Improvements in Roller Bearings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 5th May, 1900-Accepted, 30th June, 1900
Improvements in Roller Bearings.
I, WILLIAM HOULDSWORTH, of Mill Street, Pendleton, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows: -
My invention relates to improvements in roller bearings, that is to say, bear-
ings in which the shaft, wheel, pulley or other moving part is supported on a
ring of cylindrical rollers capable of independent movement around the shaft
or fixed centre of the wheel or pulley.
Prior to my invention rollers used for this purpose are usually contained
within a cage which is designed and constructed to sustain, guide, and prevent
endwise movement of the rollers, and to maintain a true axial line of the same,
parallel with the shaft or bearing.
I have found in practice that such cages are apt to become distorted so that
the rollers cease to lie parallel with the axis of the shaft and run untruly, thereby
causing frictional resistance and undue wear of the parts.
These cages are moreover complicated in construction and costly.
The object of my invention is to dispense with such cages and produce a roller
hearing which shall be extremely simple and efficient."
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a pedestal or block which
may be in two or more parts and I form such pedestal or block with a suitable
roller race and the roller race may terminate on either side in annular or
other recesses or depressions.
I employ a ring of rollers to run on such race the rollers being provided at
each end with fixed collars or ruffs the collars or ruffs running in the annular or
other recesses so that the rollers are not only guided by these collars but any
lateral movement due to thrust or otherwise is prevented. The annular recesses
are not essential to my invention but are used to some extent to enclose and
protect the collars from dust and fluff. The collars or ruffs may be turned from
the metal of the rollers themselves or such collars may be attached to the rollers
in any suitable manner as thought desirable.
The ring of rollers preferably surrounds a metallic bush or bearing sleeve
the collars on the rollers serving to confine such bush or sleeve and to prevent
endwise movement of the same. The bush or sleeve receives the shaft or
revolving part as will be well understood.
I do not confine myself to the use of a loose sleeve to run on the ring of rollers
as the shaft might be formed with or have attached thereto a suitable collar or
boss.
It will be obvious that owing to the presence of the collars on the roller ends
that the number of rollers is reduced and a space is left between the rollers.
This space I may utilise by providing the spaces with plain cylindrical rollers,
which are maintained in position by means of the abutting flanges on the neigh-
bouring rollers. Thus an increased number of rollers may be used than would
be possible if every roller were provided with collars.
If desired the annular recesses may be dispensed with and the collars on the
rollers project outside beyond the roller race.
In a form of vertical bearing or footstep I propose to have a projecting

page_text: conical ring on which conical rollers having end collars in accordance with my
invention are arranged radially to support the load.
Alternate plain conical rollers in this case may be employed for the purpose
above indicated.
Improvements in Roller Bearings.
I, WILLIAM HOULDSWORTH, of Mill Street, Pendleton, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, 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 and accompanying draw-
ings:-
My invention relates to improvements in roller bearings, that is to say, bear-
ings in which the shaft, wheel, pulley or other moving part is supported on a
ring of cylindrical rollers capable of independent movement around the shaft
or fixed centre of the wheel or pulley.
Prior to my invention rollers used for this purpose are usually contained
within a cage which is designed and constructed to sustain, guide, and prevent
endwise movement of the rollers, and to maintain a true axial line of the same,
parallel with the shaft or bearing.
I have found in practice that such cages are apt to become distorted so that
the rollers cease to lie parallel with the axis of the shaft and work untruly thereby
causing frictional resistance and undue wear of the parts.
These cages are moreover complicated in construction and costly.
The object of my invention is to dispense with such cages and produce a roller
bearing which shall be extremely simple and efficient.
The accompanying sheet of drawings, to which I will refer, illustrates my
invention.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of my improved roller bearing.
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan thereof.
Figs. 3 to 5 show a slight modification.
Fig. 6 shows in sectional elevation a footstep bearing constructed in accord-
ance with my invention.
Fig. 7 is a plan thereof with the top portion removed.
In carrying my invention into effect I provide a pedestal or block which may
be in two or more parts a b and I form such pedestal or block with a suitable
roller race c and the roller race may terminate on either side in annular or other
recesses or depressions d as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
I employ a ring of rollers e to run on such race the rollers being provided_at
cach end with fixed collars or ruffs e¹ the collars or ruffs running in the annular
or other recesses and abutting against the sides of the roller race so that the
rollers are not only guided by these collars but any lateral movement due to
thrust or otherwise is prevented. The annular recess d is not essential to my
invention but is used to some extent to enclose and protect the collars from dust
and fluff. The collars or ruffs el are turned from the metal of the rollers e or
such collars may be attached to the rollers in any suitable manner as thought
desirable.

page_text: The ring of rollers e preferably surrounds a metallic bush or bearing sleeve f,
the sleeve corresponding in length to the width of the roller race, the collars e
on the rollers e serving to confine such bush or sleeve and to prevent endwise
movement of the same." The bush or sleeve receives the shaft y or revolving part
as will be well understood.
The bush may be in one piece as shown or in two or more portions for
convenience of assembling the parts.
I do not confine myself to the use of a loose sleeve to run on the ring of rollers
as the shaft might be formed with or have, attached thereto a suitable collar
or boss.
It will be obvious that owing to the presence of the collars on the roller ends
that the number of rollers is reduced and a space is left between the rollers.
This space I preferably utilise by providing the spaces with plain cylindrical
rollers h, which are maintained in position by means of the abutting flanges of
the collars e on the neighbouring rollers e. Thus an increased number of
rollers may be used than would be possible if every roller were provided with
collars. The plain rollers may if desired be dispensed with although the best
results are attained with their use.
If desired the annular recess & may be dispensed with and the collars e¹ on the
rollers e project outside beyond the roller race as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.
I may also provide the plain cylindrical rollers h with a reduced extension i
at each end and mount thereon loose ferrules j of brass or other metal.
The ferrules are in frictional contact with the collars e¹ and serve to separate.
the rollers eh so that friction between the rollers ch is obviated. This is clearly
shown in Fig. 5. The bearing may be protected from dust by means of cap
plates k.
In a form of vertical bearing or footstep I provide a roller race between the
lower part of the footstep and an upper part secured to and revolving with
the shaft m or load, on which race conical rollers e having end collars e¹ in
accordance with my invention are arranged radially to support the load. This
is shown in the sectional elevation Fig. 6. Fig. 7 being a plan view with the
upper portion of the bearing removed.
Alternate plain conical rollers in this case may also be employed for the
purpose above indicated.
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 improved bearing consisting of a roller race having a ring of cylindrical
rollers, a portion or the whole of the rollers being provided with end collars
abutting against the sides of the roller race, the collars serving the purpose of
guiding the rollers, preventing lateral movement of the same and preserving
the rollers in a true line parallel with the shaft substantially as described and
shown.
2) In a roller bearing the provision of the end collars el secured to or forming
part of the roller for the purposes and substantially as described and illustrated.
3) The modified form of footstep, bearing substantially as described and illus-
trated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.