Improvements in or relating to Ball and other Bearings.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 15th July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Ball and other Bearings.
We, MICHAEL J. O'DONNELL, Machinist, 259 South May Street, Chicago,
GEORGE G. BRANDERBURG, Tradesman, 7631 Bond Avenue, Chicago, and
GEORGE R. WALKER, Lawyer, Erie Flats, Chicago, all in the County of Cook,
and State of Illinois, United States of America, 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 :-
Our invention relates to an improvement in velocipedes applicable also to all
kinds of vehicles and other devices, especially such as employ a ball or similar
bearing between the shaft and a revolving hub or cylinder, and has for its object
primarily to render the matter of introducing and distributing lubricant into
the bearing more effective and uniform, and capable of being regulated so that
the supply shall substantially compensate for the expenditure of lubricating
material.
Our invention consists in a lubricant receiving and distributing device for the
bearing between the shaft and journal or hub of a velocipede or similar device
comprising a hollow shaft containing a piston adjustable in a desirable manner, said
piston operating as a valve and the hollow shaft to contain oil or similar lubricant,
said shaft being provided with narrow passages leading from the interior thereof to
the balls or other points at which the lubricant is to be distributed, and the valves
afforded by the piston-heads operating to open and close said passages when
properly adjusted. We do not limit our invention to any specific mode of sustaining
the ball bearings or similar mechanism in place, but as applied to a bicycle we
prefer to confine them in the usual manner through the medium of a sleeve,
constituting the hub and provided at its opposite ends with means for confining
the balls in place, as to which also we prefer to use a special construction herein-
after more fully described. When this hub constitutes the hub of a wheel it
is made revoluble on a stationary shaft containing the lubricating material. When
the hub is that termed the pedal hub from which lead the arms for supporting it
upon a seat and other stationary parts of the machine the interior hollow shaft
carrying as usual the driving gear and pedals is made revoluble within the hub
instead of stationary as is the case of the wheel shaft. Our invention consists
further in the preferred construction and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter
more fully set forth.
In the drawings which are made to represent the application of our improvement
to a bicycle,-
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the wheel hub and axle
and showing the preferred mode of employing the lubricating device;
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the outer ring affording a lateral bearing for
the balls;
Figure 3 a side elevation of the valve rod for the lubricating device, enlarged;
Figure 4 a view representing a modified construction of the nuts for holding the
balls against outward displacement;
Figure 5 is a longitudinal central section taken through the pedal bearing and
showing the application of my invention thereto;
Figure 6, an end elevation of the pedal bearing;
Figure 7, a view in side elevation of the pedal bearing shaft; and
Figure 8, an end view of said shaft.
A represents a hollow shaft closed at one end, as indicated at t, and provided at
the opposite end with internal screw threads t¹. Passages, preferably diagonal, as
indicated at s, extend through the wall of the shaft A and lead to the annular
space produced in the manner hereinafter described, in which the balls are located.

page_text: At points on the shaft A where the ball bearings will engage the same are provided
shoulders rr, each of which on its inner face is square, and each of which on its
outer face is rounded to produce a concave annular bearing for the balls. Whether
the shaft A is a stationary shaft, as in Figure 1, or a revoluble shaft, as in
Figure 5, its construction in all particulars is substantially the same, except that in
the construction shown in Figure 1, it is provided as usual with means for connecting
the front or rear fork, and in the form shown in Figure 5 it is provided with suitable
means for bringing about its revolution under the action of the pedal and distributing.
its revolution through proper gear mechanism to the drive wheel. These adjuncts
are not illustrated, as they may be of any usual construction. Within the shaft A,
the interior of which, it will be understood, affords an oil receptacle, is introduced
a rod, B, carrying at its extremity and at a point intermediate between the
extremities a perforated piston head, p, and carrying at its inner end an externally
screw threaded enlargement or head p', recessed in its face, as shown at p³, and
provided also if desired with a scale, p. The piston heads p are arranged upon the
rod B at points to cause them when the heads p' are screwed as far as possible into
the shaft to close the apertures s leading from the interior of the shaft to the
bearings. The revolution of the rods to cause this movement may be effected by
any suitable tool, such as a screw driver, introduced into the recess in the
head pl. The scale if employed may be used to indicate the point at which the
head p¹ has been revolved sufficiently entirely to open the passages s to permit oil.
to pass from the cylinder to the bearings. If desired and found necessary means
for admitting air to the interior of the shaft to cause the feed of oil to be more
perfect may be provided in a convenient manner and the same be opened and closed
by the turning of the head pl.
The hub, whether the same be revoluble or stationary, is provided with the
inward projecting annular shoulders o square at their outer face. It is usually
deemed preferable to produce one of said shoulders in the case of the wheel hub,
illustrated in Figure 1, by enlarging and squaring the body of the cylinder,
as indicated at o' in that Figure. Either method may be employed at both sides
without departing from our invention. It is important, however, that the internal
diameter of the cylinder within the shoulder shall be slightly in excess of the
external diameter of the shaft B including the shoulder r, so that the shaft may be.
readily introduced into the hub and withdrawn therefrom when the devices
otherwise tending to secure it in position shall be removed. The purpose of
the annular shoulder o o' is to prevent the balls when introduced into the hub from
passing beyond the bearing therefor provided on the shaft, as presently described.
A ring, C, having an internal diameter slightly in excess of the diameter of the
shaft at the shoulder r and an external diameter to cause it to fit closely within the
hub beyond the shoulders o o¹ is introduced into the hub, as indicated in
the drawings. The ring C should fit so closely as practically to be prevented from
revolution, thus to save any frictional resistance at this point. The ring is provided
at the lower onter side in an annular line with an annular concavity, as indicated
at n in the figures. The ring C thus serves the function of lengthening the
shoulder o to bring the same nearer the extremity of the hub. It will be quite
apparent that this function may be obtained by making the inward projecting
annular shoulder o longer longitudinally of the hub or by causing it to be located
nearer the extremity of the hub. When the shoulder and ring C are made in a
single piece in the obvious manner here suggested it is grooved to provide an
annular concavity to correspond with the concavity n, the curvature afforded by
this groove to the base of the rest for the balls before they are secured in place,
enables the balls to be more readily directed between the opposite bearing, surfaces
afforded between the shoulder r and the ring D, hereinafter described, when the
parts are secured together. The outer bearing for the balls is in the form of a
ring, D, somewhat similar to the ring C, but having an internal diameter slightly
in excess of the external diameter of the shaft A. This ring may be provided on
its inner face with an annular concavity, as indicated at n', to afford a way for the

page_text: balls in the bearing, this construction being thus illustrated in Figure 5, or it may
be provided with a concavity not semi-circular while still serving to confine the
balls against lateral displacement, as indicated in Figure 1. Of these constructions
that shown in Figure 5 is preferable, although the matter of advantage is slight.
The periphery of the ring D may be screw threaded, or it may be smooth, so as to
be capable of being forced in and out without too great difficulty.
We prefer,
especially when employing the construction of locking washer shown in Figure 1,
to screw thread the periphery of the ring D so, as to permit it to serve a function
which will presently be described, and when thus employed we prefer to provide
the outer face of the ring D with recesses m extending partway through the ring,
the function of which will be presently described. As indicated in the drawing the
hub at each extremity is internally screw threaded, and the operation of locking
the rings in place is accomplished through the medium of nuts as follows:
When
As indicated in Figure 5 the locking nuts are in the form of two disks screw
threaded at their peripheries and of equal diameter, the inner diameter being
slightly in excess of the outer diameter of the shaft A. The inner of these disks
is provided with an annular recess on the inner central edge to receive a washer, E,
fitting closely around the shaft A and loosely in the recess. The function of this
washer is to prevent the access of dust to the balls. Of these two disks the outer
one F is provided with holes to receive the points of a wrench, and the inner
washer F is provided with recesses m of the same diameter as the holes 1, but
extending only partway through the disk F. Between the disks F and F¹ is a disk
of paper, F, perforated to coincide with the perforations and recesses m.
the construction is that shown in Figure 1 a single disk F provided with perfora-
tions and screw threaded on its periphery and having at one inner corner the
recess for the washer E is employed, the outer face of the ring D being recessed,
as shown in Figures 1 and 4, and a disk, F2, of paper perforated as before, is
introduced between the washer F and ring D. The operation in either case
is substantially the same; that is to say, a wrench having prongs long enough to
pass through the perforations and extend into the recesses m to the base thereof is
first introduced and its manipulation causes the turning up of both disks F F¹, or
of the disk F and ring D as the case may be, and when the nut thus constituted
has been turned home a second wrench is employed, the prongs of which will enter
the holes but will not extend into the holes formed in the paper disk F³, and
therefore not into the recesses m. The susceptibility of the paper disk to pressure
permits the outer disk F to be turned inward jambing its screw threads in the
internal screw threads formed on the hub and producing a lock of the nut sufficiently
firm and unyielding in its character to hold the parts against displacement under
any movement of the hub or axle. Inasmuch as the internal diameter of the nuts
and rings is such as to retain them out of contact with the hub, or any part moving
with the hub, it is quite apparent that all friction which may be presented between
the hub and axle is taken up by the balls and is thus reduced to the minimum.
Where the axle A revolves, as in the case of the pedal shaft shown in Figure 5,
the revolution of the shaft causes an exudation of oil to take place by centrifugal
action; but where it is stationary as in the structure shown in Figure 1, in which
the wheel revolves upon the axle it is preferable to have the passages extend
downward to cause the feed to take place by gravity.
While we have described the lubricating device in connection with a bicycle it
will be quite apparent that its use is not confined to such an association. It may
be employed with all kinds of bearings whether ball bearings or otherwise. Where
more than two bearings are mounted upon the same shaft several piston heads p to
act as valve devices may be employed, and obviously if only one be employed upon
the shaft but one piston head p is necessary. Among the desirable characteristics
of our structure relating to the mode of holding the balls in position, the more
prominent are the readiness with which the shaft may be withdrawn, while a
substantially perfect lock is provided to hold the parts, from, separation when
applied together.

page_text: S
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1-The lubricating mechanism for bicycle bearings and similar purpose,
comprising a hollow shaft perforated to produce the oil expelling passage leading
to the bearing, and a valve stem having a piston valve adapted to open and close
said passage, said valve stem being secured in place in the hollow shaft, substantially
as described.
2-A lubricating device for bicycle and other bearing, comprising, in combination,
a hollow shaft provided with two or more passages extending from the inside of
the shaft to the bearings, a piston valve stem carrying piston heads and introduced
into said shait so as to adapt the piston head to open and close the passage at will,
and a recessed screw threaded plug at the end of said stem engaging internal screw
threads on the shaft, whereby turning of the stem manipulates the piston valves to
open and close the passages, substantially as described.
3-In a bicycle or similar vehicle, the ball-bearing retaining device comprising,
in combination, a hub having an internal shoulder, a shaft within the hub provided
with an external shoulder having a concave outer face, and a ring introduced into
the hub around the shaft and presenting on its inner face an annular surface
affording a bearing for the balls opposite to that afforded by the shoulder on the
shaft, substantially as described.
4-In a bicycle or similar vehicle, the ball bearing retaining device, comprising
a hub having an internal shoulder, rings introduced into said hub having a concave
annular recess, and means, substantially as described, for holding said rings in
place, as and for the purpose set forth.
5 In a bicycle or similar device, the ball bearing retaining mechanism,
comprising a shaft having a shoulder concave on its outer side, a hub having an
internal annular shoulder presenting an internal diameter to permit it to pass over
the shoulder on the shaft, separable rings fitting closely in said hub and out of
contact with the axle and shoulder thereon, each ring presenting in its face a
concavity approximating the arc of a circle, and a locking device adapted to enter
said hub and retain the rings against displacement, substantially as described.
6-In combination with a hub provided with an internal shoulder, o, and an axle
within the hub, the ball bearing retaining rings C and D, having on their
contiguous faces annular concavities approximating the arc of a circle, a locking
nut having peripheral screw threads to engage internal screw threads on the hub
and provided with apertures for the reception of wrench prongs, the parts being
arranged to operate substantially as described.
7-In a ball bearing device, the combination with the ball retaining rings
presenting concavities to embrace the balls, a locking device comprising two rings,
one of which is provided with perforations l, and the other of which is provided
with recesses m extending partway through the body, and a yielding material, such
as paper, introduced between the rings and provided with perforations to coincide
with the apertures 1 and recesses m, said parts being peripherally screw threaded
to engage internal screw threads on the hub, the whole being arranged to operate
substantially as described.
8 In a ball bearing device, the combination with the hub, of a ball retaining
and locking device, comprising in combination rings C D introduced into the hub
and embracing the ball, the outer of said rings having recesses to receive the point
of wrench prongs and peripherally screw threaded to engage screw threads on the
interior of the hub, a ring, F, constituting a nut and provided with perforations /
to receive the prongs of a wrench and peripherally screw threaded to engage the
screw threads on the interior of the hub, and a disk of yielding material, such as
paper, provided with perforations as shown, to coincide with the perforations 1, the
parts being arranged to operate substantially as described.
9-In a bicycle or similar vehicle provided with annular ball bearings, the means

page_text: for preventing the access of dust to the bearings, comprising, in combination with
the outer ring holding the ball bearing in place, provided with an annular notch or
groove at a point adjacent to the shaft, a shaft provided with an annular flange E
entering and moving freely in said notch or groove, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of August 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.