Axial thrust bearing for rotary shafts

Claim 1

AN AXIAL THRUST BEARING FOR A SHAFT ROTATABLE IN A MEDIUM COMPRISING A FIXED SUPPORTING MEMBER HAVING A SYMMETRICAL CAVITY ACCOMMODATING A PART OF A SHAFT, THE GENERATRIX OF SAID CAVITY BEING A CURVED LINE AND HAVING AN AXIS OF ROTATION COINCIDING WITH THE CENTER LINE OF SAID SHAFT, SAID SHAFT HAVING A CENTRAL THRUST MEMBER CO-ACTING WITH SAID FIXED SUPPORTING MEMBER IN OPERATION, THE CO-ACTING SURFACES OF SAID CENTRAL THRUST MEMBER AND CAVITY HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME GENERAL SHAPE, ONE OF SAID SURFACES BEING PROVIDED WITH CONTINUOUS AND SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL SHALLOW GROOVES WHICH ARE REGULARLY DIVIDED OVER AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SURFACE AREA, THE CENTER LINE OF EACH GROOVE FORMING A SPIRAL WHEREBY DURING OPERATION OF SAID BEARING THE MEDIUM IS PUSHED FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE BEARING TO THE INSIDE THEREOF, AND A CHAMBER CENTRALLY LOCATED IN SAID ONE OF SAID SURFACES BEING PROVIDED WITH IDENTICAL, SHALLOW GROOVES, EACH GROOVE OPENING INTO SAID CHAMBER AND THE LATTER COMMUNICATES WITH THE OUTSIDE OF SAID BEARING ONLY THROUGH A SPACE FORMED BETWEEN ONE OF THE MEMBERS AND SAID GROOVES.