PACKAGING SLEEVE

Abstract

Disclosed is a packaging sleeve for a full complement needle roller bearing, wherein the packing sleeve is adapted to accommodate at least one set of needles of a full complement needle roller bearing, and wherein the packaging sleeve comprises an outer cylindrical sleeve, wherein a shoulder is arranged on an inner surface of the outer cylindrical sleeve so that the set of needles abut against the shoulder when being arranged in the outer cylindrical sleeve. Furthermore, a packaging sleeve arrangement including such a packaging sleeve and a method for mounting a packaging sleeve are disclosed.

Claims

1. Packaging sleeve for a full complement needle roller bearing, wherein the packing sleeve is adapted to accommodate at least one set of needles of a full complement needle roller bearing, characterized in that the packaging sleeve comprises an outer cylindrical sleeve, wherein a shoulder is arranged on an inner surface of the outer cylindrical sleeve so that the set of needles abut against the shoulder when being arranged in the outer cylindrical sleeve.

2. Packaging sleeve according to claim 1, wherein at least one set of needles is arrangeable in the outer cylindrical sleeve such that the needles project from the outer cylindrical sleeve.

3. Packaging sleeve according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder is arranged at an axial position being displaced from one end of the outer cylindrical sleeve towards the other end of the outer cylindrical sleeve providing a first and a second portion of the outer cylindrical sleeve.

4. Packaging sleeve according to claim 3, wherein the first portion is longer than the second portion.

5. Packaging sleeve according to claim 1, further comprising an inner cylindrical sleeve, wherein the set needles is arrangeable between the inner cylindrical sleeve and the outer cylindrical sleeve.

6. Packaging sleeve according to claim 5, wherein an end of the inner cylindrical sleeve is flushed or recessed in relation to the ends of needles for a single-row full complement needle roller bearing or with outer end of needles for a double-row full complement needle roller bearing.

7. Packaging sleeve arrangement comprising at least a first and a second packaging sleeve according to claim 1 for accommodating two single row full complement needle roller bearings or two double row full complement needle roller bearings.

8. Packaging sleeve arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the projecting part of a set of needles arranged in the first packaging sleeve is arranged in the second portion of the outer cylindrical sleeve of the second packaging sleeve.

9. Method for mounting a full complement needle roller bearing into a gear box, in particular into a planetary gear box, the set of needles of the full complement needle roller bearing being arranged in a packaging sleeve according to claim 1, the method comprising arranging a packaging sleeve at an outer race, in particular a planetary gear, the packaging sleeve including the set of needles being arranged in an outer sleeve, wherein the set of needles project from the outer sleeve, pushing the set of needles in the outer race, and removing the outer sleeve.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the packaging sleeve comprises an inner cylindrical sleeve and wherein the method further comprises pushing an inner race, in particular a planetary shaft, into the bearing so that the inner cylindrical sleeve is pushed out.

Description

[0022] The figures show:

[0023] FIG. 1: a perspective view of a packaging sleeve for a full complement needle roller bearing;

[0024] FIG. 2: a sectional view of the packaging sleeve of FIG. 1 in a first embodiment;

[0025] FIG. 3 : a sectional view of the packaging sleeve of FIG. 1 in a second embodiment;

[0026] FIG. 4: a perspective view of a packaging sleeve arrangement comprising two packaging sleeves of FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 5: a side view of the packaging sleeve arrangement of FIG. 4;

[0028] FIG. 6: a sectional view of the packaging sleeve arrangement of FIG. 4; and

[0029] FIG. 7: a method for mounting the packaging sleeve of FIG. 1.

[0030] In the following same or similar functioning elements are indicated with the same reference numerals.

[0031] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a packaging sleeve 1 for a full complement needle roller bearing. The packaging sleeve 1 comprises an outer cylindrical sleeve 2 and an inner cylindrical sleeve 4, wherein a set of needles 6 for a full complement needle roller bearing are arranged between the outer cylindrical sleeve 2 and the inner cylindrical sleeve 4. The outer cylindrical sleeve 2 and the inner cylindrical sleeve 4 substitute the outer race and the inner race of the final full complement needle roller bearing.

[0032] It should be noted that the inner cylindrical sleeve 4 may be either a sleeve used only during transport and installation of the needles 6 in a bearing or may already be the inner race, for example inner ring, shaft, or axle bolt, of the bearing. Further, the inner cylindrical sleeve 4 may be a hollow sleeve or may be a solid tube.

[0033] The outer cylindrical sleeve 2 comprises a shoulder 8. The set of needles 6 abuts against the shoulder 8 at a contact face 10 and can thus not fall out of the packaging sleeve 1. The shoulder 8 is circumferentially provided at an inner surface of the outer cylindrical sleeve 2. On the other side 12 of the shoulder 8, a further set 14 of needles 6 of another packaging sleeve 1 may be arranged which will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0034] As can be seen in FIGS. 1 to 3, the shoulder 8 is arranged at an axial position being displaced from one end of the outer cylindrical sleeve 2 towards the other end of the outer cylindrical sleeve 2 such that the set of needles 6 project from the outer cylindrical sleeve 2. The projecting part 16 of the needles 6 may be inserted into an outer race, for example a housing, a gear, or any kind of outer ring, while they are still hold by the cylindrical outer sleeve 2 which will be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 7.

[0035] In FIG. 2, only one set of needles 6 is accommodated in the outer cylindrical sleeve 2. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, also two sets of needles 6 may be accommodated in the outer cylindrical sleeve 2 in combination with one inner cylindrical sleeve 4. In this case, the first set of needles 6-1 will abut on the shoulder 8 and the second set of needles 6-2 will be arranged adjacently and will project from the outer cylindrical sleeve 2. For two set of needles, a washer 18 is arranged between the needles 6-1 and 6-2. The washer 18 may consist of steel or the like.

[0036] For transport of the packaging sleeve 1, two or more packaging sleeves 1 can be combined in a packaging sleeve arrangement 20 as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0037] Each packaging sleeve 1 has its own inner cylindrical sleeve 4-1, 4-2 and its own outer cylindrical sleeve 2-1, 2-2 between which a set of needles 6-1, 6-2 is arranged.

[0038] As can be seen, the set of needles 6-1 of the first packaging sleeve 1 projects from the outer cylindrical sleeve 2-1 and is arranged in the outer cylindrical sleeve 2-2. Due to this arrangement, the two packaging sleeves 1 are stacked on each other and can be transported as one arrangement 20. Also, one or more further packaging sleeves 14 can be added.

[0039] For installation, the packaging sleeves 1 may be separated and the sets of needles 6-1, 6-2 may be mounted, which will be explained in the following with reference to FIG. 7.

[0040] FIG. 7 shows a method for mounting the packaging sleeve 1.

[0041] In a first step S1, a packaging sleeve 1 is provided as described above. Optionally, the packaging sleeve 1 may be combined with one or more further packaging sleeves 1 into a packaging sleeve arrangement 20 for transport in step S2.

[0042] For mounting the needles 6, the packaging arrangement 20 may be separated into several packaging sleeves 1 in step S3.

[0043] When mounting the needles 6 into their final position, for example in a planetary carrier 28, the projecting part 16 of the needles 6 is inserted into an outer race, in this case a planetary gear 22 in step S4. Then, the needles 6 together with the inner cylindrical sleeve 4 are pushed into the planetary gear 22 using a pushing tool 24. During this, the needles 6 are pushed from the outer cylindrical sleeve 2 into the planetary gear 22.

[0044] In step S5, the planetary gear 22, the needles 6 and the inner cylindrical sleeve 4 are arranged in a free space 26 of the planetary carrier 28. Then, a planetary shaft 30 is moved in between the needles 6, pushing and removing the inner cylindrical sleeve 4. Thus, the inner cylindrical sleeve 4 is switched with the planetary shaft 30 being the inner race. This mounting procedure results in a full complement needle roller bearing 32 in step S6.

[0045] In summary, the packaging sleeve 1 provides an easy way of transporting and mounting a set of needles for a full complement needle roller bearing without a risk of losing any needles during the transport and installation of the needles.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0046] 1 packaging sleeve [0047] 2 outer cylindrical sleeve [0048] 4 inner cylindrical sleeve [0049] 6 set of needles [0050] 8 shoulder [0051] 10 contact face [0052] 12 contact face [0053] 14 further packaging sleeve [0054] 16 projecting part [0055] 18 washer [0056] 20 packaging sleeve arrangement [0057] 22 planetary gear [0058] 24 pushing tool [0059] 26 free space [0060] 28 planetary carrier [0061] 30 planetary shaft [0062] 32 full complement needle roller bearing