Static fluid pressure bearings

Claim 2

A static fluid pressure bearing comprising a casing; a radial bearing metal secured to said casing, said bearing metal being provided with a plurality of radial bearing pockets on its inner surface for fluidically and rotatably supporting a rotary shaft, a plurality of radial pressure receiving pockets provided outside the outer periphery of said radial bearing metal in the same peripheral spacings, said radial pressure receiving pockets being respectively communicated with said radial bearing pockets; a floating ring encircling said radial pressure receiving pockets with a clearance therebetween to be rotatable and movable in a radial direction with respect to said radial pressure receiving pockets, said floating ring and said radial pressure receiving pockets cooperating to form variable throttle means; and means for supplying fluid under pressure to said radial bearing pockets through said variable throttle means and said radial pressure receiving pockets, said floating ring being operable to vary said variable throttle means so as to supply a larger quantity of fluid to at least one of said radial bearing pockets in which fluid pressure is higher than in the other radial bearing pockets in response to a difference of pressure generated in said radial bearing pockets thereby maintaining said shaft at the axis of said radial bearing metal.

Claim 3

A static fluid pressure bearing comprising a casing, a radial bearing metal secured to said casing and provided with a plurality of radial bearing pockets for fluidically and rotatably supporting a rotary shaft, a ring encircling said radial bearing metal and secured thereto, said ring being provided with a plurality of radial pressure receiving pockets as the same number as said radial bearing pockets said radial pressure receiving pockets being respectively communicated with said radial bearing pockets, a pair of thrust bearing metals secured in said casing and provided at the opposite sides of a thrust ring of said rotary shaft with clearance therebetween, said thrust bearing metals being provided with thrust bearing pockets which oppose the opposite sides of said thrust ring, said thrust bearing pockets being connected to a source of fluid under pressure; a floating ring sorrounding said ring with a clearance therebetween, said floating ring being supported by said fluid so as to be free to rotate and move in the radial directions; first variable throttle means formed between said floating ring and said radial pressure receiving pockets; and conduit means for supplying fluid under pressure to said radial bearing pockets through said first variable throttle means and said radial pressure receiving pockets, whereby said floating ring is displaced in the radial direction in response to the pressure difference between said radial bearing pockets so as to maintain the axis of said rotary shaft at the center of said radial bearing metal.

Claim 4

A static fluid pressure bearing comprising a casing, a radial bearing metal secured to said casing and provided with a plurality of radial bearing pockets for fluidically and rotatably supporting a rotary shaft, a ring encircling said radial bearing metal and secured thereto, said ring being provided with a plurality of radial pressure receiving pockets as the same number as said radial bearing pockets said radial pressure receiving pockets being respectively communicated with said radial bearing pockets, a pair of thrust bearing metals secured in said casing and provided at the opposite sides of a thrust ring of said rotary shaft with clearance therebetween, said thrust bearing metals being provided with thrust bearing pockets which oppose the opposite sides of said thrust ring, said thrust bearing pockets being connected to a source of fluid under pressure; a floating ring sorrounding said ring with a clearance therebetween, said floating ring being supported by said fluid so as to be free to rotate and move in the radial directions; first variable throttle means formed between said floating ring and said radial pressure receiving pockets; and conduit means for supplying fluid under pressure to said radial bearing pockets through said first variable throttle means and said radial pressure receiving pockets, whereby said floating ring is displaced in the radial direction in response to the pressure difference between said radial bearing pockets so as to maintain the axis of said rotary shaft at the center of said radial bearing metal.

Claim 5

A static fluid pressure bearing according to claim 2 wherein said floating ring is positioned in annular chamber defined by the end surfaces of said thrust and radial bearing metals and the inner bore of said casing such that said floating ring can move both in the radial and axial directions.

Claim 6

A static fluid pressure bearing according to claim 3 wherein said clearances between the end furface of said floating ring and the end surface of said and thrust radial bearing metals is smaller than said clearance between the inner periphery of said floating ring and the outer periphery of said ring.

Claim 7

A static fluid pressure bearing according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of equally spaced apart grooves are formed on the opposite end surfaces of said ring at positions respectively opposing said radial pressure receiving pockets, said grooves are opened toward the outer periphery of said ring, pressurized medium is supplied to said grooves from said fluid supply means and said pressurized medium is supplied to said radial bearing pockets through variable throttle means formed between said floating ring and said ring.

Claim 8

A static fluid pressure bearing according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of thrust receiving pockets are formed on the thrust receiving surfaces opposing the opposite end surfaces of said floating ring with small clearances therebetween, said thrust receiving pockets formed on one thrust receiving surface and on the other end surface are communicated with one and the other of said thrust bearing pockets, second variable throttle means is formed between the opposite end surface of said floating ring and the periphery of said thrust receiving pockets, and the pressurized medium is supplied to said thrust bearing pockets through said second variable throttle means.

Claim 9

A static fluid pressure bearing according to claim 2 wherein on the inner surface of said radial bearing metal are provided with a plurality of radial bearing pockets, a land encircling said plurality of radial bearing pockets, a plurality of discharge lands each formed in each of said plurality of radial bearing pockets, and discharge ports respectively opened on said discharge lands for connecting said radial bearing pockets to a reservoir.