Turntable support for a record player

Claim 1

In a record player comprising a stationary chassis member, a turntable having a turntable shaft with a lower end surface, a stationary turntable supporting member which is secured to said chassis member, a driving means and means coupling said driving means to said turntable for rotating said turntable, the improvement comprising a pressurized air supply means and an improved combined radial air bearing and axial thrust ball bearing means for supporting said turntalbe shaft, said air supply means and said combined bearing means being supported on said chassis member to provide a more compact unit, said radial bearing means comprising said turntable supporting member having a bearing housing therein and a concentric bearing sleeve means located in said bearing housing, said sleeve means surrounding said turntable shaft and defining a clearance between the outer surface oF said turntable shaft and an inner wall surface of said bearing sleeve, apertures formed in said sleeve means for introducing a film of pressurized air to said clearance from said air supply means for limiting the radial displacement of said turntable shaft, said axial thrust bearing limiting the vertical displacement of said turntable and including a bearing plate disposed in said housing and having a smooth plane surface, a ball engaging the bottom surface of said turntable shaft and being supported on said plate, said turntable supporting member and said bottom portion of said turntable shaft defining a lower chamber at the bottom portion thereof, said turntable supporting member having at the bottom thereof an unobstructed exhaust port of predetermined size connecting said lower chamber with the ambient atmosphere to advantageously preclude the build up of potential air pressure within said lower chamber and thereby reducing the operating power requirements.