An Improved Anti-friction Bearing for End Thrust.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1892-Accepted, 16th July. 18°2
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Anti-friction Bearing for End Thrust.
We GEORGE WILKES, Engineer, and FREDERICK EDWARDS, Captain in the
Royal Navy, both of 35 Richinond Street, Southampton, in the County of
Southampton, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows a
:-
Our invention relates to an anti-friction bearing for the end thrust of shafts,
such as a propeller or vertical and other shafts and the present application is an
improvement in the accessories and general disposition of parts and framing upon
the Patent for the same anti-friction end bearing already granted to us under
the number 14317 and dated Sept. 11th 1890.
To adapt our bearing-shaft to carry considerable end thrust we have found it
convenient to mount a series of disc crank plates or shaft plates between solid
filletted collars upon the shaft at intervals.
The said shaft plates are constructed in at least two or in as many sectional parts
as may be desired, and are bolted together on the shaft between the said solid
collars. To prevent any possibility of such shaft plates turning round on the shaft,
we cut a key-way through the said collars which does not thus reduce the strength
of the shaft and fit a gib key into the said key way with the gibs coming up one on
either side of the plate, which thus locks the said gib key in place and is itself
securely held from turning by the key.
On either side of each of the shaft or thrust plates is a collar also divided into
two or more sectional parts and bolted together on the shaft carrying the anti-
friction rollers which bear upon the curved grooves on one side in the face of the
shaft or crank plate and on the other side upon similar groove in a fixed side or
thrust plate which thus transmits the thrust to a box or frame to which the said
side or thrust plates are attached.
The said side or thrust plates allow the shaft to pass through them but without
touching them, and they are made in two or more sectional parts, to permit easy
removal when desired.
A convenient thrust block box for propeller thrust bearing is formed in the form
of a trough open at the top and the fixed side or thrust plates are bedded down on
side blocks and are threaded on side adjustment screws to take longitudinal strain
attached to the said frame or box, and provided with nuts by which the side-plates
or fixed thrust plates may be accurately adjusted & fixed in exact position.
Suitable recesses are provided in the bed or frame in which the shaft or crank
plates may revolve with the shaft.
Dated this 14th day of August 1891.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Application.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Anti-friction Bearing for End Thrust.
We GEORGE WILKES, Engineer, and FREDERICK EDWARDS, Captain in the
Royal Navy, both of 35 Richmond Street, Southampton, in the County of
Southampton 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 :-
Our invention relates to anti friction bearings for taking the end thrust of shafts
such as a proneller or vertical and other shafts

page_text: +
Our invention consists in the special arrangement and construction of parts of
such a device whereby the result may be obtained in an efficient manner with a
minimum of loss of power due to friction.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we will now describe it
in relation to the accompanying drawings reference being had to the letters and
figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts in the various figures.
The particular bearing we will describe is one adapted to carry considerable end
thrust.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the thrust bearing complete.
Fi
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a sectional end view on line Y Y Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a detail view of the rollers and carrying-frame.
Figure 5 is a detail view of one of the thrust plates.
Figure 6 is a section of the same on line Figure 5.
Figure 7 shows the method of keying the thrust plate to shaft.
Upon the shaft A we arrange one or more disc or shaft plates B at intervals
along the shaft, so as to be rigidly fixed thereto and turn with the said shaft.
And for convenience we prefer to construct these disc plates B in at least two or
in as many sectional parts as may be desired. These sectional parts are bolted
together by bolts and are supported between collars C which form part of the
shaft A.
To prevent any possibility of the said plates B turning round on the shaft we cut
a keyway through the disc plate B and the said collars C which does not thus
reduce the strength of the shaft and we fit a double gibbed key e in the said key-
way with the gibs coming up one on either side of the plate B which thus locks the
said gib key in place and is itself securely held from turning by the key c.
Upon either side of each of the disc plates B we arrange another thrust plate D
also divided into two or more sectional parts around the shaft A., and jointed by
bolts d.
These plates D do not touch the shaft but are supported at their ends upon the
framework E which also carries ordinary bearings F.
The plates D are maintained in position and resist the thrust through the
medium of screwed bolts G with nuts supported in and attached to lags H on the
frame E.
By the means of the nuts g the plates D can be adjusted according to require-
ments into definite positions.
The plates B have on each side an annular groove e preferably of a specific
curved shape hereinafter more fully described and the plates D have a similar
groove on one side e¹.
In the spaces between the plates B and D, we arrange a collar K also divided
into two or more sectional parts, and bolted together about the shaft A.
This collar K carries pivotably the anti-friction rollers L which engage with and
roll within the annular grooves e e¹ on the plates B and D respectively, and thus
the thrust is transmitted from the shaft A. through the plates B, rollers L,
plates D, and bolts G to the frame E.
The frame E is made preferably of a trough form open at the top, and the thrust
plates D are bedded down upon a planed face, as shown in Figure III.
The particular conformation of groove and corresponding shape of the edge
of rollers that we find it most useful to employ is that of the involute curve, so
that it will be noticed that the two sides of the roller periphery and the groove
are not symmetrical but that one side riz. -the innermost has an easy curve and
the other or outermost a much sharper curve.
The particular method of constructing and applying this curve to the periphery
of the wheels and to the grooves is that described in the Specification of British
Letters Patent No. 14317 dated 11th Septbr. 1890.
It will be noticed that the nuts upon the journals M carried by the collar K do
not require to touch the rollers L, or to be arranged to take any outward thrust

page_text: from the said rollers as such is taken by the.periphery of the rollers themselves at
the sharp curved outer edge of the same, upon the sharp curved outer edge of the
grooved path of the plates B and D.
Thus the whole of the friction of the device is rolling friction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1st. An anti friction thrust bearing consisting of a shaft having a series of
plates having roller paths upon their faces, collars carrying pivotably anti friction
rollers adapted to bear against the said roller paths of the said plates, and
bearing plates having roller paths adapted to bear against the said anti friction
rollers, and a framework E upon which the said bearing plates are adjustably
mounted.
2nd. In an anti friction thrust-bearing, a thrust plate, having involute shaped
roller paths and formed sectionally and mounted fixedly upon a shaft, in com-
bination with anti friction rollers with involute shaped peripheries and bearing
plates each having involute shaped roller paths and formed sectionally and mounted
upon a main frame in an adjustable form.
3rd. In an antifriction thrust bearing a freely rotating collar with projecting
studs upon which antifriction rollers are journalled in combination with bearing
plates on shaft and bearing plates on frame, substantially as described.
Dated this 16th day of May 1892
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.