Fluid supply distributor

Abstract

A fluid supply distributor communicates fluid from a stationary fluid source to a rotating hydraulic motor. The distributor includes a housing with main ports for connection to high and low pressure at the source. A shaft rotating in the housing is attached to the motor and includes motor ports for connection to the rotating motor. A sleeve in the housing surrounds the shaft, and the sleeve and shaft define interfacing sealing surfaces. The housing, the sleeve, and the shaft include passages for communicating fluid between the main ports and the motor ports. The sleeve is normally retained in a stationary position, but is released to rotate within the housing should the shaft seize within the housing. The passages include spaced supply grooves at the sealing surfaces connected to the main ports and thus maintained at different pressures. Bearing assemblies adjacent the sealing surfaces mount the shaft for rotation and are lubricated in a balanced fashion by leakage of fluid between the sealing surfaces from both supply grooves.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.