthetic Corporation
    Inventor: S. Barrett Peterson
  • Patent number: 9709099
    Abstract: A bearing ring formed of quenched and tempered high carbon chromium bearing steel, including an inner layer portion formed of tempered martensite or sorbite and having a Vickers hardness of more than 490 HV and 710 HV or less, and a surface layer portion formed to enclose an entire periphery of the inner layer portion, formed of tempered martensite, and having a higher hardness than the inner layer portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Yoshida, Towako Matsui, Katsuhiko Kizawa, Takashi Sada
  • Patent number: 9416822
    Abstract: A rolling bearing component (2, 3, 4) has the following features: a nitrided surface zone (5), with a nitrogen content decreasing from the outside inwards, and a core zone (6), internal compressive stresses decreasing from the outside inwards in the surface zone (5), a surface hardness of 870 to 2000 HV 0.3 at a depth of 0.04 mm, wherein—the hardness at a depth of 0.3 mm is not more than 250 HV 0.3 less than the surface hardness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Edgar Streit, Oskar Beer
  • Patent number: 8596873
    Abstract: A roller bearing which has an outer and inner ring and ball rollers arranged between the rings, which roll in two groove-shaped tracks in the outer and inner rings and are held at a uniform distance to one another by a window cage that has two lateral ribs bent around two circumferential flanged edges to the inner ring and interconnected by pocket bridges. The cage pockets of the cage ribs have a hole formed from a cross-sectional contour of a ball roller arranged longitudinally to the circumferential direction and from a free contour incorporated therein and arranged perpendicular to the circumferential direction. The free contour in each cage pocket is expanded to a rectangle and the flange edges of the ribs each have reduced material thickness compared to the other material thickness of the cage by a circumferential, line-shaped burnishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Heinrich Hofmann, Andreas-Johann Bohr, Ernst Geiger, Otmar Weber
  • Publication number: 20130209006
    Abstract: Disclosed is a bearing component having at least one layer having a high hardness and a high current insulation property, the layer comprising a nonconductive oxide layer selected from the group comprising an Al2O3 layer, a TaO layer, an SiO2 layer, a mixed layer comprising two or more of the foregoing oxides, a multilayer structure comprising alternating layers of two or more of the foregoing oxides and a DLC layer such as a ta-C layer, there being at least one ALD layer comprising at least one layer of a material deposited by an ALD (atomic layer deposition) process on the at least one layer having a high hardness and a high current insulation property, the ALD layer itself having a high current insulation property and comprising a material or layer structure selected from the said group of materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicants: Hauzer Techno Coating BV, Picosun Oy, Schaeffler AG
    Inventors: Hauzer Techno Coating BV, Schaeffler AG, Picosun Oy
  • Publication number: 20110311173
    Abstract: The present invention provides a rolling bearing which is excellent in high-temperatures and high-speed durability and quietness, is capable of effectively preventing hydrogen brittleness-caused peeling from occurring on a rolling surface thereof, and has a low environmental load. A rolling bearing (1) is constructed of an inner ring (2) having a rolling surface on its peripheral surface, an outer ring (3) having a rolling surface on its inner peripheral surface, a plurality of rolling elements (4) disposed between both rolling surfaces, and a cage (5) retaining the rolling elements (4). The inner ring (2), the outer ring (3), the rolling elements (4) or the cage (5) is a metal-made bearing member. Film-coating treatment is conducted on a sliding surface or a rolling surface of at least one of these metal-made bearing members with the plant-derived polyvalent alcohol compounds such as curcumin, quercetin, chlorogenic acid or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidenobu Mikami, Yosuke Taguchi
  • Publication number: 20110311174
    Abstract: A ball roller bearing, which has an outer and inner bearing ring with a groove-shaped raceways and ball rollers, which roll between the hearing rings in the raceways. The rollers are held at distances from each other in the circumferential direction by a hearing cage and which have a width that is dimensioned larger than the radial distance between the inside and the outside of the bearing rings. The raceways are divided into two segments by an axially centered annular groove such that a first ball roller rolls on two first diagonally opposed track segments and a second ball roller rolls on two second diagonally opposed track segments of the bearing rings. Both bearing rings are single-piece components, and the bearing cage is formed by two identical double prong-type cages acting independently of each other. The bearing is filled with the ball rollers by an axial tilt cam assembly method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Horst Doeppling, Heinrich Hofmann, Ernst Geiger, Ernst Masur
  • Patent number: 8007185
    Abstract: The radial rolling bearing has an outer bearing ring, an inner bearing ring, and spherical rollers arranged between bearing rings. The spherical rollers have two flat side faces arranged parallel to one another. The spherical rollers are retained with uniform spacing to one another in the peripheral direction by a bearing cage. The spherical rollers have a width between their side faces of approximately 70% of the diameter of their spherical basic shape. The running faces of the rollers roll in two groove-shaped raceways which are formed in the inner side of the outer bearing ring and in the outer side of the inner bearing ring. At least one of the axial rims which delimit the groove-shaped raceways is reduced in radial height such that the radial bearing can be equipped with an increased number of spherical rollers in an axial assembly process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Schaeffler KG
    Inventors: Heinrich Hofmann, Horst Doppling, Georg Goppelt
  • Publication number: 20090290825
    Abstract: In order to provide a roller bearing ball, a roller bearing and a method for treating roller bearing balls, which are distinguished by an inexpensive and, in terms of production technology, simple surface treatment or coating of the rolling bodies, there is provision for the spherical rolling face of the roller bearing ball which rolls on a running face of a roller bearing in operation to have at least one flattened portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG
    Inventors: Rainer Eidloth, Peter Schuster
  • Patent number: 7600922
    Abstract: The present invention provides a ball roller rolling member which can take crossing arrangement, conveyance including alignment and separation can be easily automated, lateral both sides of a rolling curved portion can be easily discriminated and the rolling curved portion thereof can be precisely ground. Such ball roller rolling member comprises a rolling curved portion having a circular-arc outer periphery and end spherical portions provided on both sides of the rolling curved portion so as to be spherically swelled outward, respectively, the rolling curved portion having a radius of the circular-arc portion larger than a radius of curvature of each of the end spherical portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Inventor: Hiroshi Teramachi
  • Publication number: 20090180724
    Abstract: A radial anti friction bearing (1) which is configured as a single-row spherical roller bearing, which includes an outer bearing ring (2), an inner bearing ring (3) and a plurality of spherical rollers (5) that are arranged between the bearing rings (2, 3). The spherical rollers have respectively two side faces (6, 7) which are flattened symmetrically from a spherical base shape, are retained with uniform spacing to each other a bearing cage (4) and roll with their running faces (8) in two groove-shaped raceways (11, 12) which are defined, respectively, by two axial rims (13, 14 and 15, 16). The width (bK) of the spherical rollers (5) between their side faces (6, 7) is smaller than the distance (aB) between the radially opposing axial rims (13, 15 and 14, 16), such that the spherical rollers (5) can be in the space therebetween via the axial mounting method in the radial anti friction bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG
    Inventors: Heinrich Hofmann, Horst Doppling, Rainer Eidloth, Georg Goppelt
  • Publication number: 20090129713
    Abstract: It is aimed to increase the rigidity of an angular contact ball bearing of the type in which each ball contacts at least one of the raceways at two points, improve the lubricating environment of the balls, reduce the weight of the bearing while maintaining wear resistance and rigidity of the balls, reduce the weight of the bearing while maintaining wear resistance of the balls, improve the radial rigidity and axial rigidity of the bearing in a balanced manner, or to supply a sufficient amount of lubricating oil into an internal area between the two contact points between each ball and the raceway. A counter portion 7 is formed. With each ball 6 in contact with the raceway at two points, a gap is present between the portion of the bearing ring at the bearing centerline C and each ball 6. The balls 6 may be ceramic balls. A coating for improving wear resistance may be applied to the balls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventor: Junichi Hattori
  • Publication number: 20090097793
    Abstract: The radial rolling bearing has an outer bearing ring, an inner bearing ring, and spherical rollers arranged between bearing rings. The spherical rollers have two flat side faces arranged parallel to one another. The spherical rollers are retained with uniform spacing to one another in the peripheral direction by a bearing cage. The spherical rollers have a width between their side faces of approximately 70% of the diameter of their spherical basic shape. The running faces of the rollers roll in two groove-shaped raceways which are formed in the inner side of the outer bearing ring and in the outer side of the inner bearing ring. At least one of the axial rims which delimit the groove-shaped raceways is reduced in radial height such that the radial bearing can be equipped with an increased number of spherical rollers in an axial assembly process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2006
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER KG
    Inventors: Heinrich Hofmann, Horst Doppling, Georg Goppelt
  • Publication number: 20090052824
    Abstract: In a device on a drafting system for textile fibre slivers with weighting of the upper rolls of the drafting system which comprises roll pairs arranged one behind the other, the pairs having lower and upper rolls, the rotating journals at the ends of the upper roll are mounted by means of bearing elements and the bearing elements each have at least one rolling-element bearing having an immovable outer housing (outer ring) and an internal rotational body (inner ring). In order to provide a structurally simple way in which the bearing housings can be mounted on or removed from the presser roll in a simple, quick and reliable manner, the bearing elements are in the form of rolling-element bearings and there is a coupling between the journal and the rotational body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Publication date: February 26, 2009
    Applicant: Trutzschler GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Schmitz, Helmut Ilmberger
  • Publication number: 20090046966
    Abstract: The inventions concerns a sealing device for antifriction bearing comprising a fixed support (1,2) and a rotating support (2, 1), said sealing device comprising a metal frame (4) designed to be associated with a support (1, 2) of said bearing and a sealing joint, said frame including an annular seat (4a) and, secured to said seat, electronic identifying means (5) consisting of a transponder (6) connected on a communication antenna (7), wherein the antenna (7) has an at least semi-annular or annular shape which is designed to be urged opposite the seat (4a), the identifying means (5) being secured to said seat (4a) via an insulating material layer (8, 10) which is interposed between the antenna (7) and the seat (4a) so as to provide electromagnetic insulation for said antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2006
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventor: Marc-Alain Weber
  • Patent number: 7275319
    Abstract: A rolling element bearing comprises an inner ring and an outer ring which are each provided with a raceway, and a series of rolling elements which are in contact with the raceways of each ring. A lubricant film is provided in the contacts between the rolling elements and the raceways, which film forms a lubricant meniscus at the inlet side of each contact. In the bearing starved lubrication conditions prevail. The surface of each rolling element has minute recesses filled with a lubricant quantity, said recesses being flattened in the contact area defined by the contact between the rolling elements and the rings and thereby releasing lubricant at the inlet side of each contact resulting in a displacement of the meniscus further away from said contact. This meniscus displacement results in an increased lubricant film thickness in each contact area, thus improving the lubricating conditions in the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: SKF Engineering & Research Centre B.V.
    Inventors: Pieter Martin Lugt, Eusthatios Ioannides, Ingrid Victoria Wikstrom, John Howard Tripp, Marie-Laure Dumont, Antonio Gabelli, Benoit Clement Jacod
  • Patent number: 7267487
    Abstract: There is disclosed a bearing unit (5, 5a) for a wheel comprising a stationary race (6) having stationary race track surfaces (11a, 11b) on a peripheral surface on the stationary side thereof to be supported and fixed by a suspension system in its used state, a rotating race (8) having rotating race track surfaces (14a, 14b) on a peripheral surface on the rotating side so as to fix a wheel and a braking rotating member in its used state, and a plurality of balls (17) provided between the rotating race tracks and the stationary race tracks, wherein a standard value for the mutual difference in diameter between these balls is not more than 1.0 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 7264399
    Abstract: A rolling element bearing comprises an inner ring and an outer ring which are each provided with a raceway, and a series of rolling elements which are in contact with the raceways of each ring. A lubricant film is provided in the contacts between the rolling elements and the raceways, which film forms a lubricant meniscus at the inlet side of each contact. In the bearing starved lubrication conditions prevail. The surface of each rolling element has minute recesses filled with a lubricant quantity, said recesses being flattened in the contact area defined by the contact between the rolling elements and the rings and thereby releasing lubricant at the inlet side of each contact resulting in a displacement of the meniscus further away from said contact. This meniscus displacement results in an increased lubricant film thickness in each contact area, thus improving the lubricating conditions in the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: SKF Engineering and Research Centre B.V.
    Inventors: Pieter Martin Lugt, Eusthatios Ioannides, Ingrid Victoria Wikström, John Howard Tripp, Marie-Laure Dumont, Antonio Gabelli, Benoit Clement Jacod
  • Patent number: 6896414
    Abstract: The ball roller according to the present invention has a unique shape so that it can be handled just as easily as a conventional ball while being endurable against high load as is a roller. The ball roller comprises a rolling portion having an arcuate surface, and two spherical end portions spherically protruding from both ends of the rolling portion. The rolling portion has a radius of curvature larger than that of each of the spherical end portions, curvature centers of the spherical end portions are located on the rotational axis of the rolling portion. In another embodiment of the present invention, a ratio between the maximum diameter d of the rolling portion and the distance W between the two apexes of the spherical end portions falls within a rage of approximately 80%±17%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Inventor: Hiroshi Teramachi
  • Patent number: 6663290
    Abstract: A bearing with shallow grooves on the surface of the rolling element. In addition, pockets of lubricant are carried in its own internal structure via a network of through-holes crossing at its center which release lubricant to the grooves and surface of the rolling element upon the rotation of the bearing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventor: Anthony Schepis
  • Patent number: 6655845
    Abstract: Diamond bearings and bearing components are disclosed. Some embodiments of the bearings and bearing components include polycrystalline diamond compacts sintered under high pressure and high temperature to create a diamond table chemically and mechanically bonded to a substrate, the diamond table presenting a durable and thermally stable load bearing and articulation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Diamicron, Inc.
    Inventors: Bill J. Pope, Jeffery K. Taylor, Richard H. Dixon, Clayton F. Gardinier, Louis M. Pope, II, Dean C. Blackburn, Michael A. Vail
  • Patent number: 6644138
    Abstract: An idler gear (7) is mounted in a variable speed gear transmission (1) on a rolling bearing crown ring (10) whose first and second rolling elements (12, 20) are guided in a cage (11) and have different diameters. The first and second rolling elements (12, 20) are of a same type, size ratios between the first and second rolling elements are defined so that, in an unloaded state, the larger diameter of the second rolling elements (20) is such as to become equal to a diameter of the first rolling elements (12) in an engaged state under radial loading, whereby a limit of elasticity of the second rolling elements (20) having the larger diameter in the unloaded state is not exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Ina Walzlager Schaeffler oHG
    Inventor: Swen Dörrie
  • Patent number: 6524009
    Abstract: A rolling bearing in which the attainment of excellent current-carrying capability is compatible with cost reduction. The rolling bearing comprises an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements arranged between the inner and outer rings, oil films being interposed between the rolling elements and raceway surfaces of the-rings. Here, the inner raceway surface and the outer raceway surface are made coarser to such a surface roughness (Ra=0.1 &mgr;m or so) that they come into metal contact wit the rolling elements for electric connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kurimura, Tamotsu Kodama, Tsukasa Toyoda
  • Patent number: 6450692
    Abstract: An arrangement in which respective roughnesses are defined for orbital grooves of inner and outer rings and a surface of rolling members which are constituents of a rolling bearing and in which their conditions of contact are controlled whereupon a minimum amount lubricating oil is adhered at a strong bonding force to thereby obtain a condition in which lubricating oil is continuously interposed at mutual contacting portions of the inner and outer rings, the rolling members and a cage to thereby enable favorable sliding properties and remarkable restrictions in generation of dust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Toyota
  • Patent number: 6398417
    Abstract: A rolling member is utilized for such as a rolling bearing and the rolling members are disposed to be rollable between members which are relatively movable with respect to each other. The rolling member is provided with a rolling portion contacting the movable members during the rolling motion thereof and longitudinal both end portions. The rolling portion is formed to provide a protruded circular arc shape and the end portions are formed so as to provide a spherical shape, the circular rolling portion has a radius of curvature larger than a radius of each of the end spherical portions, and a distance between the end spherical portions is larger than a maximum diameter of the circular rolling portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Inventor: Hiroshi Teramachi
  • Patent number: 6149311
    Abstract: A rolling element bearing having inner and outer rings and a plurality of rolling elements where one, two or at least one but not all of the rolling elements of the plurality of rolling elements is harder than the other of the plurality of rolling elements and harder than the rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: SKF Industrial Trading & Development Company, B.V.
    Inventors: Antonio Gabelli, Piter Abraham Veenhuizen, Gerardus De Vries
  • Patent number: 5971620
    Abstract: A rolling element bearing comprises an outer ring and an inner ring which enclose a bearing space containing rolling elements which are in rolling contact with the raceways of both rings. At least the contact surface layer of one of the rings and/or rolling elements consists of a zirconium material. At least one of the rings has a composite layered structure comprising an outer layer of steel facing away from the bearing space and an inner layer of a zirconium material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: SKF Industrial Trading & Development Company B.V.
    Inventors: Antonio Gabelli, Tin Yau Wan
  • Patent number: 5967670
    Abstract: A rolling element bearing includes an outer ring and an inner ring which enclose a bearing space containing rolling elements. The rings are made of steel. At least one of the rolling elements comprises, at least partially as a zirconium material which is harder and stiffer than the material of the other rolling elements which are comprised of steel. Walls of indentations which are formed in the rings by solid contamination particles between the rings and one of the rolling elements having about the same hardness as the rings, are compressed as soon as the zirconium material rolling element with a substantially higher hardness than the rings overrolls the walls. Thereby, the smooth characteristic of the raceways is restored. Only small holes are left in the rings, which do not have a negative influence on the running properties of the bearing. In these small holes, minute quantities of lubricating oil are collected, which help the lubrication of the rolling elements in case of oil starvation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: SKF Industrial Trading & Development Company B.V.
    Inventors: Antonio Gabelli, Pieter Abraham Veenhuizen, Gerardus De Vries
  • Patent number: 5687016
    Abstract: In a light beam deflecting device for deflecting a laser beam by using a rotary polygon mirror, the rotary shaft of the rotary polygon mirror is rotatably supported by a plurality of ball bearings which, when turned, vibrate at different frequencies, thus producing no beat sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Seto
  • Patent number: 5685390
    Abstract: An electrically-operated power steering apparatus comprises a steering shaft, a rack shaft capable of linear movement for turning a steering running wheel a, rack-pinion gear for coupling the steering shaft with the rack shaft, and a ball screw mechanism including a screw groove formed on the rack shaft, a rotary ball screw nut fitted on the rack shaft, and plural balls positioned in a rolling path. The plural balls are comprised of bulbs of a larger diameter and balls of a smaller diameter, which are alternately arranged, and the smaller diameter is within a defined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: NSK, Ltd.
    Inventors: Isamu Chikuma, Kenji Someya, Hiroshi Eda
  • Patent number: 5659956
    Abstract: Hollow ball bearings of improved strength and uniformity are produced by causing identical first and second hemispheric units to rotate at different speeds in facing relationship upon a common axis, and forcing the hemispheres into aligned contact. The frictional heat generated by such contact melts the material adjacent the open rim of each contacting hemisphere. The molten material is distributed by centrifugal force about the interior of the hemispheres. The speeds of the two hemispheres are then equalized with attendant cooling and re-solidification of the molten material, thereby producing a hollow sphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Inventors: Mikhail Braginsky, Leon Dashevsky
  • Patent number: 5642947
    Abstract: The object is to prolong the life of a ball bearing by improving its ability to form oil films. A multitude of needle-like microscopic recesses are formed in a dispersed manner at random in the surface of each ball for a ball bearing. The recesses have a predetermined length and width and are present at a predetermined density so that the surface has a predetermined centerline average roughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Akamatsu, Kikuo Maeda, Katsuyoshi Yoshimura, Katsunori Makino
  • Patent number: 5639168
    Abstract: A ball bearing for supporting a spindle rotating at high speed is provided with at least one member of an inner race and a shaft having an inner raceway in an outer peripheral surface thereof, an outer race having an outer raceway in an inner peripheral surface thereof, and a plurality of balls having 3 mm or less in diameter which are rollingly provided between the inner raceway and the outer raceway, the balls being arranged along a pitch circle 11 mm or less in diameter. A bearing steel or stainless steel which is used to form the member having the raceway is reduced to 6% by volume or less in the amount of retained austenite, so that the raceways are improved in impression resistance. This eliminates the difficulty that the impression of the raceway lowers the acoustic characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Shingo Noguchi, Kiyoshi Hirakawa
  • 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: 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: 5498086
    Abstract: This invention relates to an oil film-deposit bearing, the oil film-deposit bearing being composed of an outer ring, an inner ring and a plurality of rolling means, the inner circumference of the outer ring and the inner ring having respectively an arc groove, on the surface of the arc grooves having a plurality of capillary holes, the rolling means being installed between the arc grooves of the outer ring and the inner ring and can roll between them, on the outer surface of the rolling means having a plurality of capillary holes, the oil or grease added on the contacting surface between the rolling means and the arc grooves would deposit in these capillary holes, once the oil film-deposit bearing rotating with shaft, the oil or grease deposited in the capillary holes would flow out to form an oil film on the contacting surface between the rolling means and the arc grooves, thus the oil film-deposit bearing can lubricate itself and prevent the oil or grease from throwing out in high speed rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Inventor: Chin-Sung Ou
  • Patent number: 5463490
    Abstract: In a light beam deflecting device for deflecting a laser beam by using a rotary polygon mirror, the rotary shaft of the rotary polygon mirror is rotatably supported by a plurality of ball bearings which, when turned, vibrate at different frequencies, thus producing no beat sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Seto
  • Patent number: 5456008
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process for hard-coating a ball, consisting in:hollowing in the outer surface of the ball a depression whose periphery lies at a certain distance from the two polar faces of the ball in order that it is bordered by elevated zones;coating the whole of the spherical outer surface with a layer of hard matter;and machining the layer over a depth such that this layer disappears completely on the elevated zones and remains only in the depression.The invention also relates to a ball employed in this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: Sarma
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Hugon
  • Patent number: 5443317
    Abstract: A rolling bearing in which the outer diameter of a first rolling element is different from that of a second rolling element. During the operation of the rolling bearing, the speeds of revolution of the first and second rolling elements are different from each other due to a difference in their outer diameter. The circumferential directions in which the first and second rolling elements move within pockets are opposite to each other, so that a cage is prevented from vibrating with respect to the first and second rolling elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1995
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatunobu Momono, Yasushi Mutoh
  • Patent number: 5284394
    Abstract: Improved structures in bearings operable to receive and support shafts or members which are supported for rotation on shafts or pins are disclosed. In one form, just the inner cylindrical surface of a solid bearing made of metal or hard ceramic material is coated with a synthetic diamond material deposited in situ therein as carbon atoms by means of high energy radiation, which also serves to form synthetic diamond structures of layers of such carbon atoms so deposited. In another form, the entire race of a multiple part bearing is coated with synthetic diamond material. In a third form, a rolling member type bearing, such as a ball or roller bearing, is provided containing an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of balls, rollers, or other rolling members supported between the inner and outer race. In certain instances, the rolling members are retained by means of a cage supported therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1994
    Inventor: Jerome Lemelson
  • Patent number: 4893387
    Abstract: A roller element for use in a roller bearing having a surface formed with minute recesses at random so that the ratio RMS(L)/RMS(C) will be not more than 0.8 wherein RMS(L) is the roughness mean square value in the longitudinal direction and RMS(C) is the roughness mean square value in the circumferential direction and so that the SK value is not more than -0.2 in both the longitudinal and circumferential directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Assignee: NTN Toyo Bearing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Akamatsu, Morikatu Kotani, Toshihide Goto, Kenji Hibi, Toshihiko Matsushima
  • Patent number: 4741632
    Abstract: A ball structure for stabilizing bearing torque in high speed, preloaded, angular contact load supporting ball bearings operating on elastohydrodynamic lubricant films. Angular momentum developed about a ball spin axis that is not parallel to the bearing rotation axis results in a continuous creep of the ball about the momentum axis, thereby allowing a long term preload and torque variation. The improved ball set is shaped so that each ball has a mass inertia about its desired spin axis that is greater than about all other axes, so as to develop a restoring moment tending to maintain rotation about a fixed axis in each ball. The ball cage is configured to maintain ball alignment during run-up and run-down of the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1988
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventor: Peter E. Jacobson
  • Patent number: 4696581
    Abstract: An improved rolling bearing is proposed which has a longer life under heavy load and under lubrication with oil containing foreign matters. Its bearing rings and rolling elements are made of carburized steel having an oxygen content of 15 PPM or less and have a deeper surface hardened layer and a higher core hardness. It has a longer life even under lubrication with oil containing foreign matters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1987
    Assignee: NTN Toyo Bearing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Tsushima, Hirokazu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 4655420
    Abstract: A missile fin control actuator includes a housing having a hollow cavity within which is mounted a single bearing. On the inner race of the bearing, a lower cap attaches the base of a fin mounting shaft or integral fin for rotation with the inner race. The outer race of the bearing is retained in a fixed position in the housing by an upper cap. A crankarm attached to the lower cap may be actuated to rotate the lower cap and the inner race and mounting shaft (or integral fin) therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventor: Carl M. Spiroff