A multi-track ball bearing system for an upper roller in spinning

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a multi-track ball bearing system for the top roller in the textile industry. The multi-track bearing system has been developed with a core concept of a detachable and serviceable design to achieve the highest quality impact on the extracted sliver and yarn. Textile spinning mills will benefit from low maintenance by avoiding repeated roller replacements and achieving consistent quality in the sliver and yarn output to effectively serve their end customers. The design also allows for repair and recycling by reusing good functional parts and replacing worn-out parts. This can be done by the top roller manufacturer as needed and ultimately reduces the environmental impact due to the inherent benefits of recycling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a multi-track ball bearing system for upper rollers in the textile industry. Specifically, it relates to a multi-track ball bearing system for upper rollers in the spinning division of the textile industry, used at different stages of textile manufacturing for extracting slivers and yarns. Ring spinning machines and roving frames are two machines or stages that widely use these rollers. Therefore, they are also referred to as upper rollers (shafts) of ring spinning machines and upper rollers (shafts) of roving frames. Background of the Invention

[0002] CN1957123A relates to an upper roller in a drafting system of a spinning machine, comprising at least one roller body rotatably mounted on a shaft, each roller body having a shaft with two high-surface-quality slides for a bearing assembly consisting of two rows of balls. One opening of the roller body is closed by a cover in the form of a cap, and the opposite opening is closed by a sealing device between the roller body and the shaft. The cover and the sealing device are designed to provide an airtight seal between the bearing assembly and the surrounding environment and to form an internal space for accommodating the lubricant of the bearing assembly, thereby enabling the storage of a grease supply for the service life of the bearing assembly.

[0003] CN209959724 relates to a self-cleaning upper roller bearing, including an outer bearing ring, with two shaft sleeves at each of the two opposite ends of the outer bearing ring. The two shaft sleeves are connected to the main shaft of the self-cleaning upper roller bearing by a sleeve connection and are parallel to each other. Bearing ring insertion rods are fixedly installed on the contact side between the shaft sleeves and the outer bearing ring. The two bearing ring insertion rods have insertion rod holes with installation threads. A bearing end cap is provided at the end of the outer bearing ring away from the main shaft. According to this self-cleaning upper roller bearing, an end cap mechanism is provided at the outer bearing end, with a through hole in the bearing end cap. The movement of a closing plate is controlled by a sliding groove and a slider. This movable and simple device isolates the inside and outside of the bearing, effectively preventing external impurities from entering the bearing and eliminating the need for bearing cleaning.

[0004] The aforementioned disclosure regarding the two-track system has certain drawbacks. One ball bearing track is located near the middle of the housing, while the other is further away towards the extreme end facing the BOSS. Over 23 years of continuous operation, this mechanism will result in the inner track experiencing greater wear than the outer track. This, in turn, will cause the BOSS assembly to become unbalanced on the housing and create uneven pressure on the sliver output. The sliver count (from fine to coarse) will be severely affected, leading to significant rejections / losses due to the direct impact on the final product of the spinning mill—yarn.

[0005] The upper roller is currently available on the market, but the existing design has been around for over 20 years and typically fails after about 2-3 years of continuous use. Due to the small number of manufacturers and traditional working methods in this traditional industry, there hasn't been much improvement in this product line. The roller design resembles a dumbbell and currently uses two tracks (two sets of ball bearing paths) within the groove inside the BOSS. These ball bearings are held in place by ball cages, requiring damage to the cages to unlock the BOSS from the housing. This assembly technique has limitations in adding multiple rows to improve reliability and provide consistent yarn quality. Purpose of the invention

[0006] The main objective of this invention is to provide stability to the BOSS across its entire span / length using a multi-track system, achieved by three (or more) ball bearing tracks distributed across the span of the BOSS, thereby enabling uniform load distribution on the BOSS during sliver / yarn extraction.

[0007] A further object of the present invention is to provide an assembly technique and locking mechanism that results in a fully removable, repairable and reusable design, providing a way to refurbish rollers by replacing only worn parts.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a technically superior and customer-centric upper roller that maintains consistency in sliver / yarn output quality parameters.

[0009] A further object of the present invention is to provide high operational stability and durability with extended service life.

[0010] Another objective of this invention is to innovate textile machinery components, an industry that is quite traditional and conventional.

[0011] A further objective of this invention is to enable textile mills to benefit from low maintenance by reducing replacement costs, effort, manpower, and downtime, thereby benefiting textile mills in terms of both finance and productivity, and ensuring consistent quality of sliver or yarn output to effectively serve their end customers.

[0012] Another objective of this invention is to provide enhanced effectiveness, expected to be at least twice that of existing conventional products, because durability is achieved by using engineering principles to maintain uniform hardness of all physically contacting working components, which induces uniform wear of all components, thereby reducing any uneven wear and greatly improving the overall product lifespan.

[0013] A further objective of the present invention is to prevent dust from entering the bearing area by providing a square groove at the beginning of the bearing area of ​​the housing, thereby ensuring the high efficiency and dust-free function of the bearing mechanism.

[0014] This invention relates to a multi-track ball bearing system for upper rollers in the textile industry. Instead of a two-track system at the ball bearing area of ​​each BOSS, a multi-track system is introduced to provide stability across the entire span or length of the BOSS. This is achieved by three (or more) ball bearing tracks distributed across the span of the BOSS, thereby achieving uniform load distribution on the BOSS during sliver or yarn extraction. The multi-track ball bearing system is used because of custom-designed built-in grooves for the balls on the housing and a locking nut mechanism for securing the BOSS and housing together after assembly. This assembly technique results in a fully removable, repairable, and reusable design, providing a way to refurbish the roller by replacing only worn parts. This assembly technique makes the multi-track system possible because there is no ball cage used to lock the BOSS and housing. Such a press-fit ball cage requires damage upon disassembly. Instead, there is a locking nut mechanism that completely changes how the roller is assembled. A special heat treatment process is used to develop material hardness from the top surface to a specific depth for all parts (such as the BOSS, housing, and thrust guide bushing) in specific areas to provide additional surface protection against wear. The disclosed multi-track system features a nut-based locking mechanism, assembly technology driven by housing design, and a special heat treatment process, providing consistent sliver and yarn quality from the start of production to the end of the product life. Brief description of the attached figures

[0015] Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a multi-track ball bearing system assembly for the upper roller in the textile industry, with a ball cage mechanism.

[0016] Figure 2 shows an exploded view of a multi-track ball bearing system assembly for the upper roller in the textile industry, without the ball cage mechanism.

[0017] Figure 3 shows a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the BOSS.

[0018] Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the end cap.

[0019] Figure 5 shows a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the shell.

[0020] Figure 6 shows a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the thrust guide bushing. Detailed description of the invention

[0021] While the embodiments in this disclosure may be affected by various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments are illustrated by way of example in the figures and will be described below. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not intended to limit it to the specific forms disclosed; rather, it is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the scope of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will be inspired by this disclosure and may modify various configurations of multi-track ball bearing systems for upper rollers in the spinning division of the textile industry, which may vary depending on the application. However, such modifications should be construed as being within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, the accompanying drawings show only relevant specific details for understanding embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to obscure this disclosure with details that are obvious to those skilled in the art from the description herein.

[0022] This invention relates to a multi-track ball bearing system and locking mechanism, highlighting a novel mechanical foundation for the roller. This disclosure allows for twice the duration of existing upper rollers and enables precise optimization of the ball count to further improve smooth operation and reduce friction. This architecture is applicable not only to upper rollers in finishing sections but also to various roller designs in the preparation sections of spinning mills (for drafting and combing operations). Drafting and combing machines are machines that use similar rollers with different boss and housing mechanical dimension profiles but operate on the same principle.

[0023] This disclosure allows for repair or recycling through the reuse of functional parts and the replacement of worn parts. This can be done by the upper roller manufacturer as needed and ultimately reduces environmental impact due to the inherent benefits of recycling. This mechanism can be used not only for upper rollers on ring spinning and roving frames but also for all other textile machinery that uses similar rollers [e.g., preparation levels]. The concept is broadly applicable beyond rollers, wherever there is a need for rotating components under constant load to provide uniformly distributed pressure, resulting in high-quality final product extraction. The invention primarily comprises the following components: a housing, a BOSS, a thrust guide bushing, bearing-grade balls, fasteners, nitrile rubber O-rings, end caps, and ball cages. The housing is made of alloy steel. The central portion of the housing is machined to fit a top arm saddle configuration, which varies depending on the machine model from different manufacturers. The two ends of the housing are machined to be properly aligned, having a radius-based curvature geometry by treating the two portions supporting the BOSS as bearing zones to facilitate minimal frictional contact of the three (or more) track bearing-grade balls. In addition, positions are provided at the ends of the housing to accommodate nylon insert locknuts and hexagonal socket set screws, as well as two balls—a robust locking mechanism between the housing and the BOSS. The housing has a tapered angle, and when the thrust guide bushing pushes the balls due to the locking mechanism, the balls slide upward toward the V-shaped grooves of the BOSS. Finally, the finished bare housing undergoes heat treatment to achieve the required hardness to resist wear. The BOSS is made of alloy steel. It is machined with proper alignment, featuring "V"-shaped grooves by treating a portion as a bearing area. By accommodating individual ball tracks within the "V"-shaped grooves, this design ensures that the bearing-grade balls only contact the surface, thus minimizing friction for smooth performance. A third bearing track, along with the interlocking mechanism with the housing, faces the back of the thrust guide bushing via an angular ramp on the housing, which is machined with a radius formation to achieve line contact relative to the BOSS. Finally, heat treatment is employed to build resistance to wear. The thrust guide bushing is made of alloy steel and has an inner angular surface facing the housing, where two balls from the locking mechanism eject from the housing to push the thrust guide bushing into position. This angular surface converts the radial force acting on it into an axial force, thus pushing the ball placed behind it onto the angular surface of the housing to lock with the V-groove of the BOSS. At one end, a portion of the thrust guide bushing is machined with a radius forming to provide line contact with the BOSS and avoid surface contact, thereby enabling a fourth bearing track and minimizing friction for smooth performance. Furthermore, it retains a third track ball in the BOSS groove portion under appropriate thrust loads through a tightening and loosening mechanism of a nylon insert lock nut and a hexagonal socket set screw. Finally, heat treatment is employed to resist wear. The hardened and ground spherical steel balls have a diameter of Ø3.0 mm. Bearing-grade balls are used as anti-friction bearing elements between the housing and the BOSS.The nylon insert locknut, conforming to DIN 985 / ISO 7040 - M3 x 0.5p, is used for interlocking and proper alignment between the housing and the BOSS. The hex socket set screw, conforming to M3 x 0.5px 10.0, is used with the nylon insert locknut. The nitrile rubber "O" ring, conforming to Ø8.0 (ID) x CSD: Ø1.0, is used with the thrust guide bushing to retain it relative to the BOSS without allowing any relative movement. The end cap is produced using a plastic molding process with PTFE material to protect the bearing area of ​​the BOSS as a "clean" zone. The end cap is used on the BOSS to lubricate this area and provides an O-ring, which makes attachment and disassembly easier and provides a tight seal, thus preventing tampering of the product if disassembly is required. The ball cage is produced using a plastic molding process with PTFE material. The cage facilitates the hardening and grinding of the spherical balls at equidistant angles of 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° around the circumference, providing a range for a tight running clearance fit and smooth rotation between the housing and the BOSS.

[0024] Assembly of the upper roller essentially begins with the housing, which forms the backbone of the product. A properly lubricated ball cage, along with the balls, is placed on the housing in circular holes and slots. The BOSS is to slide onto the housing into its proper position. All four bearing balls are inserted into the cage holes and slots to support the BOSS. The bearing-grade balls, along with grease, are assembled on the housing and inserted into the BOSS after all ball bearing tracks are in place. The thrust guide bushing, along with the O-ring, slides toward the ball cage. A nylon insert lock nut secures the assembly together and holds it in place using the thrust guide bushing and an additional set of balls. The nylon insert lock nut will cause an interfering engagement with two balls that push against the angled walls of the thrust guide bushing. This is supported by the O-ring, as it provides tightness to prevent accidental loosening of the nylon insert lock nut due to vibrations under operating conditions. The central portion of the housing is firmly secured, allowing the BOSS to rotate freely, driven by the movement of the ball bearings around the circumference of the housing body at both ends. This uniform rotation is supported by multi-track balls. The upper roller of a multi-track ball bearing system achieves uniform load distribution, which occurs over a wider area of ​​the BOSS due to the evenly spaced multi-track ball bearings (3 or more tracks). This can be customized to 3 or more tracks as the BOSS length varies. The multi-track ball bearing system is achieved through a custom housing design that retains the bearing-grade balls. Alternative plastic ball cages can also be used to reduce the number of bearing-grade balls for improved efficiency.

[0025] The complete assembly can be completed without any press-fit or one-time locking mechanism. Locking the BOSS to the housing using a nylon insert lock nut is key to enabling the multi-track system and indirectly leads to the detachable / repairable design.

[0026] Wear resistance properties are incorporated into key product components, and a specialized heat treatment process is employed. This heat treatment technology is specifically applied to the BOSS, housing, and thrust guide bushing to significantly improve the surface hardness of the three components in contact during rotation. The following customer-centric advantages are achieved through this heat treatment process: a. Create a hard, wear-resistant outer shell (depending on design requirements and production efficiency); b. Create resistance to the displacement of the crystal along crystallographic planes or directions from one part to another. This is called slip in materials science and it alters the geometry of the component. Therefore, geometric accuracy can be maintained under operating conditions, introducing durability and stability; c. Increased fatigue strength, impact strength, and modulus near the surface lead to increased resistance to deformation under stress, even during long-term operation; d. There is also greater resistance to softening caused by tempering (the reduction of surface hardness in steel when exposed to low temperatures for a long time), which may be caused by continuous operation of the rollers and metal-to-metal contact. e. All improvements are made on the surface layer exposed to contact friction during operation, while keeping the core unchanged (soft as the original raw material).

[0027] The upper roller is typically mounted on a ring spinning machine or roving frame. Both bobs are attached with rubber rollers featuring aluminum cores. The processes of drafting (stretching) and yarn twisting are completed to impart strength to the yarn. The upper roller, attached to the rubber roller, forms the core of this process. The roller is secured in the center by a machine arm. The rubber roller is pushed against the rotating feed screw / grooving roller, resulting in uniform rotational operation (150~200 RPM) and applying evenly distributed pressure across the bobbin span. This results in slivers / yarns of consistent quality, the final product of the spinning mill. Rollers on drafting and combing machines will reach maximum rotational speeds of ~6000 RPM, benefiting from robust bearing mechanisms.

[0028] Index Number List 1. Shell 2. BOSS 3. Thrust guide bushing 4. Nylon insert lock nut 5. NBR rubber "O" ring (ID - Ø8.0 x CSD - Ø1.0) 6. Hexagonal socket set screw 7. Bearing-grade balls 8. NBR rubber "O" ring (ID - Ø14.0 x CSD - Ø1.5) 9. End caps 10. Ball cage

Claims

1. A multi-track ball bearing system for upper roller in spinning section of textile industry comprising of: a. Housing (1); b. BOSS (2); c. Thrust guide bush (3); d. Bearing grade balls (7); e. Nylon insert lock nut (4); f. Hex socket set screw (6); g. Nitrile O-rings (5 & 8); h. End cap (9); i. Ball cage (10); Characterized in that both ends of housing (1) are machined to achieve tight running clearance fit with BOSS (2) and bearing grade balls (7) by treating both parts supporting BOSS (2) as bearing zones; Bearing grooves on housing (1) have square grooves to prevent dust ingress in bearing zones and have radius based curvature geometry to accommodate point contact (7) of three or more track bearing grade balls; End portions of housing (1) are provided with structure to accommodate nylon insert lock nut (4) and hex socket set screw (6) as fasteners and two ball facing thrust guide bush (3) angular surfaces to achieve secure locking arrangement between housing (1) and BOSS (2); BOSS (2) is machined to have V groove geometry by treating its inner part as bearing zone to accommodate tight running clearance fit with housing (1) and having separate ball tracks in V groove; BOSS (2) slides into its position on housing (1); third bearing track and interlocking arrangement with housing (1) is achieved by angular ramp face on housing (1) against back face of thrust guide bush (3) which is machined to have radius formation to achieve line contact against BOSS (2) as fourth bearing track facility; Thrust guide bush (3) also retains third track balls in V groove portion of BOSS (2) with appropriate thrust load through thrust action when nylon insert lock nut (4) is pushed away from housing (1) due to clockwise rotation of hex socket set screw (6); Nylon insert lock nut (4) will cause interference fit with two balls which push angular wall of thrust guide bush (3); This thrust load will eject third track balls to contact V groove on BOSS (2) to achieve precision locking of BOSS (2) with housing (1), control axial and radial clearance / play and promote tight running clearance fit; One O-ring (5) is used for thrust guide bush (3) to avoid accidental unlocking and secure thrust guide bush (3) against housing (1) and slide towards ball cage (10); Another O-ring (8) is used for end cap (9); Nylon insert lock nut (4) will secure assembly together and use thrust guide bush (3) and additional set of two balls to secure it in place; End cap (9) is used on BOSS (2) to lubricate bearing zones; Centre portion of housing (1) is securely fixed by top arm saddle configuration allowing BOSS (2) to rotate freely by circumferential movement of balls around multiple bearing zones at both ends of housing (1) body; This uniform rotation is supported by multi-track balls. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2. Multi-track ball bearing system for upper rollers in the spinning sector of the textile industry, according to claim 1, wherein the lubricated ball cage (10) is placed on the housing (1) with the bearing grade balls (7) in the circular holes and slots at the 0°, 90°, 180° and 270° angles of the cage circumference.

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