A vehicle wheel end assembly comprising a wheel hub, rotatably mounted on a wheel axle spindle by a wheel bearing s comprising a roller bearing. The wheel bearing has a bearing inner ring mounted on an external section of the wheel axle spindle and a bearing outer ring mounted in an internal section of the wheel hub. The assembly further comprises a threaded hub nut mounted at the end of the wheel axle spindle to fix the bearing inner ring on the wheel axle spindle and a rotational lock mechanism to prevent relative rotation between the bearing inner ring and the wheel axle spindle. The rotational lock mechanism comprises a tangential surface arranged to intersect a part of an inner circumference of the bearing inner ring at right angles to the axis of rotation in a plane located at or adjacent an outer radial end surface of the bearing inner ring.

A compact geared reduction unit for application with transmission shaft subjected to radial loads, comprising a box-like body inside which a gear system is accommodated for the transmission of rotary motion from a driving shaft to a transmission shaft, which is provided with an output reduction stage of the epicyclic type; the output reduction stage comprises a driving sun gear which rotates about a main axis and a ring gear which is integrally associated with the box-like body, between which multiple planet gears are engaged which are supported in rotation about respective longitudinal axes which are parallel to the main axis by a transmission planet carrier, which in turn rotates about the main axis and is associated so as to be integral in rotation with the transmission shaft at a connection region. The reduction unit furthermore provides for rolling means adapted to support radial loads associated with the transmission shaft.

A tapered roller bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of tapered rollers provided in an annular space formed between the inner and outer rings and rolling on an inner raceway surface and an outer raceway surface, and an annular cage that holds the tapered rollers. The cage has a small annular portion positioned toward an axially first side with respect to the tapered rollers, a large annular portion positioned toward an axially second side with respect to the tapered rollers, and a plurality of cage bars that couples the small annular portion and the large annular portion together. A minute clearance is formed between the inner ring and the large annular portion and between the outer ring and the large annular portion, respectively.

A tapered roller bearing (31a) has a plurality of retainer segments (11a, 11d) each having a pocket to house a tapered roller (34a), and arranged so as to be continuously lined with each other in a circumferential direction between an outer ring (32a) and an inner ring (33a). The retainer segment (11a, 11d) is formed of a resin containing a filler material to lower a thermal linear expansion coefficient. In addition, a clearance (39a) is provided between the first retainer segment (11a) and the last retainer segment (11d) after the plurality of retainer segments (11a, 11d) have been arranged in the circumferential direction without providing any clearance. Here a circumferential range (R) of the clearance (39a) is larger than 0.075% of a circumference of a circle passing through a center of the retainer segment (11a, 11d) and smaller than 0.12% thereof at room temperature.

An outer ring (26) for a bearing assembly includes an annular backing member (54) having a body, and an annular race member (50). The body has a first portion defining a radial inner surface (98) and a radial outer surface, and a second portion defining an axially-facing base surface (110) and a radially-facing end surface (118). The annular race member has a radial outer face (58) and a radial inner face, and a first axial end face and a second axial end face (70) that both extend between the radial outer face and the radial inner face. The annular backing member is in press-fit engagement with the annular race member such that the radial outer face of the annular race member engages the radial inner surface of the annular backing member and the second axial end face of the annular race member engages the axially-facing base surface of the annular backing member such that the members are unitized.

A tapered roller bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of tapered rollers, and an annular cage. The cage has a small annular portion, a large annular portion, and a plurality of cage bars that couples the small annular portion and the large annular portion together. The cage is enabled to come into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring at least on an axially first side so that the contact allows the cage to be positioned in a radial direction. Each of the cage bars has pocket surfaces each of which faces an outer peripheral surface of the corresponding tapered roller, and each pocket surface has a flat surface shape that is straight in a direction from the inner ring toward the outer ring and that is enabled to come into line contact with the corresponding tapered roller.

A bearing assembly includes a stationary component, a rotatable component and a preloadable double row bearing unit having a rotatable bearing ring and a stationary bearing ring and two rows of rolling elements between the rings. The rotatable bearing ring and/or the stationary bearing ring includes a first part and a second part, and the first part is spaced from the second part by a gap so that the first part and the second part do not touch. At least one elastic element is disposed in the gap and fills the gap.

A rolling bearing includes an outer ring as a fixed ring, an inner ring as a rotary ring, and rolling elements disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring. The outer ring includes, on the radially opposite side of its raceway surface, a fitting surface fitted to a mating member, two annular grooves in which elastic members are fitted, and a recess adjacent to the annular grooves, and the recess has a bottom surface having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the fitting surface.

A tapered roller bearing includes an inner ring having a tapered raceway surface and a large-collar surface on a large-diameter side of the raceway surface, and tapered rollers. Each of the rollers has a large end surface guided by the large-collar surface. When R represents a set curvature radius of the large end surface and R.sub.BASE represents a base curvature radius from a vertex of a cone angle of each of the tapered rollers to the large-collar surface, the base curvature radius R.sub.BASE is 100 mm or less, and a ratio R/R.sub.BASE of the set curvature radius R to the base curvature radius R.sub.BASE is set to 0.90 or less. When R.sub.ACTUAL represents an actual curvature radius of the large end surface of each of the tapered rollers, a ratio R.sub.ACTUAL/R of the actual curvature radius R.sub.ACTUAL to the set curvature radius R exceeds 0.5.

A method of performing an operation such as a maintenance operation on a vessel assembly, said vessel assembly having a vessel, such as a crystallizing vessel, a rotor, said rotor including an upright, rotatable shaft, said shaft having a top shaft section extending above a top wall of the vessel, to perform maintenance. The top shaft section includes a first member chosen from a male member and a female member for engaging a device. The device has a top end, and a bottom end. The bottom end includes a complementary second member for the first member. According to the method, the device is connected to the top shaft section of the shaft, the rotor is lifted by lifting the shaft at its top end section using the device, following which the operation is performed.