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:
May. 25, 2004
Filed:
Dec. 16, 2002
William H. Miller, Raleigh, NC (US);
WHM Holding Corporation, Cohoes, NY (US);
Abstract
A thrust bearing tilting pad has face with a border region including an engagement surface and defining a pocket with generally longitudinal sidebars and a bottom. The pad has leading and trailing portions, with the face extending generally longitudinally therebetween. The leading and trailing portions can be positioned upstream and downstream, respectively, relative to a direction of movement of a runner. The pad is pivotally supported by (e.g., mechanical and/or hydrostatic) pivot and can cooperate with one or more other pads and fluid within a housing to hydrodynamically and mechanically support the runner in an axial position. In another embodiment, the pad tilts free of mechanical engagement with other pads. The leading portion can define an entrance to the pocket and the sidebars can converge along the direction of motion of the runner. The pocket hydrodynamically increases pressure on the runner during rotation, and generates pressure effecting on the face counteraction force about the pivot and upstream relative to the rotation direction in order to counteract spragging force. The pocket can also have a generally tapered profile or an abrupt step.