Improvements in Anti-friction Bearings.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb,
1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Anti-friction Bearings.
I, HOSEA W. LIBBEY of Boston, in the County of Suffolk, and State of Massa-
chusetts, United States of America, Medical Doctor, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
My invention has for its object the diminution of friction in journal bearings and
particularly in the bearings of railroad car axles, and it consists in certain details of
construction hereinafter described.
In carrying my said invention into practice I arrange on the journal a sleeve
of metal the internal diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the
said journal, this sleeve is made in two parts so that it can be placed around the
journal and its outer perimeter is provided with rings or circular projections. I
prefer to have three of these rings, one at each end of the sleeve and one in the
centre but two only might be used, the outer edges of these rings are rounded so that
they are free to travel in correspondingly formed grooves in an outer brass formed in
two parts and which is securely held in the box.
Between the rings in the sleeve are formed slots in which are placed small steel
rollers or balls. These rollers may be plain round steel with their ends rounded or
they may be corrugated or a number of steel balls sufficient to fill the slots may be
employed. The rollers or balls are of such diameter that they just fit the space
between the journals and the outer brass, the sleeve holding them in position.
The outer circumference of the sleeve is of less diameter than the inner diameter
of the outer brass so that no part of it comes into contact with the brass except
the rings or projections which run loosely in the grooves. I divide the journal box.
into two parts and hinge them together on one side and on the opposite side I provide
two lugs or ears which are held together by a bolt.
The object of thus forming the box in two parts is that the outer brass, sleeve and
rollers may be placed in position around the journal between the two collars or
shoulders of the journal and when the two portions of the box are brought together
they are secured by the bolt and the sleeve, rollers and brass are held in their proper
place. The brass is preferably of an octagonal form on its outside and the interior of.
the box is formed to correspond or they may be of any other suitable shape.
A space is left under and in front of the lower portion of the brass so that if
desired packing and oil or other lubricant may be placed in the box.
It will be seen that by this construction of journal bearing all friction in the
bearing is between the journal, rollers and brass and as the sleeve is free to rotate and
with it the rollers which are also free to rotate independently, the friction is reduced
to a minimum.
If desired more than three rollers may be employed around the circumference the
sleeve being provided with as many slots as it is desired to employ rollers.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Anti-friction Bearings.
I HOSEA W. LIBBEY of Boston in the County of Suffolk and State of Massa-
chusetts, United States of America, Medical Doctor do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ANTI-FRICTION BEARINGS
39 and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and 'by the following statement :—
My invention has for its object the diminution of friction in journal bearings and
particularly in the bearings of railroad car axles, and it consists in certain details of
construction hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1, represents a longitudinal vertical section through a car axle bearing and
box embodying my invention.
Fig. 2, is a transverse section taken on line x, x of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the upper portion of the sleeve that embraces the
axle journal.
Fig. 4, is a similar view of the lower portion of the same.
Fig. 5, is a perspective view of the upper portion of the bearing in which the
sleeve revolves."
c
Fig. 6, is a similar view of the lower portion of the same.
Fig. 7, is a perspective view of the upper portion of a modified form of sleeve.
Fig. 8, is a similar view of the lower portion of the same.
Fig. 9, shows a plain antifriction roller.
Fig. 10, a corrugated antifriction roller and
. Fig. 11, a series of balls that may be employed instead of rollers.
A, represents the axle of a railroad car and B, the journal of the same. C, is a
sleeve of metal the internal diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter
of the journal, this sleeve is made in two parts so that it can be placed around the
journal B, and its outer perimeter is provided with rings or circular projections c.
I prefer to have three of these rings, one at each end of the sleeve and one in the
centre as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, but two only might be used as shown in Figs. 7
and 8, the outer edges of these rings c, are formed rounding so that they are free to
travel in correspondingly formed grooves d, in an outer brass D, formed in two parts
as shown and which is securely held in the box E.
Between the rings c, in the sleeve C, are formed slots a, in which are placed small
steel rollers F, or balls F¹. These rollers may be plain round steel with their ends
rounding as shown in Fig. 9, or they may be corrugated as shown in Fig. 10, or a
number of steel balls as shown in Fig. 11, sufficient to fill the slots a, may be employed.
The rollers F, or balls F1, are of such diameter that they just fit the space between
the journals B, and the outer brass D ; the sleeve C, holding them in position.
The outer circumference of the sleeve C, is of less diameter than the inner
diameter of the outer brass D, so that no part of it comes into contact with the brass D,
except the rings or projections c, which run loosely in the grooves d.
The box E, I divide into two parts and hinge them together on one side as shown
at G, Fig. 2, and on the opposite side I provide two lugs or ears H, which are held
together by a bolt I.
The object of thus forming the box E, in two parts is that the outer brass D,
sleeve C, and rollers F, may be placed in position around the journal B, between the
head 1, and shoulder 2, and when the two portions of the box E, are brought together
they are secured by the bolt I, and the sleeve rollers and brass are held in their
proper place. The brass D, is preferably of an octagonal form on its outside as shown
and the interior of the box E, is formed to correspond or they may be of any other
suitable shape.
A space J, is left under and in front of the lower portion of the brass D, so that if
desired packing and oil or other lubricant may be placed in the box E.
3

page_text: It will be seen that by this construction of journal bearing all friction in the
bearing is between the journal B, rollers F, and brass D, and as the sleeve C, is free
to rotate and with it the rollers F, which are also free to rotate independently, the
friction is reduced to a minimum.
If desired more than three rollers may be employed around the circumference, the
sleeve C, being provided with as many slots as it is desired to employ rollers. In
Figs. 6 and 71 have shown a sleeve adapted to receive six rollers.
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 an antifriction bearing a divided sleeve provided with slots and rings or round
projections on its outer circumference in combination with friction rollers and a
divided outer brass having recesses to receive the rings on the sleeve substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
2. In an antifriction bearing the sleeve C, formed in two parts and provided with
slots a, and rings or circular projections c, in combination with the brass D, formed
in two parts and provided with recesses d, the friction rollers F, and box E, substantially
as shown and described.
3. An antifriction bearing for car axles consisting of the divided sleeve C, rollers F,
and brass D, in combination with an axle box divided into two parts horizontally
whereby the antifriction bearing can be placed around the axle substantially as shown
and described.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of October 1889.
HOSEA W. LIBBEY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.