Abstract: There is provided a maintenance-free sleeve bearing arrangement that is light in weight, has a long service life and does not require resupply of oil during operation. The sleeve bearing arrangement is comprised mainly of a shaft and a sleeve bearing, wherein the sleeve bearing formed of CRB ceramics, and/or the shaft formed of the CRB ceramics are used.

Abstract: The invention concerns an open-end spinning apparatus with a spin-rotor, the shaft of which is supported by an aerostatic, radial bearing with an air gap between the bearing assembly and the shaft. The construction material for the bearing surface of the spin-rotor and/or the bearing surface of the radial bearing is polyimide or aramid.

Abstract: A dry bearing (102, FIG. 2(f)) for a hinge pin or the like comprises a bush 402 mounted in a radially supportive housing (16), the bush being formed by a circumferentially discontinuous tubular form made by rolling a strip of steel-backed, bearing material having a filled polymer infiltrated sintered bronze (ISB) lining about a mandrel (FIG. 32, 2(c)). The tubular form is, after mounting and to provide a more uniform inside diameter, burnished by pushing therethrough a burnishing tool (50), having a cylindrical portion (51), of larger diameter than the mounted form. The bearing (and method of manufacture) differ from the art in that a minor part of the lining surface is, prior to passage of the burnishing tool and conveniently when still in strip form, compressed in part as depressions (troughs 442) arrayed over the surface.

Abstract: A production method for a sintered bearing, comprises compacting a raw metallic material powder into a bearing green compact; sintering the green compact into a sintered compact; and forming a resin coating over the entire surface of the sintered compact by electrodeposition.

Abstract: A sintered bearing is produced by a production method comprising: compacting a metallic raw material powder into a bearing green compact; sintering the green compact into a sintered compact; forming a resin coating 20 over the entire surface of the sintered compact; removing the resin coating 20 on a bearing surface 14a of the sintered compact; and impregnating a lubricating fluid L through the bearing surface 14a from which the resin coating 20 is removed.

Abstract: An oil-impregnated sintered bearing is comprised of a cylindrical porous bearing body and a non-porous resinous slide member. The bearing body has a first portion providing a part of the slide surface of the bearing and a second portion having an inner periphery. The non-porous resinous slide member is disposed at the inner periphery of the second portion providing the other part of the slide surface. The slide member has a radial thickness that corresponds to a suitable ratio of the radial thickness of the bearing.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide: high-reliability and long-life CO2 refrigerant compressor-use bearings that uses bearing materials high in wear resistance and in baking resistance, and; such a compressor, air conditioner, refrigerator, and hot-water supply machine that each employ these bearings.

Abstract: The Cu-based sintered alloy bearing of the present invention is made of a Cu-based sintered alloy with a composition consisting of, by weight, Ni: 10 to 25%, Zn: 10 to 25%, P: 0.1 to 0.9%, C: 0 to 5%, molybdenum disulfide: 0.5 to 5%, and Cu and inevitable impurities as the balance. The Cu-based sintered alloy has a texture from a Cu—P compound, free graphite, and molybdenum disulfide being dispersed in a base material made of a solid solution phase of a Cu—Ni—Zn alloy, and a porosity is within a range of 5 to 25%.

Abstract: A core member has a core member side journal portion and a core member bolt hole on both sides of the core member side journal portion and is provided in a separation state from a surface of a casting mold through a cast-off pin including a step portion in a vertical direction in the casting mold. A radius of curvature of the core member side journal portion of the core member is made greater than a radius of curvature of the cap side journal portion of the bearing cap in such a manner that a clearance between the cap side journal portion and the core member side journal portion is larger than a clearance between the core member bolt hole and the cast-off pin. A pouring gate is provided on a side surface of the casting mold to inject a base material along the bonding portion of the bearing cap.

Abstract: An oil-impregnated bearing for providing stable rotational performance for a shaft to carry a greater work load and reduce friction force between the shaft and the bearing. The invention includes extended troughs formed on the peripheral surface of a center opening of the oil-impregnated bearing to alter the shape of the center opening to become a geometric polygon such that the contact area between the center opening and the shaft may be reduced, thereby decreasing friction and operation noise. The extended troughs may contain a solid state lubrication agent to prevent the temperature of the bearing from rising during operation.

Abstract: The present invention is for providing an oil-impregnant sintered bearing, which can reliably preserve an oil film on a sliding face, and a method for manufacturing the oil-impregnant sintered bearing. An oil-impregnant sintered bearing is made by providing an internal diameter, which a rotating axis member is inserted through, in a bearing main body, formed by a porous sintered alloy having internal pores therein, and providing a sliding face in one region of the inner peripheral face of the internal diameter, the sliding face being obtained by closing the pores which have been opened in the inner peripheral face. The density in a section preserving oil pressure, which extends from the sliding face of the bearing main body toward the outer side of the diameter, is made higher than the density in other sections of the bearing main body.

Abstract: The radially inner surface structure of the bearing in accordance with the present invention mainly comprises a pair of guiding groove sets and a plurality of convergent points thereof. The guiding groove sets are individually extended clockwise and counterclockwise from either end and terminating in a vicinity of a corresponding end to define a plurality of convergent points. The guiding groove sets are intersected in a predetermined angle and each guiding groove set is consisted of a plurality of guiding grooves arranged in parallel.

Abstract: A main bearing cap (A′) made of powder metal has a body portion (Y) made from one powder metal material (Q), and a bearing arch portion (H), foot joint face portions (S) and/or wings (W) made of a different powder metal material (P). The material (Q) of the body portion (Y) is harder than the material (P) of the other portions (H, S, W), and the material (P) of the other portions (H, S, W) is relatively machinable. For the bearing arch portion (H), the machinability of the material (P) approximately matches the machinability of the bearing support structure (B) to which the bearing cap (A′) is assembled to produce a good quality bore and longer tool life during line boring. The bearing arch material (P) may be a bearing material.

Abstract: In a slide bearing of the prior art, any lubricant present is lost at the two outer axial ends of the bearing.

Abstract: The present invention is for providing an oil-impregnant sintered bearing, which can reliably preserve an oil film on a sliding face, and a method for manufacturing the oil-impregnant sintered bearing. An oil-impregnant sintered bearing is made by providing an internal diameter, which a rotating axis member is inserted through, in a bearing main body, formed by a porous sintered alloy having internal pores therein, and providing a sliding face in one region of the inner peripheral face of the internal diameter, the sliding face being obtained by closing the pores which have been opened in the inner peripheral face. The density in a section preserving oil pressure, which extends from the sliding face of the bearing main body toward the outer side of the diameter, is made higher than the density in other sections of the bearing main body.

Abstract: A sintered oilless bearing and a capstan motor using the same includes first and second bearings inserted into an inside surface of a bearing holder and spaced-apart from each other within the bearing holder, and non-porous and porous parts formed on corresponding ones of the first and second bearings. The non-porous parts have an angle between 91° and 120° with respect to a center line of the first and second bearings, are disposed to face each other, or are disposed between the porous parts to compensate for a position deviation of the non-porous parts of the first and second bearings occurring due to an assembling dispersion between the first and second bearings, to maintain a lubrication property and a stable oil film. The non-porous parts and the porous parts of the first and second bearings have different pore ratio, and the first and second bearings are formed by sintering a bronze series compound.

Abstract: A radial bearing and method for making the same are disclosed. Radial bearings are typically used in downhole motors to control the direction of drilling in directional drilling operations. The cuttings from the bit are carried away by the drilling fluid and flow across the surfaces of the bearings before being removed from the well. The cuttings will contain sand and other hard and/or corrosive substances that will erode the surfaces of the bearings and shorten their useful life. The bearing of this invention is provided with a wear resistant surface to inhibit such erosion. The bearing of this invention is made from a bearing blank to which is applied a first overlay of mild steel with dispersed cemented metal carbide pellets. The composition of the cemented metal carbide pellets is disclosed. The first overlay may be applied by any conventional technique. A second overlay of mild steel is applied to the first overlay utilizing a MIG welding process.

Abstract: A bearing assembly for a heat dissipation fan includes a bearing and a cap. The bearing has multiple grooves peripherally defined in the cylindrical body and a room defined in the body to communicate with the through hole in the center of the body. The cap is securely mounted on top of the bearing so that lubricant is able to be stopped from further movement away from the room.

Abstract: A plurality of grooves 32 are arranged on the inner circumferential surface of a first sleeve 19 so as to extend in the axial direction of the first sleeve 19. The plurality of grooves 32 are arranged at equal intervals around a center axis of the first sleeve 19 in the same sectional area of the first sleeve 19. Each groove 32 is formed with a circular cross section, and each groove 32 has a sufficient depth in the inner circumferential surface of the first sleeve 19 to reliably collect foreign matter in the groove 32. Each groove 32 has the same length as that of the first sleeve 19 in the axial direction of the first sleeve 19, and both ends of each groove 32 are opened on both end surfaces of the first sleeve 19.

Abstract: A bearing device is provided with an oil storage space. The oil storage space is an oil storage space that is formed in the bearing device, so that the lubricating oil stored in the oil storage space may gradually leak outward through the capillary pores of the bearing device, thereby slowing down the release velocity of the lubricating oil, and thereby increasing the lifetime of the bearing device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hermetic or open compressor for hydrocarbon refrigerant having high reliability. According to the present invention, in the compressor using hydrocarbon as refrigerant, synthetic oil such as polyalkylene glycol oil, ester oil or ether oil is used as freezer oil. Sliding member of the compressor includes both a portion made of aluminum material and a portion made of iron material. Therefore, it is possible to realize a compressor having excellent wear resistance and high reliability.

Abstract: A lead-free bearing includes a bronze matrix powder metal bearing layer bonded to a steel backing a fully densified. The bearing material has about 8 to 12% by weight tin, about 1 to less than 5% by weight bismuth, and about 0.03 to 0.08% by weight phosphorus, with the balance being copper. The tin is soluable in the copper to yield the bronze matrix, and the bismuth exists as finely dispersed, undissolved islands through the matrix. Such bearings exhibit physical properties comparable to or better than those of traditional bronze-lead bearings and improved wear in seizure properties.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bearing device including a body formed with an inner groove that does not communicate with the shaft hole of the body. Thus, when the rotation shaft is rotated, the lubricating oil may lubricate the rotation shaft, and may flow back to be stored in the inner groove after the rotation shaft stops rotating, thereby achieving the effect of recycling use. At the same time, the inner groove does not communicate with the inner shaft hole, such that when the rotation shaft is rotated, the lubricating oil contained in the inner groove will not be directly carried out of the body and will not sputter out of the body. Thus, the amount of loss of the lubricating oil may be reduced, thereby increasing the lifetime of the bearing device.

Abstract: A sintered plain bearing for motors and gear drives, having a running surface formed by a bearing bore and capable of having lubricant applied to it from lubricant reservoirs in the bearing, in which the bearing bore has, alternatingly distributed over the circumference, high-compaction small-pore running surfaces and axially extending low-compaction open-pore lubricant reservoirs. Lubrication is improved, especially in the initial phases of operation, by the fact that the lubricant reservoirs are constituted by channel structures having at least two longitudinal channels, and that at least in some of the channel structures, some of the channel crests remaining between adjacent longitudinal channels are in contact with the shaft received by the bearing bore in order to transfer lubricant.

Abstract: A positioning structure of a bearing and an axle tube, wherein, the positioning hole of the axle tube has a periphery formed with an oil storage space corresponding to the bearing, so that when the bearing is received and positioned in the positioning hole of the axle tube, the friction force between the bearing and the inner wall of the positioning hole can be reduced efficiently. Thus, the shaft hole of the bearing is not easily deformed due to squeeze, thereby preventing the center from deflecting. At the same time, the oil storage space is relatively increased, thereby enhancing the lubricating effect of the bearing. The oil storage space is directly integrally formed in the periphery of the positioning hole during fabrication of the shaft tube. Thus, the fabrication is rapid, thereby decreasing the cost of fabrication.

Abstract: The porous oil-impregnated bearing 1 comprises a bearing body 1a made of a porous material, and oil retained in the pores of the bearing body 1a by impregnation with lubricating oil or lubricating grease. The inner peripheral surface of the bearing body 1a is formed with a bearing surface 1b opposed to an outer peripheral surface of a shaft to be supported, with a bearing clearance defined therebetween. The bearing surface 1b has a first region m1 in which a plurality of hydrodynamic pressure generating grooves 1c inclined in one direction with respect to the axial direction are circumferentially disposed, a second region m2 which is axially spaced from said first region m1 and in which a plurality of hydrodynamic pressure generating grooves 1c inclined in the other direction with respect to the axial direction are circumferentially disposed, and an annular smooth region n disposed between the first and second regions m1 and m2.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic oil-impregnated sintered bearing unit 1 are comprised a hydrodynamic oil-impregnated sintered bearing 1a, a housing 1b, and a thrust bearing portion for thrust-supporting a shaft. A sealing washer 20 made of metal or resin material is arranged on an opening-portion side of the housing 1b, and that, of a surface of the shaft 2, at least on a region including a portion opposite to the sealing washer 20 a thin layer 21 of a fluorine-containing polymer is formed.

Abstract: A sliding bearing bushing has a first end side, a second end side, an inwardly cylindrical second longitudinal portion which is calibrated by a material compression and adjoins the second end side, a substantially hollow conical first longitudinal portion which adjoins the first end side, and a third longitudinal portion which is arranged between the first and second longitudinal portions, the third longitudinal portion transferring bend-free from a contour of the second longitudinal portion into a continuous curvature so that, in a contour of the cylindrical portion straight lines located parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sliding bearing bushing are tangents to a curvature, and at least in a region of the tangents at the curvature the material of the sliding bearing bushing is compressed by calibration substantially identically strong as in the cylindrical longitudinal portion.

Abstract: A sintered oil retaining bearing has a bearing bore through which a rotary shaft is inserted formed at a bearing main unit made of a porous sintered alloy. The inner circumferential wall serving as the bearing bore includes a center inner circumferential wall located at the center region of the inner circumferential wall, and one end side inner circumferential wall and other end side inner circumferential wall, located at one end side and the other end side, respectively, of the center inner circumferential wall in the direction of the rotary shaft. The center inner circumferential wall has a blinded portion where the air permeability is not more than 0.3×10−3 darcy, and air permeability lower than that of the one end side and other end side inner circumferential wall.

Abstract: A plain bearing comprises a metal backing, a layer of a porous matrix of sintered metal on the backing and a filled PTFE infiltrated into the interstices of the sintered layer and standing proud of the sintered layer, wherein the PTFE is filled with 1-20% by volume fibrillated aramid fibres and 10-30% by volume glass. The glass is preferably E-glass present as milled filaments of length 0.05-0.30 mm and diameter 0.010-0.020 mm and coated with a silene sizing agent. The fibrillated aramid fibres provide reinforcement and improved load bearing capacity and the glass provides an abrasive filler which abrades asperities on a body and creates a smooth polished surface against which to bear, thereby improving its life. The PTFE preferably also includes ferric oxide and carbon black to about 1.5% and 1.2% by volume respectively which both pigment the polymer and act as fine abrasive and lubricant respectively. The carbon black content may be increased to about 10% to provide electrical conductivity.

Abstract: A high-quality bearing with improved controllability which is capable of performing a smooth movement with low vibration, low noise, and high rotation accuracy is provided stably in a short time and at low cost. Grooves 25 of a desired configuration are provided in the outer circumferential surface of a mandrel 12 having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the metal bearing 10. The mandrel 12 is inserted into the inner circumferential surface of the metal bearing 10. The metal bearing 10 is inserted into a reducing jig or housing 7 having an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the metal bearing 10, thereby causing plastic deformation of metal and forming desired ridges 19 on the inner circumferential surface of the metal bearing 10.

Abstract: An oil-impregnated bearing combination includes an axle tube whose upper end has an upper cap having an opening is secured in a tight fit manner inside the axle tube hole. After a rotor shaft extends through the opening of the upper cap, a retainer is snapped on the shaft. The retainer is provided with an annular wall protruding outward from the opening of the upper cap and rested on a shaft seat. The outer peripheral of the shaft under the retainer is sleeved with an oil-impregnated bearing, and the oil-impregnated bearing is placed in the inner hole of the axle tube in a non-tight fit manner. The lower end of the axle tube is sealed by a lower cap, so that the oil-impregnated bearing is retained between the upper cap and the lower cap, for supporting rotation of the rotor shaft.

Abstract: An oil-impregnated bearing combination includes an axle tube whose upper end has an upper cap having an opening is secured in a tight fit manner inside the axle tube hole. After a rotor shaft extends through the opening of the upper cap, a retainer is snapped on the shaft. The retainer is provided with an annular wall protruding outward from the opening of the upper cap and rested on a shaft seat. The outer peripheral of the shaft under the retainer is sleeved with an oil-impregnated bearing, and the oil-impregnated bearing is placed in the inner hole of the axle tube in a non-tight fit manner. The lower end of the axle tube is sealed by a lower cap, so that the oil-impregnated bearing is retained between the upper cap and the lower cap, for supporting rotation of the rotor shaft.

Abstract: A method for surface processing of sintered oilless bearing and an apparatus thereof are disclosed by which method the efficiency of covering the pores and the surface roughness of protuberance that is nonporous surface may be improved by means of surface processing of inner diameter surface at time of sizing process using a correcting rod where many correction grooves have been formed on its top part.

Abstract: A dynamic pressure bearing apparatus comprises a rotary shaft, a sintered oil retaining bearing rotatably supporting the rotary shaft, the sintered oil retaining bearing having an interior surface defining an internal surface configuration for generating dynamic pressure to thereby form a dynamic pressure bearing between the rotary shaft and the sintered oil retaining bearing. The internal surface of the sintered oil retaining bearing comprises in a peripheral direction thereof, a minimum-gap section, a large-gap section and a separation groove section. The minimum-gap section has the minimum gap between the rotary shaft and the internal surface of the sintered oil retaining bearing.

Abstract: A sintered friction bearing for motors and gears with a bearing surface, which is formed by a bearing bore and can have a lubricant from lubricant depositories in the bearing. The bearing bore has alternating highly compressed, small-pored bearing surfaces distributed over the circumference and slightly compressed, open-pored lubricant depositories from one front face to the other front face of the bearing. Lubrication of the sintered friction bearing is improved because the lubricant depositories are embodied as grooved structures with at least two longitudinal grooves, which are inclined at an acute angle with respect to a center axis of the bearing bore from one front face to another front face of the bearing.

Abstract: A sintered oil retaining bearing has a bearing bore through which a rotary shaft is inserted formed at a bearing main unit made of a porous sintered alloy. The inner circumferential wall serving as the bearing bore includes a center inner circumferential wall located at the center region of the inner circumferential wall, and one end side inner circumferential wall and other end side inner circumferential wall, located at one end side and the other end side, respectively, of the center inner circumferential wall in the direction of the rotary shaft. The center inner circumferential wall has a blinded portion where the air permeability is not more than 0.3×10−3darcy, and air permeability lower than that of the one end side and other end side inner circumferential wall.

Abstract: The porous oil-impregnated bearing 1 comprises a bearing body 1a made of a porous material, and oil retained in the pores of the bearing body 1a by impregnation with lubricating oil or lubricating grease. The inner peripheral surface of the bearing body 1a is formed with a bearing surface 1b opposed to an outer peripheral surface of a shaft to be supported, with a bearing clearance defined therebetween. The bearing surface 1b has a first region m1 in which a plurality of hydrodynamic pressure generating grooves 1c inclined in one direction with respect to the axial direction are circumferentially disposed, a second region m2 which is axially spaced from said first region m1 and in which a plurality of hydrodynamic pressure generating grooves 1c inclined in the other direction with respect to the axial direction are circumferentially disposed, and an annular smooth region n disposed between the first and second regions m1 and m2.

Abstract: The invention relates to a composite type bearing in which bearing portions (11a, 12a) slidably supporting a rotary axis (S) are provided in both ends in an axial direction, and a middle escape portion (15) not being in contact with the rotary axis and a cylindrical magnet (13) are provided between the bearing portions (11a, 12a). The composite type sintered porous bearing is characterized in that at least two cylindrical sintered porous members (11, 12, 14) are fitted and joined so as to be united, and the magnet (13) is assembled within an outer peripheral space (16) in which an outer diameter between both end sides in an axial direction is formed to be smaller than an outer diameter of the both end sides.

Abstract: There is provided a sintered oil retaining bearing that secures the stability of an oil film and achieves high running accuracy through management to exclude a variation in the size of surface openings in the bearing surface, particularly the presence of large holes, while making use of such advantages as the mass productivity, low noise and low cost features of sintered oil retaining bearings. In a sintered oil retaining bearing 11 having a bearing body 19 that is composed of a porous body formed of a sintered metal, that is formed with a bearing surface 18 opposed to the outer peripheral surface of a rotary shaft 1 through a bearing clearance and that is impregnated with lubricating oil or lubricating grease, it is arranged that surface openings in said bearing surface 18 are substantially uniform in size and that when the area of a single such surface opening is converted into the area of a circle, the diameter of such circle does not exceed 0.05 mm.

Abstract: The present invention is for providing an oil-impregnant sintered bearing, which can reliably preserve an oil film on a sliding face, and a method for manufacturing the oil-impregnant sintered bearing. An oil-impregnant sintered bearing is made by providing an internal diameter, which a rotating axis is inserted through, in a bearing main body, formed by a porous sintered alloy having internal pores therein, and providing a sliding face in one region of the inner peripheral face of the internal diameter, the sliding face being obtained by closing the pores which have been opened in the inner peripheral face. The density in a section preserving oil pressure, which extends from the sliding face of the bearing main body toward the outer side of the diameter, is made higher than the density in other sections of the bearing main body.

Abstract: A self-lubricating bearing includes an axle hole having a first section and a second section. The first section includes a first inner transverse length and the second section includes a second inner transverse length that is greater than the first inner transverse length. The second section is contiguous to at least one of two end faces of the self-lubricating bearing. A self-lubricating bearing assembly is constructed by a plurality of self-lubricating bearings that are stacked one another. The difference between the first inner transverse length and the second inner transverse length provides an oil-storing compartment for the lubricating oil.

Abstract: An oil-impregnated bearing and rotor shaft combination includes an oil-impregnated bearing with a central hole for pivotally holding a rotor shaft. The oil-impregnated bearing is mounted in a hole of an axle tube in a slip-fit manner. Each of two ends of the hole of the axle tube is sealed by a cap by means of tight engagement to thereby restrain the oil-impregnated bearing in the hole of the axle tube and between the caps. The rotor shaft is extended through an opening in the upper one of the caps and through the central hole of the oil-impregnated bearing with a lower end of the rotor shaft pivotally supported by an inner side of the lower one of the caps.

Abstract: An oil-impregnated sintered bearing is comprised of a cylindrical porous bearing body and a non-porous resinous slide member. The bearing body has a first portion providing a part of the slide surface of the bearing and a second portion having an inner periphery. The non-porous resinous slide member is disposed at the inner periphery of the second portion providing the other part of the slide surface. The slide member has a radial thickness that corresponds to a suitable ratio of the radial thickness of the bearing.

Abstract: A sliding bearing bushing has a first end side, a second end side, an inwardly cylindrical second longitudinal portion which is calibrated by a material compression and adjoins the second end side, a substantially hollow conical first longitudinal portion which adjoins the first end side, and a third longitudinal portion which is arranged between the first and second longitudinal portions, the third longitudinal portion transferring band-free from a contour of the second longitudinal portion into a continuous curvature so that, in a contour of the cylindrical portion straight lines located parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sliding bearing bushing are tangents to a curvature, and at least in a region of the tangents at the curvature the material of the sliding bearing bushing is compressed by calibration substantially identically strong as in the cylindrical longitudinal portion.

Abstract: A plain bearing comprises a metal backing, a layer of a porous matrix of sintered metal on the backing and a filled PTFE infiltrated into the interstices of the sintered layer and standing proud of the sintered layer, wherein the PTFE is filled with 1-20% by volume fibrillated ararmid fibres and 10-30% by volume glass The glass is preferably E-glass present as milled filaments of length 0.05-0.30 mm and diameter 0.010-0.020 mm and coated with a silene sizing agent. The fibrillated aramid fibres provide reinforcement and improved load bearing capacity and the glass provides an abrasive filler which abrades asperities on a body and creates a smooth polished surface against which to bear, thereby improving its life The PTFE preferably also includes ferric oxide and carbon black to about 1.5% and 1.2% by volume respectively which both pigment the polymer and act as fine abrasive and lubricant respectively. The carbon black content may be increased to about 10% to provide electrical conductivity.

Abstract: When sliding elements, slide bushings, vanes and Oldham rings employed in various types of refrigeration compressors and other applications meet the following conditions, they resist sticking to aluminum-base components, resist depletion of the oil film on slide faces, and exhibit excellent wear resistance. Firstly, the elements must comprise an iron-base sinter having closed cells on at least the slide face. Secondly, in order for the oil film to be maintained on the slide face by the closed cells and to enhance lubricating properties, the proportion of closed cells having circular-equivalent diameter of 10 &mgr;m or less, i.e. the number of ≦10 &mgr;m cells/total number of cells, must equal 85% or more, and the opening area of the closed cells on the slide face must equal 5% or less. Finally, the sliding element density must be 7.3 g/cm3 or higher.

Abstract: A plain bearing comprises a metal backing, a layer of a porous matrix of sintered metal on the backing and a filled PTFE infiltrated into the interstices of the sintered layer and standing proud of the sintered layer, wherein the PTFE is filled with 1-20% by volume fibrillated aramid fibres and 10-30% by volume glass. The glass is preferably E-glass present as milled filaments of length 0.05-0.30 mm and diameter 0.010-0.020 mm and coated with a silene sizing agent. The fibrillated aramid fibres provide reinforcement and improved load bearing capacity and the glass provides an abrasive filler which abrades asperities on a body and creates a smooth polished surface against which to bear, thereby improving its life. The PTFE preferably also includes ferric oxide and carbon black to about 1.5% and 1.2% by volume respectively which both pigment the polymer and act as an abrasive and lubricant respectively. The carbon black content may be increased to about 10% to provide electrical conductivity.

Abstract: The dynamic pressure bearing device is structured such that the pores of porous material as they are are disposed in the surfaces thereof forming the negative pressure cancel portions 15b and a lubricating fluid is supplied to the negative pressure generating areas thereof through the pores of the negative pressure cancel portions 15b, whereby, even if recess-shaped grooves forming the negative pressure cancel portions 15b are formed shallow in depth and wide in width, or even if such grooves themselves are not formed at all, the dynamic pressure bearing device is able to fulfill its negative pressure cancel function in a sufficient manner. This makes it possible to eliminate the need for provision of the conventional recess-shaped grooves which are formed deep and narrow, thereby eliminating the need to execute an expensive operation such as a cutting operation or the like, so that the negative pressure cancel portions 15b can be formed at a low cost by inexpensive means such as by molding or the like.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a bearing assembly includes a rotatable hub and a porous bearing surrounding the hub, a sprocket surrounding the bearing, and means for rotating the hub relative to the bearing. The porous bearing includes “lubricant channels” containing a lubricant and having inlet openings facing toward the sprocket and outlet openings facing toward the rotatable hub so that lubricant in the lubricant channels can exit through the outlet openings to lubricate the mating surfaces of the bearing and the rotatable hub. The porous bearing is permeable to fluids and thus capable of being penetrated by lubricants and greases and thus due to its porous character includes lubricant channels that function to conduct lubricants and greases from an outer surface of the porous bearing to an inner surface of the porous bearing through lubricant channels or pores formed in the porous bearing.