Application and uses of footstep bearing
Answers
A footstep bearing is usually in the form of a block that has a cavity in which the lower part of a shaft can be fitted. It is designed to provide support to a vertical shaft or spindle.
A footstep bearing has two parts. One of them is a tubular bushing which radially guides the spindle shaft. The second part is a bearing step which is located in the frontal end of the bushing. Both the sections are joined together in a compressive interlocking arrangement. In this way a unitary assembly is provided.
This assembled 2 piece footstep bearing can be combined with the structural elements of the spindle bearings, for instance, with a centering tube to give more support.
A footstep bearing is essentially a cast iron block with a gunmetal bush that has a hollow collar fitted on its top. This bearing is used to keep the shaft upright in a vertical position.
The shaft is fixed in place and not allowed to rotate by a pin. Half of the pin is fitted inside the block and half of it is away from the center inside the pad. The collar is deliberately made hollow to act as an oil cup to lubricate the bearing.