Disclosed here is a system for testing bearings wherein a pair of spaced bearings provides support for a shaft on which is mounted a bearing to be tested, this bearing being mounted in a bearing holder spaced from and in alignment with the pair of bearings. The bearing holder is provided with an annular collar positioned in an opening in the bearing holder for holding the bearing to be tested. A screw threaded through the bearing holder into engagement with the annular collar can be turned to force the collar radially out of alignment with the pair of bearings to apply a radial load to the bearing

Gibson, John C.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

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US005226308A 
United States Patent [191 [i i]  Patent Number: 5,226,308 
Gibson [45] Date of Patent: Jul. 13, 1993 
[54] SYSTEM FOR TESTING BEARINGS 
[75] Inventor: John C. Gibson, Huntsville, Ala. 
[73] Assignee: The United States of America as 
represented by the Administrator of 
the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, Washington, D.C. 
[21] Appl. No.: 813,628 
[22] Filed: Dec. 26, 1991 
[51] 
[58] 
[561 References Cited 
Int. a.5 ............................................. GOlN 19/02 
Field of Search ........................................ 73/9, 10 
[52] U.S. a. .......................................................... 73/9 
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 
2,623,384 12/1952 Pigott ...................................... 73/10 
2,808,563 10/1957 Hornbostel ............................. 73/10 
4,038,863 8/1977 Mellor et al. ............................. 73/9 
Primary Examiner-Robert Raevis 
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert L. Broad, Jr.; John R. 
Manning; Guy M. Miller 
P I  ABSTRACT 
A system for testing bearings wherein a pair of spaced 
bearings provide support for a shaft on which is 
mounted a bearing to be tested, with a bearing holder 
spaced from and in alignment with the pair of bearings. 
The bearing holder is provided with an annular collar 
positioned in an opening in the bearing holder for hold- 
ing the bearing to be tested. A screw threaded through 
the bearing holder into engagement with the collar can 
be turned to move the collar radially out of alignment 
with the pair of bearings to apply a radial load to the 
bearing. 
6 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet 
11 
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19930020429 2020-03-24T07:32:32+00:00Z
U.S. Patent July 13, 1993 5,226,308 
1 
5,226, 
SYSTEM FOR TESTING BEARINGS 
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION 
The invention described herein was made by an em- 
ployee of the U.S. Government and may be manufac- 
tured and used by or for the Government of the United 
States of America without the payment of any royalties 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
5 
thereon or therefor. 10 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to systems for testing bearings. 
It is desirable to test bearings, especially those to be 
used under critical conditions, to determine the durabil- 
ity and life of the bearing under various loads. Usually 
a radial load is applied to the bearing and it is run under 
the radial load. 20 
One method of applying a radial load to a bearing is 
to used a fluid cylinder to apply a radial force to the 
bearing. This disadvantage of this approach is that it is 
dificult to apply a precise load using a cylinder. Also, it 
is very difficult to make small variations in the load 25 
when a cylinder is used to load the bearing. 
2. Prior Art I5 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A system for testing a bearing under radial loads 
wherein a pair of spaced coaxial bearings provide sup- 
port for a shaft on which is mounted a bearing to be 
tested, with a bearing holder spaced from and in align- 
ment with the pair of bearings. The bearing holder is 
provided with an annular collar positioned in an open- 
ing in the bearing holder for holding the bearing to be 
tested. A screw threaded through the bearing holder 
into engagement with the collar can be turned to move 
the collar radially out of alignment with the pair of 
bearings to apply a radial load to the bearing. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
The single figure is an exploded view of the bearing 
testing system showing the relationship of the various 
parts of the system. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE 
INVENTION 
Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is 
shown a base 11 which supports a pair of spaced bear- 
ings 12 and 13 which are held on the base by collars 14 
and bolts 15. The bearings 12 and 13 are in coaxial 
alignment for supporting a shaft 16 for rotation in these 
A bearing holder 20 secured to the base 11 by bolts 21 
is provided with a cylindrical opening 22 in alignment 
with the bearings 12 and 13 for receiving and holding an 
annular collar 25, the collar being loosely held in the 
holder 20 in such a manner that the collar can be moved 
to a position out of coaxial alignment with the bearings 
12 and 13. 
The collar 25 is provided with a plurality of spaced 
studs 28 which fit into L-shaped slots 29 in the inner 
surface of the bearing holder 20. To install the collar in 
the bearing holder 20, the collar is positioned so that 
studs 28 will, as the collar is moved in an axial direction, 
slide into the open ends of the slots 29 until the collar is 
in the plane of the holder 20 and then the collar 25 is 
bearings. 
2 
,308 
rotated clockwise (as seen in the drawing) until the 
studs 28 engage the ends of the L-shaped slots 29. 
A bearing 33 to be tested is fitted onto the shaft 16 
and slipped into the collar 25, the fit of the bearing in 
the collar 25 and the shaft 16 being such that the outer 
race of the bearing 33 remains stationary while the inner 
race turns with the shaft 18. 
The bearing holder 20 is provided with a pair of 
threaded holes 40 positioned on opposite sides of the 
holder 20 in alignment with a pair of the L-shaped slots 
29, so that when the collar 25 is installed in the holder 
20 a pair of the studs 28 are aligned coaxially with the 
holes 40. 
A pair of plugs 41 and 42 are threaded into the holes 
-40, with the plug 41 having a concentric threaded bore 
extending axially therethrough. Flat washers 46 and 
Belleville washers 47 sandwiched between the flat 
washers are positioned in the threaded holes 40 between 
the plugs 41 and 42 and the collar 25. A Belleville 
washer is a resilient washer having a frustoconical con- 
figuration which flattens when a load is applied to the 
washer. By adjusting the positions of the plugs 41 and 
42 in the holes 40, the collar can be moved to a position 
in coaxial alignment with the bearings 12 and 13. A 
spanner wrench (not shown) can be used to turn the 
plugs 40 and 41 for adjusting their positions in the holes 
40. 
An adjusting screw 50 threaded through the plug 41 
3o can be turned to engage the end of the stud 28 in align- 
ment with the adjusting screw. Further downward 
movement of the screw 50 applies a force to move the 
collar 25 to carry the bearing 33 to a position out of 
coaxial alignment with the bearings 12 and 13. This 
35 forces the shaft 16 to bend slightly and apply a radial 
load to the bearing 33. This radial load can be raised or 
lowered by adjustment of the position of the screw 50. 
The shaft is then driven at a predetermined speed for a 
predetermined time interval to test the bearing 33. 
1. A system for testing a bearing, comprising 
a. a base, 
b. a pair of spaced bearings mounted on the base, said 
bearings being in coaxial alignment with each other 
c. a bearing holder mounted on the base in alignment 
with said pair of bearings, 
d. a collar positioned on the bearing holder and hav- 
ing therein an opening for receiving a bearing to be 
4o What is claimed is: 
45 for receiving a shaft, 
50 tested, 
e. means on the collar and bearing holder for locking 
said collar to said bearing holder to prevent rota- 
tion of said collar, 
f. flexible means mounted on the bearing holder and 
in engagement with the collar for allowing radial 
movement of the collar to carry the bearing to be 
tested into and out of coaxial alignment with the 
pair of bearings, and 
g. a screw threaded through the bearing holder into 
engagement with the collar for moving the collar 
radially to move the bearing being tested out of 
alignment with said pair of bearings to thereby 
radially load the bearing to be tested. 
2. The bearing tester of claim 1 wherein the locking 
65 means comprises a plurality of spaced studs around the 
periphery of said collar, said bearing holder being pro- 
vided with slots for receiving said studs to hold and 
prevent rotation of the collar. 
55 
60 
3 
5,226,308 
3. The bearing tester of claim 2 wherein a pair of said 
studs are positioned 180 degrees apart on the periphery 
of the collar and the holder is provided with a pair of 
threaded holes in alignment with said pair of studs with 
a pair of plugs threaded into said holes such that the 
plugs can be moved in said holes to move the collar into 
coaxial alignment with said pair of bearings. 
4. The bearing tester of claim 3 wherein said flexible 
means is a plurality of resilient washers are positioned 
between each of the plugs and the collar. 
5. The tester of claim 4 wherein said slots in said 
holder are L-shaped. 
6. A system for testing bearings, comprising 
b. a pair of spaced bearings mounted on the base, said 
bearings being in coaxial alignment with each other 
for receiving a shaft, 
c. a bearing holder mounted on the base and having 
therein a cylindrical opening in alignment with said 20 
pair of bearings, said holder having therein a pair of 
L-shaped slots in communication with said cylin- 
10 
a. a base, 15 
4 
drical opening, said slots being in diametrically 
opposed positions, 
d. a collar mounted in the opening in said holder and 
having a central cylindrical opening for receiving a 
bearing to be tested, 
e. said collar having a pair of radially extending studs 
each positioned in one of the pair of slots for hold- 
ing the collar in said holder, said holder having 
therein a pair of threaded holes in alignment with 
said studs, 
f. a pair of plugs threaded into said threaded holes, 
one of said plugs having therein an axial threaded 
bore, 
g. a plurality of resilient washers positioned between 
each of the plugs and the collar for resiliently hold- 
ing the collar in a position determined by the posi- 
tioning of the plugs in the threaded holes, and 
h. a screw threaded through said threaded bore for 
engaging one of the studs to force the collar into a 
position out of alignment with the pair of bearings 
to load the bearing to be tested. * * * * *  
25 
30 
35 
40 
45 
50 
55  
65 


System for testing bearings

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