Slow-Speed and Other Tests of Kingsbury Thrust Bearings

Abstract

This paper presents operating and experimental data which show the wide range of application of Kingsbury thrust bearings, and the author gives particulars of typical installations which have been in successful operation since 1911. Wide application of these bearings has been made to vertical and horizontal hydroelectric units, horizontal steam turbines, centrifugal pumps, and ship-propelling shafts. To determine some of the service conditions a series of slow-speed tests was recently made on a bearing carrying a load of 10,000 lb. The area of the supporting thrust-bearing segments was varied from 71.5 sq. in. to 10 sq. in. in order to test unit pressures ranging from 140 lb. to 1000 lb. per sq. in. The speed was varied from 0.1 r.p.m. to 16 r.p.m., long runs being made at the lowest speeds.