Patent ID: 6918238

Claim:
A bearing and shaft assembly for mounting in an opening through a support member for supporting an end of a rotatable member for rotation relative thereto under an axial preload condition, comprising: a bolt having a threaded end portion threadedly receivable and engageable in a threaded hole in the end of the rotatable member, an opposite end portion positionable in the opening through the support member including an enlarged head having a shoulder therearound facing the threaded end portion, and a cylindrical shaft portion extending between the threaded and opposite end portions; and a bearing having relatively rotatable inner and outer rings, the inner ring having oppositely facing axial ends extending around a central hole therethrough adapted for receiving the shaft portion of the bolt, and the outer ring including at least one mounting element extending outwardly therefrom and adapted for fixedly mounting the outer ring on a side of the support member opposite the rotatable member such that the inner ring will be positioned and supported by the outer ring in the opening through the support member for rotation relative to the outer ring and the support member; wherein the threaded end portion and cylindrical shaft portion of the bolt are insertable through the inner ring of the bearing and the threaded end portion threadedly engageable with the threaded hole of the rotatable member for holding the inner ring of the bearing thereagainst for rotation therewith relative to the outer ring and the support member while exerting an axial tensile force on the bolt, and supporting the end of the rotatable member for rotation on the support member.