Drucklager

A thrust bearing (11) for use with a shaft (13) having a collar (15) mounted thereon, comprises a base ring (17), a series of thrust bearing shoes (19) positioned on the base ring (17), each shoe (19) having a leading edge (21) connected to a trailing edge (23) by an inner diameter edge (25) and an outer diameter edge (27), each thrust bearing shoe (19) having a working face (31) with a bearing liner on its surface, a shoe pivot member (35) on each shoe allowing the shoe (19) to pivot (35) in any direction, an oil distribution groove (37) formed in the working face (31) of each shoe (19) near the leading edge (21) of each shoe (19) and extending radially for substantially the entire distance between the inner and outer diameter edges (25,27) of each shoe (19), each oil distribution groove (37) having an inner end (39) and an outer end (41) connected by a leading edge (43) and a trailing edge (45), an oil feed line leading to each oil distribution groove (37) for feeding oil to each oil distribution groove (37), and a recess formed in the working face of each shoe (19) commencing at the trailing edge (45) of the oil distribution groove (37) and extending rearwardly therefrom to develop hydrodynamic film pressure on the leading edge (43) of each shoe (19) to ensure that each shoe (19) tilts properly at light loads.