Bearings for a rotary vane compressor

In a compressor having a compressor housing which includes a front side block containing an intake chamber, a rear side block containing a discharge chamber, a cylindrical rotor mounted within an oval compression chamber in the compressor housing on an axial shaft, a plurality of radial vanes which slide radially in slots formed in the rotor to engage the compression chamber as the shaft rotates, the improvement comprising:

• a first thrust shoulder on the shaft and facing forward;
• a second thrust shoulder on the shaft and facing rearward, with each shoulder being axially movable with the shaft;
• a first bearing stationarily mounted in the housing with an inner race in engagement with the first thrust shoulder, an outer race stationarily mounted via means within the housing, and a plurality of balls located between the races;
• a second bearing stationarily mounted in the housing with an inner race in engagement with the second thrust shoulder, an outer race stationarily mounted via means within the housing, and a plurality of balls located between, the outer races transmitting axial forces with one another, the inner races having an axial clearance there between and being free of contact with each other so that thrust in one axial direction passes through the inner race, balls, and outer race of the first bearing to the outer race of the second bearing and then to the housing, and thrust in the opposite axial direction passes through the inner race, balls, and outer race of the second bearing to the outer race of the first bearing and then to the housing;
• a spacer between the outer races for causing axial forces in both directions on the outer races to transmit directly to one another;
• and
• the rotor having an axial dimension that is less than an axial dimension of the compression chamber by an amount sufficient to prevent any thrust in either direction on the shaft from transmitting through the rotor to one of the side blocks.

A rotary vane compressor comprising in combination:

• an oval compression chamber;
• a front side block on a front side of the compression chamber and containing an intake chamber;
• a rear side block on a rear side of the compression chamber and containing a discharge chamber;
• a cylindrical rotor mounted within the compression chamber on an axial shaft;
• a plurality of radial vanes which slide radially in slots formed in the rotor to engage the compression chamber as the shaft rotates;
• a first thrust shoulder on a portion of and axially movable with the shaft in the front side block and facing forward;
• a first bearing having an inner race in engagement with the first thrust shoulder, an outer race in engagement with the front side block, and a set of balls located between the inner and outer races;
• a second thrust shoulder on a portion of and axially movable with the shaft in the front side block and facing rearward;
• a second bearing having an inner race in engagement with the second thrust shoulder and axially spaced from the other inner race such that the inner races are free of contact with each other, an outer race in engagement with the front side block, and a set of balls located between the inner and outer races of the second bearing, so that thrust in one axial direction passes through the inner race, balls, and outer race of the first bearing to the outer race of the second bearing and then to the housing, and thrust in the opposite axial direction passes through the inner race, balls, and outer race of the second bearing to the outer race of the first bearing and then to the housing;
• abutment means between the outer races for causing axial forces in both directions on the outer races to transmit directly to one another;
• preload means for applying a preload force in a rearward direction to the inner race of the second bearing, which transmits to the thrust shoulder via the balls and outer race of the second bearing and the outer race, balls and inner race of the first bearing;
• and
• the rotor having an axial dimension that is less than an axial dimension of the compression chamber by an amount sufficient to prevent any thrust in either direction on the shaft from transmitting through the rotor to one of the side blocks, so that thrust in both directions on the shaft transmits through the bearings to the housing.