Patent ID: 7063465

Claim:
A thrust bearing for use with a shaft having a collar mounted thereon, comprising a series of shoes, structural support including a housing and a base ring for supporting the shoes, the series of shoes being positioned around the base ring, a shoe pivot member on each shoe allowing the shoe to pivot in any direction, a squeeze film dampener positioned in the structural support for dampening forces placed on the thrust bearing by the shaft when the shaft is rotating during light-load operating conditions, an annular groove formed in the structural support at the squeeze film dampener, and a compressible resilient spacing member positioned in the annular groove, the compressible resilient spacing member having a portion that protrudes from the groove and engages a portion of the structural support opposite the groove to seal the squeeze film dampener and to dampen forces placed on the thrust bearing by the shaft when the shaft is rotating during light-load operating conditions, the compressible resilient spacing member having sufficient compressibility for dampening forces placed on the thrust bearing by the shaft during light-load operating conditions and for permitting the compression of the compressible resilient spacing member into the groove during normal operating conditions.