Self-aligning bearing, plus

This bearing mounts in panel material as thin as 1 mm; it allows misalignments of plus or minus 5 degrees ; and it satisfies full rotational, oscillatory, and/or axial sliding motion-even at high/low temperature extremes and wet or dirty environments.

Spyraflo's Readymount(TM)bearing uses an outer steel retainer to hold a steel spherical insert. Rolled over on assembly, the retainer's top lip traps a nylon washer. The washer, in turn, retains the bearing insert.

A Garlock DU(TM) bearing, pressed into the steel insert, offers the added benefit of high speed, high load carrying capability. Made of sintered bronze impregnated with a solid PTFE/lead lubricant, the DU bearing brings added capability to the Readymount range.

Peter Allen, Spyraflo, Box 2309, Peachtree City, GA 30269; Tel: (770) 631-9990; Fax: (770) 487-9299; E-mail: [email protected].

Remote rail actuator

Running different sized products on packaging line conveyors means frequent guide rail adjustments to keep products centered on the conveyor for smooth operation. A changeover from one product size to the next typically requires loosening several knobs along a guide-rail section, moving the rail to the desired position, then re-tightening the knobs to lock down the rail. Such a procedure is time consuming, and even more challenging when conveyors are located in hard to reach areas or pass through wall openings, as is frequently the case.

A patent-pending adjustable guide-rail system composed of multiple hydraulic cylinders coupled with a set of guide-rail actuators retains its position without additional locking devices, and may be adjusted to intermediate positions between a minimum and maximum setting.

The hydraulic control device has a crank handle that, when turned, moves the plungers on a series of pistons to simultaneously displace fluid, which is communicated to induce movement within a series of actuators coupled to the guide rail sections. The mechanism is reliable, easy to maintain, and can be adapted for use in multi-lane conveyors.

Michael Leonard, Flow Engineering, Box 751514, Petaluma, CA 94975-1514; Tel: (707) 584-3860; Fax: (707) 584-3058; E-mail: info@ flowengineering.com.

For more information, circle 516