Stern tube bearing

Claim 1

A stern tube bearing assembly comprising a propeller shaft subject to a lateral force in a horizontal plane at a contact position, and a bearing metal having an inside cylindrical surface positioned within the stern tube and surrounding said propeller shaft to support the same, said lateral force operable to effect relative displacement of said shaft in said bearing metal surface toward and away from said contact position, said propeller shaft having a continuous cylindrical surface coaxial with the inside cylindrical surface of the bearing metal and said bearing axis, said inside cylindrical surface being continuous and uninterrupted within and below the horizontal plane of the bearing axis, and being continuously cylindrical but interrupted by at least one oil groove extending axially on the inside cylindrical surface of the bearing metal in a position above the horizontal plane of the bearing axis, oil passage means extending axially in the outer periphery of the bearing opposite said groove, means to supply bearing oil to said passage means, and oil supply aperture means communicating said oil groove with said oil passage, said groove and said oil supply aperture means being separated from said contact position to avoid breaking of the oil film at said position and to provide a continuous uninterrupted film of oil on the portion of said inside surface which supports said propeller shaft.