This Browning VF4E series intermediate-duty flange unit has a cast iron housing with four bolt holes, contact seal, and eccentric lock. It is designed for mounting onto bearing surfaces perpendicular to the shaft axis. The housing has a semi-solid base to provide mounting stability and is made of cast iron for rigidity and vibration damping. The double-sealed, deep-groove radial ball bearing insert in the housing is made of 52100 chromium steel and is rated "intermediate duty" for applications with moderate radial loads and light thrust or combination loads. For increased shaft support and holding power, the bearing has an extended inner ring and a zone-hardened inner race. A rivet on the outer ring prevents rotation of the ring in the housing, reducing heat buildup and prolonging the bearing life. This self-aligning bearing has a convex sphered outer surface that compensates for misalignments, and honed races for quiet operation. Contact seals on both sides of the bearing retain lubricant applied at manufacture and help protect against contaminants. The bearing has an eccentric (asymmetric) self-locking collar that fits over one side of the inner ring extension to lock the collar on the shaft. A setscrew further secures the bearing. This locking type is suitable for applications where the shaft rotates in a single direction. This bearing unit has a grease fitting on the housing outer surface for reapplying lubricant. Flanged bearing units are suitable for use in industrial and commercial applications including conveyors, fans and blowers, construction machinery, and processing equipment, among many others.
Mounted bearings combine a bearing mounted inside a housing unit. The bearing housing replaces the need for a casting or weldment to position the bearing securely for reliable operation, and its design determines the type of insert bearing. Insert bearings use rolling elements (ball, cylindrical, spherical, barrel, needle, spindled, or tapered) to maintain the separation between moving parts to reduce rotational friction, and to support radial and axial loads. Available in a variety of materials and mounting configurations, mounted bearings can be one- or two-piece, they can have an extended inner ring and locking device, and they can have seals and end caps that retain lubrication and protect the working parts of the bearing from environmental debris. Mounted bearings support shafts in a variety of mounting configurations (flange block, hanger, pillow block, and take-up block), and are used in a range of applications from light duty shaft guidance on conveyors to road building equipment and crushers.
Browning, a division of Emerson Industrial Automation, manufactures V-belt drives, gearing, bearings, and other power transmission components. The company, founded in 1886, is headquartered in Maysville, KY.