Load structure for testing a loadability of a large bearing and load testing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778139-B2
Application number	US-201514869276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A load structure for testing a loadability of a large bearing includes a housing, a force-transmitting structure configured to generate a force or a moment relative to the housing and to transmit the force or the moment to a bearing ring of the large bearing, and a force-receiving element connected to the housing and configured to contact a counter ring of the large bearing. The housing is configured to support the counter ring indirectly via the force-receiving element such that the transmitted force or moment is transmitted to the housing at least partially via the counter ring and the force-receiving element, and a material of the force-receiving element has a higher degree of hardness than a material of the housing. Also a method of load testing a bearing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A load structure for testing a loadability of a large bearing comprising:
a housing;
a force-transmitting structure configured to generate a force or a moment relative to the housing and to transmit the force or the moment to a bearing ring of the large bearing; and
a force-receiving element connected to the housing and configured to contact a counter ring of the large bearing,
wherein the housing is configured to support the counter ring indirectly via the force-receiving element such that the transmitted force or moment is transmitted to the housing at least partially via the counter ring and the force-receiving element,
wherein a material of the force-receiving element has a higher degree of hardness than a material of the housing, and
wherein the force-receiving element is configured such that no bearing rolling elements are located axially between the bearing ring and the housing when the force-receiving element contacts the counter ring.

2. The load structure according to claim 1 , wherein the force-transmitting structure further comprises a shaft connected to the bearing ring, and wherein the shaft is configured to transmit the force or the moment to the bearing ring in a radial or an axial direction.

3. The load structure according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises at least three bores configured to receive a fastener for attaching the force-receiving element to the housing.

4. The load structure according to claim 1 , wherein the force-receiving element is at least partial-ring shaped.

5. The load structure according to claim 1 , further comprising an adapter ring having a radial indentation, the adapter ring being configured to couple the force-transmitting structure to the bearing ring of the large bearing with the bearing ring in abutment with the radial indentation.

6. The load structure according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is manufactured at least partially from a material whose mass fraction of iron is greater than its mass fraction of any other element.

7. The load structure according to claim 1 , wherein the force-transmitting structure further comprises a shaft connected to the bearing ring, and wherein the shaft is configured to transmit the force or the moment to the bearing ring in a radial or an axial direction,
wherein the housing comprises at least three bores configured to receive a fastener for attaching the force-receiving element to the housing,
wherein the force-receiving element is at least partial-ring shaped, and
wherein the housing is manufactured at least partially from a material whose mass fraction of iron is greater than its mass fraction of any other element.

8. The load structure according to claim 1 , wherein the force-transmitting structure comprises a piston and wherein the force-receiving element comprises at least one body projecting from the housing.

9. A method for testing a loadability of a large bearing using the load structure of claim 1 , the method comprising:
supporting the counter ring of the large bearing against the housing indirectly via the force-receiving element; and
generating a force or a moment with the force-transmitting structure on the bearing ring of the large bearing.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further including transmitting the force or the moment to the housing at least partially via the counter ring and the force-receiving element.

11. A method for testing a loadability of a large bearing having a ring and a counter ring comprising:
providing a housing having a piston projecting from the housing and a force-receiving element projecting from the housing and then decreasing a distance between an axial side surface of the counter ring and the force-receiving element and decreasing a distance between an axial side surface of the ring and the piston until the axial side surface of the ring contacts the piston and the axial side surface of the counter ring contacts the force-receiving element;
connecting the axial side surface of the counter ring to the force-receiving element; and
generating a force or a moment against or on the bearing ring of the large bearing relative to the housing such that the force or the moment is transmitted to the housing at least partially via the counter-ring.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the bearing is a rolling-element bearing and wherein the force-receiving element is an at least partial ring shaped body.

13. The load structure according to claim 1 , wherein the force-transmitting structure and the force-receiving element are configured such that the bearing ring and the counter ring lie entirely to a first side of a plane and the force-receiving element lies entirely to a second, opposite side of the plane when the force-receiving element contacts the counter ring.

14. The load structure according to claim 1 , wherein the force-receiving element lies entirely radially outside the bearing ring when the force-receiving element contacts the counter ring.

15. The load structure according to claim 14 , wherein the force-transmitting structure and the force-receiving element are configured such that the bearing ring and the counter ring lie entirely to a first side of a plane and the force-receiving element lies entirely to a second, opposite side of the plane when the force-receiving element contacts the counter ring.

16. A load structure for testing a loadability of a large bearing comprising:
a housing;
a shaft configured to generate a force or a moment relative to the housing and to transmit the force or the moment to a bearing ring of the large bearing; and
an at least partial ring-shaped body connected to the housing and configured to contact a counter ring of the large bearing,
wherein the housing is configured to support the counter ring indirectly via the at least partial ring-shaped body such that the transmitted force or moment is transmitted to the housing at least partially via the counter ring and the at least partial ring-shaped body,
wherein a material of the at least partial ring-shaped body has a higher degree of hardness than a material of the housing, and
wherein the at least partial ring-shaped body lies entirely radially outside the bearing ring when the at least partial ring-shaped body contacts the counter ring.

17. The load structure according to claim 16 , wherein the force-receiving element is configured such that no bearing rolling elements are located axially between the bearing ring and the housing when the at least partial ring-shaped body contacts the counter ring.

18. The load structure according to claim 16 , wherein the force-transmitting structure and the force-receiving element are configured such that the bearing ring and the counter ring lie entirely to a first side of a plane and the at least partial ring-shaped body lies entirely to a second, opposite side of the plane when the at least partial ring-shaped body contacts the counter ring.

19. The load structure according to claim 18 , wherein the force-receiving element is configured such that no bearing rolling elements are located axially between the bearing ring and the housing when the at least partial ring-shaped body contacts the counter ring.

Assignees

• Zika Thomas
• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Zika Thomas

Classifications

• G01M13/04 Primary

  Bearings · CPC title

• G01M13/00

  Testing of machine parts · CPC title

• G01M13/045

  Acoustic or vibration analysis · CPC title

• G01M13/005

  Sealing rings · CPC title