Gas-bearing assembly

Claim 1

A GAS BEARING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: (A) ROTOR MEANS COMPRISING A RELATIVELY LARGE TORQUE TRANSFERRING MASS PORTION AND TWO RELATIVELY SMALL DYNAMIC STABILIZING MASS PORTIONS POSITIONED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LARGE MASS PORTION AND AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID ROTOR MEANS BEING RESPECTIVELY JOINED TO SAID LARGE MEANS PORTION BY REDUCED DIAMETER LONGITUDINAL METALLIC SECTIONS AS ELASTIC PRIMARY SUPPORT MEANS; (B) MEANS FOR IMPARTING SPEED OF AT LEAST 2000 R.P.M. TO SAID ROTOR MEANS; (C) A CASING ENCLOSING SAID ROTOR MEANS BEING ARRANGED AND POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SMALL DYNAMIC STABILIZING MASS PORTIONS TO PROVIDE FIRST NARROW ANNULAR SPACES OF BETWEEN ABOUT 0.0002 AND 0.008 INCH WIDTH PER INCH DIAMETER OF SAID DYNAMIC STABILIZING MASS PORTIONS THEREBETWEEN HAVING WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE ROTOR MEANS AXIS OF ROTATION; (D) A THRUST BEARING SECTION AT ONE END OF SAID ROTOR MEANS AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID SMALL DYNAMIC STABILIZING MASS PORTION AND POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO THE ADJACENT END OF SAID CASING (C) SO AS TO FORM A SECOND NARROW ANNULAR SPACE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 0.0002 AND 0.008 INCH WIDTH PER INCH DIAMETER OF SAID DYNAMIC STABILIZING MASS PORTION, THEREBETWEEN HAVING WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE ROTOR MEANS AXIS OF ROTATION; (E) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING SUFFICIENT GAS INTO SAID FIRST ANNULAR SPACES TO FORM STIFF GAS FILMS WHICH SUPPORT AND RADIALLY POSITION SAID SMALL DYNAMIC STABILIZING MASS PORTIONS SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID CASING (C); (F) MEANS FOR INTRODUCING SUFFICIENT GAS INTO SAID SECOND ANNULAR SPACE TO FORM A STIFF GAS FILM TRANSMITTING THE THRUST LOAD FROM THE SMALL DYNAMIC STABILIZING MASS PORTION OF SAID ROTOR MEANS TO SAID CASING; AND (G) MEANS FOR RECEIVING AT LEAST PART OF THE ENERGY OF ROTATION FROM SAID ROTOR MEANS.