Glacier Garlock Bearings, Inc.

Dana Corporation

Julie Ann McDonald

David Geoffrey Hall

Anthony Latkowski

John Edward Wheatley

The bearing comprises a metal backing, a sintered layer on said metal backing, and a lining layer infiltrated into pores of the sintered layer and standing proud thereof to provide a bearing surface. The lining layer comprises polytetrafluoroethylene including 2 to 10% by volume of fibrillated aramid fibres.

Manufacture of plain bearings

A method of manufacturing a bearing material, a bearing material and a bearing having the bearing material on a strong backing are described. The method includes the steps of forming a water-based slurry having a solids content comprising 30 to 80% by volume of a fluoro-polymer, 5 to 30% by volume of web-forming fibrillated fibers, and 5 to 40% by volume of filler material selected from at least one of the group comprising: inorganic fibers; inorganic particulate material; metal fibers; metal powders; organic fibers; organic particulate material; and, organic matrix strengthening agents, the web-forming and filler materials being resistant to temperatures above the melting point or curing temperature of the fluoro-polymer; depositing a layer of the slurry on to a substrate so that the water drains from the layer and a deposited layer is formed in which the web-forming fibers form a web containing the fluoro-polymer and the filler material; and, heating the deposited layer to a temperature above the melting point of the fluoro-polymer in order to cure the fluoro-polymer.

A method of forming a bearing includes adding at least one particulate material to an aqueous dispersion of polytetrafluoroethylene, mixing the constituents to allow the polytetrafluoroethylene to coagulate to form a mush, spreading the mush on to a support, and curing the mush to form a bearing lining layer on the support. The method is characterized in that the partiulate material is in the form of an aqueous colloidal dispersion including small particles and in that the small particles of the particulate material itself cause coagulation of the polytetrafluoroethylene without need for an additional separate coagulant material.

Growing community of inventors

Rugby, United Kingdom

Julie Ann McDonald