A __________ bearing is a housing with mounting feet that are oriented in a manner that allows the bearing to be mounted to a surface perpendicular to the shaft.

• A. Flange
• B. Pillow block
• C. Ball
• D. Sleeve

Answer: (A)

Mounting orientation of bearing housings. A flange bearing is a housing that includes a flange with bolt holes so it can be attached directly to a flat surface. The flange face lies in a plane that is perpendicular to the shaft, so when you bolt it on, the mounting surface is perpendicular to the shaft. This makes the bearing sit right against that surface with the shaft remaining aligned through the bore.

Pillow block bearings, by contrast, use mounting feet that sit on a base or frame, with the surface typically parallel to the shaft, not perpendicular. The terms ball and sleeve refer to the type of bearing’s internal element, not how the housing is mounted, so they don’t describe the mounting orientation.