Composite Pillow Block Bearing for Corrosion-Resistant Salt Spreaders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pillow block bearings in de-icing equipment experience excessive wear, corrosion, and failure due to exposure to de-icing materials and axial loads, leading to reduced longevity and safety concerns during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A pillow block bearing assembly with a housing made of PBT or a PBT-based composite and stainless steel bearings, featuring a bottom grease zerk for safer maintenance and improved axial load resistance, mounted within a sand or salt spreader chute.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional steel pillow block bearings are used in the chute, then the bearing can support the spinner shaft, but the bearing housing is prone to corrosion and rusting due to exposure to de-icing materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by using a polymeric material (such as polyurethane or nylon) for the bearing housing instead of conventional steel. This polymeric material provides resistance to corrosion from de-icing materials while maintaining structural integrity. The composite approach combines the advantages of polymer corrosion resistance with metallic bearing components, resolving the contradiction between reliability and exposure to harmful factors.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional steel pillow block bearings are used, then the bearing can be manufactured with standard materials, but the housing undergoes swelling and contraction due to temperature variations and freeze-thaw cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from steel material to polymeric material for the housing, fundamentally changing the material parameters. This change eliminates the swelling and contraction issues associated with steel in freeze-thaw cycles, as polymers have different thermal expansion characteristics and do not undergo the same phase-related dimensional changes. The parameter change resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and dimensional stability.
3Ease of repair
If the grease zerk is positioned on the conventional pillow block bearing, then the bearing can be greased, but the user must reach inside the chute which creates safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by repositioning the grease zerk from a location requiring access inside the chute to an external location on the housing. This spatial repositioning in another dimension (from internal to external access) allows users to grease the bearing from outside the chute, eliminating safety hazards while maintaining ease of repair. The grease fitting is integrated into the housing structure at a safe, accessible location.
4Device complexity
If conventional pillow block bearings are used, then the bearing structure is simple, but the bearing cannot adequately handle axial loads directed through the spinner shaft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials to enhance axial load capacity while maintaining structural simplicity. The polymeric housing can be designed with optimized geometry and reinforcement structures that provide superior axial load handling compared to conventional steel bearings. The composite construction allows for integrated design features that improve load distribution and bearing capacity without significantly increasing overall structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A pillow block assembly for a sand and/or salt spreader includes a housing having a central body and two mounting flanges disposed on opposing sides of the central body, the mounting flanges extending outwardly from the central body, the housing being composed of PBT or a PBT-based composite, the housing having a bore which extends through the central body in a transverse direction; and a bearing positioned within the bore, the bearing includes at least one ball bearing or at least one roller bearing, the bearing being composed of stainless steel and configured to receive a spinner shaft of the sand and/or salt spreader. The PBT or PBT-based composite housing is mountable within an interior of a chute of the sand and/or salt spreader via the mounting flanges.