Abstract: The bearing pads of a hydrodynamic tilting pad thrust bearing are cut from a ring and arranged in a circle within a retainer for bearing the load of a collar fastened to a rotating shaft. The leading and trailing edges of respective adjacent pads contain open edge grooves which together form a pocket for receiving and dispensing lubricating and cooling oil under controlled conditions. Semicircular grooves in the edges of the adjacent pads together form generally circular ducts through which the oil is conducted to the pockets.

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.

Abstract: A thrust bearing device is constructed to comprise a sliding disk; anda sliding shoe member;both having a sliding surface respectively adapted to slidably contact with each other and one of which is arranged to be the rotary side of the bearing device and the other arranged to be the stationary side, the sliding shoe member being a unitary member formed in a special configuration in that it is provided with plural sliding shoes supported on a common base through ribs, each shoe having a flat surface coplanar with the flat surfaces of the other shoes to constitute a common sliding surface of the shoe member. The stationary side of the device is fixed on a motor bracket with an elastic sheet interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A bearing structure which may, for example, be used for rotatable mounting of a turret or a rig (11) on the hull (14) of a vessel comprises a first annular bearing surface which is supported by the vessel hull (14), and which may be substantially plane or cylindrical. A second annular bearing surface which is in engagement with and supported by the first bearing surface is formed on the turret or rig (11). The hull (14) of the vessel is exposed to heavy forces caused by wind and waves, and such forces may cause deformations of the hull and consequently of said first bearing surface. In order to compensate for such deformations, the first bearing surface is divided into sections, and position control means, such as mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic spring means, are provided for maintaining all of the bearing surface sections in abutting engagement with said second bearing surface formed on the turret or rig (11).

Abstract: A tilting pad thrust bearing in which the sector-shaped pads are supported on individual disks. A runner runs on top of the pads. The disks have a spherical element projecting from their bottoms. The elements make tangential contact with a stationary support ring and the pads and disks tilt about an axis on which the point of tangency lies. The tilt axis of each pad is located at 70% to 80% of the length of an arc extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the pad midway between the radially outermost and innermost edge of the pad.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic bearing is disclosed in which there are a plurality of bearing pads that each have a face member and a support member, the pad being separated from the support member by at least one leg-like ligament. Each leg-like ligament is arranged at an angle to the pad face to permit the pad to rock for shaft alignment and may be provided with a dog leg portion to permit movement of the pad in the direction of the load to compensate for unequal loads.

Abstract: A thrust bearing particularly suitable for use with a vertical shaft machine has a rotating ring mounted to the shaft for rotation with the shaft and having a downwardly directed bearing surface. A base ring is positioned around the shaft and fixedly mounted to a machine foundation. A plurality of segmented bearing shoes extend around the shaft and have upwardly directed bearing surfaces for bearing engagement with the bearing surface of the rotating ring. Each shoe is supported from the base ring by a plurality of hydraulic elements which in one form are cylinders fixed to the base ring with pistons extending axially therefrom to engage the respective bearing shoe. Each cylinder is connected to a manifold to provide to each cylinder a hydraulic fluid under pressure. Because the source is common, each cylinder has hydraulic fluid at the same pressure.

Abstract: Bearing for rotary shaft, of the type comprising at least one bearing element with a friction surface contacting with one external surface of the shaft. The bearing element comprises a bearing block on which is defined the friction surface and a support housing having an opening for receiving the block. The block and the housing are separated over the whole periphery of the opening by a gap, and joined together resiliently through the gap. The block and housing together define a closed cavity filled with a substantially incompressible fluid.

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.

Abstract: A drive device for driving a drill bit for drilling bore holes in underground formations comprises a tubular housing for attachment to a drill string with a rotary drive means in the housing arranged to be driven by fluid forced through the housing. The rotary drive means drives an output shaft for connecting to a drill bit, the output shaft being supported by at least one axial bearing which comprises a continuous bearing ring and a retaining ring carrying a plurality of bearing segments which are swivellingly mounted to provide for a spacing of reducing cross-section between the bearing surfaces so that relative rotation of the bearing ring and bearing segments causes fluid to flow into the space and build up a hydrodynamic lubricating film.

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.

Abstract: A fluid bearing is disclosed which consists essentially of a number of bearing pads, each having a face member and a support member that are separated and bonded together by an elastomeric material. The face member will have a load engaging surface, and its back surface will have at least one arcuate portion to provide a point of inflection which opposes an identical arcuate surface providing another point of inflection located on the support member. In operation the pad which operates in a fluid that serves as a lubricant will develop friction and pressure forces, which move the pad in such a way as to provide a wedge for hydrodynamic lubrication.

Abstract: A thrust bearing assembly includes a carrier member having formed therein an annular slot, a plurality of bearing members, which may be thrust pads or guide members, being received within the slot. Each bearing member has a radially outer surface and an opposed radially inner surface, two spaced regions of the radially outer surface making bearing contact with the associated radially outer sidewall of the annular slot, and a region of the radially inner surface of the bearing member making bearing contact with the associated radially inner sidewall of the annular slot. The bearing contacts prevent, for each bearing member in the carrier member, both radial movement and rotational movement about an axis through the bearing member, and are such that the bearing members are capable of being fitted into slots within a wide range of curvatures.

Abstract: A tilting pad thrust bearing comprising a bearing ring, a number of spaced, circumferentially mounted thrust pads, and a series of oil nozzles located in the spaces between the pads. The pads are mounted to pivot on the ring by means of two pins arranged to fit slackly into corresponding holes in the pad.

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.

Abstract: A tilting pad thrust bearing wherein each bearing pad in a circular array of pads is held in a retainer and is provided with a radially extending rib on the side opposite of the side that receives the thrust load. There are disks that have a planar surface on one side and a spherical surface on an axially opposite side. The respective ribs of the pads bear on the planar surfaces of the disks. The spherical surfaces of the disks bear on angulated wings of two adjacent leveling links in a circular array of links. The links have radial holes and are supported for pivoting on pins that extend radially from the retainer. The periphery of each pin makes tangential line contact with a hole. An extrapolation of the angulated wing surfaces extends through the line contact so there is no moment arm for frictional forces at the point contact on the wings to act through and free pivoting of the leveling links is not impaired.