The Importance of Spinning Friction in Thrust-Carrying Ball Bearings

Experimental work was done rolling balls on flat plates and in V-grooves at loads and contact angles corresponding to usual thrust-bearing practice. It is shown that the spinning action of the ball with respect to the race should account for the major part of the over-all friction of a thrust-carrying ball bearing. Variables studied included contact angle, conformity, load, lubricant, and temperature. The results have been correlated and shown to follow theoretical predictions.