Method for manufacturing a diamond thrust bearing
AssigneeAnadrill, Inc.
InventorDavid R. Hall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A diamond thrust bearing and method for manufacturing the diamond thrust bearing wherein diamond bearing pads are interference fitted at ambient temperature into a plurality of equidistantly spaced bearing pad recesses located in a circle in a receiving surface of a bearing pad retainer. The bearing faces of the diamond bearing pads are located coplanar with a predetermined common bearing plane by pressing the bearing faces into the bearing pad retainer with a ram and inflexible pressing plate until the pressing face of the pressing plate is stopped by a press stop block. The diamond thrust bearing manufactured using the method will be free from heat induced stresses that cause bearing face misalignment.
Claims21
A method for manufacturing a diamond thrust bearing, said method comprising the steps:
- (a) forming a plurality of bearing pad recesses in a bearing pad retainer;
- (b) placing a malleable shim in the bottom of each of said bearing pad recesses;
- and
- (c) press fitting at ambient temperature each of a plurality of diamond bearing pads having substantially planar bearing faces and an outside diameter in a range that exceeds the inside diameter of each of said plurality of bearing pad recesses by about 0.003 to about 0.0002 inches into each of said plurality of bearing pad recesses to a depth wherein said substantially planar bearing faces are coplanar with a predetermined bearing plane.
A method for manufacturing a diamond thrust bearing, said method comprising the steps:
- (a) forming a plurality of bearing pad recesses in a bearing pad retainer;
- (b) placing a malleable shim in the bottom of each of said bearing pad recesses;
- and
- (c) press fitting, at a temperature in a range from about 125.degree. C. to about 0.degree. C., each of a plurality of bearing pads having substantially planar bearing faces and an outside diameter in a range that exceeds the inside diameter of each of said plurality of bearing pad recesses by about 0.003 to about 0.0002 inches into each of said plurality of bearing pad recesses to a depth wherein said substantially planar bearing faces are coplanar with a predetermined bearing plane.
A method for manufacturing a diamond thrust bearing, said method comprising the steps:
- (a) forming a plurality of bearing pad recesses in a bearing pad retainer;
- (b) placing a malleable shim in the bottom of each of said bearing pad recesses;
- and
- (c) press fitting, at a temperature in a range from about 75.degree. C. to about 10.degree. C., each of a plurality of diamond pads having substantially planar bearing faces and an outside diameter in a range that exceeds the inside diameter of each of said plurality of bearing pad recesses by about 0.003 to about 0.0002 inches into each of said plurality of bearing pad recesses to depth wherein said substantially planar bearing faces are coplanar with a predetermined bearing plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.