Improvements in bearings

摘要

728,918. Fluid bearings. SOC. D'ETUDE ET D'EXPLOITATION DU PALIER FLUIDE, S.E.E.P.F. July 16, 1952 [July 31, 1951], No. 18023/52. Class 12 (1). [Also in Group XXIX] A fluid bearing for maintaining a shaft &c. in a concentric position, supports a journal 1, Fig. 4, on which a grinding-wheel 2 is mounted and is sectioned at A-A; B-B to show four main fluid chambers 4 and two auxiliary control chambers 14, the vertical pair of chambers 4 being fed directly from a pump 9 whilst the horizontal pair are fed with pressure fluid from the pump through a valve 7, 8, operated by pressure variations in the chambers 14. When the shaft is running concentrically in the bearing, the valve is centrally positioned as shown so that pipes 6 supply fluid to the horizontal chambers 4 at equal pressure. The chambers 14 are supplied through pipes 15 and constrictions 16 in the valve, the fluid in the chambers 4 and 14 being constantly discharged to the sump 12 through grooves 11 and 17 respectively which are disposed in alignment. When the wheel 2 is subjected to a radial horizontal force the pressure is increased in the chamber 14 on that side of the bearing to which the shaft moves, and decreased in the opposite chamber 14. The. increase of pressure in the first chamber 14 is transmitted by pipe 15 to one face of the valve to move it to increase flow of fluid to that chamber 4 towards which the shaft moves, thus setting up a shaft re-centring force. In a modification, the shaft may also be centred in the vertical direction or in three or more radial directions, e.g. 120‹ apart. The pressures in the chambers 14 may also be used to decentralize the shaft in a copy-grinding machine, the template operating a valve to which branches of the pipes 15 are connected, the pump also supplying through a pipe to the top of this valve so that movements of the valve corresponding to the template varies the pressures in the chambers 14, which as already described, control the pressures in the main chambers 4. In another embodiment the pressures in the chambers 14 operate pistons mounted gymbal fashion on two rings concentric with the bearing, the pistons controlling the fluid flow to the chambers 4. In yet another embodiment, only one chamber 14 is provided, one end of the valve controlling the chambers 4 being acted upon by direct pressure from the pump, this direct pressure, however, acting upon a reduced area of the valve end. Specifications 642,891 and 687,371 are referred to.