Bearing arrangement for a turbinecompressor unit

Claim 1

A BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR A TURBINE-COMPRESSOR UNIT HAVING A PAIR OF WHEELS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF A SHAFT, SAID BEARING ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A BEARING HOUSING HAVING OPPOSITE OPEN ENDS AND BEING LOCATED BETWEEN SAID WHEELS ABOUT SAID SHAFT , SAID HOUSING HAVING AN INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE EXTENDING ABOUT SAID SHAFT RADIALLY SPACED THEREFROM; INSERT MEANS LOCATED IN SAID HOUSING BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF WHEELS AND COMPRISING A PAIR OF END WALLS SPACED IN DIRECTION OF THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT FROM EACH OTHER AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE SHAFT AXIS AND HAVING EACH AN OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE IN TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE AOF SAID HOUSING, A PAIR OF PROJECTING PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY PROJECTING TOWARDS EACH OTHER FROM SAID PAIR OF END WALLS AND BEING FORMED RESPECTIVELY WITH CYLINDRICAL BORES THERETHROUGH COAXIAL WITH SAID SHAFT AND THROUGH WHICH SAID SHAFT EXTENDS WITH CLEARANCE, AND A PARTITION WALL EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID END WALLS BELOW SAID CYLINDRICAL BORES TRANSVERSELY THROUGH SAID HOUSING AND DIVIDING THE SPACE IN SAID HOUSING BETWEEN SAID END WALLS IN AN UPPER COMPARTMENT AND A LOWER COMPARTMENT, SAID PARTITION WALL HAVING OPPOSITE EDGE FACES SLIGHTLY SPACED FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING SO AS TO FORM BETWEEN EACH EDGE FACE AND SAID INNER SURFACE A GAP PERMITTING FLOW OF LUBRICATING MATERIAL FROM SAID UPPER COMPARTMENT INTO SAID LOWER COMPARTMENT; BEARING MEANS IN THE CYLINDRICAL BORE OF EACH PROJECTING PORTION AND ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID SHAFT; INLET PASSAGE MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE UPPER COMPARTMENT FOR FEEDING LUBRICATING MATERIAL THEREINTO AND DISCHARGE PASSAGE MEANS FOR DISCHARGING LUBRICATING MATERIAL FROM THE LOWER COMPARTMENT.