ROTATING SHAFT SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR A BOWL MILL

A pulverizes shaft rotation support assembly (10) includes a rolling eleme nt sub-assembly (18) for rotationally supporting the shaft (12) of a pulverizes (14) of a bowl mill (16) of the type which is operative for pulverizing material suc h as coal into smaller particles, and includes a separator body (24) having a bore, a rotating shaft (12) supported within the bore, and a grinding table (26) supported on the shaft (12). The rolling element sub-assembly (18) includes an inner race (30 ) secured to the shaft (12) at a first shaft location (FL), an outer race (32) and a plurality of cylindrical bearings (34) for rolling movement along and intermediate the inner (30) and outer (32) races. The pulverizes shaft rotational support assembly (10) also includes an annular cutout (40) in a gearbox housing structure (36) for radially limiting the outer race (32) while permitting axial moveme nt thereof. The annular cutout (40) limits the maximum radial displacement of t he outer race (32) to thereby maintain an annular clearance between the shaft (12) and the bore (CB) while permitting axial following movement of the outer race (3 2) in correspondence with axial movement of the inner race (30), whereby the shaft (12) can freely rotate out of contact with the bore (CB) throughout the range of axial movement ofthe shaft (12) during axial loading thereof.