Homogeneous flow type thrust bearings

Claim 1

A THRUST BEARING COMPRISING: A FIRST BEARING BODY HAVING A GENERALLY PLANAR FIRST BEARING SURFACE; A SECOND BEARING BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF BEARING SHOES; EACH OF SAID BEARING SHOES HAVING A GENERALLY PLANAR SECOND BEARING SURFACE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM SAID FIRST BEARING SURFACE A DISTANCE CORRESPONDING TO AN OIL FILM THICKNESS; EACH OF SAID BEARING SHOES HAVING OIL GUIDING SIDE SURFACES; MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BEARING BODIES FOR CONTINUOUS RELATIVE ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BEARING SURFACES AND FOR PRODUCING AN AXIAL THRUST FORCIBLY AXIALLY ENGAGING SAID BEARING BODIES ALONG THEIR BEARING SURFCES; EACH OF SAID BEARING SHOES HAVING A LEADING SAID A TRAILING EDGE GENERALLY RADIALLY EXTENDING FROM SAID AXIS AND CLOSELY ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST BEARING SURFACE; EACH OF SAID BEARING SHOES HAVING ITS SECOND BEARING SURFACE EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY FROM ITS LEADING EDGE TO ITS TRAILING EDGE; AT LEAST ONE EDGE OF SAID LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES BEING FORMED BY THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID OIL GUIDING SIDE FACE AND A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID OIL GUIDING SIDE SURFACES THAT FORMS AN ACUTE ANGLE AT SAID ONE EDGE, WHEN VIEWED IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID ONE EDGE.