The drive shaft (1) comprises end universal joints (5, 7) with accident-preventing end protections (19). Each accident-preventing end protection comprises a lubricant reservoir, delimited radially inwardly by a sleeve (63) of an inner fork (23) of the respective universal joint (5; 7) and radially outwardly by a rigid annular structure of the accident-preventing end protection.

A bearing unit (10) for adverse operating conditions. The bearing unit has an axis (X), outer and inner rings (20, 30), and a sealing assembly (50). The inner ring has two sliding surfaces (32) arranged axially on opposite sides of an outer raceway (31). The sealing assembly is arranged on both sides (L) of the outer ring to prevent contaminant entry. The sealing assembly has, on each side, an annular elastic gasket (70) with sealing lips (71) facing the inner ring and in sliding contact with the sliding surface (32) of the associated side. The sealing lips (71) have annular contact edges (74) with diameters decreasing in the axial direction towards the outside of the bearing unit. The sliding surfaces (32) are inclined with respect to the axis (X) in a decreasing manner from the outer raceway (31) for adjustment of the radial contact pressure of the lips (71).

A bearing unit may have a radially outer ring, a radially inner ring, a row of rolling bodies interposed between the radially outer ring and the radially inner ring, a casing inside which the rings of the bearing unit are housed. The bearing unit may further have a sealing device and a disc-like element for protecting the sealing device, made as one piece, entirely of plastic or composite material, axially external with respect to the sealing device, stably anchored in a seat of the casing and having a radial distance (d2) between a radially internal surface of the disc-like element and the radially inner ring ranging between 0.75 mm and 0.95 mm so as to block large-size external contaminants, without making contact with the radially inner ring.

An extendible working machine has a rotation/drive section, a working section, and a rod section which connects the rotation/drive section and the working section, transmits rotational force to the working section, and can be extended and retracted. The rod section has a tube body which can be extended and retracted, and also has a shaft body which extends in the axial direction within the tube body and which can be extended and retracted together with the tube body. The shaft body has a pipe shaft which is supported within the inner tube in a rotatable manner. Helical grooves are formed in the surface of the drive shaft. The drive shaft is connected to the pipe shaft so the pipe shaft can move in the axial direction along the outer surface of the drive shaft and so the rotation of the drive shaft is transmitted to the pipe shaft.

A sleeve type bushing/bearing is assembled/pressed into a pivoting frame structure. This bearing runs on a spindle tube which is bolted rigidly to a support arm structure. The support arm structure supports the outside diameter of the spindle tube and well as clamping to the end face of the spindle tube. This support eliminates most of the shear load from being applied at the joint face to the bolt outside diameter. The larger outside diameter of the spindle tube can support more shear force through the joint allowing greater functional pressure to be applied through the joint without failure. The Joint can be easily assembled and disassembled in multiple configurations and for replacement of worn parts if needed and includes a sleeve type bearing which is maintenance free and requires no greasing or other lubrication.

Aspects hereof relate to a lever-actuated operator protection apparatus. In some aspects, the lever-actuated operator protection apparatus can be raised and lowered by an operator from a seated position, for example, on a terrain working vehicle.

A pillow block bearing assembly for a drivetrain assembly of a work vehicle may include a pillow block housing defining a bearing cavity, a bearing disposed within the bearing cavity, and first and second sealing devices installed within the bearing cavity. Additionally, the drivetrain assembly may include a shaft received within the pillow block bearing assembly, with the shaft extending through the bearing such that an outer circumferential surface of the shaft directly contacts an inner circumferential surface of an inner race of the bearing at a bearing/shaft interface defined between the shaft and the bearing. Moreover, a sliding fit may be defined between the outer circumferential surface of the shaft and the inner circumferential surface of the inner race at the bearing/shaft interface such that the shaft is allowed to slide axially relative to the bearing when a given axial load is applied through the shaft.

A shaft includes a head part having an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of an inner ring and being in contact with a side surface on one axial end side of the inner ring, and a column part extending from the head part toward the other axial end side and having an axial width greater than a bearing. An external periphery of the other axial end portion of the column part is formed with a male screw to be fastened with a support arm. A side surface on one axial end side of the shaft is formed with a concave section to which a tool capable of rotating the shaft is to be fitted. A bottom part of a housing is formed with a through-hole into which the tool can be inserted, at a position facing the concave section.

An assembly is described for reducing the moment from a deflected shaft. A shaft includes a shaft body and an outer shaft surface. A bearing includes an inner race engaging the shaft, the inner race including an inner race surface and a race body with axial edges. When the shaft body or a portion of the bearing is deflected from a nominal axis of relative rotation, the shaft body applies a force to the bearing at an axially outermost location that is axially inward from at least one of the axial edges of the race body. Accordingly, an effective line of action of the force is applied at a location that is axially removed from the at least one of the axial edges of the race body towards a central plane of the bearing.

A hanger bearing assembly has a bearing enclosed within a plurality of mounting plates. The mounting plates are slidably and removably attached w supports on the interior sidewalIs of a trough.