Single ball bearing lubricant and material evaluator
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsPhilip B. Hall, Howard L. Novak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A test apparatus provides an applied load to a monoball through a trolley which moves along a loading axis. While applying the load to the monoball, the torque meter is in communication with the spherical monoball, and a load cell senses the application of applied force to the monoball. Meanwhile, a rotary actuary imports rotary oscillating motion to the monoball which is sensed by a position sensor and a torque meter. Accordingly, a processor can determine the coefficient of friction in substantially real time along with a cycles per second rate.
Claims14
A test apparatus comprising:
- a trolley restricted from movement in a lateral direction by lateral restraints;
- a load applicator in communication with the trolley configured impart a load through the trolley along a load axis, said load axis perpendicular to the lateral direction;
- mating surfaces comprised of a contact face and a receiving face, said contact face connected to the trolley;
- a spherical bearing intermediate the contact face and the receiving face;
- a rotary actuator coupled to the spherical bearing imparting oscillating rotary motion to the spherical bearing upon command along a rotation axis;
- a load sensor configured to sense a load along the load axis;
- a torque sensor configured to sense a torque along the rotation axis;
- and
- a processor in communication with the load sensor and torque sensor, said processor providing a coefficient of friction substantially in real time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.