General Electric Company

Brent L Bristol

Christopher Charles Glynn

Wu-Yang Tseng

Rolf R Hetico

Edward Atkinson

Rok Sribar

An X-ray tube frame support assembly includes an annular support structure defining an interior chamber and having an interior surface surrounding and spaced radially outwardly from an X-ray tube frame disposed within the interior chamber, a quantity of cooling fluid contained in the interior chamber about the X-ray tube frame, and contact elements spaced from one another and mounted to the support structure so as to protrude radially inwardly from the interior surface into the interior chamber of the support structure and through the quantity of cooling fluid contained therein toward the X-ray tube frame such that the contact elements contact and hold the X-ray tube frame therebetween. Each contact element includes a body defining a hollow interior cavity and having apertures allowing passage of the cooling fluid into and from the interior cavity of the body for providing a passive damping of any vibrational movement of the X-ray tube frame.

X-ray tube frame support assembly

In an X-ray tube provided with a frame, a rotary bearing, and a target and anode supported by the rotary bearing for rotation with respect to the frame, an improved arrangement is provided for preloading the rotary bearing. The arrangement comprises a housing fixably joined to the frame, the housing provided with a cylindrical inner wall and disposed to receive the rotary bearing, and a spring or the like for applying an axial force to the bearing race, to selectively preload the bearing balls or other rotary elements of the bearing. The arrangement further comprises a linear bearing positioned between the bearing race and the cylindrical inner wall, to enable the bearing race to move axially with respect to the housing in response to the applied axial force. The linear bearing comprises a selected number of linear bearing rows in closely spaced relationship with one another, each of the linear bearing rows comprising a number of linear bearing balls positioned in a circular array around the rotary bearing race.

Bearing preload arrangement with linear bearing component for X-ray tube

There is provided by the present invention a brush seal including apparatus for reducing bristle vibrations, such as a damper, that engages the upstream side of the bristle pack of the brush seal so as to absorb vibrations and therefore reduce chamfering of the bristle pack.

Brush seal

A brush seal is provided having a plurality of bristle layers sandwiched between a pair of circumferential plates with the upstream layers of bristles having a higher first fundamental vibration frequency than downstream seal layers. Such a seal has bristles in the upstream layer or layers that have a greater cross sectional area, a lesser lay angle, are shorter, or some combination of the foregoing.

An improved brush seal for reducing swirl, recirculation and turbulence of an approaching gas stream to reduce irregular bristle wear and operating costs. The brush real may include a baffle of the honeycomb type or circumferentially stacked plates type, positive or negative steps in the flow path approaching a seal stage, and recirculation breakers.

The present invention provides a brush seal having upstream and downstream plates that sandwich therebetween a plurality of bristles that sealingly contact a rotating member. The downstream plate includes primary and secondary backing rings with a flexible connection extending between the two rings so as to permit relative radial movement therebetween.

Brush seal with flexible backing plate

A multiple stage brush seal having a controlled distribution of pressure drops across each stage of the seal is provided. The pressure drop across each stage is controlled by one or a combination of the following structural arrangements: increased clearance gaps, reduced bristle packing, and venting holes in the seal stage backing plate.

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Milford, OH, United States of America

Brent L Bristol