Split sleeve bearing with integral seals

Claim 1

A sleeve bearing for a shaft axially rotatable therein comprising a bearing section having an internal cylindrical surface concentrically disposed about a portion of said shaft, housing seal sections integrally formed at both axial ends of said bearing section, each said housing seal section having a plurality of annular channels for removal of lubricant flowing axially from said bearing section, aperture means passing through said seal sections to communicate the axially outer annular channel at each end of said seal sections with a source of air to maintain a balanced pressure in said sleeve bearing, the crosssectional area of said outer channel being at least five-fold the circumferential area of the annular region between the shaft and the radially interior face of the housing seal sections divided by the number of air inlets into the channel, the face of said seal sections intermediate said channels being provided with a plurality of notches having edges angularly disposed relative to a plane perpendicular to the axis of said sleeve bearing, said notches terminating in a land at the radially interior surface of the housing seal sections, a stationary bearing support circumferentially disposed about said bearing sections, means securing said bearing support to said bearing section to inhibit rotational motion therebetween, said bearing support extending axially beyond said bearing section to overly the housing seal sections located at opposite ends of said bearing section, a step positioned along the exterior surface of said bearing section, said step being received within a notch formed along the interior surface of said bearing support to inhibit axial movement of said bearing section relative to said bearing support and to space said bearing section from said bearing support to form dual annular chambers for removal of lubricant from the sleeve bearing, aperture means communicating the annular channels axially interior of the air communicated channel with said annular chambers to gravitationally return lubricant from said annular channels to said dual chambers, means for admitting lubricant into an an annular region between said bearing section and said shaft, said lubricant admission means including aperture means for passing lubricant into an arcuate region between said bearing support and said bearing section, second aperture means for admitting lubricant to the interface between the shaft and the bearing section and spreader means for axially distributing lubricant along said shaft/bearing section interface.