Improvements in Roller Thrust Bearings.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
CODILEIE DI DUIFICATION.
Improvements in Roller Thrust Bearings.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH FANNING, of 120 Broadway New York, United States of
America, Lawyer 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 in general to bearings to receive the thrusts of shafts or
axles, but more particularly to end bearings in which frictionless rollers are
employed to receive the end thrusts of shafts or axles.
The special object of my invention is to provide a strong and durable roller end
bearing, in which " slip" will be substantially avoided and whereby friction and
wear due to lateral flexure of the shaft or axle will be reduced to a minimum.
I attain these objects by my invention in accordance with which 1 provide the
end of the shaft or axle with a bearing head curved substantially on a sphere having
its centre in the axis of the said shaft or axle and mount said bearing head to turn
in a nest of correspondingly curved bearing rollers radiating substantially from
said axis.
And in order that my invention may be fully ascertained I shall first describe in
detail the mode in which 1 carry the invention into practice and then more
particularly point out the invention in the claim reference being had to the
accompanying drawing forming part of this Specification in which the same parts
are designated by like letters of reference in both figures.
Figure 1 is a plan view of a roller thrust bearing embodying my invention,
designed for the end bearing head of an axle.
Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the line 2 2, Figure 1.
The form of my invention herein illustrated was designed particularly as an end
bearing for the axles of railway cars fitted with a "ball" lateral bearing by which
the axle is allowed to flex slightly owing to the ball bearings.
A designates the axle and B its end bearing head which is here shown as a
detachable part of the shaft and may be the end of the axle itself, or, in the case of
a line thrust or collar bearing of a shaft the bearing face or end of the collar. In
any case I make the bearing head B convex as shown and curved on a sphere
having its centre in the axis of the axle A preferably as near as possible to the
average point of flexure of said axle.
"
I construct the bearing for such head B with a plurality of rollers C radiating
substantially from the axle A and concaved in longitudinal section on the same
sphere as the head B in order to fit the same. The curvature of said head B and
rollers C is by preference so adjusted that all the circles of contact of said bearing
head and rollers will travel as nearly as possible at the same speed so us to avoid
slip" and its consequent increased friction and wear.
I employ the described spherical curvature for the bearing head and the rollers
to avoid the outward thrust which the bearing head would place upon the
rollers were both coned and also to permit the head B to swing slightly over the
rollers C with the flexure of the axle without binding in the bearing.
To properly support the rollers C in their radial position I prefer to employ a
ring D formed with radial bearings E for the end gudgeons of the rollers and to
make such roller bearings E open at the top so that the rollers may be readily
removed and replaced.
To receive the thrust placed upon the rollers I by preference arrange them to run

page_text: on and around a bed G convexed oppositely to, but on the same sphere as the
bearing head B, and mount the ring D to rotate on the bed as the rollers move by
means of a central gudgeon H on the ring D fitted in a socket K in said bed.
I fix the bed G within a box L which in the case of a car axle will be secured in
vertical position to the truck but in the case of a vertical shaft would be secured
horizontally on a suitable base.
When I use my improved end bearing with a "ball" lateral bearing as before
mentioned I make the opening M through which the axle emerges from the box L
larger than the axle to accommodate the flexure allowed by the bearings as set
forth.
In the case of the line thrust bearing before referred to as the shaft would
continue through the bearing and its collar act as the bearing head the central body
and gudgeon of the ring D and the bed G would have to be enlarged and bored to
receive the shaft.
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 :-
The combination, with the bearing head of an axle or shaft, curved substantially
on a sphere having its centre in the axis of the shaft or axle, of a nest of bearing
rollers radiating substantially from said axis and curved longitudinally on the same
sphere as the bearing head substantially as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of November 1894.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Manchester, Agents for Applicant.