Abstract: In order to support a mud-driven impeller of a down-hole turbogenerator in such a manner as to provide long bearing service life in the hostile conditions down-hole, a bearing sleeve is provided which comprises an outer shell of marine brass and an inner lining of nitrile rubber bonded to the inside surface of the shell. The lining extends axially beyond the end of the shell to form a portion positioned beyond the end of the shell and turned over the end of the shell. This portion comprises radical lands separated by radial grooves, and the radial lands define axial bearing surfaces for cooperating with an axial bearing surface of a bearing member which the bearing sleeve surrounds in use.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dynamic pressure gas bearing device in a rotational unit in which a rotational member put on a cantilevered fixed shaft is designed such that an operating gas generated by a dynamic pressure groove formed between the fixed shaft and the rotational member is directed into a pressure chamber between the fixed shaft and the rotational member and supports the rotational member in the thrust direction and that the pressure in the pressure chamber is adjusted by a hole formed in the fixed shaft or the rotational member.

Abstract: A rotatable shaft/thrust plate combination is disposed within a sleeve to form a first clearance space between the shaft and the sleeve and a second clearance space between the thrust plate and the sleeve. The external faces of the thrust plate are exposed to air. The clearance spaces are filled with a liquid lubricant and the sleeve includes pressure equalization ports connecting the first and second clearance spaces. Surface tension dynamic seals are provided between axially extending surfaces of the thrust plate and sleeve. The equalization ports balance the hydrodynamic pressures in the lubricant to prevent the lubricant being pumped through one of the dynamic seals. The resulting bearing provides high precision with low repetitive and nonrepetitive runouts. The bearing provides hydrodynamic support of both radial and axial loads and the bearing seal is relatively insensitive to orientation of the spindle and minimizes the generation of debris and contaminating particles.

Abstract: A static pressure lead screw includes a porous ceramic body having fluid flow paths as part of a flank. The porous ceramic body is fixed by a tubular base member through which the fluid does not flow. Fluid guide holes for supplying the fluid to the porous body extend through the tubular base member and are connected to the porous body. In a preferred embodiment, an electroless-plated layer is formed in a surface layer of the flank or an inner portion continuous with the surface layer, thereby obtaining various high-accuracy static pressure guides with high statical stiffness.

Abstract: A device for controlling the rectilinear translation of a movable member, comprises a screw engaged by a nut having cooperatingly shaped thread surfaces the dimensions of which are such that there is a radial clearance between the screw and the nut and an axial clearance between adjacent helical flanks of the screw and the nut. The nut is provided with radial passages communicating with the chambers defining the radial clearances, which can be put into communication with a source of compressed gas enabling the formation of an air cushion or air bearing between the two relatively movable members thereby reducing the turning moment necessary for effecting rectilinear movement of the movable member.

Abstract: A high speed drilling system is disclosed for high speed drilling of very small holes in workpieces such as printed circuit boards. The X-Y positioning system includes air bearings to provide lift between the stationary guide beams, the crossbeam and the top table, and further includes a vacuum preloading apparatus for providing a preloading force between the table and the guide beam. The preload force dampens Z axis oscillations which can result in drill bit breakage. The top table is a lightweight honeycomb structure, whose effective rigidity is virtually that of the guide beam due to the vacuum preloading. The system includes pairs of spindles, one a conventional spindle for drilling holes larger than about 0.125 inches, and the other a high speed spindle for drilling holes in the range of about 0.003 to 0.125 inches. The high speed spindle includes a stationary spindle body carrying the stator of the rotary drive motor.

Abstract: A gas-static bearing including a bearing shell formed of porous material compacted at bearing surfaces thereof for supporting a shaft, the bearing surfaces being distributed over a first group of surfaces consisting of at least two cylindrical jacket surfaces disposed concentrically to one another and about a longitudinal axis of the bearing shells and a second group of surfaces consisting of a plurality of circular surfaces disposed in succession along the axis.

Abstract: A gas bearing and shaft assembly includes complementary sets of guiding surfaces formed on the gas bearing and the shaft being mutually spaced apart defining bearing gaps therebetween, at least one guiding surface of each of the sets being a porous gas passage surface, a thin-porous layer adjoining the gas passage surface, a component having a given region disposed upstream of the gas passage surface in flow direction of gas fed under pressure through the component to the gas passage surface and the component having other porous gas-permeable regions, the gas passage surface and the thin porous layer together being denser than the other gas-permeable regions of the component producing a pressure drop at the thin porous layer being substantially greater than at the other gas-permeable regions, and gas outlet paths in communication with the bearing gaps within the bearing.

Abstract: An aerostatic or aerodynamic bearing comprising a stationary part and a movable part with cooperating bearing surfaces between which there is formed a bearing gap which at one area communicates with an air inlet and at another area opens into the atmosphere. The air inlet comprises one or more filters, and at least one of the bearing surfaces is provided with a pressure-equalizing groove near the area at which the bearing gap opens into the atmosphere.

Abstract: An improvement in a machine tool or the like in which a work piece is held in a collet driven in a rotary sense and subject also to axial movements in which the work piece is gripped and released. A collet operating mechanism includes a frictionless air bearing allowing endwise movements and high speed rotation.

Abstract: A dynamic pressure fluid bearing, and particularly a dynamic pressure fluid bearing for effectively ensuring a minute gap between the shaft of the dynamic pressure fluid bearing and a bearing. More particularly, fluid intervenes between the shaft and the bearing and these two rotate relative to each other in a non-contact state, and a part or the whole of the bearing is formed of resin and the resin is endowed with electrical conductivity.

Abstract: A rotary type electrostatic spray painting device comprising a rotary shaft which is supported by static pressure air bearings in a non-contact state. A drive turbine wheel and a braking turbine wheel are fixed to the rotary shaft. The static pressure air bearings are connected to an air feed pump via an air supply conduit. Pressurized air is injected from air injection nozzles towards the turbine wheels only when the pressure or the flow rate of pressurized air flowing within the air supply conduit exceeds a predetermined level.

Abstract: A lightweight, compact turbocharger for small internal combustion engines having a reduced number of component parts for simplified construction, an improved bearing structure and a novel means of transmitting control pressure to the actuator.

Abstract: A bearing for supporting a load by the reaction force of a pressurized fluid, by the reaction force of a plurality of solid or hollow bearing rollers in the absence of the pressurized fluid or by a combined reaction force of the pressurized fluid and the bearing rollers includes a plurality of helicoid pressure reduction ducts leading to a number of chambers delimited by the bearing rollers so as to create a large pressure differential between adjacent chambers. The bearing rollers are disposed between bearing races with an interference fit to impede the passage of the pressurized fluid from one chamber to adjacent chambers.

Abstract: An upper head assembly for the top of a wind turbine comprising a guy wire coupling vertically displaceable by fluid below the coupling.

Abstract: A fluid bearing device including a shaft, a sleeve rotatably supported by the shaft, a thrust bearing plate supported by the sleeve, a radial groove formed on one of an outer periphery of the shaft and an inner periphery of the sleeve, and a spiral groove formed on one of one end face of the shaft and one face of the thrust bearing plate such that the radial groove retains oil, while the spiral groove retains grease containing thickener and base oil identical, in compositions and viscosity, with the oil of the radial groove.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the total dispensing of the contents, e.g. insecticide, of a container, which comprises actuating a release valve by an actuator and placing at least the actuator in rotation about a vertical axis as the contents discharge.

Abstract: A dynamic pressure type fluid bearing device including a housing having a bearing hole, a shaft rotatably provided in this bearing hole, and a thrust bearing member attached to an end of the housing, wherein a groove is provided in either the shaft or the bearing hole, another groove is provided in the contacting surface between the thrust bearing member and the shaft, a ventilation flute to communicate with the atmosphere is provided in the contacting surface between the thrust bearing member and the housing, and a lubricant is charged around the groove, so that the lubricant is prevented from flowing out due to changes in the atmospheric pressure or environment.

Abstract: The invention concerns an energy converter, comprising a boiler, a turbine (11), a condenser, a feed pump (16) and a generator (17) and, if required, a recuperator and a pre-feeding pump. The thermal energy to be supplied to the boiler has been arranged to maintain a Rankine process driving the generator (17) and thus to produce electricity. The turbine (11), the generator (17) and the feed pump (16) have a joint rotor shaft (36). The rotor (36) is rotatably carried with gas-dynamic bearings (24) utilizing the circulating fluid's vapor. The lower surface of the rotor (21) of the turbine (11) has been disposed to serve as one abutment surface of a gas-static thrust bearing (22). The gas-dynamic bearings (24) are bearings of tilting pad type.

Abstract: A dynamic pressure type fluid bearing comprises a housing provided with a cylindrical hole having a cylindrically shaped inner bearing surface for radial load and a bottom bearing surface for thrust load, and a shaft disposed in the cylindrical hole and having a cylindrically shaped outer bearing surface for radial load opposed to and cooperative with the inner bearing surface and an end bearing surface for thrust load opposed to and cooperative with the bottom bearing surface. At least one of the inner bearing surface and the outer bearing surface is provided with grooves for generating a dynamic pressure. A communication hole is provided in the bottom bearing surface and opens to the outside of the housing. The bottom bearing surface has around the communication hole an annular contact bearing surface which contacts the end bearing surface when the bearing is stationary.

Abstract: A gyro assembly including a rotor, stator, hysteresis motor and conical hydrodynamic bearings for supporting the rotor relative to the stator.

Abstract: A low axial stiffnesss thrust bearing is disclosed. The thrust bearing includes a housing having a generally cylindrical space formed therein and a generally cylindrical thrust collar located coaxially within the space. The axial length of the cylindrical space is sufficiently greater than the axial length of the thrust collar to permit the thrust collar to move axially within the cylindrical space over a predetermined distance and to insure that first and second fluid chambers are formed on opposite sides of the thrust collar when the thrust collar is located centrally within the cylindrical space. A fluid circuit supplies fluid under pressure to the first and second chambers in such a manner that the fluid attempts to maintain the thrust collar at a predetermined axial location within the space even when external thrust forces are placed on the thrust collar.

Abstract: An economizer construction for use in recovering heat from flue gases is disclosed including a housing with a flue gas passage therethrough, a helically wound heat transfer coil positioned in the flue gas passage for placing a heat transfer fluid in a heat exchange relation with the flue gases passing through the flue gas passage where the heat transfer coil defines a generally vertically extending central opening therethrough, and a soot blower assembly with an elongate soot blower lance rotatably mounted in the coil central opening for directing a pressurized cleaning fluid over the heat transfer coil to periodically clean it. Different embodiments of the rotary mounting of the soot blower lance are disclosed. Also, different embodiments of the drive means for rotating the soot blower lance are disclosed.

Abstract: Journal and/or thrust bearings of a high speed rotary machine are mounted on a portion of the machine stator by mounts which allow limited tracking of pivotal rotor displacements by the bearings to reduce the risk of bearing damage due to nonuniform bearing pressurization from such pivotal shaft displacements. The mounts resist radial and axial shaft displacements for maintenance of sufficient shaft-stator alignment to prevent risk of rotor-stator impact.

Abstract: An actuator (22) for a vibratory finishing machine or the like includes a housing (24) with a rotatable quill shaft (44) of comparatively low bending stiffness extending therethrough. Mounted on each end of the quill shaft (44) is a journal (46) which defines a hydrodynamic bearing with an adjacent corresponding internal surface of the housing (24). The quill shaft (44) is axially constrained within the housing (24) by an inward thrust bearing (68) and an outward retainer (56), dynamic seal (64), static seal (62) and spring (66) located on opposite sides of each journal (46).

Abstract: A hydrodynamic bearing system for a motor. The motor is illustrated and described as driving a pump for an artificial heart. The motor stator has a cylindrical bore which is closed at one end. The rotor is slidable and rotatable in the bore. The rotor has affixed to its shaft an impeller with its outside diameter concentric to the rotor outside diameter. Both rotor and impeller are supported hydrodynamically such that the tendency is for the entire rotor/impeller assembly (the only moving element) to be completely suspended by fluid. The rotor can be rapidly reversed to provide heart pumping action or can be driven unidirectionally for artificial heart pumping action of another type. The fluid cannot easily escape from the closed end of the stator, thereby providing a dashpot effect which tends to keep the rotor from changing position.

Abstract: A rotary type electrostatic spray painting device is provided with a rotary shaft and a spray head fixed onto the front end of the rotary shaft. Paint is fed onto the cup-shaped inner wall of the spray head. The rotary shaft is supported in a no-contact state by a single thrust air bearing, a pair of radial air bearings, and a magnetic bearing arranged between the radial air bearings. An electrode for providing continuous electrical contact with the rear end of the rotary shaft, is cooled by being at least partially arranged in a flow path of compressed air. A negative high voltage is applied to the housing of the painting device, which is applied to the spray head via the electrode and the rotary shaft.

Abstract: A rotary type electrostatic spray painting device is provided with a metallic rotary shaft and a spray head fixed onto the front end of the metallic rotary shaft. Paint is fed onto a cup shaped inner wall of the spray head. The metallic rotary shaft is supported by a single thrust air bearing and a pair of radial air bearings. An electrode continuously contacts the rear end of the metallic rotary shaft. A negative high voltage is applied to the housing of the paint device. In addition, the negative high voltage is also applied to the spray head via the electrode and the metallic rotary shaft. The thrust air bearing comprises an annular plate fixed onto the housing, and a pair of runners fixed onto the metallic rotary shaft and arranged on each side of the annular plate. A plurality of radially extending air passages is formed in the annular plate. A plurality of air outflow bores is formed on the side walls of the annular plate.