Patent ID: 7765666

Claim:
A device configured for use with a rotating machine having a shaft with a first end and a second end, a first bearing bracket coupled to a a first bearing assembly having a bearing surrounding the shaft at the first end, and a second bearing bracket coupled to a second bearing assembly having a bearing surrounding the shaft at the second end, the device comprising: a bearing removal device comprising: a shaft contacting element configured to contact the first end of the shaft; a bearing assembly engagement element configured to engage the first bearing assembly; and a connector element connecting the shaft contacting element to the bearing assembly engagement element; where the shaft contacting element, the bearing bracket assembly engagement element, and the connector element are configured with respect to each other such that at least a portion of the connector element will be positioned outside the first bearing assembly; and where the connector element comprises a flat plate in which at least three circular threaded openings are formed, the shaft contacting element comprises at least one bolt threaded through one of the circular threaded openings, the bearing assembly engagement element comprises at least two bolts that are respectively threaded through at least two of the other circular threaded openings, and the shaft contacting element is centered between the at least two bolts of the bearing assembly engagement element; and a load-balancing device comprising: a shaft engagement element configured to engage the second end of the shaft; a bearing bracket engagement element configured to engage the second bearing bracket; and a second connector element connecting the shaft engagement element to the bearing bracket engagement element; where the shaft engagement element, the bearing bracket engagement element, and the second connector element are configured with respect to each other such that at least a portion of the second connector element will be positioned outside the second bearing bracket.