Synchronous magnetic drive assembly with laminated barrier

A magnetic drive assembly comprising a housing including a pair of spaced apart end flanges, one of said flanges having a central recess containing bearing means for supporting one end of a driven shaft therein, the other of said flanges having a bore therethrough axially aligned with said recess and containing bearing means for supporting a portion of said shaft extending therethrough;

• a carrier member mounted on said shaft between said flanges and supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements;
• axially inwardly directed boss means on each of said end flanges positioned radially outwardly of said shaft;
• an annular barrier member extending between said end flanges radially outwardly of said carrier member and including a plurality of axially adjacent annular laminations nested together over the length of said barrier member, each lamination having a chevron shape in radial cross-section, each lamination being formed of a non-magnetic ductile material;
• said barrier and said end flanges defining a chamber within said housing containing said shaft and carrier member;
• means hermetically sealing said chamber;
• bearing means on each of said boss means supporting a rotatable cylindrical drive member containing a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements facing said barrier;
• means for rotating said drive member;
• and means interconnecting said flanges to apply an axially directed compressive force to said barrier member.