Abstract: One thrust race of a two-race thrust bearing has a magnetic field sensor mounted on a lip extending axially from the outside diameter of the thrust race. The other thrust race has a magnetic field source. The race with the magnetic field source rotates; the race with the sensor is fixed. The number of times alternate magnetic poles on the rotating thrust race is sensed by the sensor per unit of time indicates the speed of the rotating thrust race.

Abstract: An improved bearing device for use in a spindle motor for driving computer hard disks is disclosed. The device includes a shaft, bearings supporting the shaft, and a bearing holder for holding the bearings. The bearing holder is made of a magnetic material. The shaft, the bearings, and the bearing holder are made of materials having substantially the same thermal expansion coefficient.

Abstract: A sealed, rolling element bearing includes an inner race attached to a shaft, an outer race attached to a housing, a plurality of rolling elements in an annular region and a pair of shields extending inwardly from the outer race toward the inner race so as to substantially enclose the annular region. The shields have a closely-spaced, noncontacting relationship with the inner race thereby defining gaps. The elements of the bearing are of magnetically permeable material, and the sealed bearing includes means for producing a magnetic field in the gaps and in the regions where the rolling elements contact the races. A ferrofluid is retained by the magnetic field in the gaps for sealing and in the regions of contact between the rolling elements and the races for lubrication. A reservoir of ferrofluid in the regions between the two seals replenishes ferrofluid lost at the sealing and lubrication areas.

Abstract: A magnetic liquid sealing ring installed in an antifriction bearing between the outer and the inner rings is an integral structure comprised of a sealing ring, which is engaged in the bearing outer ring, and of a pre-seal at the axial inside of the sealing ring. Magnetic liquid elements are supported radially inward of the sealing ring by a magnet in the sealing ring. The pre-seal has an annular groove opening toward the bearing inner ring for holding escaping liquid. An axially outwardly facing shoulder formed on the bearing inner ring raceway cooperates with an axially inwardly facing inside of the pre-seal for defining a slot between them and those surfaces are inclined obliquely to the rolling elements and to the axis of the bearing.

Abstract: A permanently magnetized magnet associated with the bearing provides a magnetic field which is detected by a detector in the bearing. The relative rotation of one part of the bearing, such as a rotatable shaft or rotatable race, with respect to a second part of the bearing, such as a race, is indicated by the detector.

Abstract: In a friction bearing system for a rapidly rotating shaft of an apparatus for measuring the optical absorption of a sample under analysis by way of an optical radiation source projecting a beam on the sample, the chopper system for the periodical interruption of the beam includes a rotatably mounted chopper disk provided with light-admitting openings and a controlled-speed drive system, as well as a radiation detector for the light affected by the sample. Both ends of the shaft fixedly joined to the chopper disk are provided with pivots corresponding to bushes, one of which is held by a spider which is affixed to the housing part that holds the other bush. The spider is provided with a bore running at an angle to the shaft, and the longitudinal axis of this bore intersects the axis of rotation of the shaft. A magnet is held for longitudinal displacement in the bore and its field acts upon a ring disposed on the shaft in order to assure the quiet and wear-free spinning of the chopper disk.

Abstract: A wheel bearing assembly for an automotive wheel equipped with a detector for the number of revolutions of a wheel hub. It has an outer member and two inner members mounted in the outer member through rolling elements. A pulse ring in the form of a multipolar magnet is mounted in the bearing assembly so as to be fixedly held in annular grooves formed in the outer periphery of the inner members at their abutting ends or to be supported on one of the inner members. A sensor including a Hall IC is mounted in the outer member at such a position as to face the pulse ring. The pulse ring rotates with the inner members to allow the sensor to detect the rotational speed of the wheel.

Abstract: A bearing assembly comprised of a housing, a shaft extending through the housing, a bearing disposed between the housing and the shaft and a seal disposed among the housing, the shaft and the bearing. The seal comprises an annular magnet, a pole piece affixed to the annular magnet and a ferrofluid injected into a gap between the pole piece and the shaft. Thus, a magnetic circuit for retaining the ferrofluid is formed by the seal, the bearing and the pole piece.

Abstract: A rotary spray head comprises a shaft in a longitudinal cavity in a body with spray means mounted on one end of the shaft and projecting axially from the body. At least one magnetic bearing is provided to support the shaft at least partially in the radial direction. The magnetic bearing comprises two magnetized annular parts respectively forming a stator and a rotor. These are in face-to-face relationship to each other so as to define between them an airgap occupying a plane substantially perpendicular to the main axis of symmetry of the shaft. They have respective main axes of symmetry coincident with that of the shaft.

Abstract: A sealed, rolling element bearing includes an inner race attached to a shaft, an outer race attached to a housing, a plurality of rolling elements in an annular region and a pair of shields extending inwardly from the outer race toward the inner race so as to substantially enclose the annular region. The shields have a closely-spaced, noncontacting relationship with the inner race thereby defining gaps. The elements of the bearing are of magnetically permeable material, and the sealed bearing includes means for producing a magnetic field in the gaps and in the regions where the rolling elements contact the races. A ferrofluid is retained by the magnetic field in the gaps for sealing and in the regions of contact between the rolling elements and the races for lubrication. A reservoir of ferrofluid in the regions between the two seals replenishes ferrofluid lost at the sealing and lubrication areas.

Abstract: A bearing assembly for a vehicle includes an inner race made integral with the wheel, and an outer race disposed outside and concentrically with the inner race with rolling members interposed therebetween. The inner race is adapted to rotate relative to the outer race. The bearing assembly further includes an annular member including a fixed portion fixedly fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the outer race, an extension extending continuously to the fixed portion and extending while surrounding the outer race to form a desired seal portion between itself and the outer race, and a pulser gear portion comprising a plurality of concave and convex portions formed on the extension and provided circumferentially at intervals, and a sensor is disposed in proximity to the pulser gear portion, whereby the number of rotations of the wheel can be detected.

Abstract: A bearing assembly includes a bearing including a rotatable inner race having a mounting portion integral with a rotatable member and having an annular first groove for rolling members formed in the outer peripheral surface thereof, an outer race fixedly disposed outside and concentrically with the inner race and having a second groove for rolling members formed in the inner peripheral surface thereof in opposed relationship with the first groove for rolling members, a plurality of rolling members interposed between the first and second grooves for rolling members, and a pair of seals disposed on the axially opposite outer sides of the rolling members for sealing the space between the inner and outer races; a pulser gear formed on that portion on the outer peripheral surface of the inner race which is positioned between the pair of seals and having convex portions and concave portions alternately formed circumferentially on the outer peripheral surface thereof; and a sensor mounted on the inner race and oppos

Abstract: The invention relates to an open-end rotor-spinning device with a rotor shaft which is mounted and driven in the wedge-shaped gap between supporting disks and to the free end of which is assigned an axial bearing. A simplified mounting, which also allows the supporting disks to be removed and exchanged while the machine is in operation, is provided because the rotor shaft (1) is mounted at two bearing points, of which one is formed by supporting disks (2, 3) arranged in the vicinity of the spinning rotor (10) and the second is a bearing (5) which absorbs axial and radial forces and which receives the free end (11) of the rotor shaft (1). An increase in the operating speed of the spinning rotor (10) without an increase in the running speed of the drive means (6) is achieved as a result of a reduction of the diameter of the rotor shaft (1) in the region of the drive means.

Abstract: A turbomolecular vacuum pump having stator blades disposed in a multistage fashion within a casing in an axial direction thereof, and rotor blades which are located between respectively adjacent stator blades and are mounted on an outer periphery of a rotor situated centrally of the casing. A motor rotor is fixed to a rotating member which is formed of the rotor having the rotor blades fixed to the outer periphery, and a motor stator opposite to the motor rotor is arranged so as to construct a drive mechanism for the rotating member. The rotating member is supported at a lower portion thereof by a pivot-type plane bearing, and a magnetic bearing is arranged in such a manner so as to oppose a lower end of the rotor and a supporting member for the rotating member.

Abstract: A rolling bearing comprising an outer race and an inner race situated coaxially therein both races defining an annular space therebetween and a row of rolling members in the annular space between the races, and generally annular ring seals, having inwardly directed sides and inner and outer peripheral areas, for sealing off from the surroundings, on either side of the rolling members, the annular space between the races wherein a lubricant is present, wherein the inwardly directed sides of the sealing rings is formed with at least one cavity containing a fluid magnetic lubricant, and a magnetic forming magnetic fields, the poles of which fields are located on either side of the cavity, near the races.

Abstract: A rolling bearing comprising at least one outer and one inner race situated coaxially therein and a row of rolling members situated in a space between these races and first and second seals for sealing the space between the races off from the outside surroundings on either side of the rolling members, to prevent a lubricant present from escaping to the outside and to prevent foreign matter from penetrating into the space from outside, the first seal being generally annular and the second seal comprises a sealing lip that is in communication with one of the races and having an inwardly directed side which rests springily against the other race, the first annular seal having an end portion that lies behind the inwardly directed side of the sealing lip, at a short distance from the other race thereby defining first, open, slot-shaped annular space between the seals and the said inner race and which space contains a quantity of magnetic fluid, and a magnet forming a magnetic field whereby such fluid is held withi

Abstract: Bearing or roller bearing with data sensor of the type having a stationary element carrying a magnetic field sensor device and a rotating element carrying at least one multipole magnetized ring placed coaxially with the rotating element and separated from the sensor device by a gap.

Abstract: A motor unit has a stationary member, a rotatable member rotatable relative to the stationary member, a stator provided on the stationary member, a rotor provided on the rotatable member, and at least two bearings disposed between the stationary member and the rotatable member. The rotor and stator are constructed so that the rotor is electromagnetically attracted toward the stator during the energization of the motor. One of the bearings is a ball bearing having an outer race with preload applied by the electromagnetic attraction of the rotor and an inner race formed on the rotatable member, and the other bearing is a hydrodynamic pressure type radial bearing.

Abstract: Two parts of a roller bearing are separated by a gap and rotate in relation to one another, one of which carries a circuit through which a current passes. The circuit is rigidly connected to the rotating ring of the roller bearing and moves in front of a disk carried by the stationary ring on which an electromagnetic field probe is mounted.

Abstract: An improved gas circulator for a gas-cooled nuclear reactor system is disclosed which includes a stator, a rotor having a rotor shaft, and an impeller attached to one end thereof. A radial active magnetic bearing and a radial backup bearing are positioned proximate each end of the rotor shaft. An axial active magnetic bearing is also located between the ends of the rotor shaft, as is an axial backup bearing, with two of the backup bearings enclosed within a sealed chamber that may contain a lubricant, for example, a solid lubricant or a liquid lubricant. Preferably, the gas circulator is installed in a nuclear reactor system with the rotor shaft in a substantially vertical orientation and the sealed chamber near the bottom of the rotor shaft. The lower radical backup bearing and the axial backup bearing are advantageously located within the sealed chamber.

Abstract: Provides new magnetic fluid bearings and magnetic fluid seals incorporating a pressure responsive system for automatically controlling the supply of magnetic fluid to the magnetic fluid feed area of such bearing or seal. The system for controlling the supply of magnetic fluid includes a reservoir of magnetic fluid and a conduit leading from the reservoir to the magnetic fluid feed area of the magnetic fluid bearing or magnetic fluid seal. A portion of the conduit is subjected to a magnetic field which establishes a pressure responsive magnetic fluid plug in that portion of the conduit to automatically control the flow of magnetic fluid to and from the reservoir as a function of the difference in pressure between the magnetic fluid feed area of the bearing or seal and the reservoir.

Abstract: A computer direct disc drive wherein a hub is mounted on a shaft supported in spaced bearings within a housing with one of the bearings being fixed and the other bearing having an outer race which is free to float both radially and axially and wherein a biasing spring arrangement and a preload sleeve is positioned around the shaft to bias the outer race of the floating bearing away from the fixed bearing, the improvement which consists mounting magnets within the preload sleeve in axially spaced relationship to each other and in radially spaced relationship to the shaft to set up a magnetic circuit through the shaft, preload sleeve and housing to bias the shaft toward the magnets and force the outer race of the floating bearing into engagement with the housing to thereby stabilize it against radial movement while still permitting it to move axially to compensate for thermal variations to which the direct disc drive is subjected.

Abstract: A composite ferrofluid bearing and seal apparatus which comprises a ferrofluid seal apparatus which contains disposed therein a bearing element, to form a ferrofluid-film bearing with the surface of a shaft, the ferrofluid seal apparatus retaining the bearing ferrofluid film within the bearing cavity, by forming a ferrofluid O-ring seal, held by magnetic flux, at each end of the bearing element, the composite ferrofluid bearing and seal apparatus acting to contain the bearing ferrofluid film within the fluid-film bearing cavity and to exclude gases from being entrained in the ferrofluid.

Abstract: A movable surface global puzzle includes a magnetic core and a concentric shell spaced from and surrounding the core, the shell is divided into component sections as defined by planes passing through a center of the core, and is magnetically held to the core. A plurality of ball bearings interposed between the shell and the core provide for slidable movement of the shell sections about the core and relative to each other. A world map, geometric design or similar pattern is depicted on the surface of and extending over several sections. The object of the puzzle is to rearrange a random distribution of the shell sections by a series of shiftable movements so as to recreate the composite or mosaic pattern. In an alternate arrangement a handle is provided for removal of one or more shell sections from the core to provide an alternate method of play and to facilitate solving the puzzle.

Abstract: A rotary member embodying the rotor of a brushless DC motor and having a magnet extending around an axially opening recess is rotatably supported by means of a bearing device on a stationary member which includes a fixed shaft extending into the recess and stator windings arrayed around the fixed shaft on a stator yoke axially confronting the magnet of the rotor to provide a magnetic attraction therebetween constituting at least part of a thrust load; such bearing device comprising first and second ball bearings having outer ring races engaging a cylindrical side wall of the recess in the rotary member and seating against axially spaced first and second annular shoulders, respectively, formed in such side wall and facing axially toward the opening of the recess, while inner ring races of the first and second ball bearings are disposed on the fixed shaft with one of the inner races seating against an additional annular shoulder formed on the shaft and facing axially opposite to the first and second shoulders,