A support for a bearing that provides for damping of the bearing and for
centering of the bearing within a housing, in which a plurality of cone
shaped annular plates are stacked in series and positioned between the
housing and an outer race of the bearing, the annular plates being offset
from a plane normal to the rotational axis of the bearing such that
vibration from the bearing produces rubbing of adjacent sides of the
annular plates, the rubbing provides for friction damping of the bearing.
The annular plates can be formed from a single wire strand formed in a
coil, or from a plurality of annular cones stacked in series. The offset
angle of the adjacent plates can be varied to affect the damping and the
spring rate of the support. A coating for a sheet of another material can
be placed between adjacent plates to change the frictional resistance due
to rubbing between plates.