A circular waved retaining raschig ring is formed from two turns of a flat elongate wire strip and which follow a continuous sinusoidal wave path that includes a series of waves equidistantly spaced about the ring wavepath, each wave having a shoulder portion which bears against generally parallel surfaces of the working elements positioned on a shaft or in a cylinder bore. The ring fits in a rectangular groove formed either on a shaft or in a cylinder bore, the width of the groove being slightly greater than the distance between successive wave crests and troughs.
In a retaining raschig ring assembly for axially securing at least one work element within a cylindrical bore, and maintaining the work element in a preselected position within said bore by maintaining a uniform pressure on said work element, thecombination comprising:
a generally cylindrical bore adapted to receive at least one work element in sliding engagement therein, the bore including an annular groove having a substantially rectangular configuration with two planar groove walls generally perpendicular tothe cylindrical bore surface, the groove opening radially inwardly at the inner radial bore surface of said bore between the groove walls opposite the groove diameter; at least one work element positioned within said bore proximate to said groove, saidgroove being located in said bore in a plane generally parallel to said work element; and, a circular, resilient, compressible waved retaining ring for retaining said work element in said bore, the ring being adapted to fit within said bore, said ringbeing formed from at least two annular turns of an elongate flat wire strip wound in a circle around a common edge of said strip and having two free ends so as to allow relative movement of said strip between the turns, each of said turns lying adjacenteach other and generally parallel to each other so as to form a multiturn circular ring having at least three waves which engage said work element and said bore groove, said waves including successive crest and trough portions spaced equidistant fromeach other about the circumference of said bore, said waves defining a continuous and substantially sinusoidal curve, said wave crests and troughs including shoulder portions thereon which abuttingly engage a surface of said work element and one planargroove wall of said bore groove respectively, at separate portions equal in number to the number of waves and spaced equidistant from each other which apply a uniform pressure on said work element via said separate shoulder portions, said ring having anundeflected free height equal to the distance between the successive wave crests and troughs, said undeflected height further being slightly less than the width of said bore groove, and the maximum outer diameter of said ring being slightly less in bothan uninstalled and installed state than said groove diameter such that the outer edges of said ring do not contact said groove diameter when installed in said bore and loaded by said bore work element.ceramic saddle.
Retaining raschig ring is widely used in many fields to retain working elements on either shafts or within cylinder bores. When retaining rings are used on cylindrical shafts to retain a plurality of working elements assembled thereon, it is desirablethat such rings retain the elements in their specific working positions on the shaft by applying a substantial pressure on the elements. The shaft elements, however, may be manufactured with a tolerance; that is the elements may either exceed theirspecified nominal longitudinal distance or be slightly thereunder. In the first instance where the shaft elements are oversized, the shaft elements will intrude into the retaining ring location on the shaft. In the second instance where the shaftelements are undersized, the retaining ring may not bear against the elements and thus the elements may travel along the shaft. Therefore, it is necessary in the prior art that retaining ring grooves be located in a precise position on the workingmember.inert cermatic ball.
