Bearing arrangement for shaft of rotary compressor

In a rotary compressor, the combination of a housing, a rotor mounted in the housing and having a shaft, the rotor and shaft being subjected to an axial force in one direction while the compressor is loaded and tending to move axially in the opposite direction when the compressor is unloaded, a slide bearing in which the shaft is journalled in the housing with a clearance radially of the shaft, an anti-friction bearing mounted on the shaft and journalled to the shaft to hold the shaft against axial displacement in either direction with respect to said anti-friction bearing, the housing having a fixed support surface against which the anti-friction bearing abuts axially in said one direction and which allows radial movement of the anti-friction bearing, and yielding means pressing the anti-friction bearing against said support surface with a predetermined precise force, the anti-friction bearing including anti-friction means holding the shaft against axial displacement in both directions while the anti-friction bearing is pressed against said support surface.