SPINDLE BEARING AND LUBRICATION SYSTEM

COUSSINET ET CIRCUIT DE LUBRIFICATION

English Abstract

ABSTRACT

A spindle bearing and lubrication system having
bearings supporting a shaft for rotation within a housing
to which the outer bearing rings are keyed. End retainers
and a spacer locate the bearings axially, and, with the
bearings, define annular lubricant cavities on both sides
of both bearings. Lubricant inlet passages lead through
the housing and spacer to the lubricant cavities. Lubri-
cant outlet passages lead from the lubricant cavities
through slots in the bearings, in the retainers, in the
key, and in the housing keyway, and finally through a
filter which prevents the entry of solid contaminants in
the event of reverse flow.

Claims

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1. A spindle bearing and lubrication system com-
prising a housing, a pair of bearings in said housing
rotatably supporting a shaft, means for axially locating
said bearings in said housing in spaced relation to one
another, said locating means including spacer means be-
tween and engaging the adjacent ends of said bearings,
and retainer means engaging the remote ends of said
bearings, said spacer means cooperating with each bearing
to define an inner lubricant cavity, said retainer means
cooperating with each bearing to define an outer lubri-
cant cavity, said housing and locating means having lub-
ricant inlet passages leading to at least one cavity
associated with each bearing for the lubrication of each
bearing and for the flow of lubricant through each bear-
ing to the other cavity associated therewith, said housing
having lubricant outlet passage means, connecting passage
means providing communication between each of said other
cavities and said lubricant outlet passage means, and a
key, said housing and said bearings having slots in which
said key is received to prevent said bearings from rotat-
ing relative to said housing, portions of said slot in
said housing comprising portions of said connecting pass-
age means.
2. A spindle bearing and lubrication system com-
prising a housing, a pair of bearings in said housing
rotatably supporting a shaft, means for axially locating
said bearings in said housing in spaced relation to one.
another, said locating means including spacer means be-
tween and engaging the adjacent ends of said bearings, and


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retainer means engaging the remote ends of said bearings,
said spacer means cooperating with said bearings to de-
fine inner lubricant cavities, said retainer means cooper-
ating with said bearings to define outer lubricant cav-
ities, said housing and locating means having lubricant
inlet passages leading to at least one cavity associated
with each bearing for the lubrication of each bearing and
for the flow of lubricant througn each bearing to the
other cavity associated therewith, said housing having
lubricant outlet passage means, connecting passage means
providing communication between all said cavities and
said lubricant outlet passage means, a key to prevent
said bearings from rotating relative to said housing, said
housing having a slot in which said key is received, and
slots in said retainer means, said slots in said housing
and retainer means comprising portions of said connecting
passage means.
3. A spindle bearing and lubrication system com-
prising a housing, a pair of bearings in said housing
rotatably supporting a shaft, means for axially locating
said bearings in said housing in spaced relation to one
another, said locating means including spacer means be-
tween and engaging the adjacent ends of said bearings,
and retainer means engaging the remote ends of said bear-
ings, said spacer means cooperating with said bearings
to define inner lubricant cavities, said retainer means
cooperating with said bearings to define outer lubricant
cavities, said housing and locating means having lub-
ricant inlet passages leading to at least one cavity


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associated with each bearing for the lubrication of each
bearing and for the flow of lubricant through each bear-
ing to the other cavity associated therewith, said housing
having lubricant outlet passage means, connecting passage
means providing communication between all said cavities
and said lubricant outlet passage means, a key, said
housing and said bearings having slots in which said key
is received to prevent said bearings from rotating re-
lative to said housing, said key having slots, said slots
in said housing, bearings and key comprising portions of
said connecting passage means.
4. A spindle bearing and lubrication system com-
prising a housing, a pair of bearings in said housing
rotatably supporting a shaft, means for axially locating
said bearings in said housing in spaced relation to one
another, said locating means including spacer means
between and engaging the adjacent ends of said bearings,
and retainer means engaging the remote ends of said bear-
ings, said spacer means cooperating with said bearings to
define inner lubricant cavities, said retainer means co-
operating with said bearings to define outer lubricant
cavities, said housing and locating means having lub-
ricant inlet passages leading to at least one cavity
associated with each bearing for the lubrication of each
bearing and for the flow of lubricant through each bear-
ing to the other cavity associated therewith, said hous-
ing having lubricant outlet passage means, connecting
passage means providing communication between all said
cavities and said lubricant outlet passage means, a key,


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said housing and said bearings having slots in which said
key is received to prevent said bearings from rotating
relative to said housing, slots in said retainer means
and in said key, said slots in said housing, bearings,
retainer means and key comprising portions of said
connecting passage means.
5. A system as defined in claims 3 or 4, wherein
said connecting passage means from each inner lubricant
cavity leads through one of said bearing slots, one of
said key slots, and said housing slot in direct sequence
to said outlet passage means.
6. A system as defined in claim 2 or 4, wherein
said connecting passage means from each outer lubricant
cavity leads through the slot in one of said retainer
means and through the slot in said housing in direct
sequence to said outlet passage means.
7. A spindle bearing and lubrication system com-
prising a housing, a pair of bearings in said housing
rotatably supporting a shaft, means for axially locating
said bearings in said housing in spaced relation to one
another, said locating means including spacer means be-
tween and engaging the adjacent ends of said bearings,
and retainer means engaging the remote ends of said
bearings, said spacer means cooperating with said bear-
ings to define inner lubricant cavities, said retainer
means cooperating with said bearings to define outer
lubricant cavities, said housing and locating means
having lubricant inlet passages leading to at least one
cavity associated with each bearing for the lubrication


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of each bearing and for the flow of lubricant through each
bearing to the other cavity associated therewith, said
housing having lubricant outlet passage means, connecting
passage means providing communication between all said
cavities and said lubricant outlet passage means, a key,
said housing and said bearings having slots in which said
key is received to prevent said bearings from rotating re-
lative to said housing, the ends of said key being located
adjacent said respective bearings, said housing slot having
portions extending beyond the ends of said key, a slot in
each retainer means providing direct communication between
the associated outer cavity and one end portion of said
housing slot, each end of said key having a slot in direct
communication with one end portion of said housing slot and
with the slot of the adjacent bearing, said bearing slots
being in direct communication with said respective inner
cavities, said end portions of said housing slot having
direct communication with said outlet passage means, said
slots in said housing, bearings, retainer means and key
comprising portions of said connecting passage means.
8. A system as defined in claim 7, including a
filter in said outlet passage means permitting discharge
of lubricant but preventing the entrance of solid con-
taminants in the event of reverse flow.

Description

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Title: Spindle Bearing and Lubrication System"
This in~ention relates generall~ to ~earings an~
refers more particularl~ to a spindle beari~g and lubrica-
tion system.

BA~GROU~D A~D, SUMM~RY OF TEIE I~JEN~IO~
High speed bearings, ~or example those u~ed to
support a 4" ~ha~t or ~pindle rotating at 2600 r.p.m. or so,
g~nerate c~ns;derable heat. The outer beari~g rings or
race~ h~e a ten~den~y to slip during operation ~ecause of
differential e~pan~ion, due to the ~act that the housing
is cooled by ~he ambian~ air and hence is at a much lower
temperature than the outer xings~ ~The inner bearing rings
ox racesc being at su~stantially the same temperature as
the sh~ft, have no tendency to 51ip when merely shrunX on
the shaft.) Accoxdingly, it is o~ten necessary ~o key the
outer bearing rings to the housing~
It is also known that excessive lubricant in
bearing~ o~ a high speed application can be detrimental in
that such excesslve l~ricant tends to churn and de~elop
hea~. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to
prevent excessive accumulation of lubricant by providing
mean~ ~o~ a regula~ed flow of lubricant and to incorporate
suc~ méan~ in the arrangemen~ for mounting and keying the
spindlé be~rings.
- other o~jects and features of the inven~iorl wil
become apparent as the following description proceeds r
especially when considered with the accompanying drawings.
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More specifically the invention comprises
a spindle bearlng and lubrication system comprising a
housing, a pair of bearings in the housing rotatably
supporting a shaft, and means for axially locating the
bearings in the housing in spaced relation to one
another. The locating means includes spacer means be-
tween and engaging the adjacent ends of the bearings,
and retainer means engaying the remote ends of the
bearings. The spacer means cooperate~ with each bearing
to define an inner lubricant cavity and the retainer
means cooperates with each bearing to define an outer
lubricant cavity. The housing and locating means have
lubricant inlet passages leading to at least one cavity
associated with each bearing for the lubrication of each
bearing and for the flow of lubricant through each bear-
ing to the other cavity associated therewith. The housing
has lubricant outlet passage means. Connecting passage
means provide communication between each of the other
cavities and the lubricant outlet passage means. A key
received in slots in the housing and bearings prevents
the bearings from rotating relative to the housing,
Portions of the slot in the housing comprises portions
of the connecting passage means~




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BRI EF 3)ES CRI PTIO~ OF THE DRAWINGS
_
, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on
the line 1--1 in Fig. 2 showing a mounting and lu~rication
system ~or spindle bearings in a grinding machine, in accor-
dance with our invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line
2--2 in.Fig. 1.

DEl~AILED_ DESCRIPTIO:e;l .
Referring now more particularly to the drawings,
the numeral 10 designates a grinder having a shaft or
spindle 12 provided with a grinding wheel 14 secured to
its outex end for grinding metal slabs, billets and the
like. The wheel 14 is held on one end of sha~t 12 by any
suitable means, as by a hub 16 shrunk on the sha~t and a
removable clamping ring 18 secured to the hub 16 by bolts
20. A driving pulley 21 is mounted on the opposite end of
shaft 12. A grinder is just one of numerous applications
in which the bearing mounting and lubrication systam of
this invention may be employed.
Shaft 12 is supported in cylindrical housing 22
by bearings 24 and 25. The bearings 24 and ~5 are located
by a cylindrica~ spacer 26 dispose~ between the bearings
and end retainers 28 and 30 which ara bolted or otherwise
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suitably secured to opposite ends of the housing 22~ The
retainers 28 and 30 have circular projections 32 and the
spacex 26 has circular projections 34, which projections
engage the outer bearing rings 36 ~o properly locate the
bear.ings axially.
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RelatiVe rotation between the outer rings 36 and
the housing 22 is prevented by an elongated key 38 fitted
in a longitudinally extending slot or seat 40 in the outer
su~face of spacer 26 and in a registering longituainally
extending ke~way or slot 42 in the inner surface o~ housing
22. The ends of the key 38 enter notches or slots 48 and
50 in ~he outer xings 36, thus securing the outer rings 36~
and also the spacer 26, a~ains~ an~ rela~ive circumferen- -
~ial motion with respect to housing 22. A second key 38' 9
seated in slots 40' and 42~ in the spacer and housing and
haviny its en~ ~ter~g.:notches i~ ~he ou~er bearing rings,
rna~ also bè provided if desired (see Fig. 2)~
The inner bearing xings 52 are secure~ on the
. shaft 12 as by a shrink fit.
. There are annular cavities 54 and 56 between each
bearing and one of the retainers 28 or 30, and annular
cavities 58 ana 60 between each bearing and the spacer 26.
Lubrican~, preferably air-boxne, enters housing
22 through passages 62 and 64. Spacer 26 has passages 66 -
and 68 which are disposed~in axial and circurnfererltial
alignment with passages 62 ana 64 to insure uninhibited
lu~ricant ~low to the bearings. A suitable air pump ~not
shown) may b~ used to pump lubricant to passages 62 and
64 through fittings 70 ~one of which is sh~wn in Fig. 2)
The centrifugal ~orce induced by the rotating
elements of bearings 24 and 25 will pump most of the
luhricant ~hrough the bearings an~ into annular cavities
54 and 56. Any excess~lubri.cant~w~ich is not thus pumped




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through ~he bearings will collect in annular cavitie~ 58
and 60~
Key 38 has end ~otches or slots 72 and 74 which
re~ister and are in direct communication with slots 48 and
50 in the outer bearing rings. Bearing ring slots 48 and
S0 are in direct communication with the cavities 5~1 and 60
and key ~lots 72 and 74 are in direct ~ommunlcation wi~h
end area~ 7~ a~d 78 o~ housing ke~way 42. The excess lubri- :
~ant in ~avities 58 a~d 60 will flow by gravity through
registering slots 48 and 72 ana registering slots 50 and 74
into end portion~ or ar~as 76 and 78 of housing k~yway 42
beyond the ends of the key 38. The bearing locating pro-
jections 32 of retainers 28 and 30 are provided with no~c~es
or slots 80 and 82 which are disposed in circum~erential
alignment with keyway 42 and provide direct communication
between cavities 54, 56 and keyway 42. Lu~ricant which
has accumulated in cavities 54 and 56 will flow by gravit~
thxough slots 80 and 82 into the end areas 76 and 78 of
the housing keyway 42. To insure such gra~ity flow, the
ke~way 42 is pre~erably located at or near khe lowest point
of housing 2~. .
The housing 22 has a drain passage 84, which may
be a drilled hole plugged at the ends as shown, located at
the lowest point o* the housing. Drain passage 84 communi-
cates with the end areas 76 and 78 o ke~way 42 by co~nect-
ing passages 86 and 88. A drain outlet 90 pexmi ts the dis-
c~rge ~* all lubricant from ca~ities 5~, 56, 58 and 60
via the routings as ae~cribed to prevent the accumulation
of excess lubric~nt in~the beaFingsJ.


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Windage and ~riction will generate a certain
amount of heat in bearings even in the presance of properly
regulated lubrication. When the equipment is stopped, it
will cool off, and the heat-expanded air within the housing
will contract. Such contraction will pull air into the
housing via drain outlet 90. A ~ilter member 92 is pro-
vided in outlet 90 to permit the discharge o`~ lubricant
during operation, and also to permit the entrance of air
during cooling, while inhibiting the entrance of air-borne
solid contaminants.




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