Reliable, Easy to Use, Spherical Bearing Wear Indication (1001-830)

In response to Navy SBIR solicitation N112-016 Wear Indicating Lined Spherical Bearings Triton Systems, Inc. is pleased to submit this proposal. Lined, spherical bearings are used in a variety of aerospace applications to provide a connection between two structures experiencing rotating and/or misaligning motions. An issue often arises in the ability to measure the wear within a lined bearing especially when the bearing is in a hard to reach/see location or under load. Wear in a lined bearing is inherit and is acceptable to a limit, but beyond that, the bearing becomes more susceptible to failure. The proposed solution will provide simple feedback to maintenance personnel when a bearing has reached the end of its useful life. The Triton wear indicator will eliminate the need for manual measurement using feeler gauges which can result in inconsistent results and damage the bearing liner.