Bearing assembly

摘要

1,059,440. Electric motors. RORTRON MANUFACTURING CO. Inc. Dec. 1, 1965 [March 30, 1965; Aug. 2, 1965], No. 61042/65. Heading H2A. [Also in Division F2] A bearing assembly for two relativelyrotatable members comprises two axiallyspaced annular porous bearing-elements, a lubricant-retaining medium positioned between the bearing elements and seals located between the bearing elements and one of the relativelyrotatable members. The seals serve to prevent escape of lubricant, to connect the bearing elements to said one of the relatively-rotatable members, and, being resilient, facilitates selfalignment of the bearing-elements. In an embodiment, the relatively-rotatable members are a stator (10) and rotor (12) of an electric motor; the bearing-elements are porous bushes (30, 40), Figs. 1 and 2 (not shown); and the lubricant-retaining medium is a wick (60). A non-rotatable shaft (16) is attached to the stator (10) and is received by the bushes (30, 40) and the latter are connected to a stack (22) of the rotor (12) by 0-rings (56). A lubricant-retaining ring (62) is cemented to the stack (22) and a felt washer (64) is located between the ring (62) and the bearing (40). The bearing (30) has an integral portion (36) which serves as a thrust bearing, being abutted by a ring (76) which is cemented to the stack (22) and by rotatable washers (70) which are engaged by rings (72, 74) that are secured to the shaft (16). The stack (22), having an end-ring with a circumferential groove therein, is attached to a housing (20), having an annular detent formed on the interior end wall thereof. In a modification, the bearings (30, 40) and the wick (60) are replaced by a member (80), Fig. 3 (not shown), which comprises integral bearing elements (84, 86) and, being of porous material, also serves as a lubricant reservoir.