US Patent 7318707 Support bearing for a vertically arranged centrifugal pump

A vertical centrifugal pump having a support bearing arranged above the pump and including an axial bearing (22) and a radial bearing (23). A housing (24) encasing the support bearing (22, 23) is directly connected to the flow-carrying housing (25) of the centrifugal pump. Lubrication, and optionally cooling, of the support bearing (22, 23) are performed by the pumped medium, which is conveyed to the support bearing (22, 23) through a connection leading from the pressure zone (28) of the flow-carrying housing and is discharged into the suction zone (29) of the pump, and a pump shaft seal (31) is disposed on the opposite side of the support bearing (22, 23) from the flow-carrying housing of the centrifugal pump.