Patent ID: 6588119
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: F16C,G01B,Y10S

Abstract:
In combination with inner and outer machine components and first and second bearings for accommodating relative rotation between the machine components about an axis, one of the machine components having a positioning surface located at an angle with respect to the axis, the first bearing including inner and outer tapered raceways carried by the inner and outer machine components, respectively, and tapered rollers organized in a row between the raceways, the second bearing including inner and outer tapered raceways and tapered rollers located along the inner raceway, with the outer raceway and the tapered rollers defining identical conical envelopes having their axes coinciding with the axis of rotation, one of the raceways of the second bearing being on a race unit that is capable of being installed on said one machine component and has a positioning surface that is oriented at an angle with respect to the axis and presented toward the positioning surface on said one machine component, the other raceway of the second bearing being carried by the other machine component, the tapered rollers of the first and second bearings being oriented in opposite directions, a setting gauge for determining the thickness of a spacer to be installed between the positioning surfaces, so as to provide the bearings with a desired setting, said setting gauge comprising:first, second and third gauge elements, two of which are located generally end-to-end to establish a measured axial distance and the other of which extends between the end-to-end elements where it serves as a base and establishes a fixed axial distance, one of the gauge elements being against the positioning surface on said one machine component, one of the gauge elements being against the positioning surface on the race unit, one of the gauge elements having a gauging surface which bears against the conical envelope of the race unit, one of the gauge elements having a gauging surface that bears against the conical envelope on said other machine component, all such that the size of a spacer, which when fitted between the positioning surface on said one machine component and the positioning surface on the race unit, can be determined by using the difference between the fixed distance and the measured distance; a spring urging the end-to-end gauge elements apart; and a strain sensor on the spring for determining the change a strain imparted to the spring as the distance between the end-to-end elements varies, whereby the measured distance is determined.