Rubber bearing with non-metallic support member
AssigneeThe B. F. Goodrich Company
InventorRoy L. Orndorff, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid-lubricated rubber bearing having a bearing member composed of resilient elastomeric bearing portions separated by longitudinal grooves is supported by rigid, non-metallic, composite backing structure of non-corrosive, non-shrinkable, non-conductive fibrous material embedded in a vulcanized synthetic rubber matrix. The fibrous material component is preferably one or more square-woven sheets of glass cords or strands. The composite backing can be a unitary cylindrical shell or, in the case of "segmental" type rubber bearings, a series of elongated strips to support the structurally separate or "segmented" bearing portions.
Claims7
In a generally cylindrical water-lubricated bearing comprising a plurality of bearing portions of resilient elastomeric material separated by longitudinally extending lubricant passages, each bearing portion secured to a rigid non-metallic supporting member, the improvement wherein said non-metallic supporting member is a composite structure consisting essentially of a non-corrosive, non-shrinkable, non-conductive fibrous component embedded in and distributed substantially evenly throughout a vulcanized synthetic rubber component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.