Improving the Design of Cages for Bearings of High Technical Level

The structure of roller bearings of axle boxes of freight and passenger cars was analyzed. The type of bearings depends on the operating conditions in a particular country. In the UK, the US, Japan, Poland, railcars are equipped with wheelsets with double-row cylindrical roller bearings. In Austria, bearing assemblies with two cylindrical roller bearings are used, and in Sweden – axle unit with two spherical roller bearings. Conventional, most massive cylindrical roller bearings (almost 99 % of all bearings) of axle boxes of Ukrainian freight and passenger cars were chosen as the basic design taking into account the technical and economic aspects of operation. Structural decomposition of basic bearings according to functions was performed. Structural and functional relationships of the bearing parts and elements of parts were revealed, the structural-functional model was constructed, making it possible to improve the functions of cages of basic bearings. Several new functions of cages appeared – the function of elimination of misalignment of its design, the function of reduction of forces of interaction with rollers and locator ring, the function of slippage reduction of rollers. The design changes in the cage components by increasing the number of windows, the convex shape of side surfaces of jumpers, profile section of the cage rings, which contribute to raising the technological level of bearings within the specified dimensions were grounded