Improvements in Ball-bearings.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 5th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball-bearings.
I, FRANS PIHLBLAD, of Sodertelje, in the Kingdom of Sweden, Bricklayer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
My invention relates to ball-bearings, and has for its object to reduce the surface
of contact between the balls and the walls of the grooves in which the said balls
run, so that the bearing will work more easily.
According to my said invention if a ball or part of the ball-slot should be crushed
the fragments thereof will be immediately and automatically removed from the slot,
in order that the bearing, even after such damage may be operative, while on the
other hand, if the fragments should remain in the slot there would be great risk of
the bearing being stopped instantaneously and further damaged, or of its becoming
warm, which of course in many cases would cause considerable injury thereto.
The invention consists principally in that the ball-slots are made of such a form
in cross-section parallel with the shaft, that those lines on which the points of
tangency are situated, form parts of circles or other curves, whose middle-points lie
on the opposite side of the corresponding point of tangency reckoned from the
middle-point of the ball. In other words: the said lines form parts of circles on
the convex sides of which the balls bear while in the ball-bearings as hitherto
known the said lines are right lines or form parts of circles, on the concave sides
of which the balls bear.
To realise such an arrangement the balls must have at least three points of
support on the wall of the ball-slot.
According to my invention I provide the shaft as usual with two shoulders of
which at least one ought to be removable. In some forms of my invention I arrange
three points of tangency of the balls with the ball-slot, while in other cases I
provide four such points. Of these points two are situated on each shoulder and
the other on the bearing-box situated between the shoulders. To obtain the said
two points of tangency I turned out a circular slot in each of the shoulders, in order
that on each side of the same, there will be a convex circular rim or flange against
which the balls bear. To facilitate the production of these circular flanges each of
the shoulders may be made in two pieces.
At the ends of the bearing-box one or, two such circular flanges are arranged,
which also serve as supports for the balls so that at each end of the bearing-box
between the same and the shoulders, a slot is formed. The balls in this slot will
only come in contact with the above named flanges and those flanges being convex
at the point of tangency with the balls, the surface in contact between them and
the balls will of course become very small. It is evident that the flanges and their
points of tangency with the balls must have such a reciprocal position that the balls
cannot fall out of the slot.
In another form I provide on each shoulder only one circular flange for
supporting the balls, and at each end of the bearing-box is also provided a flange.
The third point of support is here formed by the shaft itself.
In another form I also provide on each of the shoulders only one circular flange,
the balls supporting flange, but between these shoulders on the shaft is arranged a
third shoulder whose rounded off circumference serves as a support for both series

page_text: of balls. On the bearing-box is a circular flange extending inwardly, whose rounded
off outline also serves as a surface of support for both the series of balls.
To increase the sustaining power one or more ball-slots of the same construction
as the above described, may be used.
The perforation of the bearing-box is preferably made somewhat larger inwardly
between the ball-slots so that between the same and the shaft, one or more compart-
ments are formed, into which fragments of crushed balls may fall and remain without
injuring the bearing and preventing its continued motion.
To exclude dust and dirt the bearing-box may at the ends be prolonged so as to
enclose the shoulders the one or both being formed as a circular casing separated
from them only by a narrow opening. For the same purpose the bearing-box may
also be provided with removable rings cylinders or caps.
To prevent the removable shoulder or shoulders from getting loose during the
motion of the bearing a screw or other suitable device may be used.
The above-described ball-bearing can be used on carriages as well as on all kinds
of shafts and shafting.
3T 2006
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, FRANS PIHLBLAD, of Sôdertelje, in the Kingdom of Sweden Bricklayer
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 relates to ball-bearings and has for its object to reduce the surface
of contact between the balls and the walls of the grooves in which the said balls
run, so that the bearing will work more easily.
According to my said invention, if a ball or part of the ball-slot should be crushed,
the fragments thereof will be immediately and automatically removed from the slot,
in order that the bearing, even after such damage may be operative while on the
other hand, if the fragments should remain in the slot, there would be great risk of
the bearing being stopped instantaneously, and further damaged, or of its becoming
warm, which of course in many cases would cause considerable injury thereto.
The invention consists principally in that the ball-slots are made of such a form
in cross section parallel with the shaft that those lines on which the points of
tangency are situated, form parts of circles or other curves, whose middle-points
lie on the opposite side of the corresponding point of tangency reckoned from the
middle-point of the ball. In other words: the said lines form parts of circles on
the convex sides of which the balls bear while in the ball-bearings as hitherto
known the said lines are right lines or form parts of circles, on the concave sides of
which the balls bear.
To realize such an arrangement the balls must have at least three points of
support on the wall of the ball-slot.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figures 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 are central longitudinal sections of various forms of
ball-bearings, constructed in accordance with the present invention, and
Figures 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 are cross-sections of the same through one of the ball-slots.
According to my invention I provide the shaft a as usual with two shoulders b
and or be of which at least one should be removable. In the forms of my

page_text: invention which are illustrated in Figures 1-8, the points of tangency of the balls
with the ball-slot are three, while in Figures 9-10 there are four such points. Of
these points two are situated on each shoulder and the other on the bearing-box d
situated between the shoulders as shown in Figures 1-4 and 9-10. To obtain
the said two points of tangency or contact I turn out a circular slot in each of the
shoulders, in order that on each side of the same, there will be a convex circular
rim or flange e, f, g, h against which the balls bear. To facilitate the production
of these circular flanges each of the shoulders may be made in two pieces as shown
in Figure 3.
At the ends of the bearing-box d one or, as shown in Figure 9, two such circular
flanges, are arranged which also serve as supports for the balls so that at
each end of the bearing-box between the same and the shoulders, a slot is formed.
The balls in this slot will only come in contact with the above named flanges e, f,
g, h, i, j,j', and those flanges being convex at the point of tangency with the
balls, the surface in contact between them and the balls will of course become very
small. It is evident that the flanges and their points of tangency with the balls
must have such a reciprocal position that the balls cannot fall out of the slot.
In another form shown in Figure 5 1 provide on each shoulder b', e¹ only one
circular flange e, g for supporting the balls, and at each end of the bearing-box is
also provided a flange i, j. The third point of support is here formed by the shaft
itself.
In another form shown in Figure 7 I provide each of the shoulders with only
one circular flange, the balls supporting flange e, g but between these shoulders
on the shaft is arranged a third shoulder k whose rounded circumference serves as
a support for both series of balls. On the bearing-box is a circular flange
extending inwardly, the rounded off outline of which also serves as a surface of
support for both the series of balls.
To increase the sustaining power one or more ball-slots of the same construction
as that above described may be used as illustrated in Figure 1.
The perforation or internal diameter of the bearing-box d is preferably made
somewhat larger inwardly between the ball-slots so that between the same and the
shaft, one or more compartments are formed, into which fragments of crushed balls
may fall and remain without injuring the bearing and preventing its continued
motion.
To exclude dust and dirt the bearing-box may at the ends be prolonged so as to
enclose the shoulders, the one or both being formed as a circular casing separated
from them only by a narrow opening as shown to the left of Figure 5. For the
same purpose the bearing-box may also be provided with removable rings, cylinders
or caps m, n, o, P, Y.
To prevent the removable shoulder or shoulders from getting loose during the
motion of the bearing a screw, r lock nut or other suitable device may be used.
The above described ball-bearing can be used for carriages as well as for all
kinds of shaft bearings.
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 ball-bearings the arrangement in which the parts of the ball-slot against
which the balls are supported, are formed by convex annular flanges in order to
reduce as much as possible the friction between the balls and the slot.
2. In the ball-bearing described in Claim 1 the modification in which the surface
for the support of the balls is formed partly by the cylindrical surface of the shaft
and partly by the convex annular flanges on the bearing-box, and the shoulders.
3. In the ball-bearing characterised in Claims 1 and 2, the arrangement in which
the inside diameter of the bearing-box is made larger between the ball-slots so that
between the same and the shaft one or more comparatively large compartments are

page_text: formed, in which fragments of crushed balls may fall without injuring the bearing
⚫or preventing its continued motion.
Dated this 10th day of October 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.