Improvements in the Bearings of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other Velocipedes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Bearings of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes.
I, JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Whitworth Works Rea Street South Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My improvements have reference to the bearings of bicycles, tricycles and other
velocipedes and consist in constructing and arranging the parts of the said bearings
in the manner hereinafter described whereby the said bearings are improved and
their manufacture simplified.
In the bearings of bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes the anti-friction
spheres or balls are situated and roll between two conical or concave surfaces one
of which is called the cone and the other the cup which cup is screwed into the
case or hub. The said cup is ordinarily introduced into the case or hub with its
open mouth inwards but I prefer to employ a cup with its open mouth outwards, and
instead of making the said cup in one piece I make it in two pieces in the manner
hereinafter described. Cups made according to my invention may however be
used with the open mouth inwards. I will describe my invention in connection with
a cup having its open mouth outwards. The part which constitutes the bottom of the
cup is made by cutting out a disc with a central opening, from sheet steel. This
disc is screwed on its periphery and its screw takes into the concave screw in the
end of the case or hub. The cylindrical part of the cup is also made of sheet
steel or steel tubing and is screwed externally, its screw taking into the concave
screw in the end of the case. When screwed home the said cylindrical part and
the disc described virtually constitute a cup. In screwing the cylindrical part
of the cup into its place it is important to prevent the rotary motion of the said
part from giving rotary motion to the disc against which it is pressed' as the
In order to prevent
adjustment of the said disc would be thereby disturbed.
this disturbance, a washer is placed in front of the said disc which washer has one
or more projections on its periphery which engage in notches in the case or hub.
On screwing home the cylindrical part of the cup the washer prevents the
disturbance of the disc constituting the virtual bottom of the cup. The washer
may be fixed in other ways. When the tubular part of the cup is screwed tightly
against the disc constituting its bottom the whole cup is locked in position and is
not liable to accidental disturbance; and the locking devices ordinarily employed
are unnecessary. Further by my improvements the manufacture of the cup is
simplified; it is lighter in weight than cups as ordinarily made and the grinding of
the bearing surface is facilitated.
D
1
T180°
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Bearings of Bicycles, Tricycles, and other
Velocipedes.
I JOHN VERNON PUGH, of Whitworth Works Rea Street South, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
My improvements have reference to the bearings of bicycles tricycles and

page_text: other velocipedes and consist in constructing and arranging the parts of the said
bearings in the manner hereinafter described, whereby the said bearings are
improved and their manufacture simplified.
In the bearings of bicycles tricycles and other velocipedes the anti-friction
spheres or balls are generally situated and roll between two conical or conca ve
surfaces, one of which is called the cone and the other the cup, which cup is
screwed into the case or hub. The said cup is ordinarily introduced into the case
or hub with its open mouth inwards but I prefer to employ a cup with its open
mouth outwards, and instead of making the cup in one piece I make it in two
pieces in the manner hereinafter described. Cups made according to my invention
may however be used with the open mouth inwards.
I will describe my invention in connection with a cup having its open mouth
outwards.
The part which constitutes the bottom of the cup is made, by cutting out a
disc with a central opening, from sheet steel. This disc is screwed on its
periphery and its screw takes into the concave screw in the end of the case or
hub. The cylindrical part of the cup is also made of sheet steel or steel tubing
and is screwed externally its screw taking into the concave screw in the end of
the case or hub. When screwed home the said cylindrical part together with
the disc described virtually constitute a cup. In screwing the cylindrical part
of the cup into its place it is important to prevent the rotary motion of the sail
part from giving rotary motion to the disc against which it is pressed as the
adjustment of the said disc would be thereby disturbed. In order to prevent this
disturbance, a washer is placed in front of the said disc which washer has one or
more projections on its periphery which engage in longitudinal notches or grooves
in the case or hub. On screwing home the cylindrical part of the cup the washer
prevents the disturbance of the disc constituting the virtual bottom of the cup.
The washer may be fixed in other ways.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in vertical section a portion
of the crank axle bearing of a velocipede and the parts appertaining thereto, in
which the cup of the bearing is constructed according to my invention.
Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 represent modifications as hereinafter described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
I will first describe the arrangement Figure 1.
a is the crank axle having on it the fixed cone a² and b is the crank fixed on the
said axle a; d is the bearing case internally screwed at its ends for the reception
of the bearing cups between which and the fixed cones on the crank axle the
anti-friction spheres or balls c, c work.
The bearing cup represented consists of a pierced disc or ringe of sheet metal,
screwed on its periphery, and a short externally screwed cylindrical tube e² the said
disc e and tube e² being separated or kept out of contact with each other by the
thin sheet metal washer f
The
The bearing cup e, e² is inserted in its place in the following manner.
disc e is screwed into the end of the bearing case to the desired position and the
washer is placed in position against the disc e. The washer has on its periphery
projections or teeth 2 (see the elevation of the washer f bracketed to Figure 1)
which are made to engage by a sliding motion in longitudinal notches or grooves
in the screwed end of the bearing case d and thereby prevent the rotation of the
said washer in the said bearing case d. The balls c, c having been placed between
the disc e and fixed cone a² the tubular part of the cup is screwed into the
bearing case until its inner end bears against the washer f. By the interposition
of the washer f between the disc part e and tubular part 2 of the bearing cup
the displacement of the adjusted disc part e on the screwing home of the tubular
part 2 is prevented.
In the arrangement Figure 1 the mouth of the bearing cup is closed for
preventing the entry of dirt into the bearing by the boss b² on the crank b.
Where

page_text: however the crank is unprovided with a boss I form the outer end of the tubular
part e of the bearing cup e, e² with an internal flange e³ as represented in Figure 2
for preventing the entry of dirt into the bearing.
Figure 3 represents in vertical section a portion of a velocipede wheel hub and
the parts connected therewith the bearing cup of the ball bearing of which is
made according to my invention.
g represents the end of one of the blades of the wheel fork. The disc part e of
the bearing cup e, e2 is represented in this arrangement with its outer or bearing
face forming the surface of a truncated hollow cone. In other respects the bearing
Figure 3 resembles that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and
corresponding parts are marked with the same letters of reference.
Figure 4 represents in vertical section a portion of a velocipede wheel hub and
the parts connected therewith in which the fixed cone is formed on the hub and
the adjustable bearing cup is arranged on the wheel axle.
In this case I screw the disc parte and tubular part 2 of the bearing cup e, e²:
internally and provide the separating washer with internal projections or
teeth for engaging with notches or grooves in the screwed part of the axle a.
Or I make a flat on the screwed part of the axle a and a corresponding flat part f*
on the inner edge of the washer as represented in Figure 5.
The fixed cone in
the hub is marked d².
By my improvements the manufacture of the bearing cups is simplified. The
bearing surfaces of cups made according to my invention are more readily ground
than the bearing surfaces of ordinary bearing cups and the said bearing cups are
lighter in weight than cups as ordinarily made. Further, on the screwing home of
the tubular part e² against the disc part e the whole cup is locked in position and
the devices commonly employed for locking the cup are rendered unnecessary.
In order to provide for the adjustment of the bearing cup from time to time
to compensate for wear one, two or more slots or holes may be made in the case
or hub through which the ends of a gripping or adjusting tool may be inserted for
turning the disc part of the cup the said disc having a series of crossing notches
made in its periphery with which the ends of the gripping tool engage.
The said provision for adjustment is illustrated in the arrangement Figures 6.
and 7, Figure 6 representing partly in elevation and partly in vertical section a
similar arrangement to that represented in Figure 2 modified for the purpose
described and Figure 7 representing the same in cross section.
h, h are the slots or holes in the case d for the gripping or adjusting tool to
pass through and i, i are the cross notches in the disc e with which the ends of the
gripping or adjusting tool engage for screwing or adjusting the disc e in the case d
for holding the said disc e while the tubular part e² is screwed against it. In this
arrangement the non-rotative separating washer f may be dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in the Bearings of Bicycles Tricycles and other
Velocipedes" ;----
Making the bearing cups of two parts, namely of a disc part and a tubular
part the said parts being used alone or in combination with a separating non-rotative
thin sheet metal washer substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.
Deted the Savantoonth In
1004
JOHN VERNON PUGH.