Improvements in Roller Bearings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1893 -Accepted, 12th Aug., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by JULIUS AUGUSTUS PERKINS, of Omaha, National
Bank Building, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Roller Bearings.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:--
The present invention relates to an anti-friction bearing of that type in which
cylindrical rollers are interposed between parallel cylindrical bearing surfaces,
and the invention is mainly embodied in novel means for separating the rollers
to maintain them in alignment and keep them from coming into rubbing con-
tact with cach other.
In the bearing embodying the invention the rollers are provided with a cage
having end plates or members suitable connected together and provided with
engaging portions which co-operate, as will be hereinafter described, with the
rollers to keep then apart and in proper position with relation to each other.
In order to keep the rollers out of actual contact with the cage, each roller is
provided at each end with a washer interposed between it and the cage, the
roller and cage being respectively positioned by said washer and thereby held in
proper relation to each other, but out of contact. As herein shown each washer
is contained in an annular recess or counterbore at the end of the said roller,
the thickness of the washer being shown as greater than the depth of the recess,
so that the said washer projects beyond the end of the roller towards the the end
member of the cage.
The engaging portions of the cage are shown as consisting of spindles extend-
ing from one of the end plates to the other through bores in the rollers, and in
this construction each washer is provided with an opening for the spindle, said
opening being smaller in diameter than that of the bore in the roller, and the
washer is of such size as to substantially fit in the counterbore of the roller so
that the roller is thereby kept entirely out of contact with the spindle.
The washers may be made of such material as is found most desirable to meet
the conditions required, and as they contribute nothing to the support of one
bearing member upon the other, and are subjected to but slight pressure, the
friction is immaterial.
The cage itself is of novel construction, as will be hereinafter described, and
such construction forms a feature of the invention; it being understood, however,
that the roller separating means above mentioned might be equally well employed
with a cage of different construction, or that the cage herein described might be
employed with other roller-separating means. It is not intended, therefore, to
limit the invention in this respect.
The said cage comprises two end members or disks, each having a central open-
ing for the shaft with which the bearing is used, the said end members being
adapted to support spindles which extend across from one to the other to sepa

page_text: rate the rollers or anti-friction devices from one another. The said end mem-
bers are joined together and mutually supported by cross-pieces, each of which
has a shoulder near its end and a locking projection extending beyond the said
shoulder and arranged to overlie the surface of the end member and retain it
against the shoulder. The said locking projections enter recesses along the edge
of the end member of the cage, and the said end member rests on the shoulders
and is held thereon by the tongues above mentioned. To retain the cross mem-
bers in the said recesses the cage is provided with a locking plate arranged to
engage with a portion of each locking projection to complete the cage. The
several parts may all be stamped from sheet metal and assembled without
fastening devices, the locking plate serving to hold all the parts together.
Figure 1 is an end view of the cage and rollers, the hub and spindle, or outer
and inner bearing members not being shown, since they do not differ from those
of an ordinary bearing. Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line -
of Figure 1. Figure 3 a vertical section showing a modification; and Figures 4,
5, 6, 7, and 8 details showing parts of the cage.
The rollers a are separated from each other primarily by means of a cage
having end members 6 and cross members c to connect said end members
together. The cage is further provided with engaging portions shown in
Figures 1 and 2 as spindles & extending across from one end member to the
other through the bores a² in the rollers the said bores being of a larger diameter
than that of the spindles. In order to maintain the rollers separated from and
in alignment with each other and at the same time to prevent the direct engage-
ment of said rollers with the engaging portions or spindles, each roller is pro-
vided with a washer eat cach end supported in an annular recess or counter-
bore, and having an opening 2 of lesser diameter than that of the bore a²
through the roller. As shown in Figure 2 therefore, the said washer engaging
with the walls of the annular recess and with the spindle d will not only
prevent the roller from coming in contact with the said spindle, but will also
keep the rollers in contact with the said spindle, but will also keep the rollers
parallel and prevent them from binding.
In order to keep the rollers out of contact with the end members 6 of the cage
the washers e may be made as shown, somewhat thicker than the depth of the
channel a³ so as to project beyond the ends of the rollers towards the end mem-
bers of the cage.
The washers may be of any suitable material, it being found in practice,
however, that vulcanized fibre gives excellent results; and said washers are
shown as fitting loosely in the channel and upon the spindle so as not to bind
or rub unduly at either part, it being obvious, however, that if found desirable,
the said washers might be fitted tightly into the channel or upon the spindle
it being only essential that they should be capable of running freely with rela-
tion to one of said parts.
It is obviously unnecessary that the engaging portions of the cage should
extend from one end member thereof to the other, since the only object of said
engaging portions is to primarily position the rollers. An engaging portion of
any shape or kind may therefore be employed, for example as shown in Figure 3
where the said engaging portions as shown as a stud 20 projecting only far
enough from the member 6 of the cage to properly engage the washere and keep
the roller from coming in contact with the cage. It is obvious, moreover, that
the stud might be formed at the end of the roller and the counterbore formed in
the cage, or that the engaging portions might be of any desired form, it being
essential only that the washer should engage both and keep the roller and cage
from coming in contact.
In the cage embodying the invention, the end members are shown as com
prising disks of sheet metal each having a central opening 6 for the bearing
shaft, and recesses 63 to receive the projections of the cross-members cas
indicated by dotted lines (Figure 2). The said members 6 are also provided

page_text: with holes or openings 6 to receive the roller supporting spindles d, as best
indicated in Figure 4. The cross members care cut to the shape indicated in
Figure 6, and at the same operation are preferably dished or made concave-
convex as best shown in Figures 7 and 8.
To co-operate with the locking plate f, which is shown as provided with under-
cut recesses along its edges, the projection is provided with an enlarged
portion or locking tongue which is turned at a right angle, as shown in
Figure 8, when the cross member e is completed. In assembling the cage the
end plates b and the members c are placed in position with the projections c²
entering the recesses 63 and the plates 6 resting on the shoulders 20 at the base
of the tongue.
G
The plates are then held between the shoulders 20 and the tongues c³ so
that as long as the cross members remain in position, the cage will be complete.
To thus retain the said cross members in position and prevent them from slip-
ping laterally out of the recesses b³, the locking plates f are placed in position
as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tongues entering the recesses and being
retained in position thereby. By cutting the recesses of such size and shape
as to fit snugly upon the tongues &³, the plates f will be frictionally retained in
position; there being no tendency for them to work off since the main end
plates 6 are held by the tongues The said tongues, moreover, are preferably
acted upon by a suitable tool to slightly flatten or rivet them so that they overlie
the plate f, all the parts thus being firmly held in place.
The end members of the cage are then bored to receive the spindles d, which
in the bearing above described, serve to support and separate the anti-friction
devices, in conjunction with the washers c. It is obvious, however, that the
means for separating the rollers may be of any desired construction, so far as
relates to the cage, the said cage being adapted for use with other types of
bearings.
All the parts of the cage may, as stated, be stamped out of sheet metal, and
the cage can be assembled without the use of fastening devices, so that it is
simple and inexpensive to construct. Furthermore, should it be necessary to
remove the rollers for any reason, it is obvious that the cage can be taken apart
by merely prying off the locking plate f and then removing the cross members c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a roller bearing, a cage provided with end plates or members connected
together by cross members, rollers contained in said cage, and washers inter-
posed between said rollers and said cage, said rollers and said cage being respec-
tively positioned by said washers and thereby held in the proper relation to
cach other, but out of contact, substantially as described.
2. In a roller bearing, a cage provided with end plates or members connected
together by cross members, rollers contained in said cage and washers interposed
between said rollers and said cage, said rollers and said cage being respectively
provided with engaging portions co-operating with said washers whereby the
rollers are substantially held in proper position with relation to the cage, but
out of contact therewith, substantially as described.
3. In a roller bearing a cage provided with end plates or members, and cross
members or spindles, rollers having longitudinal bores large in diameter than
the diameter of the spindles, said spindles passing through said bores, annular
recesses or counterbores at the ends of the rollers, and washers contained in said
recesses and having openings for said spindles, thereby affording means for keep-
ing the spindles and the rollers out of contact with each other, substantially
as described.
4. In a roller bearing a cage provided with end plates or members, and cross
members or spindles, rollers having longitudinal bores larger in diameter than

page_text: the diameter of the spindles, said spindles passing through said bores, annular
recesses or counterbores at the ends of the rollers, and washers contained in
said recesses and provided with openings for the spindles of less diameter than
that of the bore in the roller, the said washers being of such thickness as to
project beyond the ends of the rollers, substantially as described.
5. A cage for roller bearings comprising end plates, roller supports projecting
from said end plates, cross members connecting said end plates, said cross mem-
bers being provided with locking projections adapted to be engaged with one
of said end plates, and a locking plate to retain said cross members and said end
plate in engagement, substantially as described.
G. A cage for roller bearings comprising end members consisting of plates
having recesses cut along their peripheries, cross members provided with shoulders
to engage the surface of said plates, and projections beyond said shoulders to
enter the recesses, tongues at the ends of said projections to overlie said plates
and retain them in engagement with the shoulders, and locking plates to engage
said tongues and prevent lateral displacement of the cross members, substantially
as described.
7. The combination with the plates 6 provided with peripheral recesses b³,
of the cross members c having the projections and tongues c³, and the locking
plates having peripheral recesses of such shape as to fit said tongues, substan-
tially as described.
8. The combination with the plates b, of the spindles d, the rollers and the
washers affording means for keeping said rollers out of contact with said
spindles, the cross members c connecting the plates b, and a locking plate f to
co-operate with said members e, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.