Tapered Roller Bearing With Improved Lubricating Means

This invention relates in general to antifriction bearings and more particularly to an antifriction bearing having improved lubricating capabilities for high speed operation.

Tapered roller bearings offer many advantages over other types of bearings, one of the more important being the ability to carry high thrust loads as well as high radial loads. The tapered design requires a thrust rib at the large end faces of the rollers to keep the rollers in position and alignment, the rib usually being a part of the cone or inner race. The nature of the contact between the rib and the roller end faces is such that a combination of rolling and sliding occurs, as opposed to the pure rolling contact between the roller side faces and the raceways. Due to this element of sliding at the rib-roller end contact, it becomes the critical area for lubrication, and the one where damage is most likely to initiate when lubrication is inadequate.

At low speeds, bearing rotation creates turbulence and churning of the lubricant which keeps all surfaces covered with adequate lubricant films. As speeds increase above about 5000 ft/min cone rib circumferential velocity, the centrifugal forces acting on the lubricant may tend to prevent lubricant from reaching the cone rib-roller end contact, thereby causing a starvation condition and allowing damage to initiate or occur.

Heretofore, various lubricating devices have been developed for in one way or another directing additional lubricating oil to the faces of the cone thrust ribs against which the large ends of the rollers bear in tapered roller bearings. While these devices enable the bearings to operate more satisfactorily at higher speeds, all have disadvantages of one type or another. For example, one way to improve the lubrication at the thrust rib is to provide the cone with oil holes or ports that extend axially through the rib to the face against which the rollers bear or perhaps radially through the cone to the rib face (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,811,743 and 2,217,801). The holes, however, must be accurately located, quite small, and placed at frequent intervals. They require additional machining operations which are very time consuming and may further complicate subsequent process steps such as heat treatments. Another approach is the curved oil dam located opposite the large diameter ends of the rollers. In this approach oil is pumped through the bearing in the normal manner by the tapered rollers, but instead flowing free of the bearing at the large end of the cup raceway, it is turned back inwardly by a curved dam so that it wets the large diameter ends of the rollers. The oil, however, is churned within the bearing and also absorbs heat from the regions of rolling contact along the raceways. It therefore is at an elevated temperature by the time it reaches the large ends of the rollers. Still another approach involves incorporating oil ducts or channels within the metal cage that maintains the correct spacing between the tapered rollers (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,835). The ducts or channels run along the cage bridges and convey the oil from the small end of the cage to the large end where they direct it against the large rib face of the cone. Metal cages of this nature are expensive to manufacture, and because of the clearances involved, it is difficult to position the discharge ends of the ducts close to the cone thrust rib. This could diminish the amount of lubrication reaching the cone thrust rib.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an antifriction bearing that is lubricated sufficiently to operate at moderate to high speeds. Another object is to provide a tapered roller bearing with means for directing lubricating oil against the large diameter end faces of the tapered rollers without passing the oil through the interior of the bearing. Another object is to provide a bearing of the type stated which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture. Another object is to provide a bearing of the type stated with means for effectively cooling the cone thrust rib and roller large diameter end to establish and maintain thermal equilibrium and assure satisfactory operating temperatures, thus minimizing the risk of overheating and subsequent surface damage such as scoring.

An additional object is to provide a bearing of the type stated that is ideally suited for mounting machine tool spindles and other applications as well. Still another object is to provide a lubricating device that may be easily attached to a conventional tapered roller bearing to provide the bearing with improved lubricating capabilities. Yet another object is to provide a bearing of the type stated with a cage that conveys the lubricant from the region of the roller large end faces to the raceways and roller side faces. These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

The present invention is embodied in a bearing having rolling elements and a race that is provided with a raceway along which the rolling elements roll and also a generally axially directed surface beyond the raceway. A lubricating ring is mounted on the axial surface and this ring encloses a trough and channels which lead from the trough and open toward the rolling elements. Also, the invention includes a tapered roller bearing having lubricant supplying means at the large end of its rollers and a cage provided with lubricant distributing means for collecting lubricant that is discharged in the region of the large ends of the rollers and for directing that lubricant to the cup raceway. The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification and wherein like numerals and letters refer to like parts wherever they occur

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a tapered roller bearing provided with a lubricating ring constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial end view of the bearing and lubricating ring taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the bearing and lubricating ring taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the cone thrust rib, the abutting roller, and the lubricating ring;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a modified bearing cone and lubricating ring also forming part of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the modified cone and lubricating ring taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another modified lubricating ring;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of still another modified lubricating ring;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a modified bearing cone and a one-piece combined lubricating ring and thrust rib that fits over it;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of yet another modified cone and one-piece combined lubricating ring and thrust rib that fits over it;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a tapered roller bearing constructed in accordance with the present invention and further having a distributing cage that collects lubricant discharged from the lubricating ring and directs that lubricant toward the cup raceway;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a modified distributing cage;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of another modified distributing cage;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of still another modified distributing cage;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a pressed steel cage provided with inserts for further distributing the lubricant to the cup raceway; and

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a further modified pressed steel cage and inserts for it.

Referring now to the drawings, a single row tapered roller bearing A (FIG. 1), which has an axis X of rotation, includes the usual cone 2, cup 4 surrounding the cone 2, a complement of tapered rollers 6 between the cone 2 and cup 4, and cage 8 for maintaining the correct spacing between the rollers 6 and for further retaining the rollers 6 around the cone 2 when the cone 2 is withdrawn from the cup 4. In addition, the bearing A has a lubricating ring 10 which fits onto the cone 2 and directs a continuous stream of lubricating oil to critical surface areas of the bearing A, particularly when the bearing A is operating at moderate to high speeds, that is at speeds above about 5000 ft/min cone rib circumferential velocity.

The cone 2 has an outwardly presented raceway 14 that is tapered, and at the small end of the raceway 14 it is provided with retaining rib 16, while at the large end it has a thrust rib 18. Both ribs 16 and 18 project radially beyond the raceways 14 and form an integral part of the cone 2. The two ribs 16 and 18 together with the cage 8 retain the rollers 6 on the raceway 14 when the cone 2 is removed from the cup 4, so that the cone 2, the rollers 6 and the cage 8 are united into a cone assembly. The thrust rib 18 further prevents the tapered rollers 6 from being expelled from the annular space between the cup 4 and the cone 2 when the bearing A is subjected to radial or thrust loads. The circumferential velocity of the thrust rib 18 is used as a measure of the bearing speed, at least for the purpose of analyzing the effectiveness of bearing lubrication, and moderate to high speeds are generally considered to be above about 5000 ft/min.

Considering the thrust rib 18 in more detail, it has an abutment face 20 (FIGS. 1 & 4) located adjacent to the large end of the cone raceway 14, and it is against this face that the large ends of the tapered rollers 6 bear as the rollers 6 roll along the raceway 14. The cone 2, of course, has a back face 22 through which thrust loading is taken, and the back face 22 is extended outwardly along the thrust rib 18 to form the opposite side of the rib 18. The back face 22 is squared off with respect to the axis of rotation x. In addition, the thrust rib 18 has a cylindrical outwardly presented surface 24 that extends between the abutment face 20 and the back face 22 and is concentric to the axis of rotation x.

The cup 4 has an inwardly presented tapered raceway 26 (FIG. 1) that extends essentially from one end of the cup 4 to the other. At the small diameter end of its raceway 26, the cup 4 is further provided with a back face 28 that is squared off with respect to the axis x of rotation. Like the back face 22 of the cone 2, thrust loading is taken through the back face 28 of the cup 4.

The tapered rollers 6 fit in the annular space between the cone raceway 14 and the cup raceway 26 and contact those raceways along their tapered side faces, there being essentially line contact between the side face of each roller 6 and the two raceways 14 and 26. Moreover, the rollers 6 as well as the raceways 14 and 26 between which they are located are on apex, meaning that if each were extended to an apex, those apexes would be at a common point along the axis x of rotation. At its large diameter end, each roller 6 has a spherical end face 30 that is convex and may contain a recess 32 that opens out of the center of the end face 30. The spherical end faces 30 bear against the abutment face 20 on the thrust rib 18 of the cone 2, and accordingly the thrust rib 8 prevents the rollers 6 from being expelled from the space between the cone raceway 14 and cup raceway 26. In this regard, the geometry of the tapered roller bearing A, like any tapered roller bearing, is such that a radial load translates into a slight axial component at the rollers 6, and this axial component urges the rollers 6 toward the thrust rib 18. Indeed, were it not for the thrust rib 18, the rollers 6 would be forced out of the space between the cone 2 and cup 4. Thus, the large end faces 30 of the rollers 6 bear against the abutment face 20 on the thrust rib 18 as the cone 2 revolves within the cup 4.

The cage 8 rides beyond the pitch circle of the rollers 6, that is beyond the imaginary cone defined by the axes of the rollers 6, and it maintains the correct spacing between the rollers 6. It further retains the rollers 6 on the cone 2 when the cone 2 is removed from the cup 4.

The lubricating ring 10 (FIGS. 1-4) fits over the cylindrical surface 24 of the cone thrust rib 18 and serves as a manifold for directing a lubricating oil uniformly against the large diameter end faces 30 of the rollers 6. The rollers 6, in turn, carry a portion of the oil to the abutment face 20 of the thrust rib 18 so as to provide lubricant to maintain an oil film between the roller end faces 30 and the abutment face 20.

The lubricating ring 10 in cross-section possesses a generally L-shaped configuration, it having an axial portion 36 and a radial portion 38 (FIG. 4). The axial portion 36 fits over the cylindrical surface 24 of the thrust rib 18, while the radial portion 38 extends inwardly along the cone back face 22. In this regard, the axial portion 36 has a cylindrical inwardly presented surface 40 that is slightly smaller in diameter than the cylindrical outer surface 24 of the thrust rib 18, so that the axial portion 36 fits tightly around the thrust rib 18. Indeed, the ring 10 is secured by nothing more than the interference fit between the inside surface 40 of the ring 10 and the outside surface 24 of the rib 18 (FIG. 3). The axial portion 36 extends all the way to the abutment face 20 of the thrust rib 18 where it terminates at an end face 42 (FIG. 4) that at its point of farthest projection is no more than flush with the abutment face 20. As a consequence, the axial portion 36 of the ring 10 does not interfere with the movement of the rollers 6 around the cone 2. The end face 42 may be concave (as illustrated), beveled, or straight, but irrespective of its configuration it is located in close proximity to the large end face 30 of the rollers 6. Moreover, the axial portion 36 is thin enough to extend into the space circumscribed by the large diameter end ring of the cage 8 with considerable clearance between the two so that the lubricating ring 10 does not interfere with the rotation of the cage 8 (FIGS. 2 & 3).

The axial and radial portions 36 and 38 merge at a shoulder 44 (FIG. 4) which abuts against the back face 22 of the cone 2 and thereby serves to locate the lubricating ring 10 on the thrust rib 18 of the cone 2. Inwardly from the shoulder 44 the radial portion 38 is cut away to provide an annular trough 46 that opens inwardly toward the axis x of rotation, one side of the trough 46 being formed by the cone back face 22, while the other side is bounded by a lip 48 that is part of the radial portion 38. The inside or smallest diameter of the lip 48 is greater than the diameter of the bore for the cone 2, but less than the diameter of the cylindrical rib surface 24 and the ring end face 42 as well.

Extending from the trough 46 all the way to the end face 42 are lubricant channels 50 (FIGS. 1, 3 & 4) which are located at equal and closely spaced intervals around the ring 10. Each channel 50 begins with a radial section 52 (FIG. 4) that opens out of the shoulder 44 for the radial portion 38 of the ring 10. It also includes an axial section 54 that opens out of the cylindrical inwardly presented surface 40. Hence the radial section 52 is in the radial portion 38 of the ring 10, whereas the axial section 54 is in the axial portion 36. The channels 50, of course, extend along the cone back face 22 and then along the cylindrical surface 24 of the thrust rib 18 and indeed are closed along their sides by those surfaces. The ends of the channels 50 open axially at equally spaced intervals through the end face 42 of the axial portion 36 and hence are directed at the large diameter end face 30 of the rollers 6 as the rollers 6 revolve around the cone raceway 14.

The lubricating ring 10 is installed on the cone 2 merely by pressing its axial portion 36 over the cone thrust rib 18 until the shoulder 44 on the radial portion abuts against the cone back face 22. Alternatively, the ring 10 may be located by use of a suitable fixture, and need not depend on the shoulder 44 achieving the proper location. The ring 10 may be machined from a solid metal ring or stamped from sheet metal. In either case, the channels 50 may be formed by milling, by grinding, with forming dies, or in an erosion process. The ring 10 may also be molded from a suitable polymer or from powdered metal. Irrespective of the material from which it is made or how it is made, the ring 10 is simple in construction and, therefore, easy to manufacture. It is also easy to install on a conventional tapered roller bearing.

In the operation of the bearing A the cone 2 revolves within the cup 4, and the rollers 6, being in contact with the cone and cup raceways 14 and 26, roll along those raceways 14 and 26. As a consequence, the contact that exists between the cone 2 and cup 4 is for the most part of a rolling nature, although some sliding does exist between the large diameter end faces 30 of the rollers 6 and the abutment face 20 of the thrust rib 18. In any event, relatively little torque is required to rotate the cone 2 and the shaft or spindle that it supports.

As the cone 2 rotates, a fluent lubricating oil from one or more nozzles (not shown) is directed into the trough 46 formed between the lip 48 on the ring 10 and the back face 22 on the cone 2. The oil, of course, is carried along with the cone 2 and ring 10, and the centrifugal force imparted to the oil causes it to flow outwardly and remain in the trough 46. Indeed, under the influence of the centrifugal forces acting on it, the oil enters the lubricant channels 50 at the radial sections 52 of those channels and flows outwardly to the axial sections 54 through which it likewise flows. The oil discharges from the channels 50 at the end face 42 of the axial portion 36 of the ring 10, and inasmuch as the end face 42 as well as the ends of the channels 50 that open out of it are presented toward the large diameter end faces 30 of the rollers 6, the oil is directed at those end faces. Indeed, some or all of the oil wets the roller end faces 30 and a portion of the oil is carried to the abutment face 20 of the thrust rib 18, thereby providing oil for generation of a thin film between the roller end faces 30 and the abutment face 20. Thus, the end faces 30 of the rollers 6 and likewise the abutment face 20 of the thrust rib 18 receive a continuous supply of lubrication even during high speed operation of the bearing A. Indeed, as the angular velocity of the cone 2 increases, the centrifugal force acting on the oil increases by an even greater magnitude, causing the oil to flow to the roller end faces 30 with substantially greater intensity.

A modified lubricating ring 60 (FIGS. 5 and 6) has a simple L-shaped configuration and no lubrication channels. Instead the cone thrust rib 18 is provided with lubrication channels 62 which extend axially along and open out of its cylindrical surface 24 over which the ring 60 fits. Nevertheless, the ring 60 still encloses the sides of the channels 62 and likewise forms an inwardly opening trough 64 along the cone back face 22.

The lubricating ring need not be truly L-shaped, but instead may be a simple ring 66 (FIG. 7) that is bent inwardly beyond the thrust rib 18 at an oblique angle to the axis X to form a trough, or it may take the form of a somewhat more complex ring 68 (FIG. 8) that is directed outwardly immediately beyond the thrust rib 18 so that a portion of the trough lies beyond the outside surface 24 of the cone rib 18. It then is directed inwardly at an oblique angle.

In lieu of forming the thrust rib integral with the cone, it may be part of the lubrication ring. More specifically, a modified cone 70 (FIG. 9) has a tapered raceway 72 and a cylindrical surface 74 extended outwardly from the raceway 72 at the large diameter end of the raceway 72.

Fitted over the cylindrical surface 74 is a lubricating ring 76 having an axial portion 78, and a radial portion 80. The latter has a shoulder 82 which locates the ring 76 on the modified cone 70, and a lip 84, which together with the back face of the cone 70 forms an inwardly opening trough 85 on the ring 76. The axial portion 78 fits tightly over the cylindrical surface 74 and ends at an abutment face 86 against which the large diameter ends 30 of the rollers 6 bear.

In addition, the ring 76 has channels 88 which extend from the trough 85 along the shoulder 82 and then along the axial portion 78. The channels 88 open out of the abutment face 86 on the ring 76 and thus discharge the oil directly in the region of contact between the roller end faces 30 and the abutment face 86. The cylindrical surface 74 and the cone back face together with the ring 76, enclose the sides of the channels 88.

Since the rollers 6 apply an axially directed force to the ring 76, the ring 76 and modified cone 70 should be clamped or otherwise securely joined together. This may be achieved by employing an interference fit, by fusing, by adhesive bonding, or by using mechanical securing devices such as set screws, clamping plates, and the like.

In a slightly altered arrangement of the modified cone 70 and ring 76, the cone has the lubricant channels. More specifically, a modified cone 90 (FIG. 10) has an axially directed surface 92 leading up to its raceway 94. The surface 92 has channels 96 opening out of it, and the channels are enclosed by a lubricating ring 98 that serves as an abutment for the rollers 6. The ring 98, together with the cone 90 forms a trough 100 into which a lubricating oil is introduced. The ring 98 is joined to the cone 90 by an interference fit, by fusing, by adhesive bonding, or by a suitable mechanical device such as set screws, clamps or the like.

While the ring 10 provides adequate lubrication for the critical areas of contact between abutment face 20 of the thrust rib 18 and large end faces 30 of the tapered rollers 6, during moderate to high speed operation, it does little to enhance lubrication at the cone and cup raceway 14 and 26 along which the sides of the tapered rollers 6 move. The same holds true with regard to the modified rings 60, 66, 68, 76 and 98. The lubrication for these surfaces of the bearing may come from small oil jets positioned opposite to the cone retaining rib 16 and directed into the space between the cone 2 and cup 4--a conventional way of lubricating a tapered roller bearing. However, by substituting a distributing cage 110 (FIG. 11) for the conventional cage 8, it is possible to distribute lubrication to the raceway 14 and 26 without a separate nozzle at the small ends of the raceways 14 and 26.

More specifically, the distributing cage 110 catches some of the lubricating oil that is discharged from the end of the channels 50 and conveys it to the cup raceway 26 where it is picked up by the sides of the tapered rollers and carried to the cone raceway 14. This oil is then pumped through the bearing in the usual manner. Like the conventional cage 8, the distributing cage 110 also maintains the correct spacing between the roller 6 and retains them on the cone 2 when the cone 2 is withdrawn from the cup 4.

The distributing cage 110 is molded entirely from a suitably polymer such as nylon and includes a large end ring 112 which surrounds the cone thrust rib 18 as well as the axial portion 36 of the lubricating ring. As such it extends across the large diameter end faces of the rollers 6. In addition the cage 110 has a small end ring 114 that encircles the retaining rib 16 and bridges 116 that extend between the end rings 112 and 114, forming pockets in which the rollers 6 are received. Each bridge 116 is for the most part located beyond the pitch circle for the rollers 6, that is beyond the imaginary cone formed by the axial center lines of the rollers 6 as they revolve about the cone 2. The sides of the bridges 116 are contoured to conform generally to the sides of the rollers 6 so that the rollers 6 are retained around the cone 2 in the absence of the cup 4. Also, each bridge 116 along its bottom surface has a groove 118 that opens inwardly toward the axis x of rotation, the groove commencing within the large end ring 112 and extending all the way to the small end ring 114. Moreover, the end of the groove 118 that is at the large end ring 112 is located closer to the axis of rotation than the end of the groove 118 that is at the small end ring 114, and the depth of the groove 118 diminishes progressively toward the small end ring 114.

As the lubricating oil discharges from the end of the lubricant channels 50 some of it produces an oil film on the large end faces 30 of the rollers 6 as previously explained. Some of it also flows outwardly and collects in the portions of the grooves 118 near the large end rings 112. That which enters the grooves 118 flows along the grooves 118 under the influence of the centrifugal forces in the rotating cage 110, and in a short time the oil completely fills and overflows from the grooves 118. Upon leaving the grooves 118 the oil flows outwardly along the sides of the bridges 116 where some of it is picked up by the side faces of the rollers 6. More of it, however, is flung outwardly against cup raceway 26 where it is deposited on the side faces of the rollers and carried to the cone raceway 14. In this manner regions of contact between the side faces of the rollers 6 and the cone and cup raceways 14 and 26 are adequately lubricated without locating an oil jet at the space between the small diameter ends of cone and cup raceways 14 and 26.

A modified distributing cage 120 (FIG. 12) is very similar to the cage 110 in that it has large and small diameter end rings 112 and 114 and bridges 116 extended between them. Moreover, the bridges 116 have grooves 118 along them. In addition, the large end ring 112 has a circumferential groove 122 which opens inwardly and catches the oil that flows outwardly from the ends of the lubricant channels 50 in the lubricating ring 10. The circumferential groove 122 along its sides opens into the ends of the bridge grooves 118. Thus the groove 122 facilitates the collection of the lubricating oil and distributes it to the bridge grooves 118. The cage 122 is further provided with the integrally formed clips 124 which project outwardly from the small end ring, and locate opposite the back face of the cup 4. The clips 124 serve to unitize the bearing A for handling purposes, that is, they make it self-contained.

Another modified cage 126 (FIG. 13) also has large and small end rings 112 and 114 connected by bridges 116. The large end ring 112 further has a relatively deep circumferential groove 128, whereas each bridge 116 has a relatively deep groove 130 which at its one end opens into the side of the circumferential groove 128. Both grooves 128 and 130 open inwardly toward the axis of rotation so that the former will capture oil that is flung outwardly, while the latter will convey that oil axially through the bearing. However, in contrast to the bridge grooves 118, the oil does not overflow from the bridge grooves 130, at least to any significant extent. Instead, it passes out to the cup raceway 26 through a series of holes 132 that extend from the bridge groove 130 to the outwardly presented surface of the cage 126.

Still another modified cage 134 (FIG. 14) is quite similar to the cage 126, in that it has large and small end rings 112 and 114, bridges 116 and grooves 128 and 130. However, instead of a series of holes in each bridge 116 to distribute the oil to the cup raceway 26, it has only a single hole 136 in each bridge 116, that hole being located near the small end ring 114. The oil which discharges from the holes 136 flows outwardly to cup raceway 26 near the small diameter end of the raceway 26 and is pumped through the bearing by the rollers 6 in the usual manner.

The distributing cage, whatever its configuration need not be molded entirely from plastic. Instead, a conventional pressed steel cage, such as the cage 8, may be fitted with polymer inserts 138 (FIG. 15) along its bridges; the inserts 138 being bonded securely to the cage bridges. Each insert has an inwardly opening groove 140 that functions similar to the grooves 118 in the bridges 116 of the cage 110.

In another variation, every other bridge of a pressed steel cage, such as the cage 8, may be cut away and in effect eliminated. In its place the cage is fitted with a polymer insert 142 (FIG. 16) having a relatively deep groove 144 that opens inwardly and a series of holes 146 that lead from the groove 144 to the outwardly presented surface of the insert 142. The oil collects in the grooves 144 of the inserts and is distributed to the cup raceway 26 through the holes 146.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.