GB2441579A

GB2441579A - A bearing arrangement having lubricant diverting means

Info

Publication number: GB2441579A
Application number: GB0612823A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Roddis
Original assignee: AES Engineering Ltd
Current assignee: AES Engineering Ltd
Priority date: 2006-05-16
Filing date: 2006-06-28
Publication date: 2008-03-12
Also published as: GB0612823D0; GB0610701D0; GB0609678D0

Abstract

A bearing chamber (1, fig 1) comprises a housing having a cylindrical inner wall (5, fig 1) and bearings (9, fig 1) located at opposite longitudinal ends of the chamber to support a rotating shaft (11, fig 1). The chamber is, in use, partially filled with a liquid lubricant such as oil and means for diverting 33 the lubricant are present to direct the lubricant which is travelling outwardly from the shaft (11, fig 1) towards the inner wall (5, fig 1) in the direction of the bearings. The means for diverting 33 may comprise the inner wall (5, fig 1) being shaped or angled to effect deflection. Alternatively a non-integral diverter (41, fig 7) maybe present to deflect the oil towards the bearings (9, fig 1).

Description

* 2441579

BEARING LUBRICATION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the lubrication of bearings, particularly, bearings for shafts such as pump shafts. With reference to the radial envelope to pump shaft bearing but it should be appreciated that the invention has applicability to other items of equipment in which a rotatable member, such as a shaft, extends through a bearing chamber, the bearing being lubricated by lubricant liquid contained within or fed to the bearing chamber during rotation of the shaft.

Background to the Invention

Bearing chambers are well known typically in the form of a housing through which a rotatable shaft extends, the shaft being mounted within the housing by bearings at each longitudinal end thereof. In a typical bearing chamber a lubricant fluid, such as oil, partially fills the lower region of the chamber below the shaft and the shaft may be provided with means for disturbing the oil during rotation of the shaft so that the oil is caused to come into contact with the bearings, thereby lubricating them. Such a process is sometimes referred to as splash oil lubrication and the elements which may be attached to the shaft include devices termed oil rings, splash rings or finger disks. All these devices extend outwardly from the shaft, particularly during the rotation thereof. They engage the reservoir of fluid below the shaft and cause at least some of the fluid flowing upwardly and outwardly within the bearing chamber.

The action of the shaft, together with any devices attached thereto, is such that the lubricating fluid is caused to travel radially with respect to the shaft until it hits the inner wall of the chamber when it either falls back onto the shaft or runs around the inner wall until it returns to the reservoir of fluid below the shaft. Accordingly, most of the fluid does not impinge upon the bearings but is simply returned to the fluid reservoir without effecting any sort of lubricating action.

Statements of the tnvention

According to the present invention there is provided a bearing chamber comprising a housing having a substantially cylindrical inner wall, bearings located at opposite longitudinal ends of said chamber for accommodating a rotating shaft, the chamber being, in use, partially filled with a liquid lubricant and said chamber having means for diverting, in directions towards the bearings, a lubricant travelling outwardly towards said inner wall from said shaft.

Preferably the shaft is provided with means for effecting said outward movement of the lubricant.

Preferably said movement effecting means comprise one or more oil rings, oil splash rings or finger disks.

Preferably the inner wall is shaped to effect said deflection. For instance, the inner wall may be angled relative to the longitudinal axis. Preferably the inner wall is provided with adjacent longitudinal regions of the inner wall which are opposite the angle relative to the longitudinal axis.

Alternatively, the inner wall of the chamber may be shaped to provide lubricant collectors which collect the lubricant and channel it in a direction towards the bearings. These lubricant collectors may be in the form of upwardly facing channels which extend longitudinally within the bearing chamber. The channel-like collectors may be arcuate with the centre of each collector lying closer to the inner wall than the ends thereof.

The bearing chamber may, instead of being internally shaped to provide a lubricant diverting region, be of conventional inner shape and be fitted with non-integral fluid diverters. In this case, the one or more integral non-integral fluid diverters may be generally arcuate shaped the ends of which extend into channels located above bearings within the chamber so that fluid is fed from the chamber to that side of the bearings, the dry side, remote from the chamber in order to provide effective lubrication.

Diverters may be in the form or one or more open-ended channel shaped elements, each of which preferably extends longitudinally in an arcuate manner with the centre of the element lying closer to the inner wall than the ends thereof. For instance, the diverting member is in the fomi of a series of spaced-apart, linked together channel-shaped elements.

As an alternative, the diverting member may be a single channel-shaped element of relatively large width. Whether use is made of one or more than one channel-shaped elements, it is preferred that it or they are arcuate in longitudinal section, the sidewalls of each channel extending longitudinally.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The accompanying drawings are as follows:- * Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a conventional bearing chamber having a shaft extending therethrough; * Figure 2 is a perspective view, partially cut-away, of a first embodiment of a bearing chamber of the present invention; * Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the bearing chamber of Figure 2; * Figure 4 is a perspective view, partially cut-away, of a second embodiment of a bearing chamber of the invention; * Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a bearing chamber of Figure 4; * Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the principle of operation of the present invention in one or more of its forms; * Figure 7 is a perspective view, partially cut-away, of a third embodiment of a bearing chamber in accordance with the present invention * Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of the bearing chamber of Figure 7; * Figure 9 is a perspective view of diverting means forming part of a fourth embodiment of a bearing chamber in accordance with the present invention; and * Figure 10 is a perspective view, partially cut away, of the fourth embodiment of a bearing chamber.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The present invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a bearing chamber (1) in the form of a housing having a central cylindrical chamber with a cylindrical inner wall (5), with chamber (3) having inwardly stepped ends (6, 7), each of which is provided with a bearing arrangement (9). Extending through the bearing chamber (1) is a shaft which forms the power end of a pump (not shown).

Shaft (11) is provided with an attached finger disk (13) located substantially centrally within chamber (1). The centre of chamber (1) is partially filled with oil to a level below the lower part of shaft (11). Flinger disk (13) extends radially into contact with the oil and, during rotation of the shaft, the finger disk will agitate the oil and cause it to be flung outwardly and upwardly within the chamber (1). The oil will impinge upon the inner wall (5) of chamber (1) and then drop back down onto the drive shaft or run peripherally around the chamber (5) until it reaches the oil reservoir below the shaft. Accordingly, only a relatively small amount of oil will find its way into contact with the bearings (9).

Referring to Figures (2) and (3) of the accompanying drawings, a first embodiment of a bearing chamber (21) in accordance with the present invention is as described above, with reference to Figure (1), and includes a finger disk (not shown). An upper portion of the inner wall of the chamber provides angled regions (33) as illustrated which are longitudinally adjacent and any two adjacent regions are oppositely inclined with reference to the longitudinal axis. The peripheral extent of these angled regions may be such as to subtend an angle from about 15 to 45 .

Referring to Figures (4) and (5) of the accompanying drawings, the second embodiment in accordance with the present invention is again substantially as illustrated and described with reference to Figure (1) above (although with the finger disk not shown). In this case the means for diverting the movement of the oil flung up from the reservoir below the shaft is in the form of a series of ribs (31) which are integral with the wall of the bearing chamber and formed during the casting of the chamber. Each rib (31) extends longitudinally within the chamber and is shaped to provide a channel extending longitudinally and with its open end facing radially outwardly. Each rib is also slightly arcuate in its extension from one step in the end of the chamber to the other. Furthermore, each rib terminates at each end just short of a respective stepped end of the chamber. Some of the liquid thrown up as a result of the rotation of the shaft will find its way into the channelled rib and Will run along the rib to one or other of its ends and there run downwardly into the region of a respective bearing.

Referring now to Figure (6) of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated the principle of operation of the present invention in the case where the fluid diverter (35) is some form of arcuate collector such as a tray or a series of parallel channel-shaped members. The diverter (35) extends, at each side of the bearing chamber into a part annular recess (36) in the wall (7) of the bearing chamber. Extending from recess (36) across the chamber wall and above the bearing (9) is a channel (38) which provides a path for the fluid from recess (36) to a further recess (39) which opens downwardly into a short channel (42) which runs down the upper part of the outer side of bearing (9).

The above described arrangement provides an overall flow path for fluid, as indicated by the arrows in Figure (6). This flow path extends from diverter (35) into recess (36) along channel (38) and down channel (42) where the fluid may run into the moving parts of bearing (9). In this way, lubricant is conveyed to the dry side of the bearing.

S

Referring to Figures (7) and (8) of the accompanying drawings, a third embodiment in accordance with the present invention achieves substantially the same mode of action as that of Figures (4) and (5) by the use of a separate oil diverter (41) rather than one integrally formed with the chamber itself. The mode of action of such an arrangement is as illustrated in Figure (6) and as described above. In this case the diverter (41)is in the form of a plurality of elongate channel shaped members (43) which are linked together by means of peripherally extending rods (45). Each channel shaped element (43) terminates short of the stepped ends of the chamber and is arcuate with its central portion running closer to the inner wall of the chamber than its ends. Accordingly, oil splashed up as a result of the rotation of the shaft will finds its way into the channels of elements (43) and will then run longitudinally to the ends of the channels and thence drop into the vicinity of the bearings.

Referring to Figures (9) and (10) of the accompanying drawings, a fourth embodiment of a bearing chamber in accordance with the present invention makes use of a relatively wide single channel-shaped member (51) which either based at (3) and opposed sidewalls (55) and (57). Channel-shaped member (51) is open at its longitudinal end and in longitudinal section is arcuate. Figure (10) shows the channel-shaped number (51) in position within bearing chamber (59). In this example, the channel-shaped member (51) is about 50mm wide and the sidewalls (55) and (57) extend upwardly from base (53) by about 5mm. The length of channel-shaped member (51) is somewhat greater than the distance between the beatings (61) and (63) and in position within the bearing chamber (59), channel-shaped member (51) provides an arched deflector which slopes down from its centre to each bearing (61) and (63).

Channel-shaped member (51) can be shaped and dimensioned to be locatable into cast slots above each bearing, these slots being provided with the bearing chambers of many pumps.

Oil, which is splashed up in the centre of chamber, is caught on the upper surface of the channel-shaped member (51) and directed into the slot centres. In this way the oil passes over each beating falling at the dry side (lab side) of the bearing, thus lubricating the hottest side of the beating.

Claims

1. A beanng chamber comprising a housing having a substantially cylindrical inner wall, bearings located at opposite longitudinal ends of said chamber for accommodating a rotating shaft, the chamber being, in use, partially filled with a liquid lubricant and said chamber having means for diverting, in directions towards the bearings, a lubricant travelling outwardly towards said inner wall from said shaft.

2. A bearing chamber according to Claim 1, wherein the shaft is provided with means for effecting said outward movement of the lubricant.

3. A bearing chamber according to Claim 3, wherein said movement effecting means comprise one or more oil rings, oil splash rings or finger disks.

4. A bearing chamber according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inner wall is shaped to effect said deflection.

5. A bearing chamber according to Claim 4, wherein inner wall may be angled relative to the longitudinal axis.

6. A bearing chamber according to Claim 5, wherein inner wall is provided with adjacent longitudinal regions of the inner wall which are opposite.the angle relative to the longitudinal axis.

7. A bearing chamber according to Claim 4, wherein the inner wall of the chamber is shaped to provide lubricant collectors which collect the lubricant and channel it in a direction towards the bearings.

8. A bearing chamber according to Claim 7, wherein the lubricant collectors are in the form of upwardly facing channels which extend longitudinally within the bearing chamber.

9. A bearing chamber according to Claim 8, wherein the collectors are arcuate with the centre of each collector tying closer to the inner wall than the ends thereof.

10. A bearing chamber according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the chamber is fitted with one or more non-integral fluid diverters.

11. A bearing chamber according to Claim 10, where the one or more non-integral fluid diverters are generally arcuate shaped the ends of which extend into channels located above bearings within the chamber so that fluid is fed from the chamber to that side of the beatings remote from the chamber in order to provide effective lubncation.

12. A bearing chamber according to Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein said diverters are in the form or one or more open-ended channel shaped elements.

13. A bearing chamber according to Claim 12, wherein at least some of which extend longitudinally in an arcuate manner with the centre of the element lying closer to the inner wall than the ends thereof.

14. A bearing chamber according to Claim 13, wherein the diverting member is in the form of a series of spaced-apart, linked together channel-shaped elements.

15. A bearing chamber according to Claim 12, wherein the diverting means is a single channel-shaped element which is arcuate in longitudinal section and which has sidewalls which extend longitudinally.

16. A beating chamber according to Claim 1, and substantially as herein described.

17. A bearing chamber substantially as herein described with reference to Figures (2) and (3), Figures (4) and (5), Figures (7) and (8), or Figures (9) and (10) of the accompanying drawings.