Swash plate swivel bearing for a hydraulic axial piston machine

An axial piston machine, comprising:

• a housing;
• a drum supported by the housing for rotation about a rotary axis, and defining a plurality of cylinder bores;
• a plurality of pistons extending into the cylinder bores, and supported for rotary movement with the drum and reciprocating movement within the cylinder bores;
• a shaft extending into the housing to rotate with the drum;
• a swash plate connected to the pistons to transmit selectively rotary movement of the drum into reciprocating movement of the pistons, and reciprocating movement of the pistons into rotary movement of the drum, the swash plate defining a curved bearing surface and being supported by the housing for pivotal movement about a pivot axis;
• the housing further including means defining a curved bearing surface located opposite the bearing surface of the swash plate to support the swash plate in the housing;
• a plurality of bearing means located between the bearing surfaces of the swash plate and the housing to facilitate relative movement therebetween;
• a cage holding the bearing means between said bearing surfaces;
• the swash plate formed with a first groove extending away from the bearing surface thereof;
• the housing formed with a second groove crossing past the first groove, the first and second grooves forming a recess spaced from the bearing surfaces and moving toward and away from the bearing surfaces as the swash plate pivots about the pivot axis;
• a carrier connected to the cage and extending therefrom and between the first and second grooves;
• and
• a guide ball closely held in the recess, against both the swash plate and the housing, and moving with the recess as the swash plate pivots, the guide ball engaging the carrier and moving the carrier, the cage and the bearing means as the swash plate pivots about the pivot axis.