Gas bearings

Abstract

Abstract A gas bearing for carrying a work load to any desired location including a circular housing having a cavity in which is arranged spaced grooves separated by ribs or lands. The bearing also has a peripheral flange which extends upwardly from the body of the housing and receives a porous plate which engages the lands and covers the grooves. Means are also provided for passing a gas ino the housing. When the bearing plate is inverted, the porous plate rests on a track or base plate and when gas passes through the porous plate, the bearing may be easily rotated or moved in a linear direction . The bearing may be of any desired size, such as from approximately one-fourth inch in diameter up to the requirement of the load to be carried in relation to the avaialbel gas supply. Two or more of the bearings may be used in tandem when the load so requires. To protect the bearing when the load is heavy, a plate which carries the work or forms part of it is provided with a counter bore which is held in spaced relation to the base plate by resilient means, such as a Bellevile washer, the lower portion of which surrounds a boss on the bearing, while work, such as shearing, stamping or forging is being performed on the load, the bottom portion of the plate surrounding the bearing is moved into engagement with the base plate. The resilient means, however, prevents the weight of the load from collapsing the bearing and this is particularly true with respect to the porous plate which is maintained intact. When the work force on the load isterminated, the resilient means again maintains the load in spaced relation to the base plate at which time the load upon which work has been performed may again be moved to any desired position.

Inventors

• 👤 R Weichsel

Bibliographic Details