Bearing cooling systems and methods for vibratory pile drivers

A method of cooling a vibratory pile driving system comprising at least one housing wall defining at least one bearing opening and at least one bearing assembly supported by the at least one housing wall in the at least one bearing opening, the cooling method comprising the steps of:

• providing a bearing cover plate defining an inner surface having a bearing cover plate seal recess;
• providing a bearing cover seal member adapted to be received at least partly within the bearing cover plate seal recess;
• providing at least one bearing bolt;
• and
• securing the bearing cover plate relative to the at least one housing wall with the at least one bearing bolt such that
• the bearing cover seal member forms a sealed chamber, and
• at least one contact location is defined at which the bearing cover plate is in contact with at least a portion of the at least one bearing assembly.

A bearing cooling system for a vibratory pile driving system comprising at least one housing wall defining at least one bearing opening and at least one bearing assembly supported by the at least one housing wall in the at least one bearing opening, the bearing cooling system comprising:

• a bearing cover plate defining
• at least one bearing cover plate through opening, and
• an inner surface having a bearing cover plate seal recess;
• a bearing cover seal member adapted to be received at least partly within the bearing cover plate seal recess;
• a bearing spacer plate adapted to be arranged between the bearing cover plate and the at least one housing wall, where the bearing spacer plate defines at least one bearing spacer plate through opening;
• and
• at least one bearing bolt;
• wherein
• the at least one bearing bolt extends through the at least one bearing cover plate through opening and the at least one bearing spacer plate through opening to secure the bearing cover plate relative to the at least one housing wall;
• and
• when the bearing cover plate is secured relative to the at least one housing wall,
• the bearing cover seal member engages the bearing spacer plate to define a sealed chamber between the bearing cover plate and the at least one bearing assembly,
• the bearing cover plate engages the at least one housing wall at a first contact location,
• the bearing cover plate engages the bearing spacer plate at a second contact location, and
• the bearing cover plate engages first and second portions of the at least one bearing assembly to form third and fourth contact locations.