Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ 3 ~ 7 Docket 05~6~R-TH
LOCK~ELE NUT FOR AXIAL ADJUSTMENT
- FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This inven~ion relates to a threaded ad~usting
nut which is locka~le on the threads used to adjust
the axial spacing between ro~a~ing and s~ationary
parts for example.
BA~KGROUND QF THE INV~EN~ION
05 It is often desirable and many times necessary
to fix the axial clearances in rotating machines
during the assembly steps rather than during the
manufacturing steps. This relax~s the tolerance
control required during the m~nufacturing o~ the
various components. The axial clearances between a
high speed rotating part and a stationary hou~ing for
example may be extremely tight. Att~mpting to
manufacture the varioue components with preci~e
; tolerances result in high manufacturing costs due to
tolerance build-up. Alternatively, manufac~uring the
components with relaxed tolerances but having a means
for precisely adiusting the clearances during the
assembly step usually is more cost effective.
Various type6 of positioning nuts have been used
to ~roYide axial adjustment during the assembly
steps. Usually an adjusting mechanism moves one
component axially along a shaft to provide the proper
clearance. Then the adjusting mean~ and component
are locked onto the shaft to keep the oomponent in
25 the correct clearance position.
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Doaket No. 0546-IR-TH
3~6~
One known lockable nut which could be used as a
positioning means is disclos~d in U.S. Patent No.
4,557,652. ~his patent discloses a nut having two
annular parts axially connected by resilient plugs.
05 Locking occurs by tightening a screw in on~ annular
part which abuts against and axially skews the other
annular part on the nut thread.
The ~nown precision adjusting nuts tend to be
complex and expensive because of the num~er of parts,
the dif~erent material~, and the step~ re~uired to
produce and install the nut. Additionally the known
adjusting nuts are not suita~le for certain
situations. Some adjusting and locXing means must be
accessible and operatable from a common position.
Also the adjusting mechanism must be reliably and
precisely reuseable.
It is believed that the simple and inexpensive
lockable adjusting nut according to the present
invention resolves these problems.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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It is therefore a primary object Or the present
. : invention to provide a simple and inexpensive axial
adjusting nut for precisely ad~usting the axial
position of relativ~ly rotating members.
Another obj~ct of the present invention is to
provide a lockable adjusting nut which has minimal
~:` parts and which can be simply and a~f lciently made
~ and installed.
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Another object of the present invention is to
provide a lockable adjusting nut which is readily
adjustable and lockable from a common operating
position.
Another object of the present invention is to
provide a lockable adjusting nut that can be reliahly
locked in the desired position and disassembled and
accurately reassembled without loss of reliability
and precision.
In general, the foregoing objects are obtained
in an annular nut member having threads on the peripheral
surface and at least oneradial slot extending through
part of the nut to form cantilevered jaw portions
permitting resilient axial displacement of those portions.
An actuating screw is provided for axially displacing the
cantilevered portions relative to one another so as to
clamp the threads of the adjusting nut on the threads
of the fixed member thereby locking the nut in position.
According to a still further broad aspect of the
present invention there is provided a system for
centering a rotating member between first and second
' stationary housing members. The system comprises a
shaft rotatable with the rotating member and having
~: 25 first and second ends. First and second bearings are
` also provided, one bearing positioned on each side of
the rotating member so as to support the shaft for
rotation relative to the first and second stationary
housing members. First and second spacer members are
furth~r provided, one spacer member being positioned
abutting each side of the rotating member so as to
axially space each bearing from the rotating member.
- First and second resilient members are also provided
with one resilient member axially positioned ~etween
each bearing and stationary housing member inboard of
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the bearing and outboard of the housing so as to bias
each bearing axially away ~rom the housing member. An
end piece is pro~ided on each end of the sha~t so as to
fix the outward position of each bearing and spacer
member. An adjusting member is adjustably engaged with
the second stationary housing member and in abutting
contact with the second bearing so as to adjust the
outward position of the second bearing and spacer membex
relative to the second stationary housing member.
According to a still further broad aspect of the
present invention there is provided an adjuster system
for the axial location of a rotating member within a
stationaly housing. The adjuster system comprises a
shaft rotatable with the rotating member and supported
by bearing means and having an interior and exterior ~ace.
First bore means is provided in the housing and is
adapted to slidably receive the outer face of the bearing
means. The first bore means has a shoulder against
which the inferior ~ace of the bearing means rests. Spacer
means ls disposed to establish a fixed spatial rela-tion-
ship between the rota-ting member and the bearing means.
Means is provided for securing the bearing means, the
spacer means, the rotating member and the shaft in an
axially ~igid assembly. Resilient members are interposed
between the bearing means and the shoulder in the bearing
bore means so that the rotating member is supported in the
housing in an axially resilient manner. An adjusting nut
is threadably engaged with the inside diameter of a second
coaxial bore in the housing, outboard and axially adjacent
to the bearing bore means, so that when the nut is threaded
against the bearing, the axially rigid assembly is axially
displaced against the spring ~orce provided by the resilient
members until the rotating member is properly positioned
within the housing.
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BRIEF DESCRI~TION OE DR~WINGS
Figure 1 is a top elevation view of the adjusting
nut of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the adjusting
nut of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the adjusting nut
according to the invention.
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the adjusting
nut in use in a typical rotating machine situation.
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Docket No. 0546-IR-TX
~3~3~7
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like
reference numerals designate identical or
corresponding parts throughout the several ~iews, and
more particularly to Figures 1, 2, and 3, a preferred
05 embodiment of th~ lock nut according to the present
invention will now be described.
The adjusting nut 10 is essentially an annular
member 12 preferably of a hardenable material having
flat front 13 and back 14 faces, an inner diameter
bore 15, and an outer diameter sur~ace 16. In the
preferred embodiment, the ou~er diameter sur~ace 16
is threaded 17 in such a manner so as to cooperate
with the threads of a complimentary sized hole in
which the outer diamater of the nut is adapted to
fit. In an alternative embodiment, the inner
diameter bore sur~ace could be threaded and would
cooperate with a threaded outer peripheral surface
~uch as a shaft.
At least one radial slot 18 and preferably a
pair o opposed radial slots extend partially through
the annular member 12. The slots 18 are cut through
the threaded outer diameter surface 17 and are
perpendicular to the axis o the bore so as to form
cantilevered jaw portions 12A and 12~. The slots are
preferably located closer to the front nut face 13 so
; ~hat the cantilevered jaw portions 12A and 12B have
different axial thickne~ses. The thinner jaw portion
2A is resiliently deflectable relative to the
thicker portion 12B. The slot 1~ is cut to the
necessary radial depth to permit resilient axial
deflection of the thinner jaw portions yet retain the
structural integrity of the annular ring.
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Docket No. 0546-IR TH
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A throu~h hole 20 is axially disposed through
the center o~ each cantilever~d portion. The portion
of the hole designated 20B through the thicker jaw
portion 12B is threaded. A locking screw 22 having a
05 head with a larger dia~eter than the hole 20A bridges
the radial slot 18 and joins the two cantileverQd jaw
portions. The diameter of the hole 20A through the
thinner jaw portion 12A provides non-engaging
clearance f~r the screw threads. Tightening of the
lock screw 22 will cause the thinner cantilevered jaw
portion 12A to axially displace or deflect relative
to the thicker jaw portion 12B.
: A pair of holes 24 are provided on the front
face of the annulax ring member to allow the
adjusti~g nut 10 to be rotated into position by a
spanner wrench. The locking screw 22 is operable
from the front ~ace also.
: As seen in Figure 4, adjusting nut 10 can be
used to axially position a rotating part such as a
20 rotor 30 rel~tive to a housing or stator 32. The
rotor 3 0 is sandwiched betws~n spacers 3 4, bearings
36, and housing members 32 on a rotatable shaft 38.
Resilient members 35 are also provided. The
adjusting nut 10 is slipped over the shaft 38 and
rotated onto the mati~g threads 40 on the housing
32. The a~sting nut 10 is rotated until ~he rotor
30 moves ~xially to the pr~per cleara~ce distance
from the stationary housing 32. ~ovement of the
adjusting nut 10 is translated to the rotor 30 by the
30 bearing 36 and the spacer 34. Once the desired
~: ~;pacing is achi~ed, the l~cX ~crew6 22 are ti~htened
which resiliently deflects the thin jaw section 12A
of the cantilevered portion. This causes the
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Docket No. 0546-IR-TH
~ 313 ~ 6 ~
peripheral threads 17 on the jaw portion 12A to clamp
or wedge against the peripheral threads 40 in the
housing ~ember. This clamping force prevents the
adjusting nut 10 from further axial movement and thus
05 maintains the correct clearance between the rotor and
stator.
The annular member 12 of the present invention
can be inexpensive~y machined from a single piece o~
stock material. The locX screws 2~ are c~msnly
lo available. In use, the adjusting and locking
operations are both perPormed axially from the front
face o~ the nut. Also the adjusting nut of the
present invention can be reused many times without
loss of reliability.
Modifications and variations of the present
lnvention such as thread~ng the inner diameter of the
adjusting nut are possible in light o~ the above
teachings. It is therefore to be understood that the
invention may be pract$c~d other than as specifically
described herein and it is intended that the
invention be limited only by the language of the
following claims:
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