Bearing and bearing housing for a dynamoelectric machine

Claim 1

IN A DYNAMOELECTRIC MACHINE HAVING A ROTOR AND A SHAFT MOUNTING SAID ROTOR, A BEARING ASSEMBLY FOR MOUNTING SAID SHAFT COMPRISING A BEARING MEMBER JOURNALING SAID SHAFT, A PAD OF LUBRICANT IMPREGNATED MATERIAL DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID BEARING MEMBER FOR FEEDING LUBRICANT THERETO, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY IMPERFORATE CASING ENCLOSING SAID PAD EXCEPT FOR THE REGION OF CONTACT BETWEEN SAID BEARING MEMBER AND SAID PAD, ONE OF THE WALLS OF SAID CASING HAVING A BREATHER OPENING FOR MAINTAINING ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AROUND SAID PAD, AT LEAST ONE INWARDLY PROTRUDING RIB FOR SPACING SAID PAD FROM SAID ONE WALL TO PROVIDE A PASSAGEWAY THEREBETWEEN FOR ENABLING ANY DROPS OF LUBRICANT ON THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF AN OVERSATURATED PORTION OF SAID PAD TO FLOW TO A LESS SATURATED PORTION AND BE REABSORBED AND TO ALLOW THE FREE PASSAGE OF AIR TO AND FROM SAID BREATHER OPENING, AND AN INTERIOR FLANGE SURROUNDING SAID BREATHER OPENING TO PREVENT THE ESCAPE OF LUBRICANT THROUGH SAID OPENING.