Improvements in Ball Bearings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball Bearings.
I, HARRY ALEXANDER STEPHENS, Abstractor of Titles, of Missoula, in the
County of Missoula, and State of Montana, United States of America, 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:
The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ball bearing which
is simple and durable in construction, arranged to reduce friction to a minimum
and designed for use on bicycles and other vehicles and machines.
In attaining this end 1 employ a hub provided in each end with an inwardly
extending bearing, engaging a row of balls mounted to travel in a peripheral
groove formed in an annulus or bearing ring, engaging with its inner surface a
second row of balls mounted on a seat formed on the stationary axle.
The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same,
as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claim.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in both the figures.
Figure 1 is a transverse section of the improvement as applied on a bicycle
wheel; and
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.
The stationary axle A, is engaged at its outer threaded portion A by the
members B, of the fork of the bicycle wheel, the said members resting with their
inner faces on nuts C, screwing on the said reduced threaded ends A¹ of the axle.
The outer faces of the members B are engaged by nuts D, likewise screwing
on the said ends A¹, to securely hold the axle A rigidly on the members B of
the fork.
The inner faces of the nuts C abut against washers E, resting on annular
flanges formed inwardly on ring-shaped bearings F, screwing into the ends of
the hub G, carrying the spokes G₁ of the wheel.
Thus by the arrangement described, the washers E firmly close the bearings F,
and consequently prevent access of dust and other impurities to the inside of the
hub, as will be readily understood by reference to Figure 1.
On the inner surfaces of each of the bearings F is formed a ball seat F, engaged
by a row of balls H, held in a peripheral groove of an annulus or bearing ring I,
formed with an internal annular groove engaged by a second row of balls J, fitted
on to a seat A³ formed by the shoulder connecting the middle large portion of the
axle A with the outer reduced end A', as will be readily understood by reference
to Figure 1.
The annulus or bearing ring I is thus interposed between two rows of balls H
and J, so that the said annulus does not come in contact with any of the other
parts of the device, as the said annulus is thus freely suspended within the hub G of
the wheel.
The shoulders of the seats F and A2 are arranged diametrically opposite each
other, so that lateral displacement of the annulus or the balls is prevented.
Now by the arrangement described, the wheel revolves or runs on the outer row of
balls H, and consequently friction is reduced to a minimum in this row of balls

page_text: over that of the second row of balls J, as the surfaces on each side of the balls in
the annulus I are nearly of the same length, while the surfaces for the outer row
of balls are not of the same length. Hence when friction is to be overcome in the
other row of balls, then the annulus I and the inner row of balls J, on account of
being free to travel, move and hence overcome the friction.
In case a ball should break in one of the rows of balls, there is no danger of
injury to the wheel, as the latter still turns on the other row of balls.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,-
The combination of a hub, an annular bearing secured in each end of the hub,
each bearing having an inwardly extending flange axially orificed and each bearing
also having an inwardly facing shoulder located inward of the respective Hanges
and forming ball seats, an axle having reduced ends respectively passed through
the orifices of the flanges, the axle having at the inner terminal of each reduced
portion an outwardly facing shoulder forming ball seats, a fork in which the
terminals of the axle are mounted, a nut on each terminal against which nuts the
outer sides of the flanges respectively bear, two rings contained within the hub
and respectively located adjacent to the flanges of the bearings, each ring having
a peripheral groove and an internal groove, one wall of each groove being of
increased height to oppose the corresponding shoulders respectively on the bearings
and the axle and anti-friction balls distributed throughout the grooves of the rings
and respectively bearing on the seats formed by the shoulders of the axle and
bearings substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of December 1896
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.