Improvements in Bearings for Vertical Shafts.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1895
Improvements in Bearings for Vertical Shafts.
A communication by GEORG STEPHAN REINHARDT and EDUARD WILHELM
MESSMER, both of Flensburg, in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturers of
Machinery.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street, Manchester
both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 31, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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:-
In vertical shafts, more particularly in the case of centrifugal drums, it may
happen owing to uneven feeding or some other reason, that the drum swings out of
its vertical position. This imparts a strain to the shaft, which, where the bearings
are rigid, tends to bend the shaft, or cause the bearings to be worn away on one
side.
In order to remove these strains on the shaft arising from the oscillations of
the drum, the upper bearing according to the present invention is formed in such
a way that the socket or bearing always automatically adjusts itself in a fixed nave,
but can slide on the shaft so that drum and shaft always lie in exactly the same
direction. Such a bearing adjustable on the shaft, standing under pressure,
retained by the friction of its hevelled surface on the nave, and having a wedge
action, is shown in vertical section in the accompanying drawing.
The vertical shaft a which, for instance, is intended to set in rotation a centri-
fugal drum t by means of the automatic friction coupling k, is at its upper en:l
surrounded or enclosed by the socket bearing h. A projection or collar w bevelled
on its upper face is formed on the bearing or socket h, which collar has on its
lower face a suitable semi-circular annular recess to receive an indiarubber ring g.
A tightening nut p which is capable of being screwed up from below lies in the
nave n of the casing of the drum, and has in an upper semicircular annular recess
a metal protecting plate for the indiarubber ring g protecting the latter, and slightly
compressing it. This nut or screwed sleeve presses the indiarubber ring g against
the projection or collar w, and the latter in turn against the inner bevelled face of
the nave n of the casing of the drum. By the wedge-acting friction of the socket
or bearing against the nave of the casing of the drum, the bearing is held fast,
whilst it may adjust itself with the shaft. If then the shaft, from any cause
experience a side pressure, the bearing and with it the shaft will place itself in an
inclined position, so that drum and shaft lie in the same direction, and as soon as
the side pressure acting on it ceases, the shaft and the bearing will again resume
their upright position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is-
An automatic self adjusting bearing for vertical shafts, consisting of a bearing
or socket provided with a projection or collar (w) having its upper face bevelled
and pressed against a similarly bevelled inner face of a nave (n) of the fixed

page_text: support, by means of a nut or screwed sleeve (p) screwed from below into the
nave (n), thus fixing the bearing (h) by the wedge acting friction, whilst permitting
the bearing to adjust itself with the shaft (a), an indiarubber ring (9) provided
with a protective plate (b) and lodged in semi-circular recesses between the pro-
jection or collar (w) and the tightening nut (p) allowing the bearing (A) to assume
an inclined position in case the shaft be exposed to a lateral strain, substantially
as described.
Dated this 29th day of August. 1895
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.