An assembly including an inner member; an outer member; and a bearing including a bearing sidewall including a flat portion, a first convex axial end, and a second convex axial end, where at least one of the inner member or the outer member is adapted to axially translate relative to the bearing, and where at least one of the first convex axial end or the second convex axial end is adapted to induce formation of a film on the bearing sidewall during the axial translation of at least one of the inner member or the outer member.

A bearing (20; 150; 152) comprises: an inner race (26); an outer race (28); and a plurality of rolling elements (30). The inner race comprises a nitrogen-alloyed steel (40). The outer race comprises a steel (42) with lower nitrogen content than said nitrogen-alloyed steel.

A gas turbine engine with a rotor having a shaft mounted to the engine with a plurality of electrically insulating bearings is provided. The electrically insulating bearings are coupled to the shaft to support the rotor in the engine. There is at least one electrically conductive bearing coupled to the shaft and that further support the rotor in the engine. An electrically conductive path is defined between the rotor and an electrical ground of the engine. The electrically conductive path is defined through the electrically conductive bearing to reach the electrical ground of the engine. A method for electrostatically discharging a rotor supported in the gas turbine engine is also provided.

A Hybrid rolling bearing includes an inner raceway and an outer raceway and a plurality of rolling elements arranged therebetween. The outer raceway and the inner raceway are made from bearing steel, having a first surface RMS roughness R.sub.q1. The rolling elements are made from a ceramic material and have second surface RMS roughnesses R.sub.q2,i. At least one of the rolling elements has an increased surface RMS roughness R.sub.q2,N, which is significantly higher than the RMS roughnesses R.sub.q2,i, of the remaining rolling elements. The hybrid rolling bearing can be installed within a refrigerant compressor.

A pair of hybrid ball bearings have stainless steel rings and ceramic balls and are configured such that when the first inner ring and the first outer ring are in contact with the first plurality of ceramic balls under zero measuring load and zero mounting load and the second inner ring and the second outer ring are in contact with the second plurality of ceramic balls under zero measuring load and zero mounting load a certain gap exists between either the inner rings or the outer rings. The gap is based on the diameter of the inner ring or on the pitch diameter of the balls and on whether the bearings have an X configuration or an O configuration.

A method of making bearings includes treating a metallic surface of a bearing raceway with a pulsed electrochemical processing nozzle to transform the amorphous oxide into a crystalline structure on the metallic surface electro-chemically and convert the metallic surface into a ceramic like hardness surface. Treating the metallic surface can include forming a gradient in material composition transitioning from a purely metallic material at a cross-sectional position within the bearing raceway to a purely crystalline structure material at the ceramic like hardness surface of the bearing raceway.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a multirow ball bearing capable of effectively dispersing a radial load while reducing a frictional force when an inner ring and an outer ring rotate relative to each other, and a method of manufacturing same. Multiple ball rows (5) may be adjacently interposed between an inner ring (3) and an outer ring (4); each of the multiple ball rows (5) may include balls (5a) arranged with prescribed gaps (L) therebetween and may be arranged in staggered fashion so as to be shifted in a row direction of the ball row (5) relative to a ball row (5) adjacent to the ball row (5), and the balls (5a) in each of the ball rows (5) may face spaces (LS) formed by the prescribed gaps (L) in a ball row (5) adjacent to the ball row (5), each of the balls being brought into contact with two of the balls (5a) that define one of the prescribed gaps.

A lubrication system for an enclosed rolling element bearing may be achieved through a channel drilled through the outer race of the bearing and the outer surface of the bearing housing. The channel provides a direct path for the injection of lubricant via a grease gun or syringe to reach the rolling elements within. The lubrication system can be adjusted to assure lubricant does not leak from the channel with the addition of a tube or hollow screw or combination of the two along the entirety of the channel.

A greasable bearing assembly may include an outer ring, an inner ring disposed within, and concentric with, the outer ring, and a plurality of balls disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring. A greasable seal may be disposed adjacent the outer ring and the inner ring, the greasable seal further comprising a toroidal shape comprising an outer face and an inner face. An outer ring-shaped surface may extend from the outer face to the inner face. An inner ring-shaped surface may extends from the outer face to the inner face. An intake opening may be disposed through the greasable seal and extend from the outer ring-shaped surface to the inner face. A securing member may be formed as a lip at the inner face to mateably couple between the inner ring and the outer ring.

A method of making bearings includes treating a metallic surface of a bearing raceway with a pulsed electrochemical processing nozzle to transform the amorphous oxide into a crystalline structure on the metallic surface electro-chemically and convert the metallic surface into a ceramic like hardness surface. Treating the metallic surface can include forming a gradient in material composition transitioning from a purely metallic material at a cross-sectional position within the bearing raceway to a purely crystalline structure material at the ceramic like hardness surface of the bearing raceway.