Improvements in Bearings for Cycles and other Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bearings for Cycles and other Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE DAVIES, of 8, Handforth Road, Clapham Road, in the
County of London, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
This invention relates to improvements in the bearings of cycles and other
vehicles and has for its object to provide means whereby the races or coned surfaces
forming part of the ball bearings may be adjusted or tightened up upon each
end of the wheel boss or bearing simultaneously, thereby reducing labour and
trouble to a minimum and adjusting the bearing to an equal extent at each end
of the same.
For this purpose I form the wheel boss of a hollow barrel or drum into each end
of which is screwed a disc forming the outer coned surfaces or races of the ball-
bearings, the central hole in the same surrounding the wheel axle, being fitted
with metal and leather discs or rings for making them dust proof.
I
Upon the axle I mount a boss inside the barrel or drum and centrally between
its two ends the said boss being free to revolve around the axle but being prevented
from longitudinal motion thereon by two collars fixed to the axle by screws.
form the central part of the said boss with a disc of smaller diameter than the
inside of the barrel or drum and upon its periphery I provide a series of holes or
recesses. The inner cones forming the ball races are each formed with a hollow
sleeve or extension surrounding the axle, the said sleeves being provided with
a slot into which fits a screw or key fixed to the axle, and by means of which
they are capable of longitudinal movement along the axle but are prevented
from revolving upon the same. The inner ends of these sleeves are formed with
male screw-threads those on one being right-hand and on the other left-hand
threads. These threads engage with female threads formed in the outer ends
of two short tubes, the inner ends of which are screwed to the boss fitted to the
centre of the axle and screw-threaded on its outer surface.
The end screwed discs of the barrel or drum are each prevented from shifting
or unscrewing by means of a small lubricator, for lubricating the bearings,
screwed through the drum and discs and the drum is formed with a slot or opening,
opposite the central disc, fitted with a hinged cover secured by a thumbscrew.
Cup-shaped flanges may be screwed into the drum before the discs to retain the
oil in the bearings. In order to adjust the bearings the said cover is opened
and a key inserted through the slot to engage with one of the holes in the central
disc. By this means the disc can be turned to the extent of the slot and with it
the two tubes screwed to the boss of the disc on each side of the same. By this
revolution of the tubes the sleeves and-inner coned surfaces of the bearings are
caused to travel outwards in contrary directions by means of the right and left-
handed screw-threads in the ends of the said tubes, thus tightening up the bearings
simultaneously.
In some cases I may form the bearing surfaces of the inner cones separate from

page_text: the main or fixed portion thereof and screwed or otherwise attached thereto so
that they may be removed when worn and replaced by new ones, and in a further
modification I may provide two sets of antifriction balls to each bearing, the
extra set being arranged between the said movable bearing surface and the main
or fixed portion of the bearing connected with the sliding sleeves.
Dated this 28th day of May 1897
J. B. FLEURET,
5, Hatton Garden, London, Agent for the Applicant.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE DAVIES, of 8, Handforth Road, Clapham Road, in the
County of London, Agent, 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 bearings for cycles and other vehicles
and has for its object to provide for the adjustment of the races or coned surfaces
of the ball-bearings to an equal extent of each end of the hub or boss.
For this purpose the hub or boss is in the form of a hollow barrel or drum
into each end of which is screwed a disc forming the outer cup or cone the central
hole of which through which the axle passes is fitted with a metal nut or ring
which may screw against a leather washer or packing for forming a dust-proof
joint.
Upon the axle is mounted a boss which is free to revolve around the same
within the hub or drum but is prevented from moving longitudinally by means
of two collars fixed to the axle by screws.
The centre of the said boss is formed as a disc of slightly smaller diameter
than the inside of the hub and whose periphery is provided a short distance apart
with a series of holes or recesses.
The inner cones of the ball races are each formed with a hollow sleeve fitting
on the axle and provided with a slot into which fits a screw or key fixed to the
axle so that they may move lengthwise of but not revolve on the latter. The
inner ends of these sleeves are formed with male screw-threads those on one being
right-hand and on the other left-hand the said threads engaging with female
threads in the outer ends of two short tubes whose other ends are screwed to the
boss on the centre of the axle formed with right and left hand threads for
this purpose.
The centre of the hub is formed with a slot or opening opposite the revolving
disc fitted with a cover hinged to the hub and secured by a thumbscrew.
This slot is provided for the purpose of inserting a key and engaging it with
one of the holes in the disc so as to turn the latter as far as the slot will permit
thereby also turning the two tubes screwed to the boss of the disc and causing
the inner bearing cones to travel outwards or inwards for tightening up or loosening
the bearing simultaneously.
The bearing surface of the said cones may be made seperate from the other or
sleeve portion so that they may be removed when worn and replaced by new ones.
And in order to clearly understand my invention reference is had to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of my
improved bearing as applied to a cycle Fig. 2 is a cross section through the centre

page_text: thereof and Fig. 3 is a plan showing the hinged cover over the central slot or
opening. Fig. 4 is a view showing a cone with seperate bearing surface.
a is the hub or barrel into each end of which is screwed the disc or cup 6 of
the ball race and c are nuts or metal rings which may screw against a leather
washer or packing for forming dust-proof joints between the hub and axle d.
The axle is threaded at each end and provided with the usual nuts for
clamping it to the frame e is the boss mounted centrally on the axle so as to
revolve thereon and formed with the disc e¹ provided with holes e³ the boss being
formed with right and left hand threads on either side of the disc and kept from
endwise movement by the collars f fixed to the axle g are the inner
cones of the race formed with sleeves g¹ provided with slots gå in
each of which engages a key h fixed to the axle to permit of end
but not revolving motion and one of which is formed with right-hand and
the other with left-hand screw-threads i, i, are the short tubes engaging at one
end with the screw-threads on the sleeves and at the other end with the threads
on the central boss is the slot or opening in the centre of the hub above the
disc e and m the cover for the same hinged at m¹ to the hub and provided with
the thumbscrew m² for fixing it in its closed position n Fig. 2 is the key for
operating the disc and boss e.
In order to adjust the bearings or cones the cover m is opened out as shewn in
Fig. 2 and the key n inserted through the opening and engaged with one of
the holes e in the disc e¹ the said key being then pushed over from one end of
the opening to the other and turning the boss e around the axle.
This action also turns the tubes i, i, engaging the threads on the sleeves g¹
thus causing the said sleeves and cones g to be forced outwards or inwards accord-
ing to the direction in which the disc e¹ is turned and tightening up or loosening
the bearing simultaneously and to an equal extent at each end of the hub.
By means of my invention I provide a simple and compact adjustable bearing
the tubes adding to the strength and rigidity of the axle and entirely obviates
the loosening of the outside locking nuts this being rendered by the present
invention quite unneccessary. The bearings may also be adjusted equally and
with great nicety by means of the key and there is no endwise strain on the
forks of the machine.
The parts of the bearing may also be readily removed and fitted together again
for cleaning and repairs..
When forming the bearing portion y of the cones seperate from the sleeve g¹
as shewn in Fig. 4 it may be readily removed when worn and replaced by a new
one the two portions of the cone being coupled together by a pin or pins g3
entering recess in the sleeve.
This also permits of the parts g¹ being tempered to any required extent without
affecting the strength or ductility of the axle or sleeves."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to performed I declare that what I
claim is:
(1) In adjustable bearings for the wheels of cycles and other vehicles mounting
the inner cones of the ball races on the axle so as to permit of endwise motion
thereon and providing them with sleeves one of which is formed with right-hand
and the other with left-hand screw-threads each engaging with a screw-threaded
tube operated by means of a boss loosely mounted on the axle and formed with
a disc provided with holes or recesses with which is caused to engage a key inserted
in an opening in the hub for turning the said boss and tubes substantially as
described.
(2) In adjustable bearings for cycles and other vehicles the combination of
the hub or barrel a discs or caps b nuts or rings c axle d nuts d¹ boss e formed
with disc e and holes e collars f inner cones g formed with sleeves g¹ having

page_text: slots g2 keys h tubes i slot or opening / cover m fitted with thumbscrew m³ and
key substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
(3) In adjustable bearings as above claimed forming the bearing portion of
the inner cones y seperate from the other portion or sleeve gl and from the axle d
substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
(4) The improvements in wheel bearing for cycles and other vehicles sub-
stantially as described and shown in the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Dated this 25th day of February 1898.
J. B. FLEURET,
5, Hatton Garden, Holborn Circus, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.