| 摘要 |
Apparatus for allowing nearly frictionless relative motion between bearing elements in prescribed directions while providing high stiffness against motion in other directions has a bearing guide with one or more bearing guide surfaces. A bearing carriage with one or more bearing lands is constructed and located so that the bearing lands are parallel to, in proximity to, and oppose the smooth surfaces of the bearing guide. The assembly of bearing carriage to bearing guide allows the bearing carriage to traverse along the length of, or rotate about the bearing guide while preserving the nominal bearing gap between bearing land and bearing guide surfaces. The bearing carriage has a number of recesses or bearing pockets, which oppose the bearing guide surfaces and are hydraulically connected to a shuttle body, which has an internal cavity which houses a shuttle. The shuttle is exposed to pressurized fluid flow entering the cavity and acts to divide the outlet flow to each bearing pocket depending on the location of the shuttle within the shuttle body. If the bearing carriage or bearing guide are subject to a relative force which affects the bearing gap between bearing land and bearing guide surface the resulting pressure differential across the shuttle will displace the shuttle thereby reducing flow and pressure to the bearing gap of increased dimension thereby restoring the nominal bearing gap.
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