Abstract: A solid lubricant bearing comprises plural rollers disposed in a line or in a circle, plural solid lubricant elements at least one thereof contacting one of the rollers beings pressed by springs on the rollers, and a guiding base for receiving the rollers to roll thereon has a solid lubricant film formed on its roller receiving face.

Abstract: A lubricant insert for lubricating rolling bearings composed of a firm, tough, solid gel matrix containing a lubricating oil of lubricating viscosity which exudes therefrom to provide an oily surface in contact with the elements of the bearing. The preferred form of lubricant insert comprises an annular member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced axially directed projections which have surfaces conforming to the contour of the rolling elements and which are of a predetermined orientation to permit ease of assembly and locking of the insert in place in the annular space between the inner and outer rings of the bearing.

Abstract: A method of producing a bearing component such as an inner ring, an outer ring and rolling elements having a solid lubricant on a frictional surface part thereof, which comprises a step of forming a coating of a material on a frictional surface part of a metal substrate, the solubilities of the coating material in the substrate metal and in the solid lubricant being higher than the mutual solubility of the substrate metal and the solid lubricant, a step of providing on a surface part of the coating a solid lubricant consisting of a metallic material having a low solubility in the substrate metal, and a step of maintaining the solid lubricant, the coating and the metal substrate for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature of below the lower one of the maximum operating temperature of the bearing component and the melting point of the solid lubricant so as to induce mutual diffusion between the metal substrate, the coating and the solid lubricant, thereby increasing the bonding strength be

Abstract: A bearing member (10) having a series of carbon separators (16, 16' . . . 16.sup.N) with semi-spherical pockets (52, 52' . . . 52.sup.N) on the end thereof and semi-spherical ribs (20) and (22) on its inner and outer periphery. The ribs (20) and (22) are located in grooves (50) and (58), respectively, of races (44) and (43). Balls (14, 14' . . . 14.sup.N) are located between pockets 52, 52' . . . 52.sup.N and maintained in radial alignment in the grooves (50 and 58) of the races (43) and (44). Initially separators (16, 16' . . . 16.sup.N) are separated from each other but as the bearing (10) is used the separators (16, 16' . . . 16.sup.N) wear by providing balls (14, 14' . . . 14.sup.N) and races (43 and 44) with lubrication. At a predetermined wear condition, the separators (16, 16' . . . 16.sup.N) engage each other to provide controlled ball spacing thereafter protecting bearing member (10) from premature wear or total failure.

Abstract: Novel, unitary, full complement bearing components are described which comprise a plurality of rolling elements embedded in a solid, self-supporting lubricating matrix with at least one arcuate operative surface of each rolling element exposed for rolling contact with another bearing component, the rolling elememts being in side-by-side contact or only slightly spaced from each other, and the matrix being composed of a gel obtained by thermally curing a mixture of lubricating oil and a high molecular weight polymer, and being capable of exuding lubricating oil under sliding friction in operation after insertion of the bearing component into a bearing structure in a single assembly operation. Full complement as used herein means a cageless rolling element bearing with a maximum number of rolling elements wherein no additional rolling elements can be added to the complement of rolling elements and wherein the rolling elements are in side-by-side relation.