GB2308868A

GB2308868A - Split roller bearing ring

Info

Publication number: GB2308868A
Application number: GB9600029A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Smith
Original assignee: Cooper Roller Bearings Co Ltd
Current assignee: Cooper Roller Bearings Co Ltd
Priority date: 1996-01-03
Filing date: 1996-01-03
Publication date: 1997-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 2016-01-03
Also published as: GB9600029D0; GB2308868B

Abstract

An outer bearing ring (10) for a split roller bearing is made from tubular stock material which is initially machined to create V-shaped openings (16) at diametrically opposed locations (19) spaced from the axial side faces (15) of the material. The V-shaped openings are then machined with an abrasive wheel to extend with cut-away portions (18) into the side faces and hence sever the material into two halves. The initial machining may be by electro-discharge.

Description

Imorovemeah in Split Roller Bearings and Methods of Making Comnonents Therefor The present invention relates in general to split roller bearings.

As is known in such bearings, the inner and outer rings are designed to separate about a diametric plane and the rings are thus each made from semi-circular components which have gaps between their abutting ends. In the case of small diameter bearings typically less than 200mm bore the outer ring is usually made from an integral tubular section material which is cut through radially at diametrically opposite locations with a thin abrasive wheel. However in the case of larger diameter bearings, typically 200mm bore and above, the outer ring is conventionally made in a different way. More particularly the two components of the ring are formed separately by forging steel strip or bar material and the joint faces are then produced.Therein components are then held together with a tool while further machining including the raceways is performed. Hitherto because of the amount of material which needs to be removed it has not been possible to produce outer ring components for larger diameter split roller bearings from tubular stock using the thin flexible abrasive wheels suitable for the smaller size bearings.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved method of making outer ring components for larger diameter split roller bearings.

According to one aspect, the invention provides a method of making an outer ring for a split roller bearing comprising the steps of carrying out a first operation on tubular stock material to create \'-shaped gaps in the tubular stock material at diametrically opposed central positions spaced from the axial side faces and carrying out a second machining operation to extend the V-shaped gaps to the axial side faces and to separate the ring into two halves.

The first operation can be effected by electro-discharge and the second operation can be effected by a thin abrasive wheel. This creates V- shaped gaps between the ring halves an assembled bearing which characterises the invention in another aspect as non uniform in width.

More particularly each gap can have a central region of one width and outer regions of lesser width.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other features of the invention may become apparent from consideration of the following description. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of part of an outer ring of a split roller bearing constructed in accordance with the invention, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the part of the outer ring showing the formation of the gap created therein.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a part of an outer ring 10 for a split roller bearing. As is known the components of such a bearing, including the outer ring are designed to separate along a diametric plane and the region of the outer ring 10 depicted in the drawing shows one of two gaps 12 formed in the ring 10 in diametrically opposed positions.

In accordance with the invention, the gap 12 is created by a twostage process resulting in the gap 12 having a non-uniform width. The gap 12 is \'-shaped with the apex of the 'V' at the centre. Each leg 14 of the '\ ' has a first inner portion 16 of greater width and a second outer portion 18 of smaller width emerging at the adjacent axial side face of the ring 10. The ring 10 is formed from tubular material which is initially machined by electro-discharge to create a V-shaped gap of uniform width only at the central region 19 comprised of the portions 16. The ring 10 is then severed with an abrasive wheel to extend the portions 16 of each leg 14 into the adjacent axial side face 15 to produce the portions 18. In one practical embodiment the width 'H' of the inner positions 16 of the gap 12 is in the range 0.5 to 1.5 mm the dimension 'L' is 65% to 90% of the width 'of the track or raceway on the inside of the ring 10 and the angle A is in the range 100 to 450.

Claims

1. A method of making an outer ring for a split roller bearing, said method comprising carrying out a first operation on tubular stock material to create V-shaped gaps in the tubular stock material at diametrically opposed central positions spaced from the axial side faces thereof and carrying out a second machining operation to extend the V-shaped gaps to the axial side faces and to separate the tubular stock material into two half rings making up said outer ring.

2. A method according to claim 1 where the first operation is an electronic discharge operation.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the second operation is performed with a thin abrasive wheel.

4. A two-stage method of making an outer ring for a split roller bearing substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

5. A split roller bearing having an outer ring made by the method of any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. An outer ring for a split roller bearing having two symmetrical parts separated by V-shaped gaps in diametrically opposed positions wherein the gaps are non uniform in width and are created by a two-stage process.

7. A ring according to claim 5 wherein the V-shaped gaps each have a central region of larger width than the outer regions extending to the side faces of the ring.

8. An outer ring for a split roller bearing substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. A method of making an outer ring for a split roller bearing, said method comprising carrying out a first operation on tubular stock material to create V-shaped gaps in the tubular stock material at diametrically opposed central positions spaced from the axial side faces thereof and carrying out a second machining operation to extend the V-shaped gaps to the axial side faces and to separate the tubular stock material into two half rings making up said outer ring.

6. An outer ring for a split roller bearing having two symmetrical parts separated by V-shaped gaps in diametrically opposed positions wherein the gaps each have sections extending across the ring which are of different widths and are created by a two-stage machining process.