Improved Ball Bearing Turning Device for the Fore Carriage of Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1896.
Complete Specification Left, 27th May, 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Ball Bearing Turning Device for the Fore Carriage of
Vehicles.
I, FRANCIS ADELBIRT TAYLOR of North Mulbery Street Mansfield, County of
Richland, Ohio, U.S.A., Superintendent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The device of this invention is composed of an upper and a lower horizontal
part the lower part forming part of the axle and provided with a circular groove
having a cross section of about two thirds of a circle. In this groove a number of
balls are inserted from a slot formed in the inner periphery of the groove and in
this way a bottom track is formed. The upper half of the device has the form of
a hollow cap provided with a tempered steel ring to form the upper track for the
balls. A socket is formed upon the underside of the upper part and a boss on the
upper side of the lower part, the said boss fitting within the socket and pivotally
held together by a central bolt.
Dated this 4th day of September 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Ball Bearing Turning Device for the Fore Carriage of
Vehicles..
I, FRANCIS ADELBIRT TAYLOR of North Muibery Street, Mansfield, County of
Richland, Ohio, U.S.A., Superintendent, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in ball-bearing fifth-wheels for vehicles,
and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a ball-bearing fifth-wheel
of simple construction, efficient, artistic, and durable; second, to so construct
and arrange the several parts that it will be impossible for water to come in con-
tact with the ball-track or balls, obviating all danger of rusting the balls; third,
to so construct the ball-track so as to make it impossible for the balls to fall from
the track should the fifth-wheel be taken apart.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved fifth-wheel, showing axle broken
AWAY

page_text: Fig. is a longitudinal sectional view of same, taken in Time -.
Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of upper track-plate.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of same, showing its construction.
Fig. 5 is a top plan view of steel track-plate, showing the position of the balls.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of same, showing the general construction.
Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the.center portion of the axle, showing the fifth-
wheel plate forming part of the same.
The
In the accompanying drawings, 4 indicates the front axle of a vehicle; B, a
round flat plate forming the lower half or foundation for the fifth-wheel. The
said plate is welded upon the center of the axle and forms part of the same.
center of the said plate is provided with the upwardly-projecting sleeve or hub C
and pin D.
Eindicates the steel track-plate. This plate is provided with the groove F to
receive the balls G. The said groove is rounded in the bottom and is about two-
thirds the depth of the diameter of the balls and curved upon the side walls, mak-
ing the opening smaller than the diameter of the balls. A small portion H is cut
away to admit the balls into the groove. When the balls are placed in the position
shown, the plate can be turned upside down without disarranging the balls. The
track-plate is placed over the sleeve C and rests upon the foundation-plate B and
held in position by the pin D passing into a hole to correspond in the lower face
of the track-plate.
I indicates the upper track-ring, which is of tempered steel. The said ring
is bevelled inward and at such an angle that when placed upon the balls and
weight is placed upon the same the balls bear against the inner wall of the ball-
track G, forming an easy reciprocating motion to the axle.
indicates the upper half of the fifth-wheel, which is composed of a hollow
case, having outwardly-projecting arms K, and are for the purpose of attaching
the upper hald of the fifth-wheel to the reach, and in which is secured the track-
ring, and is held from turning by the lock-pin S. The said case is provided
upon its upper face with the spring-bearing L The said bearing is hollow upon
the under side to receive the heads of the spring-bolts. The center of the case J
is provided with the downwardly-projecting sleeve M, which passes over the
sleeve C, formed upon the center of the foundation-plate B, and upon the inside
of the center opening in the track-plate E. This prevents all loose motion to the
upper and lower half of the fifth-wheel, and also to take all strain from the center
bolt N. The case J is also provided in its center with an upwardly-projecting
sleeve O. The said sleeve is for the purpose of preventing water from passing
through the center opening into the center of the fifth wheel. The head of the
bolt N is grooved and slides over the sleeve O, making a perfect water-tight joint.
P indicates a brace having a threaded center Q and V-shaped arms.
secured to the under side of the fifth-wheel by the bolt N passing through the
same and held by a nut 7. The arms of the brace are secured to the brace-arms K
by the bolts R.
It is
Figs: 3, 5 and 7 show the several parts detached, showing more fully the shape
or form of the same.
It will be readily seen by those skilled in the art that when all the parts are
arranged as illustrated in Fig. 2 that a free and easy movement is conveyed to the
front axle.
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:-
A ball-bearing fifth-wheel composed of an upper and lower half, the lower half
forming part of the axle, the upper half formed into a hollow cap, and provided
with a tempered steel ring to form the upper track for the balls, the lower half
provided with a flat tempered steel plate, having a ball track formed within the
face of the same, and provided with suitable balis, sleeves formed upon the upper

page_text: side of the lower half, and upon the under side of the upper half, the said sleeves
to fit one within the other and held together by a center bolt substantially as
shown and described.
Dated this 27th day of May 1807
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.