General Electric Company

Gary Charles Popham

John Matthew Sassatelli

Michael Raymond Kolk

Virgil Vaillancourt

An apparatus and method suitable for supporting a cylindrical component. The apparatus includes a pedestal having an upper surface with a semispherical concave shape, and a carriage supported on the upper surface of the pedestal. The carriage has a lower surface and an oppositely-disposed upper surface with elements for contacting and rotatably supporting the cylindrical component. The lower surface of the carriage engages the upper surface of the pedestal and has a semispherical convex shape complementary to the semispherical concave shape of the upper surface of the pedestal. The apparatus further includes a reservoir at and recessed in the upper surface of the pedestal, and a feature for delivering a lubricant to the lubricant reservoir. The lower surface of the carriage and the upper surface of the pedestal define an enclosure around the reservoir.

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Gardner, MA, United States of America

Gary Charles Popham