Lubrication system for dynamoelectric machines

Claim 1

A BEARING AND RESERVOIR UNIT FOR USE IN A DYNAMOELECTRIC MACHINE COMPRISING A BEARING SECTION HAVING A BORE FOR JOURNALLING A SHAFT, A LUBRICANT RESERVOIR SECTION GENERALLY SURROUNDING SAID BEARING SECTION, SAID LUBRICANT RESERVOIR SECTION INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ANGULARLY SPACED APART AND AXIALLY ELONGATED CAPILLARY SLOTS HAVING THEIR INNER REGIONS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID BEARING SECTION, SAID SLOTS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID BEARING SECTION WITH THE SIDE WALLS FORMING EACH SLOT PROJECTING IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION AND BEING SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TOGETHER TO HOLD LUBRICANT IN THE SLOTS BY CAPILLARY ATTRACTION BETWEEN THE WALLS THEREOF, FEEDING MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN THE INNER REGIONS OF EACH SLOT AND SAID BORE FOR TRANSFERRING LUBRICANT THEREBETWEEN, AT LEAST ONE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING AND NON-LUBRICANT RETAINING CHANNEL INTERCONNECTING THE OUTER REGIONS OF THE INDIVIDUAL SLOTS, SAID CHANNEL BEING DIMENSIONALLY GREATER THAN THAT WHICH SUSTAINS CAPILLARY TRANSFER OF LUBRICANT ACROSS THE CHANNEL TO FORM A CAPILLARY BARRIER FOR PREVENTING THE RADIAL TRANSFER OF LUBRICANT OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SLOTS AT THAT LOCATION.