Rolls-royce Power Engineering Plc

David Edwin Yates

A boring machine having a cutter head rotatably mounted on a hydrostatic bearing. High pressure water is supplied to passageways between confronting bearing surfaces which react axial and radial loads and which are capable of relative rotational movement. The flow of pressurized water discharges from the passageways to prevent contamination of the bearing by the ingress of material removed by the cutter head in operation.

Boring machine having hydrostatic bearings

A rotating assembly (10) comprises an inner (12) and an outer ring (14) having a hydrostatic bearing therebetween. The bearing incorporates fluid passageways (30 and 32) between confronting surfaces (22, 24, 26 and 28) of the rings (12 and 14). When rotation is required the surfaces (22, 24, 26 and 28) are separated by the supply of a pressurised flow of fluid to both of the passageways (30 and 32). The bearing can be locked to prevent rotation by removal of the fluid in one of the passageways (32) whilst maintaining the flow of pressurised fluid in the other passageway (30) so as to hold confronting surfaces (26 and 28) in contact with one another. Frictional forces between the confronting surfaces (26 and 28) prevents rotation of the ring (14) and the flow of pressurised fluid prevents the confronting surfaces (26 and 28) separating under the application of a moment.

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Evesham, United Kingdom

David Edwin Yates