A rolling bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring and a middle ring, the rings being concentrically arranged around a central axis so that the middle ring is arranged radially between the inner ring and the outer ring, at least one row of rolling elements interposed between the inner ring and the middle ring, at least one row of rolling elements interposed between the middle ring and the outer ring. The inner ring provides a radially inner circumferential portion with a gear toothing and the outer ring having a radially outer circumferential portion with a gear toothing.

An assembly including a seal adapter having a bearing retainer and a bearing, wherein the bearing retainer is cylindrical and has a bearing retainer inside surface and a bearing retainer outside surface, and wherein the bearing retainer comprises a cavity along the bearing retainer inside surface, and wherein the bearing is cylindrical, wherein the bearing has a bearing outside surface, a bearing inside surface, a bearing front surface and a bearing back surface, and wherein, when assembled, the bearing is at least partially within the cavity, such that the bearing outside surface and the bearing back surface are in contact with the bearing retainer inside surface.

Tilting pad bearing assemblies and apparatuses are disclosed herein. The disclosed tilting pad bearing assemblies and apparatuses may be employed in downhole motors of a subterranean drilling system or other mechanical systems. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly or apparatus includes a support ring and a plurality of tilting pads. Each tilting pad is tilted and/or tiltably secured relative to the support ring. In some embodiments, one or more of the tilting pads include a plurality of superhard bearing segments assembled to form a superhard bearing surface. One or more seams may be positioned between adjacent superhard bearing segments of the superhard bearing segments. In other embodiments, one or more of the tilting pads may include at least one or only one superhard bearing segment, such as a polycrystalline diamond bearing segment.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to bearing assemblies configured to effectively provide heat dissipation for bearing elements, bearing apparatuses including such bearing assemblies, and methods of operating such bearing assemblies and apparatuses. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly includes a plurality of superhard bearing elements distributed about an axis. Each superhard bearing element of the plurality of superhard bearing elements has a superhard table including a superhard surface. The bearing assembly includes a support ring structure coupled to the plurality of superhard bearing elements. One or more of the superhard bearing elements includes a superhard table, which may improve heat transfer from such superhard bearing elements.

A bearing providing a first ring and a second ring capable of rotating concentrically relative to one another, at least one annular groove being formed on the second ring and oriented towards the first ring. The bearing further providing at least one target element engaged inside the groove of the second ring while being freely gliding inside the groove in the circumferential direction, the target element protruding into a hole formed on the first ring so that the target element is blocked in rotation by the first ring when the second ring rotates and the first ring is fixed, and at least one sensor mounted on the first ring and facing the target element to detect axial positions of the target element.

A bearing provides a first ring and a second ring capable of rotating concentrically relative to one another. At least one tapered groove is formed on a first axial cylindrical surface of the second ring and oriented towards the first ring. The bearing further provides at least one first distance sensor mounted on the first ring and facing a tapered wall of the tapered groove of the second ring that is inclined with respect to the axis of the bearing, a longitudinal axis of the first distance sensor being perpendicular to the axis, and at least one second distance sensor mounted on the first ring and distinct from the first distance sensor. The second distance sensor radially faces a second axial cylindrical surface of the second ring.

A heating apparatus for induction heating is disclosed. The heating apparatus may comprise a bearing ring, at least one bearing element disposed in the bearing ring, and a braze material adjacent to the at least one bearing element and the bearing ring. The heating apparatus may additionally comprise an inductor positioned radially adjacent to at least a portion of the bearing ring. A current source may be electrically coupled to the inductor. A bearing orienting member may also abut a surface of the at least one bearing element. The bearing orienting member may orient a surface of the at least one bearing element. A heating method is also disclosed.

A bearing assembly includes a support ring circumferentially surrounding a central bearing axis and a plurality of superhard bearing elements coupled to the support ring. Each of the plurality of superhard bearing elements has a base, a superhard bearing surface, and a lateral periphery extending between the base and the superhard bearing surface. The superhard bearing surface has a partial-ellipsoidal surface shape. A bearing apparatus includes an inner bearing assembly and an outer bearing assembly. A subterranean drilling system includes an output shaft operably coupled to a bearing apparatus.

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to bearing assemblies, related bearing apparatuses, and related methods. An example of a bearing assembly disclosed herein may include a support structure having a first end and a second end. The bearing assembly also includes a superhard bearing element secured to the first end of the support structure. The superhard bearing element includes a superhard sealing surface that may be configured to contact a sealing surface of an opposing bearing element, a base surface contacting the support structure and opposing the superhard sealing surface, and at least one lateral surface extending between the superhard sealing surface and the base surface. The support structure and the superhard bearing element may both include at least one conduit extending therethrough through which a fluid may flow.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to bearing assemblies and methods of manufacturing. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly includes a support ring and bearing elements. The bearing elements are mounted to and distributed circumferentially about an axis of the support ring. At least one of the bearing elements includes a polycrystalline diamond table, a substrate bonded to the polycrystalline diamond table, bonding region defined by the substrate and the polycrystalline diamond table, and a corrosion resistant region. The corrosion resistant region includes a corrosion resistant material that covers at least a portion of at least one lateral surface of the bonding region. The corrosion resistant region prevents corrosion of at least some material in the bonding region covered by the corrosion resistant region (e.g., during use). Other embodiments employ one or more sacrificial anodes as an alternative to or in combination with the corrosion resistant region.