Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, and
323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by William H. Wright
of Buffalo, in the State of New York, United States of America, Mechanician) and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The principal object of this invention is to provide adjustable exterior ball
bearings to reduce friction, in which the original lines of load or gravity pressure
of a rotative body shall be translated or transmitted through the balls interposed
at an angle of about forty five degrees, as a single equal resultant, to the shaft or
bearing upon which such body rotates. Other minor objects are, to provide means
for the retention of the balls in place when in use, as when exterior parts of the
devices are temporarily removed, as for inspection; to provide for compensation in
the wear of the parts, and to adapt the application of such resultant to upward
and outward, as to downward and inward directions, or the converse of either;
also for excluding dust and dirt from the bearings; for maintaining the bearings
carried by the shaft in a constant relatively unchanged position; and for main-
taining the solidity of such shaft adjacent to such bearing seats.
These objects are secured by this invention, which consists in interposing rolling
bodies or balls in suitable adjustable and retaining seats or tracks provided therefor
at or near the intersection of the sides of a rotative body with the shaft upon
which it rotates. The balls interposed may be composed of metal or any other
suitable material of sufficient solidity to sustain the pressure, and may be as
preferred either of spherical form, elongated or shaped as cylinders having inter-
mediate their ends either equal diameters or all having similar unequal diameters
but uniform concentricity throughout their length. They are confined by the
contour of their tracks or bearing seats to revolutions around such shaft with their
own axes of motion presented at an angle approximating as nearly as practicable
forty five degrees from the original direction of pressure of the load or gravity, and
so that such original pressure shall be transmitted through them as nearly as
practicable, or mainly, at a right angle to such axes, whether the contacts estab-
lished thereby between the balls and the opposite bearing surfaces be either point
contacts or surface contacts. It also consists in the mode of securing such bearing.
in place and retaining the balls, and of an adjusting, regulating and compensa-
ting device as hereinafter more fully set forth whereby the distance between the

page_text: bearings may be adjusted and regulated so as to admit of any desired play of
the balls consistent with their retention between such bearings. It also consists
in limiting the area of such bearings to what is necessary for such retention,
providing freer exposure of the balls to the atmosphere and thereby keeping them
cool by affording unimpeded radiation; in locating such bearings exteriorily where
the contact edges of a hub ordinarily would be, instead of interiorily as in the
ordinary way in the body of the hub or on the shaft.
A lining-box composed of two parts detachably secured or coupled to each other,
each part being provided with a bearing seat or track adapted to the shapes of the
balls intended to be used, is rigidly secured by one of its parts within the central
opening of the hub of the rotative body.
It is evident that a bearing box is unnecessary where the hub is of metal, as one
of such seats may be integral with it, and the other detachably secured to it.
When the hub is of wood, each part of the box after adjustment, may be rigidly
but detachably secured to the hub by set screws, or in any other manner which
will retain it in place while revolving.
The shaft is also composed of two parts detachably secured or coupled to each
other at or near one of the bearing-seats thereof and like the box is provided with
like adapted bearing seats or tracks intended to opposingly and transversely face
the bearing-seats or tracks upon the box, whereby, when in place and provided
with interposing balls, the rotative body is susceptible of revolving around the
shaft upon the balls and without contact between the box and the enclosed shaft.
The box and the shaft being respectively made in detachable parts, as shown in the
drawings Figures 1, 3, 9, 10, 22, and 23 with screw joints or otherwise, are thereby
rendered severally adjustable to compensate for wear, or to admit of the removal
of exterior parts for necessary inspection or the substitution of balls of larger size
if desired.
It is necessary that the shaft have a greater diameter on each side contiguous to
and beyond the hub in order to furnish such seats, and that for insertion into the
hub it should be made in parts to be coupled to each other subsequent to insertion.
When the part A has been inserted into the hub, and before adjusting the coupler
or terminal burr B in place, the series of balls may be placed between the seats,
and the coupler or terminal burr then screwed up until by adjustment slight
contact is established between the balls and the opposing seats.
When, spherical balls are employed their diameter must exceed the distance left
between the opposite edges of the seats. They will thus be retained without being
entirely enclosed. A thin annular collar or pocket is also securely attached by
screws or bolts as shown in Figures 1, 2, on each side of the bearing seats of the
box and projecting inward around, but not in contact with the balls into the space
between the bearing seats, and having their inner peripheries or central opening at
sufficient distance from each other and the box bearing seats as to prevent the
escape of the balls when the opposite bearing seat is removed, but not interfering
with their functions when such bearing seat is in place.
When only point contacts are desired the transverse section of the bearing seats
may present any regular curvature consistent with retaining the balls and which
insures its having its corresponding ordinates at the same distances from its major
one greater than the same ordinates of a hemisphere equal to that of the ball
employed, so that there may be at any given time but one point of contact between
the ball and a seat.
Whenever it is desirable to apply the bearing in a case, where, as shown in
Figure 1, the direction of the resultant pressure above the shaft is upward and
outward, the exterior bearing seats upon the shaft or collar or burr are corres-
pondingly prolonged, extended and conformed to inwardly face opposite the
upwardly faced seats upon the rotated body.
Where balls of shapes similar to the frustrum of a cone are employed, the
external edges of the bearing seats are prolonged towards each other as shown
in Figure 9, sufficiently to retain the balls when in function: but where balls of

page_text: irregular contour such as are shown in Figures 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 are
employed, or elongated curvilinear balls no special retaining device is needed as
the correspondingly formed bearing seats prevent their escape.
The shaft bearing seats opposite to those upon the rotative body, whichsoever of
the above forms of balls be adopted, may be made as preferred either as integral
with the shaft end Figure 23 or integral with or rigidly secured to a collar
Figures 1, 3, 9, 10, fitting upon the shaft so that it remains in the same constant
position relative to the shaft. The shaft may be squared to adapt it to such collar
as shown in Figures 3 and 6, or grooved to receive one or more feathers, lugs or
projections upon the interior of the collar as shown in Figure 8 or angled or other-
wise adapted to hold it in position and prevent its rotation. When a terminal
collar is used it may be retained in place on the shaft as a nut or burr and thus
serve as a coupler to the shaft.
When the rotative body is intended to revolve around a shaft one portion of
which extends beyond the bearing seats as in ordinary carriages, dust and dirt are
excluded from the inner bearings by a device shewn in Figure 3, which consists in
inserting in a groove O, practised in or upon projecting lips I, I, of the bearing
upon the wheel or rotative body an annular packing H of leather, felt or other
suitable material which tightly fits around the shaft and in the groove. This
annulus may be severed at one place transversely so as to present smoothly
overlapping wedged shaped ends which will facilitate its convenient adjustment,
removal or substitution. For the outer bearings an exterior cap as shown in
Figure 3, may be employed for a like purpose.
To give greater stability to the shaft, are inserted into any interior space
between the coupling parts of the axle, prior to adjustment, thin washers or disks
of metal K, as shown in Figure 3.
Though point contacts and spherical balls are preferably employed where such
balls are capable of withstanding the pressure to which they are subjected for the
reason that they occasion less friction than other forms of balls affording surfaco
contacts, it will become desirable to employ the latter for rough work or heavy
pressures for the reason that they furnish more adequate support, and the pressure
is distributed over planes or resultants instead of being concentrated or intensified
in points of resultants.
"
The different devices, whether for spherical elongated, conical balls or balls of
irregular shapes described, having their axes of rotation at such angle, provide for
any end "
or lateral thrust, and obviate the necessity of extra shoulders or checks
and render them capable of employment for railroad car trucks. In such case they
are enclosed in the box and dust is thereby excluded from them.
In the accompanying drawing, A is the axle which is shown integral or in part
in Figures 1, 3, 9, and 10, but with its coupler in Figures 20 and 23 to form an
axle in place. B is an external screw nut or burr, backing the adjustable collar C,
carrying exterior bearings. D is inner adjustable bearing, coupling with box G.
E balls. F retaining plate or pocket. H annular packer. O groove for same.
I sleeve or projecting lips of box. J square shoulder upon shaft as seat for bearing
collar C. K inserted washers. L screw studs of pocket.
Figures 1, 3, 9, 10, 20, 22, 23 are views of bearings taken in medial longitudinal
sections, showing different arrangements for coupling the boxes or shafts: Figure 1
showing a terminal bearing seat attached by screw joint either as a separate collar,
or integral with the nut or burr upon the shaft: Figures 3, 9 and 10, show them
upon collars supported by separate burr or nut; and Figures 20, 22 and 23 as
coupled together so as to form a shaft or box in place.
Figures 2 and 4 are end views showing the inner bearing seats upon a wheel
and screw holes : Figure 5 a side view of exterior dust guard F¹: Figures 6
and 8 inside view of exterior collar bearing seat with shaft opening N, and the
feather M: Figure 7 face view of packer: Figures 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21 end
views of spherical (E) and elongated (E', E, E³) balls of the latter of which
Figures 12, 15 and 18 are side views.

page_text: The inventor does not claim broadly anti-friction ball bearings which directly
transmit an original force without material deviation, nor ordinary interiorily
enclosed ball bearings, nor ball bearings having axes of motion at a substantially
different angle, but having now particularly described and ascertained the nature
of the said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A ball bearing composed of anti-friction balls as described, interposed and
rotating and revolving upon their axes between a hub and a shaft and presenting
their axes of rotation at an angle as nearly 90 degrees as practicable from the
resultant of force and retained and controlled in motion around such shaft by
means of transversely opposite, annular seats, conformably adapted to the shapes
of the interposed balls: such seats being situated respectively upon such hub at
its contact edges and upon portions of the shaft enlarged and conformably adapted
thereto, and so that the projection of the central lines of the intermediate space
shall lie as nearly as practicable at an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of
original pressure, substantially as described.
2. In a ball-bearing a cylindrical bearing box having at each end thereof annular
seats provided for the reception, functioning and controlling of anti-friction balls.
3. În a ball bearing, a coupling bearing box, composed of two parts, each part
being provided externally with annular bearing seats at one end, and separably
adapted to being coupled together at their other ends, substantially as described.
4. A compound coupling axle, consisting of parts, each part being adapted to
engage with and removably or rigidly secured to the other or others, and capable
of engagement or disengagement at will therewith or therefrom, each part being
provided with a ball bearing seat encircling such axle, contiguous to and on each
side of the hub space thereof, at an inclination with such axle.
5. In a ball bearing, a series of similar anti-friction balls, each having its axis of
motion at 90 degrees from the direction of transmitted force, in combination with
an axle conformably adapted to present in their revolution changing contact in
every plane of transmission of force.
6. In a ball bearing, a hub bearing with an upwardly or outwardly presented
face for the translation of force.
7. In a ball bearing an outward bearing exteriorily faced to a hub bearing for
the translation of force.
8. In a ball bearing, an adjustable outer bearing collar, substantially as
described.
9. In a ball bearing, an adjustable nut or burr, supporting an outer bearing
collar, substantially as described.
10. In a ball bearing, a removable retaining pocket for curvilinear balls, sub-
stantially as described;
11. In a ball bearing, the combination of a packer with means for retaining the
same between and in contact with a shaft and hub substantially as described.
12. In a ball bearing, an exterior dust protector consisting of an annular plate
extending over the space between interior and exterior bearing tracks, and
attached to either.
13. In a ball bearing, the combination of spherical balls with annular bearing
seats, each seat presenting single or point contacts as described.
Dated this 20th day of May 1886