Improvements in Self-oiling Journal Bearings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-oiling Journal Bearings.
1 DAVID LEE ALTMAN, of Eau Claire, in the County of Eau Claire and State of
Wisconsin, U.S. America, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in self-oiling journal bearings, and has for
its object to provide an article of this character which will be so constructed as to
distribute lubricant in a filtered state continuously and evenly upon a revolving shaft ;
further objects being to prevent waste of lubricating material by scattering and to
supply a perfectly dust proof device, whereby lubricant is maintained in a clean
and operative condition.
The invention will be hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in the
annexed claims.
In the accompanying drawings :
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improvement with the cover removed.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.
Fig. is a transverse section of the same on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and
Fig. 4 is a similar view of same on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
21 cover a¹,
The improved journal bearing is provided with a box a, having
adapted to be fastened in place by suitable bolts or other means, said box and cover
being longitudinally elongated and formed with longitudinal bores which jointly
receive the shaft b.
On the shaft b, and near the middle of the box a, is secured a feed wheel c,
extending into a well d, containing the lubricant as indicated in the drawings.
From near the upper end of well d, extend longitudinally the slightly inclined
channels e, each leading to a filtering chamber f, containing a wick or other suitable
filtering material, said chamber being disposed vertically in the cover a, and leading
to the bore thereof and the shaft b, so that the lubricant in a filtered state can pass
to said shaft and lubricate the same. The top of the chamber, is closed by a suitable
plug h, to prevent the escape of oil and to hold the filtering material g, in place.
Now it will be seen that when the shaft b, is in motion, the wheel c, rotates with said
shaft, and as it passes through the lubricant in the well d, it takes up some of the
lubricant and throws it by centrifugal force into the upper part of the well and into
the longitudinally extending channels e, through which the lubricant flows outwardly
and downwardly into the filtering chamber f, and into the filtering material g, which
retains any impurities contained in the lubricant so that the filtered oil finally passes
upon the shaft b.
The filtering material g, can be removed from time to time and
replaced by fresh material to insure proper filtering of the lubricant before it passes
to the shaft.
Near each outer end of box and surrounding the shaft b, are arranged chambers i
and j, of which the chamber j, serves as a dust chamber to receive any dust or other
matter which may pass in at the ends of the box from the shaft b. The second chamber i,
is connected at its bottom by openings i', with a longitudinally extending channel k,
leading to and forming part of the oil well d, so that any lubricant that works along
the shaft b, to the chamber i, falls down the same and returns by the channels
well d. Thus, it will be seen that as long as the shaft b, is in motion the lubricant is
supplied to the shaft by the centrifugal action of the feed wheel and no lubricant
whatever is lost as the lubricant that works along the shaft b, returns either directly to
the well d, or indirectly by the chamber i, and channel k.
to the

page_text: A scraper 1, is fitted to slide vertically in the bottom of each chamber i, and the
upper end of the scraper is held in contact with the shaft b, by a spring n, pressing
against the lower end of said scraper. By this arrangement the lubricant that
works along the shaft b, into the chamber i, is scraped off by the scraper 1, to prevent
the oil from working past the chamber i, into the chamber j, and to the end of the
box. It is understood that the oil scraped off the shaft b, flows down into the
chamber i, and through the openings i, into the return channel k, as previously
explained.
One of the channels k, is provided with a filling tube o, for introducing the lubricant
to the box: said tube being normally closed by a capp, and by removing the cap it may
be readily ascertained how much oil there is in the box a. When it is desired to
drain the box a, of the lubricant, then the pipe o, can be turned down to form a
drain pipe.
It will be seen that by the arrangement described the shaft b, is at all times properly
lubricated and the lubricant can be used continuously for a considerable length of
time without requiring refilling with fresh lubricant. It will further be seen that it
is wholly immaterial in which direction the shaft is running as sufficient lubricant
will be supplied by the feed wheel c, to the shaft b, as long as the shaft is running.
As the chambers j and i, are separated one from the other by a wall, any dust that
may work into one end of the box will accumulate in the dust chamber j, and is not
liable to pass into the chamber i.
The wheel c, is preferably made in two parts bolted together as illustrated in Fig. 3,
and the cover a, preferably provided with an inside flange fitting into the inside of the
hox a, to hold the cover securely in place as indicated in Figures 2, 3 and 4.
It will be seen that the wheel r, besides being a feeding wheel, acts as a set collar
to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft in the box."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. An improved journal bearing comprising a central oil well communicating with
filtering chambers, which chambers contain filtering substance and lead to a revoluble
shaft which has a distributing wheel attached thereto, said wheel adapted to carry
lubricant to the said chambers, whereby the shaft may be continuously lubricated,
substantially as shown and described.
2. A journal bearing comprising a box having a centrally located oil well or
reservoir therein which communicates with filtering chambers, which chambers lead to
a revoluble shaft having a distributing wheel mounted thereon, the said box being
supplied at its two ends with discharge passages leading into the said reservoir or well
and dust chambers, substantially as shown and described.
3. In a journal bearing, a box having a centrally located well or reservoir therein,
filtering chambers leading from said well and discharge chambers having spring
pressed scrapers therein leading to said reservoir or well, and dust chambers;
combined with a shaft or journal having a distributing wheel attached thereto which
wheel carries oil to the said filtering chambers, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 6th day of March 1896.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38 Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.