Patent US3708215A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3708215A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hybrid boost bearing assembly
Assignee: Soluna Holdings Inc
•
Filing: 1968-11-14
•
Granted: 1973-01-02
•
Expires: 1988-11-14
Abstract
Abstract A hybrid boost bearing assembly is described for a rotating shaft member which is rotatably supported on a base member. The hybrid boost bearing assembly comprises a rolling element bearing for rotatably supporting the shaft member on the base member during starts, stops, reverse thrust loadings and under emergency operating conditions, and a fluid film bearing acting singly or coacting with the rolling element bearing for absorbing the loads imposed on the shaft member during all other conditions of operation. A fluid lubricant supply is provided for supplying fluid lubricant to the bearings and means are provided for shifting the loading of the rotating shaft member from the rolling element bearing to the fluid film bearing as the rotating shaft member is brought up to its normal operating speed. The means for shifting the loading from the rolling element bearing to the fluid film bearing comprises the generation of pressure in the fluid film space between the opposed fluid film bearing surfaces, by hydrodynamic action, from an external source of pressure, or by some other means, thereby causing the fluid film bearing to assume a greater share of the load of the rotating shaft as it is brought up to normal operating speed. As a result, the rolling element bearing will assume substantially the full load of the rotating shaft only during starting, stopping, reverse loading periods, and in the event of the failure of the fluid lubricant supply, while the fluid film bearing will absorb the shaft loads under all other conditions of operation. The fluid film bearing may comprise a hydrodynamic bearing for producing a self-acting fluid film, a hydrostatic bearing, or a hybrid hydrodynamic-hydrostatic bearing, and the rolling element bearing may comprise a ball bearing, roller bearing, needle bearing, or the like. In certain arrangements a preloading spring is provided for preloading the rolling element bearing a predetermined amount so that the rolling element bearing assumes a predetermined proportionate share of the loading on the rotating shaft under certain operating conditions. In other arrangements, a retractable bearing piston portion which moves towards and retracts from an opposed, load-sustaining bearing surface is employed to cause the fluid film bearing to assume the load from the rolling element bearing. In other arrangements, a spherically-shaped self-aligning seat is provided which coacts with a complementary-shaped seating surface to accommodate misalignment in the rotating shaft supported by the bearing assembly.
Inventors
- 👤 D Wilcock
- 👤 L Winn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 13:18
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16C; F16C33/00; F16C33/02; F16C33/04; F16C33/06; F16C33/10; F16C33/1025; F16C33/106; F16C17/00; F16C17/04; F16C17/047; F16C17/12; F16C17/20; F16C21/00; F16C32/00; F16C32/06; F16C32/0629; F16C32/064; F16C32/0681; F16C33/30; F16C33/66; F16C33/6637; F16C33/6659; F16C39/00; F16C39/02; F16C19/00; F16C19/02; F16C19/04; F16C19/06; F16C2240/00; F16C2240/40; F16C2360/00; F16C2360/23
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
374 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly for a rotating shaft member rotatably supported on a base member, the hybrid boost bearing assembly comprising a rolling element bearing for rotatably supporting the shaft member on the base member, a fluid film bearing coacting with said rolling element bearing for rotatably supporting the shaft member on the base member, fluid lubricant supply means for supplying fluid lubricant to at least the fluid film bearing, and means for shifting the loading of the rotating shaft member from the rolling element bearing to the fluid film bearing as the rotating shaft member is brought up to its normal operating speed and in shifting the loading from the fluid film bearing to the rolling element bearing as the shaft decreases in speed, said means for shifting the loading from the rolling element bearing to the fluid film bearing comprising fluid lubricant pressurizing means for increasing the thickness of the fluid film lubricant in the space between opposed bearing surfaces on the rotating shaft member and the supporting base member, respectively, thereby to cause the fluid film bearing to assume a greater share of the load of the rotating shaft as it is brought up to normal operating speed, said fluid film bearing including a movable bearing piston portion on which a bearing surface is formed and a separate backing portion, said movable bearing piston portion being comprised of two parts which are intercoupled through a spherically shaped self-aligning seat for accommodating misalignment of the rotating shaft member, retraction spring means acting on the movable bearing piston portion for moving the movable bearing piston portion back out of load assuming relationship during start-up, stopping and upon any failure of the fluid lubricant system, and means for introducing high pressure fluid lubricAnt into the space between the movable bearing piston portion and the backing portion for causing the movable bearing piston portion to move the bearing surface into load assuming relationship, the integral of the exposed surfaces of the movable bearing piston portion and backing portion times the fluid lubricant pressure in the space between the movable bearing piston portion and the backing portion exceeding the integral of the fluid lubricant pressure times the exposed bearing surfaces and the retraction spring action.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
374 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly for a rotating shaft member rotatably supported on a base member, the hybrid boost bearing assembly comprising a rolling element bearing for rotatably supporting the shaft member on the base member, a fluid film bearing coacting with said rolling element bearing for rotatably supporting the shaft member on the base member, fluid lubricant supply means for supplying fluid lubricant to at least the fluid film bearing, and means for shifting the loading of the rotating shaft member from the rolling element bearing to the fluid film bearing as the rotating shaft member is brought up to its normal operating speed and in shifting the loading from the fluid film bearing to the rolling element bearing as the shaft decreases in speed, said means for shifting the loading from the rolling element bearing to the fluid film bearing comprising fluid lubricant pressurizing means for increasing the thickness of the fluid film lubricant in the space between opposed bearing surfaces on the rotating shaft member and the supporting base member, respectively, thereby to cause the fluid film bearing to assume a greater share of the load of the rotating shaft as it is brought up to normal operating speed, said fluid film bearing including a movable bearing piston portion on which a bearing surface is formed and a separate backing portion, said movable bearing piston portion being comprised of two parts which are intercoupled through a spherically shaped self-aligning seat for accommodating misalignment of the rotating shaft member, retraction spring means acting on the movable bearing piston portion for moving the movable bearing piston portion back out of load assuming relationship during start-up, stopping and upon any failure of the fluid lubricant system, and means for introducing high pressure fluid lubricAnt into the space between the movable bearing piston portion and the backing portion for causing the movable bearing piston portion to move the bearing surface into load assuming relationship, the integral of the exposed surfaces of the movable bearing piston portion and backing portion times the fluid lubricant pressure in the space between the movable bearing piston portion and the backing portion exceeding the integral of the fluid lubricant pressure times the exposed bearing surfaces and the retraction spring action.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the fluid film bearing is a hydrostatic bearing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the fluid film bearing is a hybrid hydrodynamic-hydrostatic bearing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein predetermined proportionate shares of the rotating shaft load are distributed between the rolling element bearing and the fluid film bearing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
106 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the rolling element bearing assumes substantially the full load of the rotating shaft during starting, stopping, reverse loading, and in the event of a failure of the fluid lubricant supply means and at least a portion of one of the bearings is movably supported relative to the base member and the rotating shaft member to be movable along an axis extending in the main loading direction of the rotating shaft member for movement into and out of load assuming relationship by the increasing thickness fluid film lubricant as the rotating shaft is brought up to speed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 5 wherein the fluid film bearing is a hydrodynamic type shrouded step bearing and wherein the step depth of the bearing is greater than that required for optimum performance as an additional safety feature in the event of wear due to contact during start-up, stopping or failure of the lubricant system.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
A hybrid boost bearing according to claim 1 wherein the bearing design is of the hydrodynamic self-acting type capable of high pressure pumping action between the bearing surfaces and a passageway for the fluid lubricant is interposed intermediate the bearing surfaces and the space between the backing portion and the movable bearing piston portion for introducing high pressure fluid lubricant into the space.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the spherically-shaped self-aligning seat is comprised by a spherically-shaped seating surface on one of the parts and a complimentary shaped pocket surface on the remaining part and means for introducing fluid lubricant at high pressure into the space between the spherically shaped seating surface and the complimentary-shaped pocket surface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
76 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 8 wherein the means for introducing fluid lubricant at high pressure into the spherically-shaped self aligning seat comprises a passageway interconnecting the space between the spherically shaped seating surface and the complimentary-shaped pocket surface with the passageway interconnecting the bearing surfaces and the space between the backing portion and the movable bearing piston portion whereby the pressure of the fluid lubricant in all three spaces is substantially equalized.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 9 wherein the spherically-shaped self aligning seat is sealed by the lands of a step seal whereby a substantially uniform thickness film of fluid lubricant is maintained in the seat.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
75 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 10 wherein the opposed bearing surfaces of the fluid film bearing form a hydrodynamic type shrouded step thrust bearing, the step depth of the thrust bearing is greater than that required for optimum performance as an additional safety feature in the event of wear due to contact during start-up, stopping or failure of the lubricant system, and the rolling element bearing is An angular contact ball bearing.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
A hybrid boost bearing assembly according to claim 1 wherein fluid film bearing comprises a thrust bearing formed by an annular collar secured to and rotatable with the shaft member and coacting with an opposed annular bearing surface formed on a housing secured to the base member and surrounding the shaft member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
A hybrid boost bearing according to claim 1 wherein the fluid film bearing is a replaceable unit that can be physically substituted in place of a rolling element bearing of comparable dimensions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1175415A
Cited
US1441614A
Cited
DE464649C
Cited
FR1002342A
Cited
US2623353A
Cited
CH311338A
Cited
US2875001A
Cited
US3026154A
Cited
US3065036A
Cited
GB937684A
Cited
GB937515A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-01-02 | 1976-07-03 | 1977-01-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-01-02 | 1980-07-03 | 1981-01-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-01-02 | 1984-07-03 | 1985-01-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |