Controlled fluid-lubricated bearings

Claim 1

APPARATUS INCLUDING FLUID-LUBRICATED BEARING MEANS, SAID BEARING MEANS COMPRISING A FLUID-LUBRICATED LOADCARRYING BEARING COMPRISING TWO BEARING MEMBERS DEFINING A CLEARANCE BETWEEN THEM, A BEARING RECESS FORMED IN THE FIRST OF THESE MEMBERS, A SOUCE OF FLUID AND A FLUID LINE CONNECTING THIS SOURCE TO THE RECESS WHEREBY THE FLUID MAY ISSUE FROM THE RECESS INTO THE CLEARANCE, A CHAMBER, FLEXIBLE OBSTRUCTION MEANS COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE OBSTRUCTION SPANNING THE CHAMBER, THE OBSTRUCTION HAVINGA TWO OPPOSED FACES AND MAKING FLUID-TIGHT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WALLS OF THE CHAMBER TO PREVENT FLUID FROM PASSING FROM ONE FACE TO THE OTHER FACE THEREOF AND BEING MOUNTED TO FLEX RELATIVE TO THE CHAMBER IN DIRECTIONS NORMAL TO ITS TWO FACES, SAID CHAMBER BEING INCORPORATED IN SAID LINE SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY THE WHOLE OF ONE OF THE TWO OPPOSED FACES OF THE OBSTRUCTION IS EXPOSED TO FLUID AT THE PRESSURE OF THAT IN THE RECESS SO AS TO MOVE UPON CHANGES IN RECESS PRESSURE, THE APPARATUS COMPRISING ALSO A VARIABLE ORIFICE IN THE FLUID LINE CONTROLLED BY MOVEMENT OF SAID FLEXIBLE OBSTRUCTION, THROUGH WHICH ORIFICE ALL FLUID MUST PASS IN MOVING FROM SAID SOURCE TO SAID RECESS, THE FLUID UPSTREAM OF THE ORIFICE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY AT SOURCE PRESSURE AND THAT DOWNSTREAM SUBSTANTIALLY AR RECESS PRESSURE, SAID OBSTRUCTION AND ORIFICE BEING INTERCONNECTED SO THAT VARIATION IN THE SETTING OF THE OBSTRUCTION VARIES THE ORIFICE, WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID OBSTRUCTION UPON CHANGES IN RECESS PRESSURE VARIES THE SETTING OF THE VARIABLE ORIFICE, THUS VARYING THE FLOW OF FLUID TO SAID RECESS TO KEEP THE CLEARANCE CONSTANT BETWEEN THE TWO BEARING MEMBERS.