Hydraulic end float adjuster
AssigneeWaukesha Bearings Corporation
InventorsBarry J. Blair, Donald S. Pitsch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bearing system for reducing end clearance and axial vibrations includes a bearing housing and a bearing. The bearing is a thrust bearing and may be of any type, such as a flat thrust face, a taper land thrust bearing or a tilt pad thrust bearing. The bearing housing includes a cavity to hold the bearing. A fluid cavity is formed between the bearing and the bearing housing. At least one fluid passageway extends through the bearing housing to feed fluid to the fluid cavity. As fluid is introduced to the fluid cavity the pressure in the cavity moves the bearing outward, away from the bearing housing and towards the rotating thrust collar, reducing the clearance, or space, between the face of the bearing and the thrust collar, reducing or eliminating the vibrations.
Claims15
A thrust bearing system comprising
- a stationary bearing housing;
- a movable bearing, the bearing being at least partially disposed within the bearing housing, the bearing being movable between a first retracted position and a second extended position;
- a fluid cavity formed between the bearing housing and the bearing retainer;
- and
- at least one fluid passageway extending through the stationary bearing housing, the fluid passageway having a first end at the exterior surface of the bearing housing and a second end in fluid communication with the fluid cavity.
A method of reducing end clearance in a bearing system comprising:
- providing a bearing housing, said bearing housing having a fluid bearing cavity formed therein, said bearing housing including at least one fluid passageway;
- providing a bearing, said bearing being sized and configured to sit at least partially within the bearing housing, a fluid cavity being formed between the outside surface of the bearing and the inside surface of the bearing housing, the fluid cavity being in fluid communication with the fluid passageway;
- moving the bearing away from the bearing housing.
The method of step 14 wherein the lubrication passageway has a first end at the fluid cavity and a second end at a bearing surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.