Bearings

Claim 1

IN AN AIR BEARING ASSEMBLY, A ROTOR FOR CARRYING A LOAD APPLIED PERPENDICULARLY TO THE ROTOR ROTATIONAL AXIS AND HAVING AN EXTERNAL BEARING SURFACE OF REVOLUTION CONVEXLY CURVED WITH RESPECT TO THE ROTATIONAL AXIS OF SAID ROTOR; AND A SUPPORT STRUCTURE SUPPORTING AND RECEIVING SAID ROTOR AND HAVING AN INTERIOR CUP SHAPED SEGMENTAL SURFACE OF REVOLUTION SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLEMENTARY TO SAID ROTOR EXTERNAL BEARING SURFACE AND FORMING A SINGLE CENTRALLY LOCATED CUP SHAPED POCKET; MEANS INCLUDING A PASSAGE OPENING CENTRALLY INTO SAID POCKET FOR INTRODUCING A COMPRESSIBLE FLUID UNDER PRESSURE INTO SAID POCKET FOR MAINTAINING SAID ROTOR CONTINUOUSLY AIRBORNE ON A COMPRESSED LAYER OF SAID FLUID AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE, THE PORTION OF SAID LAYER OF COMPRESSED FLUID IN SAID POCKET HAVING A PREDETERMINED DEPTH DURING NORMAL OPERATION; THE SEGMENTAL SURFACE FORMING A MARGIN AROUND SAID POCKET AND COOPERATING WITH SAID ROTOR TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR OUTLET SURROUNDING SAID ROTOR WHEN SAID ROTOR IS AIRBORNE FOR DISCHARGING SAID FLUID IN SAID POCKET TO FREE AIR WITH SAID SEGMENTAL SURFACE BEING SHAPED TO FORM WITH SAID ROTOR AN ANNULAR FLUID PASSAGE THROAT REGION AND A FLUID PASSAGE FLARED REGION BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND SAID ROTOR, SAID THROAT REGION BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT THE EXTREMITY OF SAID POCKET AND HAVING A DEPTH THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED COMPRESSED FLUID LAYER DEPTH AT SAID POCKET WHEN SAID ROTOR IS AIRBORNE, SAID FLARED REGION BEING DISPOSED AROUND SAID ROTOR BETWEEN SAID OUTLET AND SAID THROAT REGION AND DIVERGING OUTWARDLY TOWARD SAID OUTLET WHEREBY THE PRESSURE OF FLUID IN SAID THROAT REGION IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE PRESSURE OF FLUID IN SAID POCKET AND LESS THAN THE PRESSURE OF AIR AT SAID OUTLET.