Self-adjusting fluid bearing

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATICALLY SELF-ADJUSTING FLUID BEARING, THE COMBINATION, COMPRISING, A SHAFT. A STATIONARY BEARING ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID SHAFT WITH OPERATING CLEARANCE AND HAVING A FLUID PRESSURE CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CLEARANCE BY THE FIRST LEG AND THE SECOND LEG OF AN ARCUATE CHANNEL, SAID BEARING FURTHER HAVING A FLUID INLET PASSAGE AND A FLUID OUTLET CHANNEL IN COMMUNICATION WITH AN OUTER PORT AND AN INNER PORT, RINGS IN SAID BEARING, A TUBULAR CORRECTING MEMBER DISPOSED IN SAID RINGS TO SLIDE RADIAL TO THE AXIS OF THE SHAFT AND LOCATED OPPOSITE SAID FLUID PRESSURE CHAMBER, SAID MEMBER HAVING ITS OUTER END COMMUNICATING WITH THE SAID FIRST LEG OF THE ARCUATE CHANNEL, A SCANNING HEAD AT THE INNER END OF SAID MEMBER AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CLEARANCE OPPOSITE SAID; CHAMBER TO REGULATE VARIABLE FLUID PRESSURES RESULTING FROM DISPLACEMENT OF THE SHAFT FROM ITS NORMAL POSITION, AN EXTERNAL FLANGE ON THE CORRECTING MEMBER AND SPACED FROM SAID SCANNING HEAD, AND MEANS FORMING AN ANNULAR COMPARTMENT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID FLUID INLET AND SURROUNDING SAID SCANNING HEAD, SAID FLANGE COOPERATING WITH SAID MEANS TO SERVE AS A VALVE ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION WITH A CONNECTING CHAMBER LEADING TO SAID INNER PORT AND FLUID INLET WHILE MAINTAINING SAID MEMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE FIRST LEG OF SAID ARCUATE CHANNEL.