GB2474668A

GB2474668A - Tool for Inserting or Removing Bearing along Axis

Info

Publication number: GB2474668A
Application number: GB0918511A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kael Shawnasae
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-10-22
Filing date: 2009-10-22
Publication date: 2011-04-27
Also published as: GB0918511D0

Abstract

A tool for insertion or removal of a bearing 100 from a housing along a bearing axis (120, figure 1) has a first contact member e.g. brace 30 to contact a surface of the bearing and second contact member e.g. sleeve 40 contacting a surface of the bearing housing (115, figure 1), the first and second members applying forces in opposite directions which are parallel with the bearing axis. The brace 30 may have splayable arms 32 to be inserted in bearing aperture 102 to grip the bearing. The sleeve 40 may have a bore 42 larger than the diameter of the bearing and allowing the brace to pass through. A hexagonal shaft head 22 is rotated, applying a `pulling' force to the bearing via brace 30 and an opposite `pushing' force on the housing via sleeve 40. Sleeve 40 may be provided with an end complimentary to the housing surface. Brace 30 may be replaced with a support (60, figure 3) and sleeve 40 replaced with washer (54, figure 3) for insertion of the bearing.

Description

Bearing Tool The present invention relates to devices for inserting or removing bearing devices from bearing housings. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to devices for inserting or removing bearing devices from bearing housings of bicycles.

Bearings are provided in many applications in which one component must move smoothly (with as little friction as possible) relative to another component. The components may be, say, load bearing and so their design and manufacture should be practical and economic for this purpose. However, this may not include the need for the high tolerances and smooth surfaces required from a bearing. It is therefore common to insert, often using an interference fit, a more precisely formed bearing into an aperture or recess of the component (hereinafter referred to as a bearing housing) and movably connecting the other component to the bearing. The bearing defines a bearing axis which represents the proper direction in which the bearing should be moved during insertion or removal.

One example of this is for bicycles which have many pivoting members, particularly for bicycles that include suspension. High performance bicycles in particular can be subject to harsh conditions or loading, or to impacts, which can cause damage or wear to high precision parts such as bearings and so these parts may regularly need to be replaced. Or components of the bicycle may need to be stripped from the bicycle which requires removal of the bearing.

The most common tool used to remove a bearing involves a brace which has a number of splayable arms at one end which is inserted into the shaft receiving aperture of the bearing. Rotating a locking bolt causes the arms to splay apart to contact the aperture and grip the bearing. This provides a satisfactory and even grip of the bearing. However, a slide hammer is then attached to the brace and the user then makes repeated impacts using the slide hammer to knock the bearing out of its housing. These large impacts can cause deformation to the bearing housing or to a usable bearing. The likelihood of damage is increased by the fact that there is no control of the direction of hammering. If this direction is even slightly off the bearing axis, the impacts may cause twisting and distortion of the bearing or housing.

It is desirable to provide means for removing a bearing from its housing which avoids the use of large repeated impact forces, but rather uses a sustained static removal force. It is desirable to provide means for removing a bearing from its housing which controls the direction of the removal force used such that the direction is parallel to the bearing axis.

Furthermore, the impact force is typically applied in a direction away from the bearing and the force is entirely and directly resisted by the interference fitting of the bearing within the housing. During hammering, the bearing is suddenly released from the housing, or the grip of the brace on the bearing may fail, which represents a risk of injury to the user.

It is desirable to provide means for removing a bearing from its housing in which the removal force is resisted by a static component or member which does not move during or after removal of the bearing.

The most common method used to insert a bearing rather crudely uses a vice.

The bearing and housing are manually aligned and positioned between the jaws of the vice. The vice jaws are then moved towards each other to contact and then force the bearing into the housing.

However, due to the manual alignment used (with few or no visual indications present for when the bearing is correctly aligned), or due to the bearing moving out of alignment when contacted by the vice jaws, the bearing may not be properly inserted. Also, the back surface of the housing which is contacted by one of the vice jaws must be planar with a plane normal to the bearing axis but this is often not the case. Particularly on a back surface, many parts can include non-planar or angled surfaces, strengthening ribs, protrusions, weld lines, recesses, apertures or the like which extend to adjacent to the bearing housing.

This can also lead to improper insertion of the bearing which can damage the bearing or be detrimental to the performance of the bearing during use.

It is desirable to provide means for inserting a bearing into a housing which ensures that the insertion force is parallel to the bearing axis.

According to the present invention there is provided a bearing tool for the insertion or removal of a bearing in a bearing housing defining a bearing axis, the tool comprising: a first contact member configured to contact a surface of the bearing; a second contact member configured to contact a surface of the bearing housing, wherein the first contact member is movable in a first direction relative to the second contact member to apply a force on the bearing such that the second contact member provides a resisting force in a second opposite direction, and wherein the second contact member is further configured to provide the resisting force such that the second opposite direction, and therefore the first direction, are parallel with the bearing axis.

The bearing tool may be provided as a kit of parts, the parts comprising a mounting member, the first contact member and the second contact member, wherein the first and second contact members are mountable on the mounting member. The first and second contact members may include apertures for receiving the mounting member.

For use as a bearing removal tool, the first contact member may comprise a brace member which is operable to contact and grip the inner circumferential surface of the bearing aperture. Alternatively or in addition, the first contact member may comprise a planar member for contacting a surface of the bearing which is normal to the bearing axis. The surface may be the rear surface with respect to the bearing tool inserted in the bearing. The planar member may include an aperture and be mountable on the mounting member.

The second contact member may include an aperture for mounting on the mounting member. The second contact member aperture may have a diameter which is greater than the outer diameter of the bearing such that the second contact member contacts the bearing housing circumferentially around the bearing.

The second contact member may have a housing contacting end which is complementary in profile to the contacting surface of the bearing housing. This results in the length of the second contact member extending in a direction parallel to the bearing axis. The second contact member may have a second opposite end which is planar and normal to the bearing axis.

The kit of parts may include a plurality of swappable second contact members, each having a different profile of housing contacting end to suit a plurality of bearing housings. Alternatively, the second contact member may be provided by the bearing housing manufacturer for use with the bearing tool to suit the specific bearing housing.

For use as a bearing insertion tool, the first contact member may comprise a planar member for contacting a surface of the bearing which is normal to the bearing axis. The surface may be the front surface with respect to the bearing tool inserted in the bearing. The planar member may include an aperture and be mountable on the mounting member.

The first contact member may include a protrusion having an outer diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of the bearing aperture. The protrusion may be adapted to extend through and beyond the bearing aperture. The protrusion may be adapted to extend through and beyond both the bearing aperture and the bearing housing aperture when the bearing is located adjacent to the housing. This ensures that the bearing travels in a direction coaxial with the bearing axis when the bearing is forced into the bearing housing aperture.

For use as a bearing removal or insertion tool, the mounting member may comprise a shaft which is receivable in an aperture of the bearing. The bearing tool may include a push member for moving one or both of the first and second contact members along the shaft in the direction of the bearing axis.

The mounting member may be threaded. The push member may comprise a fastener.

The mounting member may be movable such that a first end of the mounting member is movable towards the bearing and housing.

The mounting member may be movable by rotating the mounting member relative to the push member. Alternatively, or in addition, the mounting member may be movable using an actuator. The actuator may be hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically operated.

The bearing tool may include one or more spacers for accommodating different sizes of bearings or housings. The spacers may be axial or circumferential spacers. The spacers may be mountable on the mounting member.

The bearing tool may include one or more aligning members to assist with moving at least one of the first and second contact members in the direction of the bearing axis. The aligning members may include a convex contact surface.

The convex contact surface may be conical or frustoconical.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a bearing housing and a bearing; Figure 2 is an exploded side view of a bearing tool for removing a bearing; and Figure 3 is an exploded side view of a bearing tool for inserting a bearing.

Figure 1 shows a bearing 100 and a bearing housing which, in this example, is a linkage plate 110 of a bicycle (not shown). The linkage plate 110 includes four apertures 112, each of which requiring a bearing 100. Each aperture 112 defines a bearing axis 120 and, in this example, the axes 1 20 are collinear or parallel. As can be seen in Figure 1, the linkage plate 11 0 is a cast component which includes non-planar or angled surfaces 114, weld lines 116 and recesses 118, some of which are located near the apertures 112.

Figure 2 shows a bearing tool 10 for removing a bearing 100 from the linkage plate 11 0. The tool includes a mounting member or shaft 20 which is threaded.

The bearing tool 10 is provided as a kit of parts with a few common and a few interchangeable parts as detailed below.

For removing a bearing 100, a first contact member in the form of a brace 30 is configured to contact a surface of the bearing. The brace 30 has four splayable arms 32 at one end which can be inserted into the bearing aperture 102. At the other end of the brace 30 is a threaded recess 34 for receiving a locking bolt 36.

Fastening the locking bolt 36 within the threaded recess 34 causes a protrusion 37 of the locking bolt 36 to splay the arms 32 so that the arms contact and grip the inner circumferential surface of the bearing 100. The locking bolt 36 includes a threaded recess 38 at the end opposite the protrusion 37. The shaft 20 can be fastened within the threaded recess 38 of the locking bolt 36 such that the brace and its locking bolt 36 and the shaft 20 are all coaxial.

A second contact member in the form of a cylindrical sleeve 40 has a large diameter aperture 42 so that the brace 40, locking bolt 36 and shaft 20 can all pass through the aperture 42 unimpeded. The aperture 42 has a diameter which is configured to be greater than the outer diameter of the bearing 100 and which contacts a land area 115 around the aperture 112 of the linkage plate 110.

A hexagonal shaft head 22 abuts a washer 50 which abuts one end of the sleeve while the other end of the sleeve 40 is in contact with the linkage plate 110. If required, one or more spacers or additional sleeves 40 can be used to provide the desired axial length. Rotating the shaft head 22 in a fastening direction causes the shaft head 22 to tend to move towards the bearing 1 00. This movement towards the bearing 100 applies an axial force on the bearing 100 via the brace 30 towards the shaft head 22, along with an axial force in the opposite direction on the linkage plate 110 via the sleeve 40. Due to the arrangement of the tool 10, all of the forces are coaxial with, or parallel to, the bearing axis 120.

The forces applied are sustained static forces. At some point during removal, the forces will overcome the interference fit of the bearing 100 within the aperture 112. When this happens, the pulling force on the bearing 100 will be suddenly removed but the remaining pushing force on the linkage plate 110 will be entirely resisted by the linkage plate 110. In any case, the user is not required to provide any pushing or pulling actions when operating the tool and so the sudden removal of a force does not present a safety risk.

If there is no convenient land area 114 of the linkage plate 11 0 which is normal to the bearing axis 120, the sleeve 40 can be provided with an end which is complementary in profile to the contacting surface of the linkage plate 110. The sleeve 40 will then extend in a direction parallel to the bearing axis 120.

For use as a bearing insertion tool, the sleeve 40 can be removed and the brace 30 replaced with a bearing support 60 which now acts as the first contact member. This is shown in Figure 3.

The bearing support 60 includes an aperture 61 for mounting on the shaft 20. It has a planar member 62 for contacting a front surface 104 of the bearing 100 which is normal to the bearing axis 120. It also has an axially extending protrusion 64 having an outer diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of the bearing aperture. The bearing 100 is fitted onto the protrusion 64 which substantially prevents the bearing 100 from rotating or twisting away from being normal to the bearing axis 120.

The protrusion 64 has sufficient length to extend through and beyond both the bearing aperture 102 and the linkage plate aperture 112 when the bearing 1 00 is located at the housing. This ensures that the bearing 1 00 travels in a direction coaxial with the bearing axis 120 when the bearing 100 is forced into the linkage plate aperture 112.

On the other side of the linkage plate 110, a second washer 52 has an aperture 54 sized to receive the protrusion 64 of the bearing support 60 and the end of the protrusion 64 terminates within this aperture 54. The shaft 20 extends through all of the bearing support 60, bearing 100, linkage plate 11 0 and second washer 52.

A nut 70 is fastened to the shaft 20 against the rear surface of the second washer 52.

Tightening the nut 70 on the shaft 20 draws the shaft head 22 towards the bearing 100. This movement towards the bearing 100 causes the planar member 62 to apply an axial force on the bearing 100. An axial reaction force in the opposite direction is applied to the linkage plate 110 via the second washer 52. Due to the arrangement of the tool 10, all of the forces are coaxial with, or parallel to, the bearing axis 120.

The bearing tool 10 can include one or more aligning members (not shown) to assist with maintaining movement and forces in the direction of the bearing axis 120. A suitable aligning member could be mounted on the shaft 20, such as between the second washer 52 and nut 70. It could include a convex conical contact surface.

Whilst specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it will be appreciated that departures from the described embodiments may still fall within the scope of the present invention. For instance, the described embodiments use threaded fasteners for moving the shaft head 22 towards the bearing 100. However, this could be done in other ways such as using an actuator, which could be hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically operated. Or, for the bearing insertion tool, the arrangement could be placed within the jaws of a vice.

Claims

Claims 1. A bearing tool for the insertion or removal of a bearing in a bearing housing defining a bearing axis, the tool comprising: a first contact member configured to contact a surface of the bearing; a second contact member configured to contact a surface of the bearing housing, wherein the first contact member is movable in a first direction relative to the second contact member to apply a force on the bearing such that the second contact member provides a resisting force in a second opposite direction, and wherein the second contact member is further configured to provide the resisting force such that the second opposite direction, and therefore the first direction, are parallel with the bearing axis.
2. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bearing tool is provided as a kit of parts, the parts comprising a mounting member, the first contact member and the second contact member, wherein the first and second contact members are mountable on the mounting member.
3. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first contact member comprises a brace member which is operable to contact and grip the inner circumferential surface of the bearing aperture.
4. A bearing tool as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first contact member comprises a planar member for contacting a surface of the bearing which is normal to the bearing axis.
5. A bearing tool as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the second contact member includes an aperture for mounting on the mounting member, and wherein the second contact member aperture has a diameter which is greater than the outer diameter of the bearing such that the second contact member contacts the bearing housing circumferentially around the bearing.
6. A bearing tool as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second contact member has a housing contacting end which is complementary in profile to the contacting surface of the bearing housing.
7. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second contact member has a second opposite end which is planar and normal to the bearing axis.
8. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 6 or 7 when dependent on claim 2, wherein the kit of parts includes a plurality of swappable second contact members, each having a different profile of housing contacting end to suit a plurality of bearing housings.
9. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 4, wherein the first contact member comprises a protrusion having an outer diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of the bearing aperture.
10. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 9, wherein the protrusion is adapted to extend through and beyond the bearing aperture.
11. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 10, wherein the protrusion is adapted to extend through and beyond both the bearing aperture and the bearing housing aperture when the bearing is located adjacent to the housing.
12. A bearing tool as claimed in any of claims 2 to 11, wherein the mounting member comprises a shaft which is receivable in an aperture of the bearing.
13. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 12, wherein the bearing tool includes a push member for moving one or both of the first and second contact members along the shaft in the direction of the bearing axis.
14. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mounting member is threaded, and wherein the push member comprises a fastener.
15. A bearing tool as claimed in any of claims 2 to 14, wherein the mounting member is movable such that a first end of the mounting member is movable towards the bearing and housing.
16. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 15, wherein the mounting member is movable by rotating the mounting member relative to the push member.
17. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 15 or 16, wherein the mounting member is movable using an actuator, the actuator being hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically operated.
18. A bearing tool as claimed in any preceding claim, including one or more spacers for accommodating different sizes of bearings or housings.
19. A bearing tool as claimed in any preceding claim, including one or more aligning members to assist with moving at least one of the first and second contact members in the direction of the bearing axis.
20. A bearing tool as claimed in claim 19, wherein the or each aligning member includes a convex contact surface.