Elastically supported self-compensating flow restrictors for optimizing

Abstract

A hydrostatic self-compensating bearing straddling a linear bearing rail or a spindle shaft and having, in combination, opposed fluid supply pressure and collector grooves and pockets interconnected so that when a load is applied, one pocket approaches the rail or shaft while the opposite pocket moves away therefrom, allowing flow from the corresponding opposite supply grooves to the corresponding collector grooves to increase and decrease, respectively, providing compensation; each fluid supply pressure groove surrounding a self-compensating flow restrictor elastically connected with its surrounding structure, whereby, as the pressure each collector groove and its oppositely located pocket increases and decreases, respectively, a change in the differential pressure across the elastically supported restrictors causes a deflection thereof away from and toward the rail or shaft, further increasing and decreasing the pressure in the corresponding pocket to provide compensation supplemental to the first-named compensation, and with the restrictor being tunable to optimize hydrostatic bearing performance.