Improvements in Means for Adjusting Wheel Hub and other Bearings.
Year: 1897

page_text: This print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c. Act, 1883) as required by
the decision of the Comptroller General of the 30th day of April 1898.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Adjusting Wheel Hub and other
Bearings.
We, REUBEN CHAMBERS of the firm of McDonald Chambers and Company, of
Dartmouth Street in the City of Birmingham, Cycle Fittings Manufacturer, and
FREDERICK HAWLEY, of Dartmouth Street aforesaid, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference particularly to means for adjusting the bearings of
hubs for cycle and other light vehicle wheels of that type in which the ball
bearings run between half ball races formed or carried respectively in the ends of
the hub barrel or body and the cones adjustable upon the end of the spindle and is
applicable to bearings for other parts of velocipedes and vehicles generally. Our
invention has for its object, to so construct such hubs that the adjustment of the
same can be effected by simply rotating the spindle without having to first undo
or slacken any nuts or to give any movement to the cones themselves, so that by
turning the spindle in either one direction or the other (which may be effected in
any convenient way, such as by a screw driver or by a spanner) the said cones are
caused to approach, or recede from, one another accordingly.
Thus, according to our improvements, the ends of the spindle are differentially
threaded or wormed, for instance, one end has eighteen threads to the inch and the
other twenty-four threads to the inch, the said threads being of the same kind at
each end, viz., either both right-hand or both left-hand. The cones which are
screwed upon the ends of the spindle, are internally wormed to correspond with the
threadings on the spindle ends, i.e. one cone is wormed to 18 threads internally
and the other to 24 threads, and both cones are locked to the fork ends or other
part of the framing of a cycle or vehicle by nuts taking upon outside screwed collars
or extensions of the cone, said collars extending between or through and beyond
the jaws of the fork ends, up to the outer faces of which the said nuts are screwed,
and thus clamp the cones immovably to the framing. Further, the cones may be
provided with a milled, serrated or roughened back, or may be formed with flats
to prevent their rotation whilst being locked.
By rotating the spindle in one direction, the cones are made to approach one
another as, by reason of the differential screwing of the ends, the nut on the
coarser-screwed end of the said spindle is drawn inwards at a rate proportional to
the difference between the thread of the one end and thread of the other hence
a minute movement or fine adjustment, whilst the rotation of the spindle in the
contrary direction effects the reverse adjusting movement and correspondingly
separates the cones.

page_text: As a modification, one end of the spindle may be plain and have a head which
bears against the outside of a plain bored cone locked to the spindle in the same
way as in the preceeding arrangement. The opposite end of the spindle is suitably
screwed and is provided with a threaded-on and correspondingly wormed cone fast
also to the framing or forks, and on the rotation of this spindle the cones are made
to approach or recede from one another according to the direction in which the
spindle is rotated, and so adjust the bearings.
Lock nuts may be provided on the ends of the spindle, which may be formed at
the ends or elsewhere with flats or facets to take a spanner or the blade of a screw
driver for the purposes of rotating the same.
The application of our invention to bearings for other parts of velocipedes and
road vehicles differs in no essential respect from its application to wheel hubs as
herein described.
Dated this 15th day of Fabr 1907
Improvements in Means for Adjusting Wheel Hub and other
Bearings.
We, REUBEN CHAMBERS of the firm of McDonald Chambers and Company, of
Dartmouth Street in the City of Birmingham, Cycle Fittings Manufacturer, and
FREDERICK HAWLEY, of Dartmouth Street aforesaid, 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:-
This invention has reference particularly to means for adjusting the bearings of
hubs for cycle and other light vehicle wheels, of that type in which the ball bearings
run between half ball races formed or carried respectively in the ends of the hub
barrel or body and the cones adjustable upon the end of the spindle and is applic-
able to bearings for other parts of velocipedes and vehicles generally. Our inven-
tion has for its object, to so construct such hubs that the adjustment of the same
can be effected by simply rotating the spindle without having to first undo or
slacken any nuts or to give any movement to the cones themselves, so that by
turning the spindle in either one direction or the other (which may be effected in
any convenient way, such as by a screw driver or by a spanner) the said cones
are caused to approach, or recede from, one another accordingly.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in plan, a cycle back wheel
hub, provided with means for adjusting the bearings constructed in accordance
with one form of our invention.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of Figure 1, upon the dotted line,
showing more clearly the differential screwing of the ends of the spindle whereon
the adjusting cones are threaded.
Figure 4 represents the body of the hub separately and Figure 5 represents the
principal component parts of the hub, separately, in section and in elevation.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
According to this form of our improvements, the ends a³, a³, of the spindle a,

page_text: running axially through the hub b, are differentially threaded or wormed, for
instance, one end a³, has sixteen threads to the inch and the other end a³ twenty-
four threads to the inch, the said threads being of the same kind at each end, viz..
either both right-hand or both left-hand. The cones c, c', which are screwed upon
the ends of the spindle, are internally wormed to correspond with the threadings
of the spindle ends, i.e. the cone c, is wormed to 16 threads internally and the
other c', to 24 threads, and both cones are locked to the fork ends d, of the framing
of a cycle by nuts e, taking upon outside screwed sleeves or extensions c², of the
cone, said sleeves extending between or through and beyond the jaws d, of the
fork ends, up to the outer faces , of which the said nuts are screwed, and thus
clamp the cones immovably to the framing. Further, the cones may be provided
with a milled, serrated or roughened collars ³, to enhance their grip upon the back
jaw faces to prevent their rotation whilst being locked or they may be provided
with flats on their edges to admit of them being laid hold of with one spanner
whilst the lock nuts are wrung up with another. The extremities of the spindle
are nut facetted at c5, to facilitate their rotation by a spanner or they may be nicked
to take a screw driver.
f are the eyed rings of the chain adjustment draw bolts f¹, which rings take
over the cones and when in position are located between the inner sides of the back
jaw and collars c³, upon the cones.
By rotating the spindle in one direction, the cones are made to approach one
another, as, by reason of the differential screwing of the ends, the nut on the
coarser-screwed end of the said spindle is drawn inwards at a rate proportional to
the difference between the thread of the one end and thread of the other hence a
minute movement or fine adjustment, whilst the rotation of the spindle in the
contrary direction effects the reverse adjusting movement and correspondingly
separates the cones.
Figure 6 represents a modification of our invention in which one end a³, of the
spindle a, is plain and has a head as, which bears against the outside of a plain
bored cone c, locked to the back jaw forks in the same way as in the preceeding
arrangement. The opposite end a³, of the spindle is suitable screwed and is
provided with a threaded-on and correspondingly wormed cone c¹, fast also to the
framing or forks and on the rotation of this spindle the cones are made to approach
or recede from one another according to the direction in which the spindle is
rotated, and so adjust the bearings.
In some types of bearings we may dispense with the nuts for locking the cones
in which case, the sleeves on the cones would have flats, ribs or the like and take
machine or
through corresponding formed holes in the framing or other part of
vehicle, so that on the rotation of the spindle the said cones slide to or fro in the
said holes as guides without rotating.
Lock nuts g, may be provided on the ends of the spindle for locking the same
in its adjusted position, and the said spindle may be formed at the ends or elsewhere
with flats or facets to take a spanner or the blade of a screw driver for the purposes
of rotating the same.
The application of our invention to bearings for other parts of velocipedes,
vehicles and other machinery differs in no essential respect from its application to
wheel hubs as herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed it is to be understood
that we are aware of the Specification of Letters Patent No. 19727 of 1895 granted
to James Doherty and William Calcott and that we make no claim to anything
described and claimed therein and we declare that what we claim is :-
First In ball bearings, effecting the adjustment of the same by the employ-
ment of a rotating spindle, having differentially threaded or wormed ends taking
through like wormed holes in the adjustable bearing cones or elements, between

page_text: the races of which and corresponding races upon the other or fixed elements, the
ball bearings come.
Secondly: In ball bearings for wheel hubs or the like, effecting the adjustment
of the same by the employment of a rotating and axially directed spindle having
differentially threaded or wormed ends taking through like-wormed holes in the
adjustable cones, which are made fast to the framing or equivalent by locking nuts,
screwing upon wormed sleeves or parts of the said cones and clamping the framing
members or parts thereof between the said nuts and collars or equivalents on the
cones, substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly: In ball bearings effecting the adjustment of the cones or adjustable
elements of the same by the employment of a rotating spindle having differentially
threaded or wormed ends taking through like screwed holes in the said adjustable
elements, which slide without rotating in guides or parts of a framing or the like,
substantially as described.
Fourthly: In ball bearings, adjusting the cones or elements, which are made
fast to the framing by lock nuts or equivalent means, by the employment of a
rotating spindle, one end only of which is screwed and takes through a corre-
sponding wormed hole in the one cone, whilst the other and headed end is plain
and takes through a plain hole in the other cone, substantially as described and
set forth in Figure 6.
Fifthly: The improved means for adjusting wheel hub and like ball bearings,
substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1897