Improvements in a Ball Retainer for Anti-friction Bearings.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Apr., 1898
Improvements in a Ball Retainer for Anti-friction Bearings.
We, HENRY BRINSER KEIPER, Mechanician, of No. 625, North Duke Street, and
JOHN HERTZLER, Banker, of No. 719, North Duke Street, both in the City of
Lancaster, County of Lancaster, and State of Pennsylvania, one of the 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:-
The invention relates to improvements in an independent ball retainer, to be used
in anti-friction bearings, and the invention consists in loosely seating the balls or
rolling bodies in a separate member, moving with said balls, around the central cone,
as they roll in the usual races.
The object of the invention is to prevent the balls or rolling bodies from contacting
with each other as they perform their functions, thereby preventing the opposing
friction resulting from such contact, or rubbing against each other, as is the case in
the bearings now known to the trade, reducing the friction in such bearings to a
minimum; and to hold said balls arranged in place, keeping them together, when
said bearings are taken apart for any purpose whatever.
The purposes of the invention are attained by the mechanism, devices or means
illustrated in the accompanying drawing, similar reference characters designating like
parts throughout the several views, in which:
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a bicycle wheel hub showing, on the right, the
preferred form of a retainer, embodying the elements of the invention, in place, and,
on the left, a retainer analogous thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of
the right-hand end of Fig. 1, the central cone and retainer appearing in section ;
Fig. 3 shows direct and reverse plans of one half of the retainer as it appears when
detached from Fig. 1, with dotted circles indicating balls seated in place; Fig. 4 is
an elevation of the upper half of Fig. 3; and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are, respectively, similar
views of the left-hand end of Fig. 1.
In the drawing the numeral 1 designates an ordinary bicycle-driving-wheel hub;
the numeral 2, a central shaft or bolt well known to the trade; the numerals 3 and 4
designate cones, of the usual form, screwed onto said shaft or bolt; and the numeral 5
designates balls rolling in the usual races.
At
As shown in the drawing, the preferred form of the retainer, A, is made in part of
a tube having at one end an outwardly projecting ring-flange. Circular cuts through
said flange and, extending downwardly through the tube to prescribed points from
the other end thereof, leave practically sectoral portions, a, of the flange and
columns, a¹, of the tube with an intact end, a², the cuts forming practically U-shaped
recesses, a³, of less width than the diameters of the balls to be seated therein.
its intact end, a², the tube is preferably turned outwardly, rounded, and extended in
the general direction of the sectoral ends of the columns, forming a curved or
grooved flange, at, around said end, with its outer edge, as, situated in a plane a
prescribed distance beyond, but parallel to, the plane of the bases of the U-shaped
recesses, a³.

page_text: This edge, as, with the bases of the recesses, a³, and the outer ends of the sectoral
portions, a, constitute the points of impact, and with which the balls engage when
seated in the retainer as shown.
And the balls are inserted into their respective recesses, in the retainer, by pressing
them into place past the points of the sectoral portions which will yield sufficiently
for this purpose and snap back into place to confine the balls.
When so desired the curved or grooved ring flange and the tubular portion of the
retainer may be separately formed and sleeved together at the intact end of the tube,
in the manner shown at the lower end of Fig. 7; and instead of the tubular
portion a funnel-like ring, A¹, may be provided with orifices, aº, to seat the
balls, when a flat ring-flange, A2, sleeved into its narrow end, will serve to confine
the balls; all without changing the character, or departing from the spirit, of the
invention.
It will here be observed that the number of balls is not restricted, but is
determined by the size of the bearings and the diameters of the balls it is desired to
use; that the number of recesses, a³, in the retainer is determined by the said number
of balls, and they may be any desired distance apart, but the columns or walls
between them should always be sufficiently wide to prevent the balls from contacting
or rubbing against each other; that the balls should be loosely seated in said recesses,
which should be sufficiently large and so shaped as to present the least number of
possible points of contact; that the edge, as, should bear such a relation to the outer
edges or end-points of the flange-sectors, a, as to prevent the seated balls from falling
out of the recesses in this direction; that when the balls are seated in the recesses
as shown their surfaces cannot contact or rub against the adjacent face or bottom of
the curved ring flange, at; that when the retainer occupies the position indicated said
balls will revolve or roll between the central cone and the outer ball race in the usual
inanner without rubbing against each other, thereby avoiding the usual sliding or
opposing friction; that the retainer carrying the balls as shown, moves with said
balls as they perform their functions, reducing all friction to a minimum; and, that
when a bearing is taken apart for any purpose whatever, the retainer can be readily
removed, or again put in place, the balls remaining in order or in normal positions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A ball retainer for anti-friction bearings, the same comprising an annular base
portion or ring with an upturned outer edge, a circular series of standards springing
from the inner edge of said ring and separated by openings of less width than the
balls to be retained, said openings having curved bottoms, and flanges at the ends of
the standards of sectoral form and projecting outwardly over the base-ring so as to
combine with the flange of the latter in retaining the balls.
2. A ball retainer for anti-friction bearings, comprising a central tubular portion
cut out at intervals forming U-shaped spaces with intervening standards, outward-
projecting sectoral flanges on the latter, and a flange on the intact end of the tube
with an upturned marginal edge which combines with the edge of the sectoral flanges
in confining the balls.
3. A ball retainer for anti-friction bearings, comprising a ring plate with ball-seating
apertures in its body and a ring flange with a tubular portion sleeved into the smaller
end of said ring plate, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
4. A ball retainer for anti-friction bearings, comprising a conical ring plate with
ball-seating apertures in its body, and a ring flange with its inner edge secured to the
narrower end of said conical ring plate substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore set forth.
5. A ball retainer for anti-friction bearings, comprising a funnel-like ring with
ball-seating apertures through its body and a tubular ring secured into its smaller or
inner end, with a second tubular ring securely seated in said former tubular ring

page_text: and having
an outwardly projecting ring flange, all as shown, substantially
the purpose herein before set forth.
as and for
HENRY BRINSER KEIPER.
JOHN HERTZLER.
W. P. Thompson & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicants.