Porous lubricant-impregnated bearings

Claim 1

IN A BEARING FOR ROTATING SHAFT, A BEARING BODY OF SINTERED METAL PARTICLES HAVING A CYLINDRICAL BEARING SURFACE ALONG WHICH THE SHAFT ROTATES, SAID BEARING BODY HAVING PORES IN AT LEAST A MAJOR SEGMENTAL PART OF THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF IMPREGNATED WITH A LIQUID LUBRICANT FOR SUPPLYING A LUBRICANT FILM TO SAID BEARING SURFACE, A SEMENTAL SURFACE SECTION OF A BEARIN SECTION OF SAID BEARING EXTENDING OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID BEARING BODY BEING ARRANGED TO MAINTAIN THEREON A COMPRESSED LUBRICANT FILM UNDER HIGH PRESSURE FOR SUPPORTING THE ROTATING SHAFT ON SAID SAID COMPRESSED LUBRICANT FILM WHILE IT SEPARATES SAID SHAFT FROM SAID SEGMENTAL SURFACE SECTION, AT LEAST ONE SEGMENTAL REGION OF SAID BEARING BODY ADJOINING SAID BEARING SECTION HAVING ITS PORES FILLED WITH SAID LUBRICANT FOR SUPPLYING LUBRICANT TO THE LUBRICANT FILM MAINTAINED BETWEEN SAID SEGMENTAL SURFACE SECTION AND THE SHAFT, SAID BEARING SECTION BEING OF A LOWER ORDER OF POROSITY THAN SAID ADJOINING SEGMENTAL REGION FOR SUPPRESSING ESCAPE OF LIQUID LUBRICANT FROM SAID COMPRESSED LUBRICANT FILM ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID BEARING SECTION.