An apparatus for use in connecting a cover member to a retaining member coupled to a nut mounted to a shaft includes a body portion, arms, and a plurality of pressing members. The arms extend from the body portion relative to the nut such that contacting portions of the arms contact a rear side of the nut to connect the body portion to the nut. The plurality of pressing members extend from the body portion and is alignable with the plurality of tabs of a cover member when the cover member is located between the body and the nut. The body portion includes a press mechanism configured to cause a first pressing member of the pressing members to contact a first tab of the cover member to deform the first tab toward a retaining member coupled to the nut mounted on the shaft.

A method for manufacturing a propeller reduction gear, which includes measuring manufacturing defects of the casing; calculating a first angular play induced at each intermediate gear by the measured manufacturing defects; estimating a second angular play induced at each intermediate gear by deformations of the casing when the reduction gear transmits a threshold torque; calculating a total angular play from the first angular play and the second angular play; and selecting two intermediate gears with a phase difference that compensates for the total angular play.

A method of forming a direct bearing joint includes coupling a first load-bearing structure to a second load-bearing structure. The second load-bearing structure includes a first structural feature comprising a first arcuate shape. The method also includes coupling a composite skin including a second structural feature comprising a second arcuate shape to the second load-bearing structure. The composite skin is coupled to the second load-bearing structure such that the first and second structural features are mated against each other to facilitate distributing compressive loads from the second load-bearing structure into the composite skin.

A journal foil bearing includes a bearing retainer having one slot configured to receive a top foil leading edge tab and another slot configured to receive a top foil trailing edge tab. A backup support structure, integral to the bearing retainer, extends between and is at least partially defined by the slots. The retainer is configured so that, during operation, the trailing edge tab further contacts, at an increased contact pressure, the support structure at a position close to the friction force, thereby minimizing top foil bending stress and improving bearing strength.

A method for producing a multi-layer sliding bearing includes: providing a carrier body with a carrier body connecting surface, a surface structure being formed on the carrier body connecting surface, and the carrier body on the carrier body connecting surface having a carrier body material with a carrier body strength; providing a bearing body with a bearing body connecting surface, the bearing body on the bearing body connecting surface having a bearing body material with a bearing body strength; applying the bearing body to the carrier body, a carrier body connecting surface being turned towards a bearing body connecting surface; pressing the bearing and carrier bodies together, wherein the bearing body, on the bearing body connecting surface, is plastically deformed and forms a positive locking connection with the carrier body connecting surface from the effect of the surface structure of the carrier body connecting surface.

A method for installing a first machine part into a second machine part includes press fitting the first machine part into the second machine part in its intended final position. The method also includes disposing an exothermically reactive substance on or in the first machine part and activating the exothermically reactive substance to cause a thermal structural change, stress relief, for example, in a part of the first machine part.

Systems and related methods related to structures with large-scale rotatable elements. Some of the present systems comprise: a tower; a tower hub coupled to the tower and having a transverse dimension of at least 50 feet; an observation wheel rotatably coupled to the tower and having a central wheel hub; a plurality of roller bearings disposed between the tower hub and the wheel hub to rotatably support the observation wheel relative to the structure, the roller bearings each having a diameter that is less than one quarter of the transverse dimension of the wheel hub.

A bearing assembly includes a first race having an arcuate configuration and a first set of bearing elements. The first set of bearing elements is arranged to dynamically contact the first race and recirculate within the bearing assembly in a first direction. A second race has an arcuate configuration and is removably secured to the first race. A second set of bearing elements is arranged to dynamically contact the second race and recirculate within the bearing assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for dressing centering a bearing compartment in a gas turbine engine. A nut may be inserted through an outer case of a gas turbine engine. The nut may be coupled to a strut which centers a bearing compartment. The nut may be rotated to achieve a desired tension on the strut to center the bearing compartment. A retaining plate comprising a collar may be positioned over the nut. A swaging tool comprising a swaging ramp may be positioned over the nut. The swaging tool may be forced against the retaining plate using a draw-in bolt. The swaging ramp may contact the collar and form indentations in the collar to lock the nut in place.

A thrust bearing includes a bearing retainer including a first ring and a second ring radially spaced from the first ring, the first ring and the second ring defining an annular passageway therebetween, and at least two bearing pad retaining arrangements extending from a first surface of the second ring, each bearing pad retaining arrangement defining a retaining channel therein, and at least two bearing pads circumferentially spaced within the bearing retainer. The bearing pads may be held within the bearing retainer via the bearing pad arrangements.