Patent ID: 8973848
Filing Date: 2015-03-10
Classification: B05B,F16C

Abstract:
1. An air bearing assembly for use with a turbine driven rotatable motor shaft contained within a housing, and including an external air supply for supplying air to actuate the turbine, said air bearing assembly comprising a composite cylindrical air bearing supporting said motor shaft, said composite cylindrical air bearing having alternating segmented porous carbon sections and nonporous carbon sections bonded together, and having at least one sleeve installed externally and circumferentially about said composite cylindrical air bearing, said sleeve having openings formed therein, therethrough and therearound such that said openings are adjacent said porous carbon sections and are oriented so as to be in longitudinal and circumferential registry with said adjacent porous carbon sections, wherein said housing includes air passageways for delivering said air into and through each said opening externally of said sleeve, and wherein said assembly includes “O”-rings installed circumferentially around said assembly, one at the distal end and one at the proximal end of said assembly, whereby air supplied to said assembly is delivered through said passageways, to and through said openings in said sleeve, and to and through said porous carbon sections of said composite cylindrical air bearing, and whereby, upon supplying sufficient air to actuate said turbine, to and through said passageways, and thence to and through said porous sections of said composite cylindrical air bearing, said rotatable turbine drives said motor shaft which is supported within said bearing assembly during rotation, and said “O”-rings provide vibration damping of said motor shaft during rotation.