Machine tool spindle

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE TOOL SPINDLE ADAPTED TO ROTATE AT VARYING HIGH SPEEDS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A ROTARY MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN AT VARYING HIGH SPEEDS, A HOUSING MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH THROUGH WHICH THE ROTARY MEMBER EXTENDS, SAID HOUSING MEMBER HAVING A BASE WHEREBY SAID SPINDLE MAY BE READILY MOUNTED ON A MACHINE TOOL, SAID HOUSING MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE SET OF SPACED PADS ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF THE OPENING, SAID SET COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PRESSURE PADS, SAID HOUSING MEMBER INCLUDING RADIAL END THRUST SURFACES FACING AXIALLY OUTWARDLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PRESSURE PADS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH SAID RADIAL END THRUST SURFACE, AN ORIFICE ASSOCIATED WITH EACH PRESURE PAD AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID UNDER PRESSURE TO EACH SAID ORIFICE, SAID ROTARY MEMBER HAVING MADE OF TWO SEPARABLE SECTIONS, ONE SAID SECTION OF SAID ROTARY MEMBER INCLUDING GENERALLY AXIAL SURFACES COMPLEMENTARY TO THE SURFACES IN WHICH SAID SET OF PRESSURE PADS IS POSITIONED, THE SAID SECTIONS OF SAID ROTARY MEMBER HAVING COMPLEMENTARY RADIAL SURFACES FACING AND ADJACENT THE RADIAL SURFACES OF SAID HOUSING MEMBER, THE PRESSURE OF LIQUID IN THE PADS OF EACH SET OF PADS BEING EQUAL, SAID PADS BEING LOCATED RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER AND SAID SURFACES SUCH THAT THE LIQUID FLOWS SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL DISTANCES FROM SAID PADS AND THE PRESSURE OF SAID LIQUID IS SUBSTANTIALLY DISSIPATED AS THE LIQUID REACHES THE EDGES OF SAID SURFACES, SAID HOUSING HAVING DRAIN PASSAGES AT THE EDGES OF THE SURFACES THROUGH WHICH THE LIQUID FLOWS, THE RELATIVE DIMENSIONS OF SAID HOUSING AND SAID ROTARY MEMBER BEING SUCH THAT A PRESSURIZED FILM OF LIQUID FLOWS CONTINUOUSLY BETWEEN THE SURFACES THROUGH THE PRESSURE PADS SO THAT FORCES ON THE ROTARY MEMBER ARE BALANCED BY PRESSURES IN THE PRESSURE PADS PROVIDING A PERMANENT STABLE SEPARATION OF THE SURFACES AND RETAINING THE ROTARY MEMBERS IN A STABLE POSITION RELATIVE TO THE HOUSING MEMBER.