An Improved Spindle Bearing for Spinning and like Machinery.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Mar., 1893-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Spindle Bearing for Spinning and like Machinery.
I, WILLIAM BOWLUS DOUGLAS, of Phenix, in the County of Kent and
State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention is designed for the purpose of attaining a higher rate of speed
with greater steadiness of operation and advantages in relation to keeping oiled in
the bearings without liability of oiling the textile product, and in reducing the
amount of power required to operate them. The spindle, the upper part of which
from the shoulder resting on the bushing to the top, is made with nearly straight
parallel sides, or with a well defined taper, according to the kind of textile
machine it is to be used in; and from the shoulder down to the lower end, it is
made with almost parallel sides, with a slight taper to facilitate the application to
the spindle of the bushing, which consists of a piece of steel tube hardened, tempered
and permanently shrunk on the spindle against the shoulder. A tubular support
holds the upper and lower bearings, and secures the whole to the rail, which is
clamped between the enlarged upper part of the tube and a nut fitted to a thread
on the body of the tube, by screwing the nut up against the rail. The hole through
the tube is made considerably larger than the diameter of the lower part of the
spindle, and the upper end is recessed out larger to receive a tube held fast in the
recess, or the two tubes may be made in one piece. The upper inner surface of
the tube in the recess has a circumferential groove to receive two rings, the lower
one of the two resting in the shoulder and being tightly fitted into the bottom of
the recess and the upper one, so as to just slide into the recess without binding.
The upper face of the lower ring and the lower face of the upper ring have
V-shaped grooves. These grooves are for holding a circle of hard metal balls,
against which the hardened bushing bears in running. For confining and adjusting
these balls, a cap is fitted to screw down on a thread on the tube held in the recess,
by means of which the two rings can be pressed together so as to force the balls
toward the spindle, the angles of the two sides of the grooves, causing the balls to
rest against the outer sides of the grooves without touching the lips or inner sides
of the grooves, which allows the balls to approach the spindle when the rings are
pressed together, the lips formed by the inner side of the groove being only for
the purpose of preventing the balls from falling down into the tube when the spindle
is taken out. The step or lower bearing has a screw cut on it the greater part of
its length, which fits into the lower part of the tubular support, and by turning
the step around when in the tube, it is raised or lowered to adjust it to the proper
height. The upper part of the step is turned down smaller than the base of the
tubular support, so as to leave a space between it and the tube, and a hole is made
in its upper end to receive the lower end of the spindle fitted to just turn in the
step. A hole is bored in from two opposite sides, near the bottom of the hole in
the end, and slots are cut from the upper end down to the hole, the object of the
holes and slots being to allow the oil with which the chamber in the tube around
the spindle is filled to have free access to the whole surface of the spindle in the
step, and to further lessen the friction, the lower end of the spindle is made with a
flat surface and a hardened metallic ball is put in the hole under the end of the
spindle, for it to turn on.
Dated thin 11th 1
L
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: +
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Spindle Bearing for Spinning and like Machinery.
1, WILLIAM BOWLUS DOUGLAS, of Phenix, in the County of Kent, and State
of Rhode Island, United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to that class of spindles and their bearings used in working
textile material, and is designed for the purpose of attaining a higher rate of speed
with greater steadiness of operation and advantages in relation to keeping the
bearings oiled without liability of oiling the textile product, and further, in reducing
the amount of power required to operate them.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 shows the spindle and step in elevation, with the other bearings and
parts in immediate connection therewith, in vertical cross-section.
Figure 2 is an enlarged representation of the upper bearing in vertical section,
with a part of the spindle in elevation.
Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-section of the parts taken on a line xx Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an elevation of the step E, taken from one side of the representation
of the step in Figure 1.
Figure 5 shows a top view of the step E, enlarged.
Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a ball, and a part of the rings and spindle.
In the various views A, is the spindle, the upper part of which from the shoulder
resting on a bushing a, to the top, may be made with nearly straight parallel sides,
or having a well defined taper, according to the kind of textile machine it is to be
used, and from said shoulder down to the lower end, it is made with almost parallel
sides, with just a slight taper to facilitate the application of a spindle of the
bushing a, which consists of a piece of steel tube, preferably hardened, tempered,
and shrunk on to the spindle against the shoulder, permanently. D, is a tubular
support, to hold the upper or bolster bearing and the lower bearing or step, and
secure the whole to the rail B, which is clamped in between the enlarged upper
part of the tube and a nut C, fitted to a thread made on the body of the tube by
screwing the nut up against the rail. The hole through the tube D, is made
considerably larger than the diameter of the lower part of the spindle, and the
upper one is recessed out still larger to receive a tube b, which is held fast in the
recess, or the two tubes can be made in one piece if preferred. The upper end of
the tube b, is recessed in a short distance, to receive two rings c, c¹, the lower one of
the two c¹, being fitted tightly into the bottom of the recess, and the upper one c,
fitted so as to just slide into the recess without binding. The upper face of the
lower ring and the lower face of the upper ring, have V-shaped grooves made in
them, (see Figure 2). The outer incline e of the grooves, is made at an angle of
about forty-five degrees with the outer side of the rings, and the inner incline e',
which is narrower, is made at an angle of about sixty degrees from the inner side
of the rings, the grooves being the same in both rings (see Figure 6). These
grooves are for the purpose of holding a circle of hard metal balls h, (see Figure 3)
against which the hardened bushing a, bears in running. For the purpose of
confining and adjusting these balls ha cap f, is fitted to screw down on a thread
on the end of the tube b, by means of which the two rings can be pressed together,
so as to force the balls towards the spindle, the difference in the angles of the two
sides of the grooves, causing the balls to rest against the outer sides of the groovese,
without touching the lip or inner sides e', of the grooves, which allows the balls to
approach the spindle when the rings are pressed together, the lip formed by the
inner side of the groove, being only for the purpose of preventing the balls from
falling down into the tube whenever the spindle is taken out.
The balls and rings c, c, are preferably made hard, like the tube. The step E,

page_text: has a screw-thread cut on it for the greater part of its length, which fits into a
screw-thread cut in the lower part of the tube D, and by turning the step around
when in the tube, it is raised or lowered to adjust it to the proper height. The
upper part of the step E, is turned down smaller than the bore of the tube D, so
as to leave a space between it and the tube, and a hole is made in its upper end to
receive the lower end of the spindle A, which is fitted to just turn in the step. A
hole 0,
is bored in from two opposite sides near the bottom of the hole in the end,
and slots r, are cut from the upper end down to the hole o, (see Figure 4) the object
of the holes o, and slots r, being to allow the oil with which the chamber in the
tube D, around the spindle, is filled, to have free access to the whole surface of the
spindle in the step, and to further lessen the friction, the lower end of the spindle
is made with a flat surface, and a hardened metallic ball h¹, is put free to turn in
the hole under the end of the spindle for it to turn on or with.
A whirl or band pulley H, is made fast on the spindle A, usually by being driven
on, and is recessed in at its lower end to pass down over the bearing, so as to bring
the groove p, for the reception of the band, a little below the bearing of the bushing
on the balls h, and a guard wire i, has its lower end screwed into the flange of the
tube D, and its upper end bent over to just clear the top of the pulley H, to prevent
the spindle from being pulled up out of the bearings when the bobbin is pulled off
in the operation of doffing.
A tubej is inserted in one side of the head of the tube D, through which oil is passed
to the space around the spindle, which is filled up to about the level of the balls h,
and a cap is fitted over the end of the tube j, to keep out all lint and dust. When
the space in the tube D, is once filled with oil, it will last for a long period, as there
is no tendency or opportunity for the oil to escape, and at the same time, it has
free access to all the bearing points. This with the great reduction of the usual
friction by the use of the balls, makes the spindle capable of running at a very high
rate of speed above anything hitherto attained. The nicety of adjustment of the
balls to the spindle by means of the grooved rings c, and screw-cap f, ensures a
perfect steadiness of motion, without which, a high rate of speed is practically
useless.
When the step E, has been adjusted for height by turning it around in the tube D,
as before described, it is secured in that position by screwing it to the check nut n,
against the lower end of the tube D.
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. In a bearing for a spindle, the combination of two rings placed one above the
other in a tube, to hold a circle of balls between them, said rings having a V-shaped
groove recessed in their contiguous faces, to form a lip extending partially over the
inner surface of said ring or balls, to retain them in place when the spindle is
removed, with said balls and tube, substantially as specified.
2. In a step for a spindle, the combination of a cylindrical piece of metal, having
a screw-thread on a portion of its surface and a recess in its upper end fitting closely
to the lower end of the spindle, and having one or more slots or openings made
through the sides of the recess, a ball of proper size to move freely in the bottom
of said recess, with an outer supporting tube having a screw-thread in its lower end
to receive the threaded portion of said cylindrical piece, substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of March 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.