Improvements in Bottom Bracket Bearings of Cycles, and in Hub Bearings of Cycle and other similar Wheels.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1898-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1898
Improvements in Bottom Bracket Bearings of Cycles, and in Hub
Bearings of Cycle and other similar Wheels.
We, SAMUEL DORSET, WILLIAM HAYWARD, and HERBERT BAKER SMITH, trading
together in co-partnership as The D. H. & S. Diamond Cycle Company, of
Sedgley Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Cycle Manufacturers
and Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in the construction of bottom
bracket bearings for cycles. and hub bearings of cycle and other similar wheels,
which avoid the need for forming the bracket castings or stampings, or the hubs,
with interior flauges such as the steel cups for the balls usually bed against, and
enable the cones to be conveniently made and hardened separately from the
spindles and be used tightly screwed up thereon against shoulders of the spindles,
and the taking up of any slack or wear to be effected entirely by moving outwards
one of the cups; whereby the advantage is obtained that the manufacture of the
brackets and hubs is simplified, the spindles may be made of a tougher steel than
when the cones, which have to be subsequently hardened, are made therewith,
and their strength is not injured by any hardening process, and the adjustment of
the bearings is facilitated.
A bearing constructed according to this invention comprises a bush which is
made with enlarged ends in which are fixed the hardened steel cups for the balls,
the backs of the cups bedding against the annular faces forming the inner ends
of the enlargements. The enlarged ends are turned to fit within the bottom
bracket or hub, which is preferably formed with a shallow fillet therearound in-
side at each end to strengthen the ends and facilitate the fitting of the parts
together. The bush is divided, somewhere between its enlarged ends, into two
parts which are screwed together. The cones are screwed onto the spindle tightly
up against shoulders therearound, one of the cones being screwed up after the balls
have been inserted. The bush is fixed securely in the bottom bracket or hub by
forming the ends of such bracket or hub slit and tightening them around the
ends of the bush. Any slackness or wear of the bearing taken up by first
slackening one of the ends of the bracket or hub around the corresponding end
of the bush, and then unscrewing such end of the bush to move it outwards from
the other end and increase as is required the distance between the ball cups. To
enable the one end of the bush to be turned in relation to the other. such end has
a milled collar fixed thereto, the collar being, of course, in position outside one
end of the bottom bracket or huh. This collar is formed with an internal flange
which is an easy fit around the cone at the corresponding end of the bearing;
and a similar flange closes in the annular space between the bush and collar at
the other end of the bearing. These internal flanges consequently tend to retain
the oil within, and exclude dust from, the bearing.
1111
ntahan 1907

page_text: Improvements in Bottom Bracket Bearings of Cycles, and in Hub
Bearings of Cycle and other similar Wheels.
We, SAMUEL DORSET, WILLIAM HAYWARD, and HERBERT BAKER SMITH, trading
together in co-partnership as The 1). H. & S. Diamond Cycle Company, of
Sedgley Street, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Cycle Manufacturers
and Machinists, 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 has for its object improvements in the construction of bottom
bracket bearings for cycles, and hub bearings of cycle and other similar wheels,
which avoid the need for forming the bracket castings or stampings, or the hubs,
with interior flanges such as the steel cups for the balls usually bed against, and
enable the cones to be conveniently made and hardened separately from the
spindles and be used tightly screwed up thereon against shoulders of the spindles,
and the taking up of any slack or wear to be effected entirely by moving outwards
one of the cups whereby the advantage is obtained that the manufacture of the
brackets and hubs is simplified. the spindles may be made of a tougher steel than
when the cones, which have to be subsequently hardened, are made therewith,
and their strength is not injured by any hardening process, and the adjustment of
the bearings is facilitated.
A bearing constructed according to this invention comprises a bush which is
made with enlarged ends in which are fixed the hardened steel cups for the balls,
the backs of the cups bedding against the annular faces forming the inner ends
of the enlargements. The enlarged ends are turned to fit within the bottom
bracket or hub, and the bottom bracket is preferably formed with a shallow fillet
therearound inside at each end to strengthen the ends and facilitate the fitting of
the parts together. The bush is divided, somewhere between its enlarged ends,
into two parts which are screwed together. The cones are screwed onto the
spindle tightly up against shoulders therearound, one of the cones being screwed
up after the balls have been inserted. The bush niny be fixed securely in the
bottom bracket, or in the hub of a wheel which is not geared with the driving
mechanism by forming the ends of the bracket or hub slit and tightening them
around the ends of the bush. In the case of a wheel hub upon which a chain
wheel is fixed the bush is securely fixed therein by forming one end of the hub
slit and tightening it around the corresponding end of the bush, and by forming
the other end of the bush tapered and fitting it within a tapered end of the hub
and drawing such end of the bush tightly into the tapered end of the hub by
means of a screwed collar or nut. In either case any slackness or wear of the
bearing is taken up by first slackening an end of the bracket or hub around the
corresponding end of the bush, and then unscrewing such end of the bush to move
it outwards from the other end, and increase as required the distance between
the ball cups. Suitable provision is made for enabling the one end of the bush
to be turned in relation to the other when the end of the bracket or hub which
surrounds it has been slackened.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we will proceed to
describe the same as illustrated by the accompanying sheet of drawings, which
shew a practical application thereof to a bottom bracket and driven wheel hub,
respectively.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the bottom bracket and spindle
which is journalled therein. Figure 2 is a section taken on line of Figure 1;

page_text: and Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the wheel hub and spindle around
which it revolves.
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, A is the bottom bracket which is, preferably,
formed with a fillet around the interior of each end, as shewn. B is a bush
within the bracket A. This bush is formed with enlarged ends or cups b, and is
formed in two parts which are screwed together and are thus adjustable endways
in relation to one another. The portion of the part of the bush which is between
the ends is formed with one of such ends and is externally screw-threaded, and
a socket be is formed with the other of such ends and is screwed upon the portion ¹.
The hardened steel cups C are placed within the enlarged ends of the bush, and
bed against the inner ends or shoulders thereof, as shewn. The ends of the
bracket A are split in the manner indicated by Figure 2, and these ends may be
tightened up around the enlarged ends of the bush by means of pins c which
pass through cars or lugs d formed at opposite sides of the slits of the bracket.
The enlarged end of the bush which is at the opposite side of the bracket to
that at which the driving chain wheel is arranged, is formed with a collar e which
is outside the bracket A and has a milled edge to enable it to be readily turned.
The cones around which the balls run are formed separately from the spindle
and are
screwed thereon tightly against shoulders ff, respectively. The
shoulder forms the outer face of a collar which surrounds the spindle, and the
shoulder f forms the inner face of the disc E which is formed with or fixed to
the spindle and upon which the driving chain wheel is fixed; but the shoulder f
may be formed in any convenient manner. As the cone has to be passed over
the spindle from the further end thereof, it is screwed upon a portion of larger
diameter than the collar which forms the shoulder f. Each cone is formed with
flats at opposite sides thereof, by means of which it may be screwed tightly up
in place so as to be rigid with the spindle. An internal flange or g', which is
an easy fit around the corresponding cone, closes in the annular space between
the bush and cone at each end of the bearing. These internal flanges tend to
retain the oil within, and exclude dust from, the bearing. Lubricant is supplied
to the bearing through holes in the bracket and a hole i in the bush, or through
any suitable apertures.
Το
The internal flanges are, of course, brazed or otherwise fixed within the
outer ends of the enlarged portions of the bush B after the cups C have been
placed within such portions. The cone D is screwed up tightly against the
shoulder after the balls have been inserted within the cups C, and to allow this
to be done the one portion of the bush is screwed sufficiently along the other
portion to prevent the balls being jammed by the tightening up of the cone.
adjust the bearing, the pin c which is at the same end of the bearing as is the
cone 1) is first slackened, and the corresponding end of the bush is then unscrewed,
by means of the collar c, until the bush is lengthened to give the required adjust-
mient, after which the bracket is tightened up around the end of the bush so as
to secure it from turning. The other end of the bracket remains tightened up
while the bearing is being adjusted, so as to prevent the corresponding end of the
bush from turning.
Referring now to Figure 3. the bush B, with the enlarged ends which are
capable of endway adjustment in relation to one another, is fitted inside the wheel
hub A. In this case. interior fillets, such as a Figure 1, are dispensed with.
The end of the hub A to which the chain wheels is fixed is formed of a tapered
or conical shape inside, as shewn at i, and a portion of the enlarged part of the
bush at such end is correspondingly shaped to bed up thereagainst, and is held
thereagainst by the screwed collar or nut which is screwed upon a screwed
portion of the part and itself beds up against the end of the hub. This end of
the bush, therefore, is securely held tightly within the hub and prevented from
turning. The other end of the hub, that is to say the end within which the other
portion of the bush is fitted, is formed with a number of slits, say half a dozen
or so, spaced equally around the circle, which are cut in from the outer end

page_text: 12
thereof, and this end of the hub has an external screwed portion which extends
for a short distance from its outer end and tapers to a smaller diameter from its
inner end to the extreme outer end of the hub. A socket-piece m is screwed upon
this tapered screwed end of the hub, and when screwed tightly up closes the split
end of the hub tightly around the enlarged portion of the bush which is fitted
therein, and securely locks it from turning. This socket-piece m may be of the
width, if desired, simply of the screwed portion thereof, but it is preferred to
make it of a with to extend, when screwed up, to, or nearly to, the nearer flange.
around the hub, for the sake of neatness. This socket-piece m is conveniently
formed with a polygonal-sided portion for facility in screwing it up and un-
screwing it. The cones D D are, in this case, ench screwed up, from the cor-
responding outer end of the spindle, tightly against a shoulder formed by a
collar which surrounds the spindle. The screwed collar or nut & is, preferably,
dished somewhat at its inner face, as indicated by broken lines, before it is
screwed up, in order that the elastic tension which results from drawing it into a
flat shape as it is screwed tightly up will tend to lock it against working loose
under vibration. The screwed collar acts, also, as a lock to the screwed
collar which is used as a lock-nut to the chain wheels, but no novelty is claimed
in relation to the method of fixing the chain wheel. The parts of this bearing
not specifically described with reference to the drawing correspond, as will be
obvious. to the similar parts shewn by Figure 1, and the method of adjusting the
bearing corresponds to that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. To
slacken the portion 6 of the bush which has to be turned in adjusting the bear-
ing, the socket-piece m is screwed back upon the screwed portion p of the hub
so as to allow the split end thereof to expand slightly and release the correspond-
ing portion of the bush.
In the case also of a wheel which revolves simply by rolling upon the ground,
and which is not itself driven, and in the case also of a bottom bracket, the bush
therein may be tightened in place in the manner in which the bush shewn by
Figure is tightened within the corresponding hub, or it may be lightened up
at each end in the manner in which the bush shewn by Figure 3 is tightened up
at the end of thereof which is adjacent to the cone D.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim, is:
1. The improvements in bottom bracket bearings of cycles and in the hub bear-
ings of cycle and other similar wheels, which comprise, in the case of each bearing,
cones or paths for the balls which are rigid with the spindle or axle and which are
surrounded by the balls, a bush fitted within the bracket or hub, having bearing paths
which surround the balls arranged in the ends thereof, the said bush being formed
in parts which are screwed together in a manner which admits of the ends being
adjusted in relation to one another, and the parts of the bearing being so con-
structed and arranged in relation to one another that wear may be taken up by
elongating the bush, substantially as described.
2. The improvements in the bottom bracket bearings of cycles and in the hub
bearings of cycle and other similar wheels, which comprise, in the case of each
bearing, cones for the balls each of which is formed separately from the spindle
or axle and is screwed thereupon tightly against a shoulder so that it becomes
rigid therewith, a bush fitted within the bracket or hub having bearing paths
which surround the balls arranged in the ends thereof, the said bush being formed
in parts which are screwed together in a manner which admits of the ends being
adjusted in relation to one another, and the parts of the bearing being so con-
structed and arranged in relation to one another that wear may be taken up by
elongating the bush, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. The improved bottom bracket bearing for a cycle, substantially as described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings herewith.
4. The improved hub bearing for a cycle or other similar wheel, substantially
as described with reference to Figure 3 of the drawings herewith, including, also,
the modified form described in which both ends of the bush are similarly fitted
and held within the hub.
Dated this 8th dox of Tul 1908