US 7,429,132 B1
Hydrostatic air bearing with a porous metal ring
Walter Marussich, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (US)
Assigned to Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc., Jupiter, Fla. (US)
Filed on Oct. 18, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/254,208.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/708451, filed on Aug. 16, 2005.
Int. Cl. F16C 32/06 (2006.01); F16C 33/28 (2006.01); F16C 17/18 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 384—114  [384/279; 384/901; 384/902] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hydrostatic air bearing comprising:
A bearing race with an annular inner surface;
A pressure dam opening onto the inner surface of the bearing race;
A fluid supply passage opening into the pressure dam to supply pressurized air to the hydrostatic bearing;
A rotatable journal located within the annular inner surface;
A porous material sleeve rotatably secured to the rotatable journal;
A space formed between an outer surface of the porous metal sleeve and the annular inner surface; and,
The porous material sleeve having a porosity to dampen the air pressure on a side of the rotatably journal having a reduced spacing due to shifting of the journal within the bearing.