The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 11, 1977
Filed:
Feb. 23, 1976
Roger O Bjerk, Edelstein, IL (US);
Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, IL (US);
Abstract
An air bearing is coaxially mounted around a rotatable shaft, such as an engine crankshaft, by means of a bellows-like tube or resilient material. Air flows through the tube into an air chamber partly formed by a bearing sleeve to the bearing face. The bearing sleeve is concentrically received within and spaced from a double flange thrust sleeve which is mounted on a shaft by a plurality of 'O'-ring seals. A plurality of air jets in both axial and the radial direction allow co-action of both thrust sleeves by means of the air flow therebetween. Stabilizing of the seal is provided by the air jets. Small, flexible lip seals on opposite faces of the bearing sleeve are lifted away from contact with the double flange sleeve when the shaft is rotating, thereby minimizing lip seal wear. The bearing seal provides streams of air which flow past the seal to prevent oil or contaminants from moving in a direction opposite to the air flow direction.