Clearance take up bearing assembly

Claim 2

A clearance take up bearing assembly for an armature shaft of a dynamoelectric machine, comprising: a bearing housing having axially spaced apart retainer means for defining a partially enclosed bearing case, a split-ring, bearing having two members with eccentric openings of a greater diameter than the diameter of the shaft, said members having adjacent inclined ends defining cam surfaces, said members normally being loosely retained both axially and radially between said retainer means of said bearing housing and with said cam surfaces in abutting engagement with each other and said annular openings being axially misaligned, one of said members normally supporting the lower portion of the shaft within its annular opening and the other of said members having the shaft received within its annular opening and said other member normally resting upon the upper portion of the shaft, said one member being rotated relative to said other member upon rotation of the shaft and said cam surfaces cooperating to move said members axially apart whereupon said retainer means restrains said members axially and radially and urges said members into engagement with substAntially opposite circumferential portions of the shaft to radially support the shaft and prevent radial play of said shaft during rotation thereof.

Claim 3

In a dynamoelectric machine having a housing and a rotatable armature shaft, the improvement comprising: a clearance take up bearing assembly having a cylindrical, annular bearing housing supported within the housing of the machine; said bearing assembly also having a pair of axially spaced retainer rings circumferentially retained within said bearing housing, each of said retainer rings having a plurality of radially inwardly extending fingers with arcuately formed tip portions defining a bearing cage, said bearing assembly further having a split-ring bearing generally spherical in shape and comprising two separate and substantially identical members, said two members having eccentric openings therethrough through which the armature shaft is received, said eccentric openings having a minimum diameter within their range of tolerance limitations which is greater than the maximum diameter of the shaft within its range of tolerance limitations, said members having adjacent, flat inclined ends defining cam surfaces; said members being loosely supported axially and radially between said retainer rings and with said cam surfaces in complementary engagement with each other and with said openings being axially misaligned, one of said members supporting the lower portion of the armature shaft before rotation of the armature shaft, the other of said members resting upon the upper portion of the shaft before rotation thereof, said one member being rotated relative to said other member upon rotation of the armature shaft and said cam surfaces of said members cooperating to move said members axially apart whereupon said members engage said tip portions of said fingers and are restrained axially and radially whereby said retainer rings urge said members into engagement with substantially opposite circumferential portions of the armature shaft to radially support and prevent radial play of the armature shaft during rotation thereof.

Claim 4

In a dynamoelectric machine having a housing and a rotatable armature shaft, the improvement comprising: a clearance take up bearing assembly having a cylindrical, annular bearing housing supported within the housing of the machine; said bearing assembly also having a pair of axially spaced retainer rings circumferentially retained within said bearing housing, each of said retainer rings having a plurality of radially inwardly extending fingers with arcuately formed tip portions defining a bearing cage, said bearing assembly further having a split-ring bearing generally spherical in shape and comprising two separate and substantially identical members, said two members having eccentric openings therethrough through which the armature shaft is received, said eccentric openings having a minimum diameter within their range of tolerance limitations which is greater than the maximum diameter of the shaft within its range of tolerance limitations, said members having adjacent, flat inclined ends defining cam surfaces; said members being loosely supported axially and radially between said retainer rings and with said cam surfaces in complementary engagement with each other and with said openings being axially misaligned, one of said members supporting the lower portion of the armature shaft before rotation of the armature shaft, the other of said members resting upon the upper portion of the shaft before rotation thereof, said one member being rotated relative to said other member upon rotation of the armature shaft and said cam surfaces of said members cooperating to move said members axially apart whereupon said members engage said tip portions of said fingers and are restrained axially and radially whereby said retainer rings urge said members into engagement with substantially opposite circumferential portions of the armature shaft to radially support and prevent radial play of the armature shaft during rotation thereof.