Bearings of Engines and Machines.
Year: 1885

page_text: 1)
Bearings of Engines and Machines.
I WILLIAM WALTON of Murton House Bishopwearmouth Sunderland in the
County of Durham Schoolmaster formerly Engineer Student in Her Majesty's
Naval Service do hereby declare the nature of my invention for COOLING AND
KEEPING COOL THE PLUMMER-BLOCKS AND OTHER BEARINGS OF ENGINES AND
MACHINES, to be as follows:-
The Plummer blocks or other bearings are so made or arranged that either the
lower or the upper bearing or both bearings has or have a hollow chamber or
hollow chambers as large as convenient and as near as possible to the bearing
surfaces with due regard to the strength of the said bearings. At the top of each
hollow chamber is an aperture from which passes a pipe as large as convenient, the
other extremity of each pipe being in connection either with an air-pump or with
a receiver in connection with the said air pump, or the pipes may form a junction
or junctions with each other before reaching the said air pump or receiver in
connection therewith. Each of the hollow chambers in the bearings may have also
another aperture at any convenient place. From this second aperture in each
chamber a pipe may be carried to a tank or other receptacle containing water or a
suitable chemical or suitable chemicals or a mixture of any of them; or the
aperture may be arranged so that the said substance or substances may drop into
it or into a short pipe or funnel connected with it. The second aperture to each
chamber may be dispensed with and the water or other substance may be
introduced through the first aperture either directly by the pipe in connection
with the air-pump or receiver or by another pipe leading to the same aperture by
a junction with the first pipe. Any or all of the pipes or apertures may be fitted
with valves or cocks to regulate the ingress and egress of the substances passing
through them, or to shut off any of the chambers or pipes from the influence of
the air-pump. Each chamber may be furnished with a gauge-glass or other
apparatus by means of which it can be known what height of water or other
substance the said chamber contains.
The method of employing the apparatus is as follows:-Each chamber will
contain water or other suitable substance to a convenient height, the upper part
of each chamber being left for the evaporation of the said substance. As the .
shaft, crank-pin, or other moveable part revolves or works in its bearing the heat

page_text: generated by friction, if sufficient, will evaporate the substance in the chamber or
chambers and the vapour thus formed is drawn off as quickly as may be required
by the air-pump. The vapour being drawn off as fast as generated the greater the
friction the greater the evaporation, and the greater the evaporation the greater is
the tendency to cool the substance in the chamber.
By arranging the sizes of the chambers in the bearings of the pipes leading to
the air-pump, of the air-pump. itself, and the speed of the pump, suitably to the
speed of the working parts to be cooled and to the nature of the metal of the
bearings, a temperature almost constant may be obtained. The vapour drawn off
by the air-pump may either be allowed to escape into the air or to condense in a
suitable vessel so as to be used over again.
When it is required to cool a bearing which itself revolves or moves with the
shaft or pin which works in it, the pipe or pipes may be jointed or may be made
of a flexible material such as caoutchouc.
When a screw-shaft of a steam-ship or any other shaft (of which the bearings
are to be cooled) is of the modern hollow construction the cooling can be assisted
or can be done alone by allowing sea-water or other water to pass through the
said hollow shaft, and this water can be utilized (in condensing engines) for
cooling the steam in the main condenser or for any other suitable purpose.
4

page_text: Cooling and Keeping Cool the Plummer Blocks and other
Bearings of Engines and Machines.
I, WILLIAM WALTON of Murton House Bishopwearmouth Sunderland in the
County of Durham do hereby declare the nature of my invention for COOLING AND
KEEPING COOL THE PLUMMER BLOCKS AND OTHER BEARINGS OF ENGINES AND
MACHINES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to a method or methods whereby any person in charge of
an engine, or machine can keep the bearings of such engine or machine at a normal
temperature, without, on the one hand, allowing the brasses through heating and
expanding to bind the shaft or pin revolving in them, or the said shaft or pin to
melt or tear away the soft metal frequently let into the said brasses; and on the
other hand, without the necessity of cooling the bearings by flushing them with,
cold water, which in locomotive engines and in many machines is impossible, and,
which in those cases where it is now done is very objectionable, on account of the
mess caused, and the rusting of the polished metal surfaces.
I will at once illustrate the invention by reference to the Drawings. Similar
letters indicate similar parts in all the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a plan of a hollow Top Brass or Step, of round or oval shape, showing
the upper chambers A, A, the passages D, connecting the liquid in the chambers,
and E connecting the vapour in chambers, the aperture E¹, the partition H, and
the supporting parts H. I
"
Fig. 2 is a plan of a hollow Bottom Brass or Step, of round or oval shape,
showing the lower chambers B. B., the other parts being similar to those in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Figs. 1 and 2 on the line x. x.
T
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of hollow Brasses, of octagonal shape, showing the
packing-pieces F, which may be used as shown, or be cast on the shell-cap G, or
be altogether dispensed with.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the under side of a Bottom Brass, not hollow, but cast with
supporting-ridges H. I., to correspond with similar supporting-ridges cast on the
iron pedestal. In this and the following Figure the chambers C, C, are not inside
the brass steps, but between the lower brass and the cast-iron pedestal, and
between the upper brass and the shell-cap, G, and the joints between the
supporting ridges of these two metals may be made water-tight, by fitting, by,
soldering, by a red-lead or india-rubber joint, or by any other of the usual
methods.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of Fig. 5 on the line y. y., showing also, the top.
Brass. In this figure the joint between the supporting-ridges H. I. is indicated
thus
Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the round style of Brasses, applied to an oblique
Pedestal. This figure is to show convenient proportions for the chambers, A. B.,
and the positions of the passages D. E.
Fig. 8 is an end view of a hollow shaft, the end of which is employed to draw
off water or vapour.

page_text: Figs. 10 and 11 are side views of Figs. 8 and 9 respectively, the bearings and
bonnets being drawn in section.
The method of applying my invention to the numerous other kinds of bearings,
will be readily understood from those given in Figs. 1 to 7.
The Plummer Blocks or other Bearings are so made or arranged that either the
lower or the upper bearing or both bearings has or have a hollow chamber or
hollow chambers as large as convenient and as near as possible to the bearing
surfaces with due regard to the strength of the said bearings. In order that the
bearing surfaces may be as near as possible to the interior of the chamber the
metal between the bearing surface and the interior of the chamber may on
the inner side be of such configuration that its section will appear serrated, or
cogged or of any other suitable shape. Any chamber may contain one or more
partitions or diaphragms porous or otherwise H. H. In the upper part of each
hollow chamber is an aperture E, from which passes a pipe of convenient size and
shape, the other extremity of each pipe being connected either with an air-pump
or with a receiver in connection with the said air-pump, or the pipes may form
a junction or junctions with each other before reaching the said air-pump or the
receiver in connection therewith. Each of the hollow chambers in the bearings
may have also another aperture at any convenient place. From this second
aperture in each chamber a pipe may be led to a tank or other receptacle
containing water or a suitable liquid chemical or suitable liquid chemicals or
a mixture of any of them; or the aperture may be arranged so that the said liquid
substance or substances may drop or fall into it or into a short pipe or funnel
connected with it. The pipes between the different bearings and the tank or
other receptacle may conveniently form junctions with one another. In ships,
instead of having a tank, sea-water may be admitted to the chambers by employing
the usual service-pipe from the stern of the vessel. The second aperture to each
chamber may be dispensed with as in Figs. 1 to 7 and the water or other liquid
substance may be introduced through the first aperture either directly by the pipe
leading to the air-pump or its receiver, or by another pipe leading to the same
aperture by a junction with the first pipe. Or, instead of the second aperture
(connected or not connected with the tank as above mentioned) the chamber of
the bearing may be furnished with a lid air-tight or otherwise, and the substance
used for cooling may be introduced in a solid or in a semi-fluid state. In some of
the above methods the pipes connecting the bearings with the tank may be
altogether dispensed with. Any or all of the pipes or apertures may be fitted
with valves or cocks to regulate the ingress and egress of the substances passing
through them or to shut off any of the chambers or pipes from the influence of the
air-pump. Each chamber may be furnished with a small gauge-glass or other
apparatus by which it can be known what height of water or liquid substance the
said chamber contains or the height may be known by using a dipping-rod. Each
or any bearing may be provided with a small thermometer to indicate its
temperature.
The method of employing the above described apparatus is as follows:-Each
chamber contains water or other suitable substance, solid, semi-fluid, or liquid, as
hereinbefore mentioned to a convenient height, the upper part of each chamber
being left for the evaporation of the said substance. As the shaft, crank-pin or
other movable part revolves or works in its bearing, the heat generated by friction
will if sufficient gradually liquefy the solid substance employed, or evaporate the
liquid substance in the chamber or chambers. Both in liquefying the solid
substance and in evaporating the liquid substance the heat generated by the
friction of the bearings becomes latent and thus prevents the expansion of the
metal and the consequent binding or tearing away of the rubbing surfaces.
The vapour thus formed may be drawn off as quickly as required by an air-
pump. When water, or a cheap and non-corrosive mixture is chosen as the
cooling substance the vapour to be abstracted from the chambers in the bearings
may in condensing engines be drawn off by means of the ordinary air-pump and

page_text: De allowed to escape. when the apparatus is used with a non-condensing steam-
engine or with any machine not having a suitable pump, or when the substance
employed seems from its price and subsequent value or from its nature or properties
to require a special pump a light pump of suitable capacity and speed is provided
and this pump may be fitted with any of the usual methods of varying its speed.
When a special pump is provided as just mentioned arrangements may be madė
for collecting and condensing the vapour and for solidifying the liquid resulting
therefrom. The liquid or solid substance thus recovered may be employed over
again in the chambers of the bearings as before.
In order to assist the vapour to open any of the valves air may be admitted
into any of the chambers or pipes through suitable holes and such holes or
apertures may be fitted with valves or cocks.
The evaporation may be assisted or altogether superseded by pumping air,
previously cooled or not, through the hollow chambers and this air may be
pumped in a direction either towards or from the air-pump.
The greater the speed of the moving parts of an engine or machine the greater
will be the friction and the heat produced therefrom; the greater also the
liquefaction of the solid substance and the evaporation of the fluid; and therefore
the greater the tendency to cool the said substance provided the vapour be drawn
off as fast as it is generated. In order that this may be done it will only be
necessary to suitably arrange the proportions of the said chambers, of the pipes
also leading therefrom to the pump or its receiver, the size of the air-pump itself
and its speed. By due attention to the rapidity of evaporation necessary a
temperature almost constant may be obtained.
When it is required to cool a bearing which itself revolves or moves with the
shaft or pin which works in it, the pipe, or pipes may be jointed or may be made
of a flexible and air-tight material such as caoutchouc or any of its numerous
preparations.
When a screw-shaft of a steam ship or any other shaft, of which the bearings
are to be cooled, is of the modern hollow construction, the cooling can be assisted
or can be done alone by allowing sea-water or other water to pass through the said
hollow shaft and this water can be used (in condensing engines) for supplying the
main condenser or for other suitable purposes.
Or the hollow shaft may be employed as a hollow chamber having a large
surface for evaporating the cooling liquid as already mentioned and described.
In order to keep up the necessary flow of cool water within the hollow shaft,
or in order to admit the cooling liquid and draw off the vapour therefrom, there
may be arranged in the end of the shaft Fig. 8 or in its circumference Fig. 9, or
both, a hole or holes leading into a hollow bonnet surrounding such end Fig. 10
or such portion Fig. 11 of the shaft. This bonnet is of the nature of the fixed
part of an oscillating engine in which one of the trunnions of the cylinder turns.
The water leaving the shaft at the bonnet will flow to the condenser or to any
part of the engine-room or machine-room that may be lower than the surface of
the sea-water or other water that may be employed.
If vapour instead of water be withdrawn from the shaft it will pass as before
mentioned through the pump.
I do not restrict myself to the exact details and arrangements herein shewn and
described as the same may be varied and the apparatus modified in various ways:
according to circumstances without departing from my invention, but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The method of cooling or keeping cool a bearing by employing a hollow
chamber or hollow chambers adjacent thereto, to contain any suitable solid,
semifluid or liquid substance which by its liquefaction or evaporation will tend to
lower the temperature of the chamber and its contiguous parts.

page_text: 2. The method of assisting or increasing the cooling due to evaporation by
means of a pump in connection with such hollow chamber or chambers as herein
explained.
3. The method of cooling a bearing by pumping air, previously cooled or not
through a hollow chamber, or through hollow chambers adjacent thereto whether
the air proceed in a direction towards or from the pump.
4. The combination of Claims 2 and 3.
5. The method of cooling the bearings or journals on a hollow shaft by using
such shaft as a pipe through which water or other liquid is allowed to flow as
herein explained.
2
6. The combination of Claim 5 with any one or more of the Claims numbered 1. 2. 3.
7. The method of cooling the bearings or journals on a hollow shaft by using
the hollow shaft in the same way as a hollow chamber mentioned in Claims 1. 2. 3
and 4.