Internal support element for a hydrostatically supported roll

Claim 1

A support element for a hydrostatically supported roll having a rotatable hollow cylinder forming an outer working roll circumference and a stationary crosshead extending lengthwise through the hollow cylinder to form a surrounding clearance space between an outer circumference of the crosshead and an inner circumference of the hollow cylinder in which the support element is one of several support elements supported by the crosshead in at least one row formed along the length of the crosshead, said support element comprising: (a) a pressure chamber to which hydraulic fluid is conducted for pressing the support element against the inner circumference of the hollow cylinder; (b) hydrostatic supply pockets formed in a curved contact surface at a top portion of the support element, said curved contact surface having a radius corresponding to the radius of the inner circumference of the hollow cylinder, whereby hydraulic fluid is conducted to the hydrostatic supply pockets for forming a supporting fluid film between the curved contact surface and the inner circumference to support the hollow cylinder; and (c) segments formed in the top portion of the support element having surfaces that surround said hydrostatic supply pockets and define said curved contact surface wherein the total extent of the segments in the circumferential direction of the hollow cylinder is constant over the length of the support element along the longitudinal direction of the hollow cylinder.