Claims
- 1. An apparatus to support a shaft, said apparatus comprising:
a molded body having a first hole for receiving a bearing insert, and at least one flange with a second hole therethrough for receiving a fastener; a reinforcing member molded in place and encased entirely within the body, the reinforcing member surrounding the first and second holes and having arcuate portions adjacent said holes, said reinforcing member strengthening said holes and aiding in transmitting loads from the shaft radially to the fastener.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said reinforcing member comprises a metallic band.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said body is urethane.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said body has a substantially tear drop shape having a broad portion including said first hole and a narrow portion including said second hole, said first hole being offset from said second hole a sufficient distance to allow a tool for removably attaching said apparatus to an adjacent surface through the use of the fastener.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the metallic band comprises a plurality of segments.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member is a metal strip having edges with substantially smaller surface areas than faces therebetween, and wherein the reinforcing member is molded with in the housing such that the faces are adjacent the holes.
- 7. A flange bearing to support a rotatable shaft at a fixed location, comprising:
a solid, molded body without recesses in which contaminants may accumulate on said body; at least one hole for receiving a fastener; a circular opening extending between said surfaces of said body, said opening being located between said holes; a bearing insert received in said opening for supporting a shaft; and a reinforcing member molded in place and encased entirely within said solid body, said reinforcing member circumscribing said hole and said opening, and having arcuate portions adjacent said holes, said reinforcing member strengthening said holes and aiding in transmitting loads from the shaft radially to the fastener.
- 8. The bearing of claim 7, wherein said reinforcing member comprises a metallic strip.
- 9. The bearing of claim 7, wherein said reinforcing member comprises a plurality of metallic strip segments connected to form a closed loop.
- 10. The bearing of claim 9, wherein said strip segments are welded in end-to end relation.
- 11. The bearing of claim 9, wherein said strip segments are fastened to one another in end-to-end relation using a band fastener.
- 12. The bearing of claim 7, wherein said reinforcing member has a lateral cross-section having arcuate portions joined by linear portions.
- 13. The bearing of claim 7, wherein said body is urethane.
- 14. A method of manufacturing a reinforced housing for supporting a shaft, comprising the steps of:
providing a mold to produce a housing, said housing including a first opening for receiving at least one fastener and a second opening for receiving said shaft; preparing at least one reinforcing member for insertion into a cavity within said mold; suspending said reinforcing member within said cavity of said mold such that the reinforcing member surrounds; introducing a thermosetting material into said cavity of said mold, thereby encasing said reinforcing member in said thermosetting material; and cooling said material thereby creating a solid yet lightweight housing reinforced by said reinforcing member.
- 15. The method of claim 14, wherein said reinforcing member is made of metal.
- 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of removing said housing from said mold and inserting said shaft into said second opening.
- 17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing a mold further comprises providing said mold to produce a substantially teardrop-shaped housing with a relatively wide end and a relatively narrow end.
- 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing a mold further comprises positioning said first opening near said relatively narrow end and said second opening near said relatively wide end.
- 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the reinforcing member has a flat first side, a flat second side, and edges, the reinforcing member being positioned in the mold such that a flat side is parallel to a centerline of at least one of said openings.
- 20. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of providing a mold comprises providing a mold to produce a flange bearing housing having at least two flanges.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 09/427,281, filed Oct. 26, 1999, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/172,803, filed Oct. 14, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,618, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/655,040, filed May 26, 1996, now abandoned.
Continuations (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09427281 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Child |
10321932 |
Dec 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09172803 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
Child |
09427281 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
Parent |
08655040 |
May 1996 |
US |
Child |
09172803 |
Oct 1998 |
US |