Bailey Hydraulic Pillow Blocks

Hydraulic Pillow Blocks

A pillow block bearing (or also called a plummer block) is a pedestal for compatible bearings that provides support to a rotating shaft. A mounting block houses the anti-friction bearing that is contained within a solid cast iron or cast steel housing unit. They are self-contained, greased, sealed and ready for installation on equipment. Pillow Block bearings are bolted to a surface, and the attached shaft runs parallel to that surface.

There are two types of housings used for pillow block bearings, solid and split housings. Solid housed bearings are single-piece housings, while split housed bearings are two-piece housings. The split type is made of two pieces that can be separated for bearing lubrication, cleaning or eventual replacement. Pillow block bearings can contain several types of bearings, including ball, roller and tapered. Pillow block bearings come in a fixed or expansion version. The expansion bearings allow for shaft size increases. For choosing a pillow block bearing, it is important to know whether you need roller bearings or ball bearings. Ball bearings as the name implies use a ball as the rolling element between the stationary ring and rotating ring. This makes for a smooth, nearly friction-free movement.