Patent ID: 7111397

Claim:
A method of forming an inside wall of a support bearing of given height H and designed to receive a cylindrical element, said method comprising the steps of: estimating a deflection f taken by the cylindrical element between the center and one end of the support bearing, given: a predetermined loading of the cylindrical element; predetermined stiffness characteristics for the cylindrical element; and a predetermined assumption concerning thrust between the cylindrical element and the support bearing; estimating a nominal radius R by the relationship R=H 2 /8f; determining an inside wall for the support bearing extending over a toroidal surface having a throat diameter equal to the diameter of the cylindrical element, ignoring predetermined clearance, and having a meridian radius lying in a range of ±15% about the nominal radius R; and machining the support bearing in such a manner that its inside wall occupies the toroidal surface as determined in this way.