Carrier in a bearing assembly for enabling axial motion of a free end of

Abstract

In a bearing assembly supporting the free end of a drive shaft, a carrier for enabling axial motion of the assembly to accommodate thermal expansion of the shaft during extended power-transmission operations has a meandering cross-section with a thin U-shaped central or middle section and a pair of thick-walled Z-shaped peripheral sections. The sections are annular and together define a central wide groove and a pair of flanking narrow grooves. The inner Z-shaped section is attached to the outer race of a bearing whose other race is rigid with the shaft, while the outer Z-shaped section is fastened to a housing. The thin walls of the central carrier section permits a limited axial movability of the bearing assembly, while the annular shapes of the carrier sections, in particular the thick sections, inhibit axial or transverse motion of the shaft. A radial face of the inner Z-shaped carrier section defines, together with an inner surface of the housing, a gap which receives oil from a lubricating sump in the housing, the oil in the gap serving to damp axial shocks and vibrations in the shaft arising from the load.