Thrust bearing wear sensing device

Claim 1

IN MACHINERY HAVING ROTABLE ELEMENTS, A HOUSING, A SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID HOUSING, A THRUST BEARING BETWEEN SAID SHAFT AND SAID HOUSING FOR RESTRAINING ENDWISE MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT IN SAID HOUSING, A RADIALLY EXTENDING FLANGE FIXED TO SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID FLANGE HAVING A V-SHAPED GROOVE EXTENDING AROUND ITS PERIPHERY TO FORM CONICAL SURFACES FACING GENERALLY OUTWARDLY AND IN OPPOSITE AXIAL DIRECTIONS, A PAIR OF NOZZLES CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING, EACH OF SAID NOZZLES HAVING AN END SURFACE TO WHICH A FLUID FLOW PASSAGE COMMUNICATES, RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID END SURFACES BEING POSITIONED IN RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID CONICAL SURFACES, A PAIR OF CONDUITS RESPECTIVE ONES OF WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH RESPECTIVE FLUIF FLOW PASSAGES OF SAID NOZZLES, A PAIR FLOW RESTRICTING MEANS REPECTIVE ONES OF WHICH ARE POSITIONED IN RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID CONDUITS, MEANS SUPPLYING SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTAL FLUID PRESSURE OF EACH OF SAID FLOW RESTRICTING MEANS, AND A DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE SENSING INSTRUMENT CONNECTING BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF CONDUITS BETWEEN SAID FLOW RESTRICTING MEANS AND SAID END SURFACES OF SAID NOZZLES TO SENSE THE DIFFERENCE IN BACK PRESSURE CREATED BY FLOW BETWEEN SAID END SURFACES OF SAID NOZZLES AND SAID CONICAL SURFACES.