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Description: |
| Abstract:
The present invention relates to bearings or machine ways having thin strip-like wear-resistant liners and to the method of producing the same.
Heretofore, when hardened liners have been provided on ways, they have been expensive due to the cost of the material required and have presented a problem in that if long liners were employed, a danger was always present of the heat treating, in hardening the liners, causing warping of the liners and requiring substantial machining and grinding operations to provide a smooth, true surface.
To avoid this, it has been proposed to supply the liners in short sections. While this reduced the tendency to warp, it injected the additional problems of lining up and accurately positioning and securing a plurality of sections so as to provide a continuous bearing surface. Furthermore, in both of the above cases, when it was necessary to replace the liner as when wear occurred therein, it required a long down time for the machine to remove and install new or reconditioned liners.
The present invention overcomes these difficulties by providing a simple, relatively inexpensive and effective lined way or hearing and the method of making the same whereby the liner can be readily installed without machining thereof and can be quickly and easily replaced.
This is accomplished by providing a base with a smooth bed and securing thereto a thin, fiat, hardened strip of metallic material, which strip is under longitudinal tension and drawn into tight engagement with the bed.
In carrying out the novel method of the present invention, the base is formed with a smooth surface or bed which is then provided with holes adjacent the ends and beyond the active bearing portion, and a liner of thin, hardened strip material, preferably blue spring steel, of a length substantially equal to the bed is provided with holes adjacent the ends which are spaced apart a distance less than the distance between the holes in the bed. The thin liner then is readily warmed by suitable means to expand the same. When it has expanded sufficiently so that the holes in the liner coincide with the holes in the bed, fastening means are inserted through the aligned holes and thereafter the liner is cooled. As the liner cools, it contracts and becomes stretched between the fastening means, is longitudinally tensioned and is drawn into flat engagement with the bed. When it is desired to replace the liner, it is merely necessary to warm the liner and expand it until the tension is removed, whereupon the liner may be readily slipped off the holding means and a replacement liner applied in the manner just explained.
If desired, lateral stabilizing means can be provided for extremely long ways after the liner has been secured to prevent lateral shifting of the liner on the bed.
The features of the invention reside in' the fact that liner material of the strip type is less expensive than the heavy hardened liners heretofore employed, it can be provided in any length as required, it can be installed without requiring accurate machining of the hardened bearing surface, and it can be quickly and accurately installed and/or replaced as required.
Claims:
1. In a way or bearing, a continuous base, a hardened liner engaging and extending over the base for the full length of the liner, said liner comprising a flat, thin strip of hardened metallic material under longitudinal tension, and means passing through the liner and into the base and securing the tensioned liner to the base.
2. In a way or bearing, a continuous base, a hardened liner engaging and extending over the base for the full length of the liner, said liner comprising a thin strip of spring steel under longitudinal tension, and means passing through the liner and into the base and securing the tensioned liner to the base.
3. In a way or bearing, a continuous base having a smooth liner-receiving surface, a hardened liner extending over the base, said liner comprising a thin strip of spring steel under longitudinal tension, and means passing through the liner and into the base and securing the tensioned liner to the base and securing the tensioned liner to the base in engagement with said surface.
4. In a way or bearing, a continuous base having a smooth liner-receiving surface provided with spaced holes therein, a liner comprising a thin strip of hardened metallic material having holes therein normally spaced apart a distance less than the holes in the base, and securing means passing through the holes in the strip and into the holes in the base and stretching the strip therebetween to provide longitudinal tension in the strip and cause the strip to lie in engagement with the smooth surface on the base.
5. In a way or bearing, an elongate base having a liner receiving surface provided with spaced holes therein, a hardened liner extending over the base, said liner comprising a thin strip of hardened material under longitudinal tension, means passing through the liner adjacent the ends thereof and into the base and securing the tensioned liner to the base, and means intermediate the ends of the liner for interlocking the strip to the base to hold the strip against lateral movement.
6. In the method of providing a hard liner for a bearing surface, the steps of preparing a base surface to provide a smooth bed with strip holding means beyond the operative portion of the bearing surface; forming a thin strip of wear-resistant material a length to overlie said base with anchoring means, cooperating with the holding means on the base, having a spacing therebetween of less than the spacing between the strip holding means on the base; Warming the strip to expand the same until the anchoring means in the strip move into cooperative relation with the holding means in the base and then securing the anchoring means thereto; and cooling the strip to cause the strip to be longitudinally tensioned between the holding means and drawn flat and into firm engagement with said base.
7. In the method of providing a hard liner for a bearing surface, the steps of preparing a base surface to provide a smooth bed with pin-receiving holes adjacent the ends thereof, forming a spring-steel strip of a length to overlie said base and with holes having a spacing between the centers thereof less than the spacing between centers of the holes in the base, Warming the strip to expand the same until the holes in the strip coincide with the holes in the base, inserting holding pins into the aligned holes, and cooling the strip to cause the strip to be longitudinally tensioned and drawn flat and into firm engagement with said base.
8. In the method of providing a hard liner for a bearing surface, the steps of preparing a base surface to provide a smooth bed with fastening member receiving holes adjacent the ends thereof, forming a thin strip of a wear resistant material with a length to overlie said base with holes having a spacing between the centers thereof less than the spacing between centers of the holes in the base, placing the hole over a fastening member mounted in a hole in the bed, warming the strip to expand the same until the other hole in the strip is aligned with the other hole in the bed, inserting a fastening member into the aligned holes, and cooling the strip to cause the strip to be stretched between the members and drawn flat and into firm engagement with said base.
9. In the method of providing a hard liner for a bearing surface, the steps of preparing an elongate base surface to provide a smooth bed for the liner with pin-receiving holes adjacent the ends thereof, forming a thin hardened metallic strip of a length to overlie said base with holes having a spacing between the centers thereof less than the spacing between centers of the holes in the base, warming the strip to expand the same until the holes in the strip coincide with the holes in the base, inserting holding pins into the aligned holes, cooling the strip to cause the strip to be longitudinally tensioned and drawn flat and into firm engagement with said base, and thereafter interlocking the liner and base intermediate the ends to prevent lateral movement of the liner on the base.
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