Effect of Surface Profiles on Characteristics of Concentric Recoil Bearings

An object of the design of a concentric recoil bearing is to insure reliable full-film lubrication over as much of the recoil and counter recoil motions as possible. The surface profile has a great effect on the oil film produced in the bearing. A straight bearing profile produces only a thin and unreliable film. A small taper on the leading edge greatly improves the situation. However, a shallow blind pocket in the loaded sector of the bearing was the best surface profile of those studied. Although the pocket was less than a mil deep, it resulted in a faster acting bearing and an appreciable thicker oil film. At the highest bearing pressure, the 10 millisecond film thickness was almost twice that of the next best profile studied.