Hydrostatic button bearing with attitude control

Claim 1

An improved hydrostatic button bearing having a cylindrical skirt portion adapted to be loosely received in a pressurized pocket with a seal so it can oscillate about the cylindrical axis of the skirt without loss of pressurized fluid from the pocket and a hydrostatic bearing pad area portion oriented normal to the cylindrical axis of the skirt wherein the bearing pad portion comprises: a central circular recess having a passage means connecting it through said skirt portion for communication with pressurized fluid in an associated pressurized pocket in which said skirt portion is inserted; an inner circular sill having a substantially flat circular surface bordering such recess, the width of said flat circular surface being defined by the equation 200 (RO2 - RI2)/loge (RO/RI) B2 > 99 percent wherein RO and RI are respectively the radii to the outer circular edge and inner circular edge of said flat circular surface and B is the minimum diameter of said passage means; and a spaced outer circular sill concentric with said inner circular sill, said spaced outer sill having an innermost circular portion level with said flat circular surface of said inner sill whereby said button will be self-stabilizing during operation in hydrostatic bearing application.