A hybrid bearing assembly includes a bushing. A sleeve is rotationally disposed within the bushing and a support layer is disposed around an outer perimeter of the bushing. A protective sleeve is disposed abutting the sleeve. A protective bushing is disposed abutting the bushing.

Articulable joints having diamond bearing surfaces engaged with metal bearing surfaces are provided herein. The articulable joints provide multiple degrees of freedom to components, such as drivelines, and bear loads in multiple directions. The articulable joints include diamond bearing surfaces slidingly engaged with opposing metal bearing surfaces that include more than trace amounts of diamond solvent-catalyst.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to protective leaching masks, and methods of manufacturing and using the same for leaching superabrasive elements such as polycrystalline diamond elements. In an embodiment, a protective leaching mask assembly includes a superabrasive element including a central axis and a superabrasive table, and a protective mask formed to protect at least a portion of the superabrasive element. The protective mask includes a base portion and at least one sidewall extending from the base portion and defining an opening generally opposite the base portion. The at least one sidewall includes an inner surface configured to abut with a selected portion of the superabrasive element being chemically resistant to a leaching agent and an outer surface sloping at an oblique angle relative to the central axis.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a slide component that can exhibit sealing performance and lubricity regardless of rotating direction. A pair of slide components 4, 7 that slide relative to each other have sliding faces S that slide relative to each other, and a sealed fluid-side periphery 16 and a leakage-side periphery 15. The sliding face S of at least one slide component 4 of the pair of slide components 4, 7 includes: a fluid introduction groove 13 in communication with the sealed fluid-side periphery 16; a first pressure generation mechanism 12 of which one end is in communication with the fluid introduction groove 13 and the other end is surrounded by a land portion R1; and a second pressure generation mechanism 11 of which one end is in communication with the leakage-side periphery 15 and the other end is surrounded by an annular land portion R2. The fluid introduction groove 13 and the other end 12e of the first pressure generation mechanism 12 include overlapping portions Lp overlapping circumferentially.

An apparatus is provided that includes a diamond bearing surface positioned in sliding engagement with an opposing bearing surface of a diamond reactive material. The opposing bearing surface is hardened via a material treatment.

Embodiments of the invention relate to bearing apparatuses in which one bearing surface of the bearing apparatus includes diamond, while another bearing surface includes a non-diamond superhard material (e.g., silicon carbide). For example, a bearing apparatus may include a bearing stator assembly and a bearing rotor assembly. The bearing stator assembly and bearing rotor assembly each include a support ring and one or more superhard bearing elements generally opposed to one another. The bearing surface(s) of the rotor or stator may include diamond, while the bearing surface(s) of the other of the rotor or stator do not include diamond. Another bearing apparatus may include both thrust- and radial bearing components. The generally opposed thrust-bearing elements may include diamond, while the generally opposed radial bearing elements may not include diamond, but include a non-diamond superhard material, such as silicon carbide.

Bearing assemblies that include a plurality of polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) bearing elements, bearing apparatuses including such bearing assemblies, and methods of operating and fabricating such bearing assemblies and apparatuses are disclosed. In an embodiment, the plurality of PCD bearing elements of one or more of the bearing assemblies disclosed herein include at least one first PCD bearing element. At least a portion of the first PCD bearing element exhibits a coercivity of about 125 Oersteds or more and a specific magnetic saturation of about 14 Gauss cm.sup.3/gram or less. The first PCD bearing element includes a bearing surface with at least one groove formed therein. In an embodiment, the plurality of PCD bearing elements also include at least one second PCD bearing element. The second PCD bearing element exhibits a coercivity that is less than and a specific magnetic saturation that is greater than the first PCD bearing element.

The present invention relates to a mechanical system (1), comprising a bearing (4) and a shaft (10) coupled to the bearing (4), especially for an internal combustion engine, being subjected to average contact pressures of less than 200 MPa. The shaft (10) has at least one area (12) provided with an anti-seizing surface coating (20), having a surface hardness at least twice that of the bearing (4), and a microtexturation (30) comprised of a set of individual microcavities (31), distributed in said area (12). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a mechanical system (1).

A gas turbine engine, has: an annular gaspath extending around a central axis, the annular gaspath defined between a first casing and a second casing, the first casing defining pockets; and a variable guide vane assembly having: variable guide vanes circumferentially distributed around the central axis, the variable guide vanes having airfoils extending into the annular gaspath and extending between first and second pivot members at respective first and second ends of the airfoils, the variable guide vanes rotatable about respective spanwise axes, bushings received within the pockets of the first casing, the first pivot members of the variable guide vanes rollingly engaged to the bushings, and resilient members disposed radially between surfaces of the first casing and the bushings relative to the spanwise axes, the resilient members in abutment against both of the surfaces of the first casing and the bushings.

A bearing component, such as a bearing roller or a bearing ring, has an exterior surface and includes at least one interior region made of a recycled material which region is spaced from and does not form any part of the exterior surface. The recycled material and the unrecycled material may each include silicon nitride and/or sialon and/or silicon carbide and/or a ceramic material. Also a method of forming the component.