ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,247,616, issued on March 11, was assigned to NSK LTD. (Tokyo).
"Gas bearing pad" was invented by Toshinori Sato (Kanagawa, Japan).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The gas bearing pad includes a main body portion including a recess portion, a porous body fitted into the recess portion of the main body portion, and a bolt inserted into a bolt insertion hole provided in the porous body and fixing the porous body to the main body portion. A gas bearing is formed between the porous body and the base by blowing compressed gas from the main body portion through the porous body toward the base. A counterbore hole that accommodates a head portion o...