Integrated shaft self-compensating hydrostatic bearing

A self compensating hydrostatic bearing for shafts having, in combination, a cylindrical bearing bore provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves, each connected by radial hole means to pressure supply and drain systems;

• said grooves comprising pressure supply grooves and drain grooves axially spaced from the pressure supply grooves, and arranged in said bearing bore to serve as fluid supply and fluid drain grooves;
• a bearing shaft fitted into said bearing bore with a radial clearance that allows for normal shaft deflection and for a radial bearing gap for hydrostatic support action between the said bore and the said shaft;
• circumferential collector groove means on the surface of said shaft, comprising a plurality of grooves equally spaced around the shaft, such that when the shaft is placed in the bore, the collector grooves in the shaft are axially adjacent to the pressure supply grooves;
• pockets circumferentially spaced and equal in number, and axially displaced from said collector grooves such that the pockets are located between the drain grooves in said bore when said shaft is inserted therein;
• flow channels traversing the shaft to connect the collector grooves to the pockets and route the fluid therealong, such that when the fluid flows axially from said pressure grooves across the shaft into said collector grooves, in proportion to the radial clearance between the surface of said shaft and said bore, it can flow to the pocket opposite to the collector, and thus act to provide a restoring force in proportion to the radial displacement of the shaft.