Gas lubricated spindle bearing assembly

Claim 1

A gas lubricated spindle bearing comprising: a first housing portion having a first end surface with a concave, spherically-shaped region forming a first seat means with a first plurality of circumferentially disposed air passage groove means formed thereon, a second end surface, a first bore extending between said first end surface and said second end surface, means forming a manifold for receiving a pressurized gas, and first gas channel means communicating between said first plurality of groove means and said manifold means; a second housing portion having a third end surface with a concave spherically-shaped region forming a second seat means with a second plurality of circumferentially disposed air passage groove means formed thereon, a fourth end surface, a second bore extending between said third end surface and and said fourth surface, and second gas channel means communicating between said second plurality of groove means and said manifold means; means fastening said first and said second housing portions so that said second surface abuts said fourth surface and said first and second bores are coaxial; rotor means having a convex spherical surface of substantially the same curvature as said first seat means, said rotor means having a third bore formed therethrough and closely disposed to said first seat means so that said third bore is substantially coaxial with said first and said second bores; chuck means having a convex spherical surface of substantially the same curvature as said second seat means and closely disposed to said second seat means; spindle means having a first end and a second end and disposed through said first, second and third bores; a twin, parallel flexure collet assembly including a first annular disk, a second annular disk facing said first annular disk and spaced axially apart therefrom, a cylindrical bushing having a first and a second end, means attaching said first disk coaxially around a portion of said cylindrical bushing proximate the first end of said bushing; and means attaching said second disk coaxially around a portion of said cylindrical bushing proximate the second end of said bushing; means attaching the outer peripheral edges of said first and second disks to said rotor means; and a pair of collet closing sleeves engaged to opposing ends of said bushing and securing said bushing to said spindle; said first and second annular disks being pre-loaded in a direction to bias said rotor means and said chuck means towards their respective seat means and where pressurized gas from said manifolds flow through said channels and out said grooves to separate said chuck means and said rotor means from their respective seats by a layer of lubricating gas.