Damped bearing for centrifuges

Claim 1

A DAMPED BEARING SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING THE UPPER VERTICALLY ORIENTED SHAFT OF A LIQUID-CENTRIFUGE ROTOR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A RIGID SUPPORT MEMBER; A JOURNAL BEARING ROTATABLY ENGAGING SAID UPPER SHAFT; A SPHERICAL BEARING HAVING AN INNER AND AN OUTER RACE, SAID INNER RACE BEING AFFIXED TO SAID JOURNAL BEARING; MEANS FOR PREVENTING ROTATION OF SAID INNER RACE OF SAID SPHERICAL BEARING ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID SHAFT WHILE PERMITTING PARTIAL ROTATION ABOUT TWO MUTUALLY PERPENDICULAR, HORIZONTALLY ORIENTED AXES; A DAMPING RING HAVING INNER AND OUTER PORTIONS, SAID INNER PORTION BEING AFFIXED TO SAID OUTER RACE OF SAID SPHERICAL BEARING AND PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF LATERAL PROJECTIONS EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID BEARING, SAID OUTER PORTION OF SAID DAMPING RING BEING AFFIXED TO SAID RIGID SUPPORT MEMBER AND PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF LATERAL PROJECTIONS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE LATERAL PROJECTIONS OF SAID INNER PORTION OF SAID DAMPING RING WITH A SMALL AXIAL CLEARANCE BEING PROVIDED BETWEEN SAID RESPECTIVE PROJECTIONS, SAID OUTER PORTION OF SAID DAMPING RING FURTHER PROVIDED WITH A LOWER FLANGE SPACED FROM AND VERTICALLY OPPOSED TO THE LOWERMOST LATERAL PROJECTION OF SAID INNER DAMPING RING PORTION; A FIRST ELASTOMERIC SEALING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID LOWER FLANGE OF SAID OUTER DAMPING RING PORTION AND SAID LOWERMOST LATERAL PROJECTION OF SAID INNER DAMPING RING PORTION TO EFFECT A RESILIENT SEAL THEREBETWEEN; SAID INNER DAMPING RING PORTION FURTHER PROVIDED WITH AN UPPERMOST AND OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE, SAID OUTER DAMPING RING PORTION BEING PROVIDED WITH AN UPPER VERTICAL RECESS VERTICALLY OPPOSED TO THE OUTERMOST PORTION OF SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE OF SAID INNER DAMPING RING PORTION; A SECOND ELASTOMERIC SEALING MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN AND BETWEEN SAID RECESS OF SAID OUTER DAMPING RING PORTION AND SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE OF SAID INNER DAMPING RING PORTION TO EFFECT A RESILIENT SEAL THEREBETWEEN; SAID INNER AND OUTER PORTIONS OF SAID DAMPING RING TOGETHER WITH SAID RESPECTIVE SEALING MEANS DEFINING A LEAK-TIGHT ANNULAR CAVITY THEREBETWEEN, SAID CAVITY ENCLOSING SAID LATERAL PROJECTIONS, AND A VISCOUS OIL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ANNULAR CAVITY AND BETWEEN THE OVERLAPPING LATERAL PROJECTIONS OF SAID INNER AND OUTER PORTIONS OF SAID DAMPING RING TO THUS PROVIDE LINEAR DAMPING BY A SHEARING ACTION OF THE OIL LAYER DISPOSED BETWEEN THE COOPERATING, OVERLAPPING LATERAL PROJECTIONS.