Patent ID: 7736062

Claim:
For machinery comprising rotary components attached to at least one drive shaft, at least one rotary bearing to position the drive shaft with a rotational freedom of movement about a drive shaft axis and associated stationary components with at least one predetermined clearance from the rotary components, apparatus for preventing the rotary components from contacting the stationary components upon failure of the bearing, comprising: a rotary backup bearing sleeve attached to the drive shaft proximate the bearing comprising a rotary radial surface relative to the drive shaft axis and a rotary axial surface relative to the drive shaft axis; and a stationary backup bearing collar mounted to one of the stationary components proximate the rotary backup bearing sleeve comprising a stationary radial surface relative to the drive shaft axis proximate the rotary radial surface with a predetermined axial clearance and a stationary axial surface relative to the drive shaft axis proximate the rotary radial surface with a predetermined axial clearance; wherein the rotary backup bearing sleeve contacts the stationary backup bearing collar upon failure of the bearing and the predetermined axial and radial clearances limit deviation of the rotary components to less than the predetermined clearance from the stationary components.