Improvements in Ball Bearing Hubs for the Wheels of Velocipedes and other Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Ball Bearing Hubs for the Wheels of Velocipedes
and other Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD WALMSLEY of 8 Hyde Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancashire, Manager of Works, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of ball bearing hub for the
wheels of velocipedes and other vehicles and it has for its object providing for the
adjustment of the ball bearings to compensate for wear in a more simple and ready
manner than at present obtains.
According to my invention I screw or otherwise fix in each end of the hub a
cup or cone, the said cups or cones being fixed in such a manner that although
they are not capable of adjustment in, they are capable of being removed from,
the hub when it is desired to dismount the hub from the axle carrying it.
The axle is formed in two parts and at or near the outer end of each part is
formed or fixed a cone or its equivalent each of which is adapted to form with the
adjacent cup or cone in the hub a complete race for a row of balls or spheres.
The end of each part of the axle outside the cone or its equivalent is threaded
to receive a nut by which it is clamped to the fork or frame adapted to carry it,
provision being made to prevent the said axle rotating in the said fork or frame.
The inner ends of the two parts of the axle are threaded with a right and left
hand thread respectively, and they are connected together by means of a right
and left hand nut which preferably takes the form of a sleeve. In this sleeve
preferably at its centre-is formed a hole with which a spring controlled locking
pin or stop carried by the barrel of the hub engages when it is desired to
adjust the bearings. This locking pin or stop is normally kept clear of the
coupling nut on the axle by means of a suitable spring so that it is only when it
is depressed from the exterior of the hub that it engages with the hole in the said
nut.
To keep the locking pin or stop in its depressed position I prefer to employ
a spring finger which on being engaged with the outer end of the said locking
pin or stop presses it inwards and causes it to engage with the hole in the nut
when the wheel is rotated on the axle but the use of such a spring finger is not
obligatory.
When the locking pin or stop has become engaged with the nut the said nut
can be rotated to force the two parts of the axle apart, or bring them together-as
it is desired to tighten up or slacken the bearing by simply rotating the wheel.
When the desired adjustment has been obtained the locking pin or stop is

page_text: released whereby it automatically disengages itself from the coupling nut, which
thereupon becomes free to rotate with the axle.
Dated this 26th day of November 1896.
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Ball Bearing Hubs for the Wheels of Velocipedes
and other Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD WALMSLEY of 8, Hyde Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancashire, Manager of Works, 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 to an improved construction of ball bearing or bearings
for the hubs of the wheels of velocipedes and other vehicles applicable also to
other revolving parts of such machine or vehicles, and it consists in so mounting
one of the cones on the axle with respect to the other, and in coupling them
together with a right and left hand threaded nut or its equivalent, that by causing
the said nut to revolve with respect to the axle it causes the cones carried by it
to move away from each other or to come closer together thus providing for the
adjustment of the bearing or bearings, the threaded nut or its equivalent being
adapted to be temporarily fixed to the hub or its equivalent when it is desired
to give it motion independent of the axle, the object being to provide a ready
means of adjusting the bearing or bearings to compensate for wear without the
use of a spanner.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates-by way of example --this
invention applied to the hub of a wheel.
Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section.
Figure 2 is a view in transverse section on liner Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section of a modification.
Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
In each end of the barrel of the hub A is screwed or otherwise fixed a cup or
cone B. These cups or cones are not intended to be adjustable with respect to the
barrel of the hub but they are mounted therein in such a manner that they can
be removed therefrom when it is desired to dismount them.
The axle is formed in two parts C and C¹ having at or near their outer ends
cones or their equivalents D, D', each of which is adapted to form with the
adjacent cup or cone B in the barrel of the hub A a complete race for the balls
or spheres E. The end of each part of the axle outside the cone B or its
equivalent is threaded to receive a nut F for fixing the axle to the fork or frame
adapted to carry it.
In the accompanying drawing the cups or cones in the barrel of the hub face
inwards and the cones on the axle face outwards, but the respective positions of
these parts may obviously be reversed if found more desirable or convenient.
The inner ends of the two parts C and C of the axle are provided with a right
and left hand thread respectively and they are connerted together within the
barrel of the hub by means of a right and left hand threaded sleeve nut 6. To
prevent the two parts C and C₁ of the axle from turning with respect to one
another, their meeting ends are halved together as shown by Figures 1 and 2,

page_text: By rotating the sleeve nut G in one direction or the other the cones D and D¹
can be brought nearer together or further apart as it is desired to slacken or
tighten the bearings. To rotate the sleeve nut G it is temporarily made fast to
the barrel of the hub. Although any suitable form of locking device may be
employed to temporarily fix the sleeve G to the barrel of the hub A, I prefer to
employ a spring controlled pin H constructed and arranged as shown by Figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawing.
Instead of forming the axle in two parts it may be made in one piece as shown
by Figure 3, one of the cones 1) being carried by a sleeve C so mounted on the
axle C as to have a free longitudinal movement thereon but no independent rotary
movement. This is conveniently effected by a small slot d in its inner end which
engages with a small pin c¹ in the axle C as shown by Figure 3 in which view the
spring controlled pin H is not shown.
Instead of providing the sleeve G with a right and left hand thread as shown
in Figure 1, it may have differential threads either right or left hands as shown
by Figure 3, or as a further modification the sleeve may be only threaded at one
end and be connected at the other end to the axle, or to the sleeve carrying one of
the cones by means of a swivel joint or its equivalent.
To adjust the bearings, the spring controlled pin H is released-in the con-
struction shown by the accompanying drawing by screwing down the cap h
carrying it. Then turn the wheel slowly round in either direction until the pin H
engages with the hole or depression g in the sleeve nut G which will he apparent
by the click made by the engagement of the parts. Then turn the wheel in the
direction to obtain the required adjustment. If the parts are threaded as shown
by the accompanying drawing the wheel will require to be rotated in a forward
direction to tighten the bearings and in a rearward direction to slacken them.
the desired adjustment has been obtained, disconnect the barrel of the hub from
the sleeve nut by withdrawing the spring controlled pin H.
When
As a modification the two parts C and Ci of the axle may be made hollow and
connected by a spindle passing through them, the spindle being in such engage
ment with each half of the axle that its rotation will cause the said two parts of
the axle either to come nearer together or further apart as it is desired to slacken
or loosen the bearing.
Although my invention is hereinbefore described as applied to the hubs of
wheels I wish it to be understood that it is also applicable to all other bearings
of velocipedes, where convenient, and further it is not only applicable to ball
bearings but is also applicable to roller, coned or other bearings having lateral
or concentric adjustment.
It will be seen that by my invention the bearings of the hubs of the wheels or
other parts of velocipedes and other vehicles can be adjusted without the use
of a spanner and also in the case of the hubs of wheels-without the necessity of
unlocking the axle from the frame.
I wish it to be particularly understood that I do not limit myself to the precise
details of construction hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawing, but that I hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations
as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.
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 improvements in the bearing or bearings of the hub and other parts
of velocipedes and other vehicles, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
(2) A bearing for the wheels of velocipedes and other vehicles, characterised
by the fact that the adjustment is obtained by temporarily fixing the barrel of the
hub to the nut or its equivalent on the axle, and using the wheel as the medium
of adjustment.

page_text: (3) Adjusting the bearing or bearings of the hubs and other parts of velocipedes
and other vehicles by so mounting one of the cones on the axle or its equivalent
with respect to the other that the said cones can be brought nearer together or
further apart by means of a threaded nut or its equivalent engaging the parts
within the barrel or case of the bearing, the said nut being normally stationary
with the axle or its equivalent but capable of being temporarily locked to the
part carrying the cups or cones forming the other part of the bearing or bearings
from the outside of the barrel or case thereof for the purpose of rotating it on the
axle, as set forth.
D
ROBERT E. PHILLIPS, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.