Gas magnetic thrust bearing

Claim 1

A GAS MAGNETIC THRUST BEARING FOR RESISTING AXIAL DISPLACEMENT DUE TO THRUST FORCES ALONG THE SPIN AXIS OF A ROTATING MEMBER COMPRISING A ROTATABLE MEMBER HAVING A SPIN AXIS, A FIRST THRUST PLATE OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL OF HIGH HYSTERETIC CONSTANT MOUNTED UPON THE MEMBER SO AS TO BE AXIALLY SYMMETRICAL AND ROTATABLE WITH THE MEMBER, A STATIONARY THRUST PLATE OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL LOCATED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE FIRST THRUST PLATE, THE FIRST THRUST PLATE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM COATING OF NONMAGNETIC MATERIAL THEREON DEFINING A SPACING WITH THE STATIONARY THRUST PLATE, MEANS FOR PROVIDING A ROTATING MAGNETIC FIELD BETWEEN THE THRUST PLATES THEREBY TO ROTATE SAID FIRST PLATE AND TO PROVIDE ATTRACTIVE MAGNETIC FORCES BETWEEN THE PLATES, A GASEOUS MEDIUM IN THE SPACING, THE PLATES COACTING TOGETHER WITH THE GASEOUS MEDIUM TO DEVELOP GAS PRESSURE IN THE SPACING FOR PROVIDING REPELLING FORCES BETWEEN THE PLATES, THE PLATES BEING NORMALLY COAXIALLY DISPLACED FROM EACH OTHER SO THAT THE ATTRACTIVE AND REPELLING FORCES ARE BALANCED WHEN NO EXTERNAL FORCES ACT ON THE ROTATABLE MEMBER TENDING TO DISPLACE IT ALONG ITS SPIN AXIS, THE ATTRACTIVE AND REPELLING FORCES COACTING TOGETHER TO RESIST DISPLACEMENTS OF THE ROTATABLE MEMBER ALONG ITS SPIN AXIS DUE EXTERNAL FORCES ACTING THEREON.