Pivoted Pad Patents (Class 384/224)
  • Patent number: 11821464
    Abstract: A rotor bearing system includes a mandrel and a plurality of canted cantilever bearing pads supporting the mandrel, such that, when the bearing pads are run-in against the mandrel, the bearing pads generate uniform bearing gaps and alignment. The mandrel and the bearing pads are sized to form a running proximity to exclude the entry of red blood cells or flow entrained contaminant inclusions therebetween during operation, thereby causing the bearing system to operate in an elasto-hydrodynamic regime of mixed- or boundary-lubrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: RBTS Inc.
    Inventors: Victor K. Obeid, Michael D. Neary, Edward J. Marlinski
  • Patent number: 11092195
    Abstract: An axial bearing for absorbing high axial loads of a shaft has a support structure and a load transmission device for transmitting the load from the shaft to the support structure. The support structure includes a bearing plate, a plurality of spring elements, and a plurality of bearing shoes. The spring elements are supported on the bearing plate and arranged in groups, and each group of spring elements being covered by a bearing shoe. The load transmission device is firmly connected to the shaft and has a tracking ring which is arranged such that the tracking ring can rotate on the bearing shoes. The bearing plate and the tracking ring are in each case arranged concentrically with the shaft, and the axial bearing has an advantageously designed measuring device for measurement of the mean distance between the bearing plate and a bearing shoe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Voith Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Bottenschein, Joerg Haselbauer
  • Patent number: 10612586
    Abstract: Provided is a thrust bearing for a wind turbine including a thrust collar rotatable around a longitudinal axis of the thrust bearing and having a thrust surface transversally oriented with respect to longitudinal axis, a support structure fixed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the thrust bearing, a bearing pad contacting the thrust surface of the thrust collar and movable on a pad seat provided on the support structure, a spring element interposed between the bearing pad and the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
    Inventors: Niels Karl Frydendal, Gustav Hoegh, Troels Kanstrup, Dennis Olesen, Kim Thomsen, Morten Thorhauge
  • Patent number: 10584685
    Abstract: A wind turbine, including a support structure and a thrust bearing having a bearing pad which includes a piston and which is movably connected to the support structure, a spring element which is configured to resiliently support the bearing pad relative to the support structure, wherein a pad portion of the bearing pad and/or the bearing pad itself is configured to tilt and to move translationally relative to the support structure, and wherein a gap is provided between the piston and the support structure. The piston limits the movement of the bearing pad. Thus, reliable and well defined movement limits are provided. Furthermore, a broad spectrum of spring parameters is available since the movement may be restricted by the piston and not necessarily be the spring element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
    Inventors: Janina Brencher, Peter Decker, Niels Karl Frydendal, Troels Kanstrup, Dennis Olesen, Thorsten Rohrmann, Kim Thomsen, Morten Thorhauge
  • Patent number: 10371204
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a bearing assembly may include a support ring to which one or more superhard bearing elements may be mounted. The support ring may include one or more relief features configured to reduce residual stresses in the superhard bearing elements that are induced by brazing the superhard bearing elements to the support ring, operational loads, other processes, or combinations of the foregoing. Reducing the residual stresses in the superhard bearing elements may help prevent damage to the superhard bearing elements. The bearing assembly may be used in subterranean drilling systems and/or other types of systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Craig H. Cooley, Timothy N. Sexton
  • Patent number: 10107079
    Abstract: An electric submersible motor thrust bearing system is described. An electric submersible motor thrust bearing system includes a thrust bearing assembly carrying a thrust of an electric submersible motor, the thrust bearing assembly including a split ring secured around a shaft of the electric submersible motor inward of a rotatable thrust runner, the rotatable thrust runner coupled around an outer diameter of the split ring and mated above a non-rotatable thrust bearing, the rotatable thrust runner serving as a barrier to radial expansion of the split ring, a lock ring secured to the thrust runner by a threaded connection, at least a portion of the lock ring above the split ring and at least a portion of the thrust runner below the split ring, and the threaded connection securing the split ring axially between the lock ring and the thrust runner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: SUMMIT ESP, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey G. Frey, Larry James Parmeter
  • Patent number: 9903411
    Abstract: A thrust bearing is a thrust bearing disposed facing a thrust collar provided on a rotary shaft and includes a top foil, a back foil and a base plate. The back foil includes a plurality of back foil pieces. The top foil includes a plurality of top foil pieces. In addition, a leading side of the top foil piece in the rotation direction of the rotary shaft is provided with a fixed part fixed to the base plate, the top foil piece is provided with a thin part in which a part is removed from the surface of the top foil piece facing the back foil piece, and the thin part extends from an outer circumferential edge to an inner circumferential edge or to a side edge of the top foil piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: IHI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naomichi Omori
  • Publication number: 20090116772
    Abstract: In an insert bearing part for combining with another insert bearing part structured the same or similar to form an elastomeric insert bearing there is provided a surrounding outer shell featuring a radial portion and an axial portion, an elastomeric body surrounded by the outer shell and a rigid core with an axial throughway for securing the insert bearing, said core protruding axially beyond the axial portion such that when locating the insert bearing part on the other insert bearing part structured the same or similar, the insert bearing parts contact each other substantially at the radial level of the core in forming an axial spacing between opposing axial portions of the insert bearing parts so that the elastomeric body is compressed by the insert bearing parts being brought together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: Anvis Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Waldemar Herman, Volker Gruenig, Hermann Sauer
  • Patent number: 7456535
    Abstract: Cutouts are formed in a front end plate disposed of a motor body. A thrust member, which has a hump segment to touch and press against a rear end surface of a rotary shaft frontward, is detachably attached to the motor body such that distal ends of arm segments of the thrust member are fitted into respective cutouts of the front end plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuzuru Suzuki, Taketoshi Ohyashiki
  • Publication number: 20080131042
    Abstract: A tilting pad thrust bearing is described including a substantially solid flat carrier body, a plurality of bearing pads, and an intermediate component which is disposed in the assembled bearing between the bearing pads and the carrier body, said intermediate component providing a plurality of fulcrum means corresponding in number to the bearing pads and being angularly orientated such that the fulcrum means are disposed beneath the bearing pads. The arrangement is designed such that the intermediate component includes at least one of an annular hub portion and an annular rim portion from which a plurality of ribs project outwardly or inwardly thereof and on which individual bearing pads are arranged to be seated to pivot thereon, said ribs thus providing the fulcrum means, and in that a locating component is provided which also includes at least one of a hub portion and a rim portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventor: Nigel Henry New
  • Patent number: 7063465
    Abstract: A thrust bearing 11 for use with a shaft 13 having a collar 15 mounted the shaft 13 and rotatable therewith has a base ring 17, a series of shoes 19 positioned on the base ring 17, and a compressible resilient spacing member 29 positioned between the base ring 17 and a housing 31 for the thrust bearing 11. The spacing member 29 supports the thrust bearing 11 when the shaft 13 is rotating during no-load operating conditions, as well as dampens the forces placed on the thrust bearing 11 by the shaft 13 when the shaft 13 is rotating during no-load conditions. The spacing member 29 is sufficiently stiff that it supports the thrust bearing 11 when the shaft 13 is rotating under no-load conditions, but is sufficiently compressible to be compressed to the extent that the gap 33 between the base ring 17 and the housing 31 is eliminated due to the forces placed on the thrust bearing 11 by the shaft 13 bringing the base ring 17 into contact with the housing 31 during normal load operating conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Kingsbury, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph J. Wilkes, Ascanio M. DeCamillo
  • Publication number: 20030007707
    Abstract: An image processing method for compensating for light falloff in a digital image provides individual compensation values to correct light falloff in the image pixels of an input digital image; however, the individual compensation values induce a balance change in the digital image. Therefore, a balance value is determined for correcting the balance change of the digital image and the individual compensation values and the balance value are applied to the pixels of the input digital image to provide a corrected image having compensation for light falloff with minimal change to the light balance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Applicant: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Andrew C. Gallagher
  • Patent number: 5102237
    Abstract: A bearing and a shaft bearing combination for replacing conventional rolling element bearing, washer and lock ring assemblies. The bearing is constructed to the shaft in the housing. Additionally, the bearing provides both radial and thrust support so that the need for separate bearings is eliminated. The assembly is ideally suited for use in small high speed low load cooling fans used in computers, peripherals and other office equipment.The shaft includes a radially outward extending runner, preferably conically tapered. The bearing includes a base member, which can include a beam mounted radial bearing, and a number of longitudinal beams extending axially away from the base member. Each of the longitudinal beams supports a bearing pad in a cantilever fashion. The bearing pads can include a groove having a shape which is complementary to the shape of the runner, such that the runner can be supported on the groove faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1992
    Inventor: Russell D. Ide
  • Patent number: 5035519
    Abstract: A thrust bearing including a ring-like form plate body, and a plurality of rib members provided on the ring-like form plate body of the thrust bearing. Such a plurality of rib members may be provided on a thrust runner. The rib members cause a difference in load deformation amount in a circumferential direction according to thrust load and generate a wedge-shaped form clearance between a sliding face of the thrust bearing and a sliding face of the thrust runner. Since the wedge-shaped form clearance is formed by utilizing the load deformation, even when the thrust load becomes large, the wedge-shaped form clearance does not become narrow. The occurrence of dynamic pressure by the wedge effect and the formation of a water film can be assured, and the temperature increase between the sliding face of the thrust runner and the sliding face of the thrust bearing can be restrained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1991
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kooji Aizawa, Katsutoshi Nii, Kazuhiko Kawaike, Kengo Hasegawa, Akira Saruta, Ryoichi Nakashima
  • Patent number: 4963039
    Abstract: A thrust bearing for vibration reduction application which isolates the tst shoes so that transmissions of vibrations induced by drag on the thrust shoes are attenuated or avoided. A thrust shoe carrier isolates the thrust shoes from the relatively stationary platform in which the bearing operates by providing a damped spring system with relatively low stiffness in the axial direction and relatively high stiffness in the torsional and radial directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Thomas L. Daugherty
  • Patent number: 4922150
    Abstract: The vertical-axis electrical machine of umbrella design has a disc-shaped rotor (4), the combined thrust and guide bearing (12) which is mounted at the disc underside. The bearing rests on a bearing support structure (17), which has the shape of a hollow truncated cone and is supported directly on the foundation (1). This arrangement is distinguished by low design height. Elongations of the bearing support structure (17) caused by temperature are converted without loss of stiffness and centering into axial displacement of the end of the hollow truncated cone (17) on the bearing side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri Ltd.
    Inventor: Mihailo Starcevic
  • Patent number: 4856914
    Abstract: A thrust bearing arrangement in which individual thrust bearings are arranged in a plurality of stages. These bearings are connected to thrust-load adjustment devices (1st type with travel limitation, 2nd type without travel limitation) as a result of which the beginning of load-carrying by each bearing can be determined as a result of an adjustable initial tensioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1989
    Assignee: Maag Gear-Wheel & Machine Company Limited
    Inventor: Hans Sigg
  • Patent number: 4639146
    Abstract: A thrust bearing has a plurality of bearing pads each provided on its back side with a pivot, and a support on which the pads are disposed in the circumferential direction. An integral carrier is mounted on the support. The carrier has leg portions and a resilient portion and definies a squeeze film damper portion between the rear surface thereof and the opposing surface of the support. The pads are carried tiltably by the carrier through the pivots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Yoshioka, Hideki Izumi, Hiroshi Inouye, Eiichi Hazaki, Shiro Nakadaira
  • Patent number: 4542995
    Abstract: A thrust bearing supporting device for an electric rotary machine comprises a plurality of supporting members fixed to a base plate within a bearing vessel for supporting a thrust bearing of said rotary machine, each of said supporting members consisting of a pair of supporting pieces, each of said supporting pieces having a recessed portion formed therein, wherein each of said supporting members is formed by placing one supporting piece on the other in face-to-face relationship thereby forming a space within each of said supporting members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1983
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1985
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazunori Shibasaki, Kenji Sawatani
  • Patent number: 4421426
    Abstract: A thrust bearing device including a bearing oil tank containing a lubricating oil, a plurality of bearing shoes for slidably journaling a rotary member located in the bearing oil tank, the bearing shoes each being segmental in shape, and a support device for the bearing shoes. The support device for the bearing shoes is interposed between the bearing shoes and the bottom of the bearing oil tank and immersed in the oil, including pressure receiving members each having spread-apart two legs, and resilient members. The pressure receiving member are each formed on its upper surface with a portion for supporting the associated bearing shoe and on its undersurface with the spread-apart two legs, one of the shoes being constructed to receive a lower thrust load than the other leg. The resilient members are each located beneath the leg of the associated pressure receiving member that has the lower thrust load applied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1983
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshio Furukawa