Bearing assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291014-B2
Application number	US-78496510-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2010
Priority date	May 25, 2009
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A bearing assembly comprises a bearing enabling a rotatable body to rotate about a rotational axis relative to a stationary body. The bearing includes a bearing inner ring and a bearing outer ring, each having at least first and second roller body tracks provided in or on non-parallel surfaces of the ring. The respective roller body tracks of the bearing outer ring are aligned with the respective roller body tracks of the bearing inner ring and a row of roller bodies is disposed between each of the respective sets of roller body tracks. At least one of the rows of roller bodies comprises one of tapered rollers and spherical rollers, at least one of the rows of roller bodies supports at least axial forces and at least one of the rows of the roller bodies supports at least radial forces.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing assembly for a drilling rig, comprising:
a swivel body having a suspension bracket,
a drill pipe support, and
a bearing disposed between the swivel body and the drill pipe support, the bearing being configured to radially and axially support the drill pipe support relative to the swivel body and to enable rotation of the drill pipe support about a rotational axis relative to the swivel body, the rotational axis extending in an axial direction, the bearing comprising:
a bearing inner ring consisting of one part or comprising two parts, at least three roller body tracks being defined in or on the bearing inner ring,
a bearing outer ring consisting of one part or comprising two parts, at least three roller body tracks being defined in or on the bearing outer ring, the respective roller body tracks of the bearing outer ring opposing the respective roller body tracks of the bearing inner ring, and
at least first and second and third rows of roller bodies respectively disposed between each set of opposing roller body tracks, wherein the first row of roller bodies comprises tapered rollers and the second row of roller bodies comprises cylindrical rollers configured and disposed to support radial forces, and the third row of roller bodies comprises cylindrical rollers configured and disposed to support axial forces,
wherein the bearing inner ring has a central opening coaxial with the rotational axis, and wherein none of the at least first and second and third rows of roller bodies are disposed in the central opening and no other roller bodies are disposed in the central opening, and
wherein a projection of the roller bodies of the third row of roller bodies in the axial direction intersects the first row of roller bodies and does not intersect the second row of roller bodies.

2. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bearing inner ring and the bearing outer ring is provided with at least one bore extending in the direction of the rotational axis.

3. The bearing assembly according claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one track ring defining the first roller body track and being disposed in the outer bearing ring, and
a spring biasing the at least one track ring relative to the bearing ring supporting the outer track ring in the direction of the rotational axis.

4. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing inner ring is one-piece, the bearing outer ring is two-pieces and a track ring is disposed in each respective bearing outer ring piece, each track ring being biased by a spring in the direction of the rotational axis.

5. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bearing inner ring and the bearing outer ring has a gear teeth configured to engage a drive pinion.

6. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said bearing is the sole bearing of the bearing assembly.

7. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bearing rings has at least one thread defined.

8. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the bearing inner ring and the bearing outer ring comprises two parts,
wherein, if the bearing inner ring comprises two parts, each of the two parts of the bearing inner ring comprises at least one of the at least two roller body tracks of the bearing inner ring and a contacting surface, and wherein the contacting surfaces of the two parts of the bearing inner ring abut one another directly, and
wherein, if the bearing outer ring comprises two parts, each of the two parts of the bearing outer ring comprises at least one of the at least two roller body tracks of the bearing outer ring and a contacting surface, and wherein the contacting surfaces of the two parts of the bearing outer ring abut one another directly.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tapered rollers each have a first end surface and a second end surface smaller than the first end surface, the second end surface being located radially inward of the first end surface,
wherein the first end surfaces of the tapered rollers are arranged in a band on a conical surface, and
wherein the conical surface intersects the third row of roller bodies.

10. An apparatus, comprising:
a stationary body,
a rotatable body, and
a bearing disposed between the stationary body and the rotatable body, the bearing being configured to enable the rotatable body to rotate about a rotational axis relative to the stationary body, the rotational axis extending in an axial direction, the bearing comprising:
a bearing inner ring having at least first and second and third roller body tracks provided in or on non-parallel surfaces of the bearing inner ring, the first roller body track of the bearing inner ring being conical,
a bearing outer ring having at least first and second and third roller body tracks provided in or on surfaces of the bearing outer ring, the first roller body track of the bearing outer ring opposing the first roller body track of the bearing inner ring and the second roller body track of the bearing outer ring opposing the second roller body track of the bearing inner ring and the third roller body track of the bearing outer ring opposing the third roller body track of the bearing inner ring, and
at least first and second and third rows of roller bodies respectively disposed between each set of roller body tracks, wherein the first row of roller bodies comprises tapered rollers, the third row of roller bodies is configured to support exclusively axial forces and the second row of roller bodies is configured to support exclusively radial forces, and
wherein at least one of the bearing inner ring and the bearing outer ring comprises two parts,
wherein, if the bearing inner ring comprises two parts, each of the two parts of the bearing inner ring comprises at least one of the first, second and third roller body tracks of the bearing inner ring and a contacting surface, and wherein the contacting surfaces of the two parts of the bearing inner ring abut one another directly, and
wherein, if the bearing outer ring comprises two parts, each of the two parts of the bearing outer ring comprises at least one of the first, second and third roller body tracks of the bearing outer ring and a contacting surface, and wherein the contacting surfaces of the two parts of the bearing outer ring abut one another directly,
wherein the tapered rollers each have a first end surface and a second end surface smaller than the first end surface, the second end surface being located radially inward of the first end surface,
wherein the first end surfaces of the tapered rollers are arranged in a band on a conical surface, and
wherein the conical surface intersects the third row of roller bodies.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first roller body track of the bearing outer ring extends substantially perpendicularly to the rotational axis.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the second roller body tracks of the bearing inner and outer rings extend at an angle between 30-60° to the rotational axis.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the roller bodies disposed between the second roller body tracks of the bearing inner and outer rings are cylindrical roller bodies.

14. The bearing assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the bearing inner ring has a central opening coaxial with the rotational axis, and wherein none of the at least first, second and third rows of roller bodies are disposed in the central opening and no other roller bodies are disposed in the

Assignees

• Derrer Siegfried
• Kirsch Reinhard
• Pickel Edgar
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Derrer Siegfried
• Kirsch Reinhard
• Pickel Edgar

Classifications

• E21B21/02 Primary

  Swivel joints in hose-lines · CPC title

• F16C2300/14

  Large applications, e.g. bearings having an inner diameter exceeding 500 mm · CPC title

• F16C2352/00

  Apparatus for drilling · CPC title

• F16C19/381

  with at least one row for radial load in combination with at least one row for axial load · CPC title

• F16C33/60

  divided {or split, e.g. comprising two juxtaposed rings} · CPC title