Device for mounting and driving a spindle, particularly a textile spindle

A device for mounting and driving a spindle, in particular a textile spindle comprising a hollow tube mounted relative to a frame by first and second axial-flux radial active magnetic bearings and rotated about an axis of the tube by an electric motor, the device being characterized in that the tube is mounted without contact relative to the frame which is in the form of a casing, by the first and second bearings respectively disposed at first and second ends of the tube, with said electric motor being disposed between them, said first and second bearings and said electric motor having respective air gaps, in that each of the first and second bearings comprises a stator magnetic circuit made up of four discrete axial-flux elements distributed around the tube, each axial-flux element having a contact surface of prescribed length which is in continuous abutment with the contact surface of an adjacent one of the axial-flux elements along the entirety of the prescribed lengths of both abutting contact surfaces, and in that means are provided to create a reduced pressure in the air gaps of the first and second bearings and of the electric motor.