Patent ID: 8032998

Claim:
A manufacturing apparatus for a foil bearing having a stationary mount member surrounding an outer circumferential surface of a journal via an annular gap and a plurality of foil members each having a wave-shaped portion, the foil members being circumferentially arranged on an inner circumferential surface of the stationary mount member, the apparatus comprising: a tubular positioning member having a substantially cylindrical wall provided on its outer circumferential surface with engagement portions each having a shape corresponding to at least part of the wave-shaped portion of associated one of the foil members such that positioning of the foil members can be achieved by engaging the wave-shaped portion of each foil member to the associated engagement portion of the positioning member and inserting the positioning member into an inside of the stationary mount member; and a welding device for welding the foil members to the inner circumferential surface of the stationary mount member, wherein the positioning member is formed with openings in the substantially circumferential wall thereof to allow the welding device to access the foil members from inside the positioning member through the openings.