Fluid suspension of loads

Claim 1

FLUID SUSEPNSION APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE MEMBERS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL SURFACES OF COMPLEMENTARY SHAPE WHICH FROM A BEARING SITE FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEB, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING AT LEAST ONE RELATIVELY SHALLOW CAVITY RECESSED THEREIN AND OPEN ALONG ONE RELATIVELY LARGE-AREA SIDE THEREOF IN POSITION FOR EXPOSURE TO THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS AND MARGINALLY SURROUNDING BY SURFACES MORE CLOSELY ADJACENT TO COMPOLEMENTARY SURFACES OF THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS, FLUID SUPPLY MEANS FORCING BOTH GASEOUS FLUID AND LIQUID INTO SAID CAVITY UNDER PRESSURE, SAID LIQUID BEING A RELATIVELY VISCOUS LUBRICANT WHICH TENDS TO ADHERE TO AND FORMS A THIN LUBRICATING AND SEALING FILM BETWEEN SAID CLOSELY-ADJACENT SURFACES SURROUNDING SAID CAVITY, SAID SUPPLY MEANS FORCING MORE OF SAID LIQUID THAN GAS INTO SAID CAVITY, AND LOW-FRICTION GUIDE MEANS LIMITING THE SEPARATION BETWEEN SAID CLOSELY-ADJACENT SURFACES TO AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO A PREDETERMINED THICKNESS OF SAID FILM AND PERMITTING SAID RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS WITH LOW FRICTIONAL LOSSES.