Sliding bearing

A method for establishing a sliding bearing between a movable body (1, 3, 21) movable in a rotary or linear manner relative to a stationary body (2, 20), one of said bodies having a recess receiving a portion of the other body to provide at least two pairs of face-to-face bearing surfaces (L) which bearing surfaces slide relative to each other by means of a lubricant fluid, comprising the steps of:

• sliding said bodies relative to each other;
• infecting lubricant fluid under pressure through and normal to one of said bearing surfaces defining a first of said pairs to produce fluid flow between a first of said pairs of bodies;
• injecting fluid lubricant under pressure through and normal to one of said surfaces defining a second of said pairs to produce fluid flow between said second of said pairs of surfaces, the direction of said injection through the surfaces being in opposite directions;
• providing vents for said fluid;
• selecting the pressure of the injected fluid to reduce static pressure (p.sub.2) between the bearing surfaces (L) sliding relative to each other so that compressive forces are created between the stationary body and the movable body (1, 3, 21), said fluid being unthrottled from said bearing surfaces to said vents;
• and
• matching fluid flows and bearing surfaces to each other so that all the comprehensive forces acting on the movable body are substantially mutually cancelled out when the movable body (1, 3, 21) is positioned in an equilibrium position not contacting the stationary body (2, 20) and so that restoring forces occur when the bodies are deflected from the equilibrium position.