Improvements in Bearings for Shafts and Crank Pins.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bearings for Shafts and Crank Pins.
I, SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI of 120 Fellows Road, Hampstead, in the County
of Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has mainly for its object to ensure that the crank shaft of a steam
engine shall rest equally in its bearings throughout the whole of its length.
To effect this I make the bottom block of the bearing curved on its underside to
the form of part of a cylinder which is at right angles to the shaft and has its longi-
tudinal axis in the same plane or approximately so as the longitudinal axis of tho
shaft. The curved under side of the block rests in a correspondingly curved seat
formed for it on the upper side of a base plate-this base plate is flat on its under-
side and is capable of swivelling in a horizontal plane-preferably its ends are curved
to a circle concentric with the centre of the plate and the plate is made to rest in a
recess in the fixed frame of the engiuo which recess at its ends is curved to corre-
spond with the curve of the ends of the plato-the plate may also have a short stout
pin projecting downwards from the centre of its under side to enter a corresponding
hole in the fixed frame.
In this way the base plate can swivel in a horizontal plane whilst the bearing block
can swivel in a vertical plane.
The top block or cap of the bearing is held to the bottom block by bolts in the
ordinary manner. The bottom block has trunnion pieces projecting from its
opposite sides concentric with its curved hottom-these trunnion pieces rest in curved
seats formed for them on the top of blocks which stand up from the base plate-the
trunnions are held down to the plate and the plate is held down to the frame by
two bolts-one passing down through each trunnion and through the base plate to
the frame.
Between the nut which is screwed down on to the top of the bolt and the
trunnion piece a washer is placed the bottom of this washer is made semi-circular
and it bears upon a correspondingly curved recess in the top of the trunnion the
curve of the recess is made concentric with the curved bottom of the boaring block
so that the holding down bolts do not prevent the block from swivelling.
The bushing or lining of the bearing I make circular on its exterior and divide
transversely into two parts-two keys held between the top and bottom blocks of
the bearing pass into the opening between the two parts of the bushing and prevent
them from turning with the shaft. In this way when the cap of the bearing has
been removed the lower half of the bush can be taken out by sliding it round in the
bottom block.
To prevent accumulation of heat in the bushing I make a water passage traversing
to and fro through each of its parts and circulate water through the passage. In this
way the bush can be kept cool in close proximity to its bearing surface.
"Y
also form each part of the bush with oil passages passing into it from one
end and at this end supply the passages with oil under pressure and I form radial
holes from the passages to the inner surface of the bush to give lubrication between
it and the shaft.
The bearing block at the end of the connecting rod of a steam engine into which
the crank pin is received I also make capable of swivelling. This I do in the way
herein before described for a shaft bearing or by making the exterior of the block to
form part of a sphere cut away on two opposite sides in planes at right angles to the
nin

page_text: The block I innke to rest in a correspondingly formed spherical recess in the and
of the rod. In cases where the pin project from the face of a disc or from a single
arm make a portion of one side of the end of the rod all around the pin remove-
able to permit of the spherical bearing block being inserted into its place. The
spherical block can he slipped on to the pin and retained by a collar fixed on to the
pin at its end.
When the crank pin is carried by two arms then the spherical block may be in
two parts bolted together and the entire end of the rod be made removable in the
same way that connecting rods are now made.
The spherical bearing block may be kept from rotating with the crank pin by a
round pin entering a corresponding hole formed in it the pin being formed with a
square head to work in a slot in the connecting rod. Oil for lubrication is also
supplied under pressure to the hearing in a similar manner to that above described-
the oil being conveyed through rocking tubes to a passage in the connecting rod.
The bearings also may be kept cool in a similar manner to that described for the
shaft bearing.
Dated this and day 1980
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bearings for Shafts and Crank Pins.
I, SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI, of 120 Fellows Road, Hampstead, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrician, 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 :-
My invention has mainly for its object to ensure that the crank shaft of a steam
engine shall rest oqually in its bearings throughout the whole of its length and
relates to bearings such as are described in the Specification of a Patent to Hargreaves
and Inglis No. 4736 in the year 1888.
I make the bottom block of such a bearing curved on its underside to the form
of part of a cylinder which is at right angles to the shaft and has its longitudinal
axis in the same plane as the shaft's longitudinal axis.
The trunnion pieces which project from opposite sides of the bottom block I
also make concentric with the blocks curved underside. In this way the bearing
can only move on its own centre and cannot bodily shift its position as it would
do if the centres of its curved surfaces were not in the same plane.
Figure 1 is a side elevation-Figure 2 an ond view-Figure 3 a cross soction
and Figure 4a longitudinal section of a shaft bearing formed as above described.
A A ure the top and bottom bearing blocks hold together by holls B.
A' A' are trunnions projecting from opposite sides of the bottom block-those
are curved on their underside and the axis of this curved surface is in a plane
which passes through the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The trunnions rest in curved
seals on the top of pedestals which stand up from a base plate the underside
of the bottom block is also curved concentrically with the underside of the trunnions
and rests in a correspondingly curved bed on the upper side of the base plate. In
other respects the bearing is constructed as described in the specification of the
Patent above mentioned. The base plato rests on the frame or support. D and is
capable of swivelling in a horizontal plane around a centre vertically bolow the
central line of the shaft. The ends of the base plate are curved concentrically with
this contre and fit against correspondingly curved guides E fixed to the frame of
the engine or machine-the hnse plate is also formed with a central pivot F
projecting downwards from its under side and entering a corresponding cylindrical
recess in the frame. The trunnions are held down by holding down bolts GG
passing down through them and through the base plate to the frame. HH are the

page_text: nuts screwed on to the ends of the bolts-I I are washers semicircular on their
under side interposed between the nuts and the top of the trunnions.
In order to allow of the bushing or lining of a shaft bearing being removed
without lifting the shaft out of the bottom bearing I make the bushing or lining
circular on its exterior and divide it transversely into two parts and to prevent them
from turning with the shaft I make two keys held between the top and bottom
blocks of the bearing to pass into the opening between the two parts of the bushing.
In this way when the cap of the bearing has been removed the lower half of the
bush can be taken out by sliding it round in the bottom block. A vertical cross
section of a bearing such as shown in Figures 1 to 4 and in the manner above
described with readily removed linings is shown at Figure 5.
To prevent accumulation of heat in the bushing of bearings I make a water passage
traversing to and fro through each of its parts and circulate water through the
passage. In this way the bush can be kept cool in close proximity to its bearing
surface.
This I do by making zig-zag passages in the bushing in the manner illustrated at
Figure 6 which is a plan view in section of part of a bushing as it would appear if
flattened out. Figure 7 is a cross section of part of the bushing. Passages A are
formed right through the bearing from one end to the other in inclined directions
and meeting at their extremities as shown-and plugs B are screwed into the
extreme ends of the passages as shown to close them where they pass out at the end
and so form the passages into one continuous zig-zag passage as shown. Provision
is made for supplying water under pressure to one end of the passage and for
conducting it away from the opposite end.
I also form each part of the bushing or lining of a shaft bearing with oil passages
passing into it from one end and at this end supply the passages with oil under
pressure and I form radial holes from the passages to the inner surface of the bush
to give lubrication between it and the shaft.
The way in which I effect this is also shown in Figures 6 and 7. I make
passages into the bushing from its ends-the outer ends of the passages at one
end of the bushing 1 connect together and to a pipe by which oil under pressure is
conveyed to them and I make a number of small radial passages CT from the
passages to the inner surface of the bushing. Similarly a number of passages C
with radial passages C₁ are made into the bushing from the opposite end of the
bushing. A separate pump may be used for supplying oil to one set of passages C
to that employed for supplying oil to the other set of passages C so that if either
pump were to get out of order the bearing could still be supplied with oil by the other
pump.
The bearing block at the end of the connecting rod of a steam engine into which
the crank pin is received I also make capable of swivelling. This I do in the way
herein before described for a shaft bearing and as. is illustrated in Figures 8, 9, 10
and 11. Figures 8 and 9 are elevations and Figures 10 and 11 are sections.
AA are the top and bottom bearing blocks. D is the swivelling plate on which the
bottom block rests-F the pivot on the plate D-G G are the holding down bolts
and the semi-circular washers placed under the heads of the bolts G.
Or in place of this construction I make the exterior of the block to form part of a
sphere cut away on two opposite sides in planes at right angles to the pin and the
block I make to rest in a correspondingly formed spherical recess in the end of
the rod. In cases where the crank pin projects from the face of a disc or from a
single arm I make a portion of one side of the end of the rod all around the pin
removeable to permit of the spherical bearing block being inserted into its place.
The spherical block can be slipped on to the pin and retained by a collar fixed on
to the pin at its end. This construction is shown at Figures 12 and 13. A is the
crank pin B the bearing pieces spherical on the exterior C the removable portion at
one side of the end of the connecting rod and D a collar fixed on the end of the pin.
If desired a removable piece may be provided on each side of the connecting rod
end as shown at Figure 14.

page_text: When the crank pin is carried by two arms then the spherical block may be in
two parts and the entire end of the rod be made removeable in the same way that
connecting rods are now mado. This construction is shown at Figures 15 and 16.
The spherical bearing block may be kept from rotating with the crank pin by
around pin entering a corresponding hole formed in it the pin being formed with
in square lead to work in a slot in the connecting rod. A pin F is shown in
Figures 12 and 18 as being used in this manner for preventing rotation of the
lock.
To supply oil under pressure to the bearing block at the end of the connecting
rod of a steam engine form the bushing or lining of the hearing with passages
in it in a similar way to that describest for the bearings for strafts and I supply
oil to the passages through a tulee carried along the side of the connecting rod or a
pissage formed through it and I convey oil to this passage by rocking tubes as
hown at Figure 17. In this figure A is the crosshead at the end of the piston rod
of a steam engine -Bare the slides along which it traverses to and fro-- is the
connecting rod and 1) the crank pin-E F are jointed tubes through which_oil
under pressure is conveyed to the passage or pipe on the connecting rod. The
tules E F are jointed together and the shorter one F can rock on a centre at F'.
Water mider pressure can also be supplied in a similar manner through jointed
pipes G II to the crank pin bearing to keep it cool in the manner described in
respect to shaft bearings,
Another way in which oil under pressure may be supplied to a crank pin bearing
is shewn at Figure 18.
In this construction the crank pin has an oil supply pipe attached to its end.
The pipe is lent and its end brought in line with the shaft and made to turn in a
stuffing box through which oil is supplied to it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A shaft bearing constructed substantially as described to rock in any direction
on a centre in the plane of the central line of the shaft.
2. A shatt bearing composed of a bearing block in which the shaft turns on
trunnions at the sides of the block having their axes in the plane of the central
line of the shatt and resting on pedestals on a base plate which can swivel on a
bearing pin or between guides in a plane at right angles to that in which the
bearing block swivels and holding down bolts passing loosely through the trunnions
and the base plate to hold the bearing in position and yet allow it to adapt itself to
the shaft.
8. The construction of the bearings for shafts in such a manner that they can not
only swivel in any direction but also in such a manner that the bottom bushing can
he removed (without lifting the shaft out of the bearing) by removing the cap and
upper bushing and then rotating the bottom bushing around the shaft.
4. The construction of the bearings for shafts substantially as described to allow
of the bushing or lining being removed without removing the shaft.
5. The construction of bearings for shafts or crank pins with water passages
traversing through the bushing or lining to keep the bushing or lining cool.
6. The construction of bearings for shafts or crank pins in such a way that they
can not only swivel in any direction but can also have oil under honvy pressure
supplied between the bearing and the shaft substantially as described.
7. The construction of bearings for shafts or crank pins with oil passagos in tho
bushing kept supplied with oil by pumps or otherwise under continuous pressure
and with radial lioles from these passages to the inner surface of the bush.
8. The construction of the bearing at the crank pin ond of the connecting rod of
steam and other engines bstantially as described with reference to Figures 8, 9,
10 and 11.
9. The construction of the bearing at the crank pin end of the connecting rod of

page_text: and 14.
steam and other engines substantially as described with reference to Figures 12, 13
10. The construction of the bearing at the crank pin end of the connecting rod
of steam and other engines substantially as described with reference to Figures 15
and 16.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.