Patent ID: 6893160

Claim:
A bearing assembly comprising: a split cylindrical adapter sleeve for wrapping around a shaft, said sleeve having a radially outwardly facing surface including a radially outwardly opening circumferential groove formed at one axial end of said sleeve and a tapered section extending from said circumferential groove toward an opposing axial end of said sleeve, said tapered section having a first diameter proximal said circumferential groove which is greater than a second diameter proximal said opposing axial end of said sleeve; an inner ring encircling said adapter sleeve and having a radially inwardly facing surface between axial ends of said inner ring engaging said tapered section of said adapter sleeve, said inner ring including inner threads formed in said radially inwardly facing surface proximal one of said axial ends of said inner ring; and a lock nut encircling the shaft and having a radially inwardly depending hook engaging said circumferential groove, and having a radially outwardly facing surface including outer threads threadably engaging said inner threads formed in said radially inwardly facing surface of said inner ring, wherein rotation of said lock nut in one direction of rotation draws said inner ring over said adapter sleeve to compress said adapter sleeve and fix said inner bearing ring relative to the shaft, and rotation of said lock nut in a second direction urges said inner ring off of said adapter sleeve to allow expansion of the adapter sleeve and release said inner bearing ring relative to the shaft.