GEAR PUMP BEARING

Gear pump having one or more gears with bearing shafts supported by respective pressure-loaded gear pump bearing blocks. Each pressure-loaded bearing block has: a bore adapted to receive the bearing shaft of a gear of the pump; a thrust face at one end adapted to slidingly engage with a side surface of the gear, and an opposing rear face at the other end, the pump being adapted such that, in use, pressurised fluid is supplied to the rear face to provide a hydraulic load urging the thrust face of the bearing block towards the side surface of the gear; and a seal carried by the rear face, the seal, in use, partitioning higher fluid pressure and lower fluid pressure portions of the rear face. The gear pump further has a pressure regulating valve arranged such that, in use, the fluid pressure difference between the higher and lower fluid pressure portions of the rear face of the bearing block is adjustable by the valve to vary said hydraulic load.