CA2084839A1

CA2084839A1 - Sealed needle roller bearings

Info

Publication number: CA2084839A1
Application number: CA002084839A
Authority: CA
Inventors: James Kerney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-12-09
Filing date: 1992-12-08
Publication date: 1993-06-10
Also published as: WO1994018465A1

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The invention relates to a sealed bearing comprising a cylindrical core, a plurality of needle rollers rotatably positioned upon said core, a pair of retaining races for said needle rollers, end plates to contain said core, needle rollers, and races, and a rotatable cover cooperating with said end plates for sealing said bearing. The sealed needle bearings are of the same dimension as the control rods they are mechanically affixed to provide frictionless movements of vanes attached thereto in dampers and other apparatus or equipment.

Description

- 1- 2~8~8~9 IMPROVEMENTS IN SEALED NEED~E ROLLER BEARINGS
Background of the Invention The invention of -the applicant generally relates to improvements in rotating and rotatable structures such as dampers for furnace drafts as may be found in Class 110 Subclass 103, heat exchangers as may be found in Class 164 Subclass 69, stoves or furnace flues such as may be found in Class 126 Subclasses 285 et sequitur, and more particularly the sealed bearings employed in such and similar apparatus and equipment.
Description of the Prior Art Conventional sealed needle roller bearings encircle the control rods they are providing frictionless rotatable movement for and when used in dirty or dusty environments usually result in unreliable and unacceptable marginal operation because friction producing substances get between the bearings and the control rods.
Summary of the Invention Applicant's invention is a sealed needle roller bearing tha-t is distinct from the prior art and is integral with the control rods for which it is providing anti-friction functions.
Therefore a shaft having applicant's inventive bearings incorporated therein whether intermediate or terminal the friction between the bearings and the journal will always be at a minimum no matter how noxious the environment.
It is an object of applicant's invention to provide economical and safe means for improving sealed needle roller bearings.

- ~ - 2~839 It is also an object of applicantls invention to provide means for conserving energ~ by reducing the friction incurred when rotating or moving control xods.
Brief Descriptlon of the Drawings Figure la is a cross-sectional view of a conventional prior art sealed needle roller bearing.
Fi~ure lb is an isometric view of the prior art bearing.
Figure 2 is an isometric view of applicant's invention.
Figure 3 is an isometric view of a damper mounting employiny applicant's invention.
Detailed Description Conventional sealed needle roller bearings, such as shown in Figures la and lb are well known. The needle shaped rollers 12 are held in rotatable position by retaining races, 1 and 16, and are po~itioned around the control rods (not shown~.
Rotational movement of the control rods within the encircling sealed bearing usually within an intermediate or terminal journals is required to adjust the vanes affixed to the control rods. As stated previously when dust or dirt from the noxious environment get between the control rods and the bearings, the anti-frictional characteristics of the device diminishes and the adjustment becomes increasingly more arduous.
Applicant's sealed needle roller bearings distinguishes from the prior art primarily in the fact that the sealed bearing becomes an integral part of the control mechanism since the bearing is either force fitted to the control rod or - 3 - 20~

mechanically affixed or attached -to it. Fiyure 2 shows a partial section drawiny of applicant's invention showing a control rod 24 mechanically affixed to applicant's sealed needle roller bearing housing 32 either by Eorce fitting or male and female mechanical attachments. Said sealed needle roller bearing comprises a cylindrical body 34, a plurality of cylindrical needle shaped rollers 18 posi~ioned upon the peripheral surfaces of said cylindrical body 34, at least a pair of rotatable races 20 to retain said rollers 18 and end plates 30 to seal said bearing in cooperation with rotatable housing 32. An extension 22 may extend from either end plate or in fact a pair of extensionsmay exterd from both end plates.
Frictionless operation of applicant's inven-tive sealed needle roller bearing in any apparatus requiring rotational movement such as may be found in the damper mounting shown in E`igure 3. Control rods 24, to which vanes 28 are affixed, are mechanically affixed to sealed bearings 32 for essentially frictionless rotational movement of the vanes. It is noted that the control rods 24 can be fabricated as one continuous rod from several shorter rods with the applicant's sealed bearings incorporated between each shorter rod as well as the terminals of the longer rod, or in the alternative as a series of shorter rods. Rotation or adjustment of the rods 24 result in the movement of the vanes 28 for a much longer time between maintenance than any other bearing presently employed no matter what the environment or structure.

- ~ - 2~8~

Applicant's invention also contemplates sealed bearings incorporated and an integral part of the control rod 24 at its terminals and mid-sections.
It is expected that even though only one embodiment of the invention has been described, applicant's invention shall not be so limited and that the scope and breadth o the invention will only be limited by the scope and breadth of the annexed claims.

Claims

1. A sealed bearing comprising a cylindrical core, a plurality of cylindrical rollers rotatably positioned on the outer peripheral surface of said core, at least one pair of races to retain said plurality of cylindrical rollers on said core end plates containing said core, plurality of cylindrical rollers, races within said sealed bearing and rotatable covers cooperating with said end plates to seal said bearing.

2. A sealed bearing as claimed in claim 1 wherein said core comprises a solid cylindrical body.

3. A sealed bearing as claimed in claim 1 wherein said core comprises a hollow cylindrical body.

4. A sealed bearing as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said cylindrical rollers are needle shaped.

5. A sealed bearing as claimed in claim 1 further compris-ing at least an extension from either end plate.

6. A sealed bearing as claimed in claim 1 further compris-ing an extension from each end plate.

7. A sealed bearing as claimed in claim 1 further compris-ing a control rod mechanically affixed to said bearing.

8. A sealed bearing as claimed in claim 7 wherein the phrase "mechanically affixed" comprises any mechanical fastening means.

9. A sealed bearing as claimed in claim 7 wherein the phrase "mechanically affixed" comprises any force-fit fastening means.

10. A damper mounting comprising a base, a plurality of vertical columns having a plurality of journals positioned therein, a plurality of controlling rods horizontally positioned into and through the journals positioned within said vertical columns, each of said controlling rods having vanes affixed thereto and sealed needle roller bearing affixed at the terminals and intermediate positions of said control rods for providing frictionless rotational movement of said control rods and vanes, said sealed needle roller bearings comprising a cylindrical core, a plurality of needle rollers rotatably mounted upon said core, a pair of retaining races for said needle rollers, end plates for containing said core, needle rollers, and races, and a rotatable cover cooperating with said end plates to seal said bearing.