Improved Means for Automatically Adjusting Bearings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Automatically Adjusting Bearings.
I, DAVID ABERCROMBIE, of Haworths Buildings, Cross Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention is applicable for the adjustment of the steps or wearing parts of
bearings supporting or carrying rotating or sliding shafts, more particularly for
those bearings in an engine or machine.which are difficult of access.
In applying my invention to the large end of the engine connecting rod in which
the brass or other bearing blocks are held together by bolts parallel to the
connecting rod I screw upon one end of each bolt a spur pinion each pinion gearing
into a toothed ring placed between them.
Each pinion bears against the cap of the bearing box and forms the nut for the
bolt upon which it is screwed. To the inner side of the toothed ring is secured one
end of a coiled spring the other end of which is connected to a central stud so that
by turning the stud the spring can be wound up the tension in the spring being
retained by means of a ratchet or catch arrangement.
To first adjust the bearing the pinions are turned in any convenient manner o
the bolts to draw together the brasses or blocks on to the crank shaft then the
spring can be wound up and the ratchet or equivalent applied so as to prevent the
spring from unwinding consequently whenever wear takes place in the brasses or
bearings there will be sufficient power in the spring to move the toothed ring an
thereby slightly turn the pinions and draw up their bolts thus automatically
tightening the brasses and this compensating movement will be repeated as often as
wear in the brasses take place.
I may also apply my invention to other forms of bearings such as to a bearing at
the end of a connecting rod in which the brasses or blocks are fitted in a strap and
arranged to be adjusted and tightened by a wedge and nut.
It will be readily understood that the details above described may be considerably
varied or modified without departing from the nature of my invention which con-
sists essentially in the use and application of a spring in combination with a nut or
its equivalent said spring automatically screwing up or tightening the bearing to
compensate for wear.
Dated this 6th day of June 1890.
H. B. BARLOW,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Automatically Adjusting Bearings.
I, DAVID ABERCROMBIE, of Haworths Buildings, Cross Street, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, 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:-
My invention is applicable for the adjustment of the steps or wearing parts of
bearings supporting or carrying rotating or sliding shafts, more particularly for
those bearings in an engine or machine which are difficult of access.
In applying my invention to the large end of an engine connecting rod in
which the brass or other bearing blocks are held together by bolts parallel to the
connecting rod I screw upon one end of each bolt a spur pinion each pinion gearing
into a toothed ring placed between them.

page_text: Each pinion bears against the cap of the bearing box and forms the nut for the
bolt upon which it is screwed. To the inner side of the toothed ring is secured one
end of a coiled spring the other end of which is connected to a central stud or boss
capable of being rotated so that by turning the stud or. boss the spring can be
wound up, the tension in the spring being retained by means of a ratchet or catch
arrangement.
To first adjust the bearing the pinions are turned in any convenient manner on
the bolts to draw together the brasses or blocks on to the crankshaft then the spring
can be wound up and the ratchet or equivalent applied so as to prevent the spring
from unwinding consequently whenever wear takes place in the brasses or bearings
there will be sufficient power in the spring to move the toothed ring and thereby
slightly turn the pinions and draw up their bolts thus automatically tightening the
brasses and this compensating movement will be repeated as often as wear in the
brasses takes place or I may dispense with the gearing and instead thereof use two
springs one for each nut and secured at one end to the nut and at the other to a
ratchet so that as the one end of the spring is coiled up and retained by the ratchet,
the other end tends to turn the nut whenever such turning is possible.
may
also apply my invention to other forms of bearings such as to a bearing at
the end of a connecting rod in which the brasses or blocks are fitted in a strap and
arranged to be adjusted and tightened by a wedge and nut.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying sheet of drawings reference being had to
the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 represents the large end of an engine connecting rod and Fig. 2 is an end
view of the loose cap, both partly in section, to which my improvements are
applied. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views to Figs. 1 and 2 showing a modification
of my invention. Fig. 5 represents my improvements applied to what is known as
a strap end "bearing and Fig. 6 the same applied to a solid end "bearing.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In Figs. 1 and 2, a represents a crank pin or shaft, a connecting rod, c the
movable or loose cap or brass secured by bolts d; the nuts e have spur teeth e¹ on
their circumference which gear into a hollow spur pinion fitted loosely upon a
stud g secured to the cap c; mounted upon the boss of the pinion f is a hexagon
collar provided with ratchet teeth a spiral spring i secured at one end to the
pinion and at the other end to the collar which is provided with ratchet teeth /
gears with similar teeth on a collar which is pinned fast on the stud
g.
The two portions of the brasses or bearings are fitted as usual so as to allow a
little space for taking up wear after the bearings have been adjusted and are
drawn together by turning the nuts e; the hexagon collar is turned by a screw
key so as to put any desired tension into the spring i the tension being retained
by the ratchet teeth gearing with the collar
The parts remain in this position until sufficient wear has taken place in the
brasses to allow the compressed spring i to turn the gears feel and so tighten up
the nuts e; after sufficient wear has taken place in the brasses the spring will
require to be tightened and this can be effected by turning the hexagon collar has
before described.
The only difference between the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and that
illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 is that in the latter the pinions and are dispensed
with and in their stead a pair of ratchet collars and springs are employed on each
bolt the ends of which are reduced in diameter. The bolts dare secured in any
convenient manner in the solid half of the bearing to prevent them turning.
In Fig. 5 show my improvements applied to a strap end" bearing; in this
case the brasses or bearing blocks are held in a strap c¹ into which the
prepared end of the rod 6 is fitted, through a slot in the strap c¹ and rod end b,
are fitted a gibbed taper key k and wedge 1, a bolt m is pivoted to the key at k¹ and
its shank passes through a hole or slot in the head of the wedge l.
<
The wedge and key k are put in position and the nut e turned to adjust

page_text: the brasses to the shaft a; the springs i hexagonal ratchet collar and ratchet
collar are then put in position with the springs under the necessary tension and
act to tighten up the nut è as already described.
Fig. 6 represents a form of solid end bearing the construction of which can be
clearly understood from the drawing, the springs i being arranged to tighten the
nute and so draw up the taper key and tighten the brasses c to compensate for
wear. When a wedge or taper bolt is employed to adjust bearings or brasses the
nut may be dispensed with and the spring for taking up wear arranged to bear
directly upon a part of the bearing so as to draw up the wedge or bolt which may
be secured by a ratchet or its equivalent.
It will be readily understood that the details above described may be considerably
varied or modified without departing from the nature of my invention which
consists essentially in the use and application of a spring in combination with a nut
or its equivalent said spring automatically screwing up or tightening the bearing to
compensate for wear.
Although I have only shown and described my invention as applied to the
bearings of an engine connecting rod I wish it to be understood that my improve-
ments can be applied to bearings generally for rotating shafts the arrangement
of self adjusting parts for the nuts being made to suit the 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. The use and application of a spring or springs in combination with a nut
and bolt or their equivalents, said spring being arranged to automatically screw
up the nut and so compensate for wear in a split bearing substantially as set
forth.
2. The several combinations and arrangements of parts for automatically
adjusting the brasses or blocks in bearings substantially as herein described and
shown.
Dated this 6th day of March 1891
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.