Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 17th Sept.,
1898
GEORGES PHILIPPE, of 2, Quai Jemmapes, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Engraver, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in ball-bearings and consists in separating
the principal balls by auxiliary balls which are caused to rotate by the former, the
auxiliary balls rotating in races forming a portion of the bearing and spindle, and
the diameters of the main and auxiliary balls as well as the form of the ball-races
being calculated so as to produce a rolling action without any sliding movement.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the upper portion of the end of a ball-
bearing according to the present invention.
Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively longitudinal and cross-section of a bicycle hub with
the device according to the present invention.
In an ordinary ball-bearing the spindle is generally supported by two adjacent
balls and, owing to its own weight and to the load it supports, tends to move them
apart a pressure being exercised on all the elements of the bearing whereby there is
produced a considerable friction between all the balls.
In the device according to the present invention as in ordinary ball-bearings, the
balls b are arranged between a cup c secured to the body of the bearing and a cone e
secured to the spindle or axle a, and held at a distance from each other by the inter-
mediate balls d arranged in a suitable groove in the cup c.
The groove in which the balls d are arranged is formed in such way that the
centre of these balls is nearer to the axis of the spindle a than that of the balls b.
The result is that the latter have a tendency to bring the balls d nearer to the
spindle and consequently to press them against their race g.
If we assume that the spindle a is fixed and the cup c movable, and rotating in
the direction indicated by the arrow k, the ball b will be caused to rotate in the same
direction and with a tangential speed (at the end of the diameter F of a small circle
of contact) equal to that of the cup c at the end of its diameter E.
Iff is the point of contact of the balls b and d, it is on the diameter D of the
ball band on that C of the ball d. The ball d is caused to rotate in the direction
indicated by the arrow by the ball b and cup c. The tangential speed at the
end of the diameter C will be the same as that of the ball at the end of the
diameter D.
On the other hand the ball d rolling about its diameter B in the interior of
the cup c and the diameter A of the latter, will roll without any friction if said
diameter A is chosen so that the tangential speed of the point g at its end is the
same as that at the end of the diameter B.
There is, therefore, a certain relation between the diameter of the ball races and
circles of contact, which can be determined from the following considerations.

page_text: T
The cup c causes the balls b to rotate. When the latter have passed over the
whole circumference of their race they will have travelled the distance π E, and the
distance made by the circle of contact of the diameter D will be
TEX D.
F
The inter-
mediate balls must travel the same distance at that circle of contact C and if n is
the number of revolutions made, it will be
pass over the whole circumference
of the ball-race the diameter of which is A, n revolutions being made, which is
expressed by the equation
2) A
= η π Β
From the equations 1 and 2
E D
C
FC
=
or
FA
B
E
=
A D B
It is obvious that in order to enable the device according to the present inven-
tion to be used, it must be arranged at each end of the bearing as shown in Fig. 2.
The sections of the cups of the bearings and of the cones of the spindle must be,
moreover, arranged so as to prevent any displacement of the parts and to ensure
perfect centering of the spindle by a simple adjustment of one of the movable cones
as well as to determine exactly the positions of the rolling planes and contact of the
balls either between themselves or with the cup and the cone.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention.
to be as follows, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. In a ball bearing the arrangement between the principal balls spaced at pre-
determined distances apart and rolling between a cup and cone, of a series of smaller
balls, the race for which is recessed in the cup near the spindle or axle the diameters
of the circles of contact of the two sets of balls with each other and with the cup and
cone being selected so as to avoid any sliding friction substantially as described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete ball bear-
ing substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 18th day of November 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.