Compliant hydrodynamic fluid journal bearing

Claim 2

In a complaint hydrodynamic journal bearing of the type wherein a rotating shaft is supported in a bore extending through a cartridge sleeve, a plurality of pad assemblies having no bump blocks circumferentially spaced around said shaft adjacent to said sleeve, each of said pad assemblies comprising a member having a bearing surface facing said shaft mounted between said shaft and said cartridge sleeve, a compliant element having a plurality of spaced resilient projections for engaging said member to support the same without being secured thereto positioned between said member and said cartridge sleeve, at least one projection on an end of said member in the direction of rotation of said shaft, said projection having one surface facing in said direction of rotation and another surface facing in an opposite direction, and restraining means on said sleeve for engaging at least one of said surfaces whereby movement of said member is restricted to a direction normal to said shaft thereby inhibiting destructive bending moments within said member during rotation of said shaft, said restraining means comprising at least one protrusion extending from an edge of the bore of said cartridge sleeve, and said projection extends outwardly from an end of said member in a direction parallel to said bore and has one surface in engagement with said protrusion.

Claim 3

A bearing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the member is a foil having a thickness of about 0.004 inch.

Claim 4

A bearing as claimed in claim 1 including at least one other protrusion extending from said edge of said bore and spaced from said one protrusion so that another surface of said projection opposite said one surface engages said other protrusion.

Claim 5

In a complaint hydrodynamic journal bearing of the type wherein a rotating shaft is supported in a bore extending through a cartridge sleeve, a plurality of pad assemblies having no bump blocks circumferentially spaced around said shaft adjacent to said sleeve, each of said pad assemblies comprising a member having a bearing surface facing said shaft mounted between said shaft and said cartridge sleeve, a complaint element having a plurality of spaced resilient projections for engaging said member to support the same without being secured thereto positioned between said member and said cartridge sleeve, a pin on an end of said member in the direction of rotation of said shaft, said pin being in engagement with a receiving eye in an end portion of said member, and restraining means on said sleeve for restricting movement of said member to a direction normal to said shaft thereby inhibiting destructive bending moments within said member during rotation of said shaft, said restraining means comprising at least one protrusion extending from an edge of the bore of said cartridge sleeve having an opening therein for receiving a portion of said pin in sliding engagement.

Claim 6

In a complaint hydrodynamic journal bearing of the type wherein a rotating shaft is supported in a bore extending through a cartridge sleeve, a plurality of pad assemblies having no bump blocks circumferentially spaced around said shaft adjacent to said sleeve, each of said pad assemblies comprising a member having a bearing surface facing said shaft mounted between said shaft and said cartridge sleeve, a complaint element having a plurality of spaced resilient projections for engaging said member to support the same without being secured thereto positioned between said member and said cartridge sleeve, a pin on an end of said member in the direction of rotation of said shaft, said pin being in engagement with a receiving eye in an end portion of said member, and restraining means on said sleeve for restricting movement of said member to a direction normal to said shaft thereby inhibiting destructive bending moments within said member during rotation of said shaft, said restraining means comprising at least one protrusion extending from an edge of the bore of said cartridge sleeve having an opening therein for receiving a portion of said pin in sliding engagement.

Claim 7

A bearing as claimed in claim 4 wherein said member is a foil having a thickness of about 0.004 inch.

Claim 8

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid film bearing for dynamically supporting a shaft for rotation about its normal axis comprising a mounting member having a cylindrical bore therein for receiving said shaft, said cylindrical bore being substantially coaxial with said normal axis of said shaft, a plurality of pad assemblies having no bump blocks circumferentially spaced around said shaft within said bore, each of said pad assemblies comprising an elongated metal sheet having a bearing surface facing said shaft, a pair of oppositely disposed tabs extending outwardly from the end of said elongated metal sheet in a direction parallel to the bore of the mounting member, a compliant metal sheet having a plurality of spaced resilient projections for engaging a surface of said elongated sheet opposite said bearing surface to support said elongated sheet without being secured thereto, at least one projection on an end of said elongated metal sheet in the direction of rotation of said shaft, said projection having one surface facing in said direction of rotation and another surface facing in an opposite direction, restraining means on said mounting member for engaging at least one of said surfaces whereby movement of said elongated sheet is restricted to a direction normal to said shaft thereby inhibiting destructive bending moments within said elongated metal sheet during rotation of said shaft, said restraining means comprising a pair of oppositely disposed stops extending outwardly from the mounting member adjacent to said bore, each of said tabs having one surface in engagement with one of said stops.

Claim 9

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid film bearing for dynamically supporting a shaft for rotation about its normal axis comprising a mounting member having a cylindrical bore therein for receiving said shaft, said cylindrical bore being substantially coaxial with said normal axis of said shaft, a plurality of pad assemblies having no bump blocks circumferentially spaced around said shaft within said bore, each of said pad assemblies comprising an elongated metal sheet having a bearing surface facing said shaft, a pair of oppositely disposed tabs extending outwardly from the end of said elongated metal sheet in a direction parallel to the bore of the mounting member, a compliant metal sheet having a plurality of spaced resilient projections for engaging a surface of said elongated sheet opposite said bearing surface to support said elongated sheet without being secured thereto, at least one projection on an end of said elongated metal sheet in the direction of rotation of said shaft, said projection having one surface facing in said direction of rotation and another surface facing in an opposite direction, restraining means on said mounting member for engaging at least one of said surfaces whereby movement of said elongated sheet is restricted to a direction normal to said shaft thereby inhibiting destructive bending moments within said elongated metal sheet during rotation of said shaft, said restraining means comprising a pair of oppositely disposed stops extending outwardly from the mounting member adjacent to said bore, each of said tabs having one surface in engagement with one of said stops.

Claim 10

A bearing as claimed in claim 6 including a second pair of stops extending outwardly from said mounting member adjacent said bore and spaced from said first stops at distance slightly greater than the width of each of said tabs so that another surface of each of said tabs opposite said one surface engages said other stop.

Claim 11

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid film bearing for dynamically supporting a shaft for rotation about its normal axis comprising a mounting member having a cylindrical bore therein for receiving said shaft, said cylindrical bore being substantially coaxial with said normal axis of said shaft, a plurality of pad assemblies having no bump blocks circumferentially spaced around said shaft within said bore, each of said pad assemblies comprising an elongated metal sheet having a bearing surface facing said shaft, a compliant metal sheet having a plurality of spaced resilient projections for engaging a surface of said elongated sheet opposite said bearing surface to support said elongated sheet without being secured thereto, a pin on an end of said elongated metal sheet in the direction of rotation of said shaft, said pin being in engagement with an eye formed in the end of said elongated metal sheet, said pin having a central portion and oppositely disposed end portions extending at right angles to said central portion, and restraining means on said mounting member for restricting movement of said elongated sheet to a direction normal to said shaft thereby inhibiting destructive bending moments within said elongated metal sheet during rotation of said shaft, said restraining means comprising a pair of opposed blocks extending outward from opposite ends of said mounting member adjacent to said bore, each of said blocks having an opening for receiving an end portion of said pin in sliding engagement therewith.

Claim 12

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid film bearing for dynamically supporting a shaft for rotation about its normal axis comprising a mounting member having a cylindrical bore therein for receiving said shaft, said cylindrical bore being substantially coaxial with said normal axis of said shaft, a plurality of pad assemblies having no bump blocks circumferentially spaced around said shaft within said bore, each of said pad assemblies comprising an elongated metal sheet having a bearing surface facing said shaft, a compliant metal sheet having a plurality of spaced resilient projections for engaging a surface of said elongated sheet opposite said bearing surface to support said elongated sheet without being secured thereto, a pin on an end of said elongated metal sheet in the direction of rotation of said shaft, said pin being in engagement with an eye formed in the end of said elongated metal sheet, said pin having a central portion and oppositely disposed end portions extending at right angles to said central portion, and restraining means on said mounting member for restricting movement of said elongated sheet to a direction normal to said shaft thereby inhibiting destructive bending moments within said elongated metal sheet during rotation of said shaft, said restraining means comprising a pair of opposed blocks extending outward from opposite ends of said mounting member adjacent to said bore, each of said blocks having an opening for receiving an end portion of said pin in sliding engagement therewith.