Patent attributes
A support for a bearing that provides for damping of the bearing and for centering of the bearing within a housing, in which a plurality of cone shaped annular plates are stacked in series and positioned between the housing and an outer race of the bearing, the annular plates being offset from a plane normal to the rotational axis of the bearing such that vibration from the bearing produces rubbing of adjacent sides of the annular plates, the rubbing provides for friction damping of the bearing. The annular plates can be formed from a single wire strand formed in a coil, or from a plurality of annular cones stacked in series. The offset angle of the adjacent plates can be varied to affect the damping and the spring rate of the support. A coating for a sheet of another material can be placed between adjacent plates to change the frictional resistance due to rubbing between plates.
