The Wilmington morning star., 1944-05-07

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are rolling into combat on bal
bearings, whether on land, or sea
or in the air.
That is why smashing enemy
ball bearing factories is a number
one bombing priority. 1t is WI J
inducing neutrals to stop furnish
ing bearings to the Nazis is a
primary diplomatic aim. And it s
why keeping manpower at full
strength in American bearing
plants is one OF the most important
home problems Cutting off the
supply of magic marbles from
their flow into the enemy's ma.
chines is about as effective at
destroying his highways, blockad
ing his sea lanes and grounding
his airplanes.
Ever since man invented the
wheel ages ago. says the Nationa
Geographic Society. he has had te
wage a never-endng fight against
the drag of power-wasting friction
His early problems can be under
stood by any one who has heard
native cart, in some out-of-the-
way region Of the world, screech'
ing its way along as wooden hub
turns on wooden axel. Metal-lined
hubs turning on metal-lined axles
helped by grease, was the first
forward step. Such an arrange.
ment was put to good use by the
Egyptians, the Babylonians, the
Greeks. and other ancient peoples
in their best developed chariots.
Smoother metal journals and
shafts and better fabrication re-
presented about the only bearing
developments for the next two
thousand years. Then. following
the French Revolution, came a
gigantic stride forward-the basic
idea of anti-friction bearings in
which wheels turn on other wheels.
The first fruits OF the idea were
roller bearings for artillery axles
in 1705, and the first ball bearings
for machinery in general. in 1902.
Both were invented by French
men. Since those history making
inventions, nothing fundamental
has been added to produce the
extremely efficient ball and roller
bearings of today; only refine
ments in materials, in manufac-
ture, and in the mounting and
"caging" of the rolling spheres
and cylinders.
The great value of ball bearings
in an age dominated by machinery
is that they do away with the rub
bing and dragging of simple bear
ings and so reduce friction practi-
cally to the vaniching pont. BIZ
cycles were the first vehicles TO
make general use of ball bearings.
Then came the automobile age and
the demand for the steel spheres
was multiplied hundreds of times
During the last three decades ball
bearings and their sturdier broth
ers, roller bearings, have been put
to use in nearly all of the millions
of modern devices that have NOV
ing parts.
But it is this latest and greatest
of wars that has demanded steel
rollers by the millions and steel
balls by the billions to keep its
mechanical vehicles and weapons
in motion.
To get some idea how military
needs are gobbling up anti-friction
bearings, consider a heavy bomb
er. Each of its engines requires
80 or more ball bearings. Each
bearing is made up of many balls,
depending on the size of the
spheres and the size of the shaft
that rotates in the ring of balls.
Other ball bearing assemblies are
used in propellers. landing gear,
rotating turrets, gun mountings,
electric generators, superchargers,
flight controls, and bomb relea ses.
Each bombsight is equipped with
81 different bearings. Some are
made OF tiny steel balls smaller
than a pinhead; others are needle
bearings made Of little cylinders
the size of fine needles.
Every one Of the millions of
jeeps that roll off the assembly
line takes with it 26 roller bear.
lngs. Every military truck-and
more than million and a half
OF them have been made-reduires