Hydrostatic setting apparatus for support of loads

A fluid load measuring apparatus which is suited in particular for measuring the load on a body using fluid bearings supporting the body whose load is to be measured, comprising, several individual fluid bearing elements in contact with said body, and each bearing element including a wedge key and upper and lower mating elements which are movably mounted on a fluid film which is supplied under pressure between the sliding surfaces of said key and said mating surfaces, fluid supply means connected to all of said fluid bearing elements to apply fluid at a common pressure to all of said bearing elements, and a plurality of load measuring means respectively connected to said plurality of fluid bearing elements such that the sum of the loads measured by said load measuring means is equal to the load of said body.