Patent ID: 6637969
Filing Date: 2003-10-28
Classification: F16C,Y10T

Abstract:
A swivel assembly for installing product in a bore formed with horizontal directional drilling processes comprising a head piece and a tail piece, thrust bearings disposed between the head and tail pieces, and a shell body connected to the tail piece and surrounding the bearing assemblies, the head piece having an integral axially extending shaft, said bearings having their inner races assembled on said shaft and their outer races supported in said shell body, the bearings rotationally supporting the tail piece on the head piece with both radial load capacity and axial IA-directional load capacity, the head piece having a main portion, the shaft being integral with and extending axially from said main portion, an integral smoothly curved fillet at the juncture between the shaft and the main portion representing the first change in radius of the shaft and main portion along an axial direction away from an adjacent one of said bearings and extending radially outward substantially from a radius of the shaft in said adjacent one of said bearings to a radially outer extent through a radial distance that is larger than one-half of the radius of the shaft in said adjacent bearing to thereby avoid a stress riser condition at said juncture.