Improvements in and relating to Journal Bearings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application 1st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 6th Feb.. 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Journal Bearings.
We, CHARLES HENRY WOODWORTH, Inventor, and CHARLES FRANCIS
DAVIS, Physician, citizens of the United States of America, residing respectively
in Slater, Saline County, State of Missouri, and in El Paso, El Paso County,
State of Texas, both States of the United States of America, 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 :-
The present invention relates to that class of journal bearings in which anti-
friction devices (either balls or rollers) are interposed between the journal and its
bearing, the bearing being arranged upon the inner surface of a ring or a series of
rings arranged side by side.
The object of the invention is to provide a journal bearing of such construction
that the concentricity of the outer surface of the journal and the inner surface of
the bearing will be maintained and the wearing of all the parts compensated for
automatically. This object we accomplish by using an open spring ring, which
must be expanded in order to receive within it the journal and the antifriction
devices when these parts are new, the normal circumference of its interior being
such that it will contract when permitted to do so to the minimum circumference
that will include the journal and antifriction devices when the parts shall have
been worn to such an extent as to be no longer serviceable. We are aware that it
has been proposed to surround the antifriction rollers of a roller bearing with a
sleeve having a tendency to contract and to transmit the load to this sleeve through
the medium of a pair of shoes having curved surfaces, which, when the bearing is
new, are concentric with the axis of the journal, a packing of rubber being
arranged between the shoes and the sleeve, and the load being put upon each of
the shoes at only one point. These shoes are rigid, and hence as the bearing wears
the concentricity of their inner curved surfaces with the axis of the hearing will
be destroyed. This construction is open to the objection that a circular seat of
unchangeable radius is provided for a sleeve of changeable radius, and hence, as
the parts wear and the sleeve contracts its external surface will become eccentric
with relation to its seat, and as a consequence the load will not be properly
distributed, and this fact is not altered by the fact that the circular seat is in
the shape of a pair of shoes which are to a limited extent movable independent
of each other.
A bearing constructed in accordance with the present invention differs from that
above described in that there is no circular seat for the bearing ring. It is
provided with a seat of such nature that it accommodates itself to the ring and
permits it to contract without altering the disposition of the load. A bearing
constructed in accordance with the present invention includes as an essential
feature a compensating seat for the bearing ring and this compensating seat we
prefer to arrange upon two shoes, both of which have pivotal engagement with
the bearing ring, and a sliding engagement with the journal box. So far as this
essential feature of the invention is concerned, it is immaterial whether balls or
rollers be used as antifriction devices, albeit we prefer to use balls.
The invention consists in the features of novelty that are particularly pointed
out in the claims hereinafter, and in order that it may be fully understood, we will
describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are made part of
this specification, and in which-
Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a journal bearing embodying the

page_text: preferred form, the parts being shown in full lines in the
position that they occupy when they are new, and by dotted lines in the positions
that they occupy after they have been worn to a considerable extent.
Figures 2 and 3 are vertical longitudinal sections thereof on the lines 2-2
and 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan view of a fragment of one of the bearing rings showing the
construction of its overlapping ends.
Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of a journal bearing embodying such
features of the invention as are applicable to journal bearings in which rollers are
used as anti-friction devices.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the inside of the end cover shewing the ball race.
A represents the journal, B a series of anti-friction balls, and C the bearing
rings, any desired number of which may be used, depending upon the number of
ball-cireles it is desired the bearing shall have.
In the drawing we have shown six of these rings, but as they are all of similar
construction, this description will, for the sake of brevity, be confined to but one
of them, excepting where it becomes necessary to include others.
The upper half of the bearing ring is very much heavier and thicker than the
lower half, since it is the upper half that is called upon to sustain the load, the
lower half being provided simply for the purpose of holding the balls in place. On
its underside it is open and its ends overlap, the inner one of the overlapping ends
being bifurcated, as shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 4. Ordinarily the balls
will travel in a path midway between the edges of the ring, and hence it follows
that even though the end e of the ring terminates abruptly, still it will not present a
shoulder over which the balls must pass, because, as will be seen on reference to
Figure 2, by bifurcating the inner end c, two bearings with which the ball comes
in contact before it reaches the extremity of the end ' are provided. When the
extremity c is reached, two points on the ball will be bearing upon the inner edges
of the two divisions of the bifurcated end c. In order that these two bearings for
the balls shall be of ample area, the inner edges of the two divisions of the
bifurcated end of the ring are curved, as shown more clearly in Figure 2. The
bearings thus provided converge from their extremities to the crotch and hence
it follows that the distance between the points on the balls with which they contact
varies and gradually increases or decreases according to the direction in which the
balls travel.
From the extremity of the end e' proceeding in the direction of the arrow, the
surface of the ring is a true circle until the point a is reached, and from here to
the extremity of the bifurcated end e its inner surface gradually approaches the
centre from which the circular portion is struck. If this were not so there would
be, somewhere or other, a shoulder which the balls would have to pass over.
The flanges el with which the ring is provided for the purpose of preventing
the balls from becoming displaced, terminate somewhere between the point
and the extremity of the bifurcated end of the ring, and are preferably notched, as
shown in Figure 1.
This ring when new and not under tension has an internal circumference that is
considerably less than the circle that will include the journal and the balls when
they are new, so that it will have a constant tendency to contract and will contract
as the parts wear to the minimum circumference that will include them when
they shall have worn to such an extent as to be no longer of any use.
This tendency to contract is aided by putting the load upon the ring at two
points located above its horizontal diameter and upon opposite sides of its vertical
diameter. Preferably in order to accomplish this the ring is provided at each of
these points with a socket z for receiving a cylindrical portion d, of a shoe D which
has a flat surface d' that bears against seat e formed for it on the journal box E.
By making the portions d of these shoes and the sockets in which they fit circular
and complementary, a relative movement between the ring and shoe is permitted
and the fatter will accommodate itself to the position of the former. In consequence

page_text: thereof, as the parts wear the ring contracts, bringing the points z ż closer together,
and as this takes place the shoes D accommodate themselves to the changed
positions of these points z by sliding along their seats e.
As may be seen more clearly in Figure 3, the socket z for receiving the
cylindrical projections d of the shoes do not extend the entire width of the ring,
shoulders C being left to engage the ends of said projections, whereby movement
of the ring in the direction of its axis relatively to the shoes is prevented, the
movement of the shoes in the same direction being prevented by projections D¹
that are formed on them and occupy sockets el in the box.
Where a number of rings, such as above described are used, they are arranged
side by side, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the shoes D constitute the
meaus whereby they are spaced or held in proper positions with relation to each
other.
Where rollers are used as antifriction devices the bearing may be constructed
as shown in Figure 5, where B' represents the rollers and Cu the rings, which differ
from the rings shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, in that they are without marginal
flanges and their overlapping portions lie in the same circle, instead of being
arranged one within the other, as above described.
Excessive movement endwise of the rollers B' may be prevented by any suitable
means but preferably as shewn in Fig. 5 by a split ring B₁ which takes over
journals B turned in the rollers B' between two of the rings C". These rings Cl
form stops for the ring B, on either side thereof, the external diameter of the
latter being greater than the internal diameter of the former, when the journal
is new.
F is an antifriction ball arranged upon a race supported by the inner face
of the cover G of the journal box and so disposed that the ball is in position
to take the end-thrust of the journal.
We do not claim to be the first to use an antifriction ball for this purpose,
and so far as this feature of the invention is concerned, it is limited to the
construction of the race, the peculiarity of which is that it slopes downward
away from the end of the journal A. This race is formed in two parts, one
of which is on a circular flange I and the other of which is on a
projection I¹ located within the flange I. It will be understood that while the
ball is below the horizontal diameter of the journal it will be supported by
the part of the race, and while it is above the horizontal diameter, it will be
supported by the part i¹.
While we have shown in the drawings only one anti-friction ball for taking
the end-thrust (this being the number customarily used) still we desire to have
it understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as a greater number may
be used if desired.
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:-
1. The combination with a journal and a series of anti-friction devices sur-
rounding it, of an open spring ring encircling said anti-friction devices, said ring
being of such diameter that when in use it has a constant tendency to contract,
and means for transmitting the load to said ring at two points located upon
opposite sides of the vertical diameter of the journal, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with a journal and a series of antifriction devices sur-
rounding it, of an open spring ring encircling said antifriction devices, said ring
being of such diameter that when in use it has a constant tendency to contract, and
a pair of shoes for transmitting the load directly to said ring at two points located
upon opposite sides of the vertical diameter of the journal, substantially as set
forth.
3. The combination with a journal and a series of antifriction devices sur-
rounding it, of an open spring ring encircling said antifriction devices, a pair of

page_text: movable shoes through which the load is transmitted to the ring, said shoes being
in engagement with the ring upon opposite sides of its vertical diameter, and seats
upon which said shoes bear and are adapted to slide in order to accommodate
themselves to the position of the ring, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a journal, of a series of antifriction devices surrounding
it, a ring encircling said antifriction devices, a pair of movable shoes through
which the load is transmitted to the ring, said shoes being in engagement with the
ring upon opposite sides of its vertical diameter, and seats against which said shoes
bear and upon which they are adapted to slide, said shoes having rocking
engagement with the ring, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with a journal and a series of antifriction devices sur-
rounding it, of an open spring ring having a constant tendency to contract
encircling said antifriction devices, a pair of movable shoes having circular
projections, and seats upon which said shoes bear and are movable, the ring being
provided upon opposite sides of its vertical diameter with circular sockets in
which the projections of the shoes fit, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with a journal and a series of antifriction devices sur-
rounding it, of an open spring ring having a constant tendency to contract,
encircling said antifriction devices, a pair of movable shoes having circular
projections, and seats upon which said shoes bear, the ring being provided with
circular sockets in which the circular projections of the shoes fit, and with shoulders
engaging the ends of said projections, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination with a journal and a plural series of antifricton devices
surrounding it, of a plurality of open spring rings encircling said antifriction devices,
means for transmitting the load to each of the rings at two points located upon
opposite sides of its vertical diameter, and means for holding said rings at the
proper distance apart, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination with a journal and a bearing therefor, of a journal box having
opposite the end of the journal an annular race, the outer wall of which below
the horizontal diameter of the journal slopes downward and away from the end of the
journal, and the inner wall of which above the horizontal diameter of the journal
slopes downward and away from the end of the journal, and a ball arranged in said
race, substantially as set forth.
9. The combination with a journal and a bearing therefor, of a journal box
having opposite the end of the journal a two-part circular race sloping downward
and away from the end of the journal, and a ball arranged upon said race,
-substantially as set forth.
Dated this First day of December 1896.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.