ment . ▁A ▁particular ▁problem ▁with ▁these ▁thrust ▁boxes ▁was ▁in ▁adjust ing ▁them ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁force ▁was ▁shared ▁equally ▁between ▁all ▁the ▁coll ars . ▁Ad just ment ▁was ▁often ▁done ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁their ▁operating ▁temperature , ▁g aug ed ▁with ▁the ▁engineer ' s ▁hand . ▁ ▁Im pro ved ▁Mich ell ▁thrust ▁blocks ▁▁ ▁Im pro ved ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁lub ric ation ▁films ▁( initial ly ▁by ▁Reyn olds ) ▁allowed ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁much ▁more ▁efficient ▁bearing ▁surfaces . ▁This ▁allowed ▁the ▁replacement ▁of ▁multiple ▁coll ars ▁in ▁a ▁thrust ▁box ▁by ▁a ▁single ▁thrust ▁block . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁Australian ▁engineer ▁George ▁Mich ell ▁obtained ▁a ▁pat ent ▁for ▁the ▁thrust ▁block . ▁( Sub sequently , ▁American ▁engineer ▁Albert ▁Kings bury ▁established ▁that ▁tests ▁he ▁conducted ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁pred ated ▁Mich ell ' s ▁work . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁Kings bury ▁was ▁awarded ▁US ▁pat ent ▁No . ▁ 9 4 7 2 4 2 ▁for ▁the ▁fluid - film ▁thrust ▁bearing .) ▁ ▁Mich ell ▁bear ings ▁contain ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁sector - sh aped ▁p ads , ▁arranged ▁in ▁a ▁circle ▁around ▁the ▁sh aft , ▁and ▁which ▁are ▁free ▁to ▁pivot . ▁These ▁create ▁w edge - sh aped ▁films ▁of ▁oil ▁between ▁the ▁p ads ▁and ▁a ▁rot ating ▁disk ▁on ▁the ▁sh aft . ▁Each ▁lub ric ant ▁" wedge " ▁can ▁only