Claims
- 1. A spherical bearing assembly having an inner race member and an outer race member, the inner surface of the outer race member being a concave spherical surface, the outer surface of the inner member being a complementary convex spherical surface, the inner member including a hollow spool member having a smooth inner cylindrical surface and having first threaded portion disposed on its outer surface and at least three spherical segments, each segment having a partially spheroidal outer surface and partially cylindrical inner surface, said surfaces being connected by planar surfaces on radial planes passing through an imaginary center line of a cylinder on which said partially cylindrical inner surface is formed and each segment having parallel sloped grooves on the inner surface terminating in the radial planes whereby when the segments are assembled by placing them within the outer race member such that their outer spherical surfaces are in bearing contact with said inner concave surface and each of said spherical segments are in an abutting relation, the inner surfaces of said spherical segments defining a central bore, the grooves in their inner surfaces form a continuous annular groove which forms a second helically threaded portion on the inner surfaces complementary to said first threaded portion, said segments disposed on and interlocked with said spool member and interlocked together solely by the registration of said first threaded portion in said complementary second threaded portion, whereby during assembly the spool is turnable within the segments with the first threaded portion moving along the second threaded portion, the spool member and the spheroidal segments together forming the inner race member, and the inner surface of the inner race member is the smooth inner cylindrical surface, whereby machine elements may be mounted in the smooth inner cylindrical surface of the inner race member and in which said spool member's axial length is somewhat greater than the axial length said bore such that said spool member, when threaded in a meshing relationship with said spherical segments, a portion of said threaded spool will extend beyond one of the lateral faces defined by the spherical segments, said extension of said spool member being adapted to receive a threaded nut-like member to further lock said spool member and said spherical segments in their respective operational positions, and wherein said spool member has a hub portion formed integrally on one end thereof, said hub portion having an inner lateral surface, said spherical segments defining an opposing lateral surface, said hub portion inner lateral surface adapted to abut said lateral surface of said spherical segments thereby further locking said spherical segments in their operational position.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 451,523, filed Mar. 15, 1974 for SPHERICAL BEARING ASSEMBLY by Albert R. McCloskey, now abandoned, the priority of which is claimed.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
407098 |
Dec 1924 |
DEX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
451523 |
Mar 1974 |
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