Improvements in Hydraulic Anti-frictional Bearings for Revolving Shafts.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application. 24th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 24th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hydraulic Anti-frictional Bearings for Revolving
Shafts.
I HENRY PHILIP HOGHTON of 11 George Street, Cheetham Hill, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to a new or improved hydraulic bearing which will be
practically frictionless, and thus save power and prevent the wearing of the
journals.
According to my invention I support the shaft upon columns of water arranged
radially to the shaft and under considerable pressure, that is to say under greater
pressure per square inch than is produced by the load ou the shaft. These columns
of water are confined within cylindrical or other shaped recesses or jackets the head
of the column being contained in a sliding ram or mouth piece which is held in
equilibrium by the water pressure and is pressed by a spring or by a slight over-
balance of water pressure against the periphery of the revolving shaft journal. The
contact lip of the sliding mouth piece is made a close fit against the shaft so as to
prevent the escape of water, or the contact surface may be made more secure against
leakage by the use of cup leathers or other suitable packings. The shape of the
contact lip against the shaft would prevent the ram mouth piece from turning on
its own axis if enclosing a sufficiently large are but any suitable means may be
adapted to prevent this. The sliding mouth piece is also itself packed to prevent
the passage of water, or the ram cylinder or recess or jacket in which it moves may
The recess in
be packed by cup leathers or flexible packings in the usual manner.
which the mouth piece slides is connected to a pressure reservoir, into which the
water is forced at a higher pressure, and in which an air space is left to provide an
elustic spring.
This higher pressure reservoir communicates with the cylinder in which the ram
mouth-piece slides, by means of a passage controlled by a valve held down on its
seat by the pressure within the reservoir. This valve has a stem which projects
through the mouth piece towards the bearing. If the pressure in the recess should
fall, through leakage-for example, or if the force from the shaft should increase so
as to cause the shaft to yield, then the shaft will press upon the outer end of the
valve stem and open the valve, thereby admitting water at higher pressure from the
reservoir, whereby the reduced column is made up and the shaft is restored to its
level. Any such yielding of the shaft would of course draw out the column of
water from which the shaft had moved away. To provide for this and to prevent
the sucking action which might follow, I would connect each water column with a
reservoir under low pressure which would follow up the receding column and keep
the recess full of water. I might have three or more water columns or hydraulic
bearings to support and confine the shaft, and the columns might either be
cylindrical as indicated or they might be prismatic or of any other convenient or
suitable form.

page_text: The ends of shafts could be supported by single hydraulic columns formed as
above and my invention might also be applied to the thrust blocks or other bearings
of marine shafts.
DL: 02-1
_T11004
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.
Improvements in Hydraulic Anti-frictional Bearings for Revolving
Shafts.
I HENRY PHILIP HOGHTON of 11 George Street, Cheetham Hill, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawings:
:-
My said invention relates to a new or improved hydraulic bearing which will be
practically frictionless and thus save power and prevent the wearing of the
journals.
According to my invention I support the shaft upon columns of water arranged
radially to the shaft and under considerable pressure, that is to say under greater
pressure per square inch than is produced by the load on the shaft. These columns
of water are confined within cylindrical or other shaped recesses or jackets, the head
of the column being contained in a sliding ram or mouth piece which is held in
equilibrium by the water pressure and is pressed by a spring or by a slight over-
balance of water pressure against the periphery of the revolving shaft journal.
a
The contact lip of the sliding mouthpiece is made a close fit against the shaft so
as to prevent the escape of water, or the contact surface may be made more secure
against leakage by the use of cup leathers or other suitable packings. The shape
of the contact lip against the shaft would prevent the ram mouth piece from turning
on its own axis if enclosing sufficiently large arc but any suitable means may be
adapted to prevent this. The sliding mouth piece is also itself packed to prevent
the passage of water, or the ram cylinder or recess or jacket in which it moves may
be packed by cup leathers or flexible packings in the usual manner. The recess in
which the mouth piece slides is connected to a pressure reservoir, into which the
water is forced at a higher pressure, and in which an air space is left to provide an
elastic spring.
This higher pressure reservoir communicates with the cylinder in which the ram
mouth piece slides, by means of a passage controlled by a valve held down on its
seat by the pressure within the reservoir. This valve has a stem which projects
through the mouth piece towards the bearing. If the pressure in the recess should
fall, through leakage for example, or if the force from the shaft should increase so
as to cause the shaft to yield then the shaft will press upon the outer end of the
valve stem and open the valve, thereby admitting water at higher pressure from
the reservoir, whereby the reduced column is made up and the shaft is restored to
its level.
1 might have three or more water columns or hydraulic bearings to support and
confine the shaft, and the columns might either be cylindrical as indicated or they
might be prismatic or of any other convenient or suitable form.
To render my invention more fully understood I will now proceed to describe the
same in greater detail referring in the course of my description to the annexed sheet
of illustrative drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a hydraulic bearing the section being taken at right
angles to the axial line of the shaft.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken in line with the axis.

page_text: The hydraulic bearing may be carried in any suitable support or bracket, for
example in the plummer block A and attachments. In a triple water column
arrangement such as is shown in the drawings, I form the water cylinder or recess B
in one piece with the plummer block A and immediately beneath the shaft C, and
I mount the cylinders or vessels D and E to contain the other water columus, upon
the plummer block in the manner shown. In the recess B and in the vessels D
and E I place hollow or sleeve rams B', D' and E', the cylinders or recesses being
bored or machined to fit the rams. In the sides of the rams or in the walls of the
cylinders or recesses I fit cup leathers F to prevent leakage past the peripheries of
the rams.
The rams in their normal position have their inner ends held against the revolving
shaft C by the water pressure, and to prevent or minimise leakage past these ends
I also pack them with cup leathers G or other suitable packings. Spaces concentric
with the shaft extend between each ram as clearly seen in Fig. 1, and these spaces.
will receive any water which may leak past the ram ends.
I may make the rams with a slight preponderance of area at the ends further
from the shaft. so as to ensure that they are held against the shaft but otherwise the
rums may be held up against the shaft by springs H either arranged in the mauver
shown or in any other suitable manner. The hydraulic pressure is introduced to
the various cylinders or recesses and rams through passages B², D and E³ com-
municating with a reservoir or with reservoirs containing pressure and in which an
air space preferably exists to provide for a certain amount of elasticity. The
cupped shapes of the ram ends where they touch the shaft prevents them from
turning. It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the plummer block is packed with cup
leathers at each side where the shatt projects through so as to prevent or minimise
leakage at the sides. I might arrange to have the greatest hydraulic pressure at
the foot in the cavity B, as the greatest weight of the shaft is upheld at that
point.
It will be seen from the hereinbefore described arrangement that the weight of
the shaft C and its sidelong or diagonal thrusts are taken by the columns of.
hydraulic pressure confined by the rams B', D' and E¹.
I arrange that the upper lips of the respective rams shall be held against the
shaft C with no more pressure than is necessary to prevent leakage or excessive
leakage past the said lips, the whole weight and resistance being practically taken
by the columns of water. The friction between the water and the shaft being
either non-existent or almost inappreciable less power is required to rotate the shaft
and practically no wear takes place.
To prevent the shaft C from falling beneath its proper normal level or to restore
it to such level if it should decline, I arrange that the pressure reservoir which
feeds the cylinder or recess B shall contain water at a higher pressure than the
recess, and I also provide that when the shaft declines below its proper normal
level, it shall operate a valve or tap controlling the communication between the said
higher pressure reservoir and the cylinder B. By this means a little more pressure
would be admitted to the cylinder B and the shaft would thus be restored to its
proper level, the valve or tap then closing. The simplest arrangement of valve
would be to have the stem in juxta-position to the shaft so that when the shaft
dropped the valve would be opened. But in most cases seeing that the movement
of the shaft would be but small it would be necessary to interpose some motion
multiplying means between the shaft and the valve.
For example referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, I show a portion of the under
side of the shaft C, the full lines representing its position at its normal level, while
the dotted line shows the position it might assume if it dropped or canted from its
true level. Beneath the shaft in the example illustrated I rig a spindle I held in
bearings J J and carrying a friction disc K just clear of the shaft C at its normal
level. The bearing J' is screwed and the spindle I also is screwed at that point.
The outer knob end of the spindle I presses upon a lever L which extends from a
pressure controlling tap M situated between the higher pressure reservoir and the

page_text: cylinder B. A spring N holds the lever L constantly against the end of the
spindle I. A spring also connects the screwed end of the spindle to a fixed
part P this spring O being sufficiently strong to return to its original position and
to retract the spindle I if the friction disc should be free from the shaft C. The
working is as follows. If the shaft C should drop it encounters the friction disc K
thereby causing the spindle I to revolve and screw itself forward pushing the
lever Lover so as to open the tap and make good the deficiency of pressure so as
to raise the shaft C again, whereupon the disc K is freed and the spring O turns
back the spindle and parts to their normal position when the disc K is again
brought in contact with the shaft, if the latter has not yet been sufficiently raised,
the valve M remaining open to a greater or less extent until the shaft has been
raised to its proper level whereupon the tap M becomes entirely closed.
To prevent bending of the spindle I under the weight of the dropping shaft C
I might mount one or both of the spindle bearings J J¹ upon a spring or elastic
bedding which would yield to the weight of the shaft and allow the spindle I to be
slightly depressed.
Auxiliary reservoirs or heads of water in connection with the superposed
cylinders or recesses prevent any vacuum in these cylinders and keep them full and
under pressure so as to follow up the shaft C if it should drop back pressure valves
being provided.
I might have any suitable number of the indicated cylinders or recesses, water
columns and rams and the said recesses and rams might be of any convenient shape.
My invention might also be applied to footstep or thrust block bearings. Any
suitable liquid other than water might be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that
what I claim is.
1. The improved hydraulic antifrictional bearings for revolving shafts and the
like, substantially as described and as shown.
2. Supporting the bearings of revolving shafts and the like upon a body or bodies
of liquid confined in a chamber or chambers in the manner and substantially by the
means herein before described and illustrated.
3. A hydraulic bearing for revolving shafts and the like composed of any suitable
number of cylinders or recesses arranged beneath or around a revolving shaft and
containing liquid under pressure, the said cylinders or recesses being also provided
with means such as the sliding hollow or sleeve rams set forth or other equivalent
means to confine the supporting columns of liquid and prevent or minimise leakage
of the same substantially as described and shown.
4. In combination with bydraulic bearings of the indicated nature, the means for
preserving the shaft at its normal level substantially as described and as indicated
in Fig. 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1895.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.