Improvements in Ball Bearings for Spindles of Spinning and like Machines, and for other Uses
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct, 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball Bearings for Spindles of Spinning and like
Machines, and for other Uses
I, Emile MaerTENS, residing at Narragansett Hotel, in the City and County
of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, U.S.A, Manufacturer, 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 and
accompanying diawings
My invention relates to improvements in ball-bearings, so-called, adapted to
support the sleeves or tubes which evolve around the dead spindles of "cap'
spinning and twisting machines, employed in the manufacture of yarn, etc. o
adapted as bearings for vertical shafts or spindles employed for other purposes.
My present invention consists essentially in the combination of a stationary base
member, adapted to be mounted on the usual lifter-plate and arranged to receive a
dead spindle therethrough, having two bea. ing surfaces, one of which is a horizontal
plane the other surface being vertical and curved and at substantially right angles
to the former, a rotatable cap member having a downward extending central
vertical sleeve, arranged to fiecly receive the dead spindle therethrough and
capable of supporting and being rotated by the live spindle, also provided with two
bearing surfaces, one of which is a horizontal plane arranged above and parallel
with the horizontal plane of said basc member, the other surface being vertical and
cylindrical and at right angles with the horizontal planes and concentric with the
said curved bearing surfaces, thereby forming an annular space, a series of anti-
friction balls mounted in said annular space and contact with the said foun
bearing surfaces, and means for preventing the base and cap members from
accidental separation when assembled, all as will be more fully hereafter set forth
and claimed.
I am aware that ball-beatings for vertical shafts have been made comprising two
concentric rings, one stationary and the other rotary, having bearing surfaces
concentric with each other and plane sui faces parallel to each other and at night
angles to the concentric sui faces, and balls which are located in an annular space
between said concentric and plaue surfaces and which bent at diametrically
opposite points against and roll upon one pan of such surfaces and are retained in
place by the other pan thereof, in ball-beatings of this class, however, the ring
members forming such bearings are kept conceutie by mutual contact upon surfaces
provided for the purpose.
I am not aware that a vertical ball-bearing has been made prior to my present
invention in which both the two plane horizontal parallel surfaces and the concave
and convex surfaces, constituting two concentric sui laces arranged at 1ight angles
to the plane sui faces, are utilized at the same time conjointly as bearing oi rolling
surfaces for the anti-friction balls, and m which ball-benungs said balls form the
means by which the convex outer beating surface of the downward projecting sleeve
of the rotating cap-plate member is kept central and concentric with the inner or
concave bearing surface of the base meinber, and the bore in the sleeve concentric
with the dead spindle without any part of the revoluble portion of said ball-bearing
coming in contact with any part of the stationary base of said bearing on with the
dead spindle.
L
I am well, aware that ball-bearings for spindles of spinning and twisting
machines have been used pior to this present invention. Such former devices,

page_text: to Acepem property or accu
o free from dust, lint, fly and other dirt, which soon rendered them inoperative
to such an extent that the advantages normally due to bearings provided with
auti-friction balls were materially lessened if not nullified, thereby requiring a
correspondingly increased amount of power for operating the spindles
The object I have in view is to practically overcome the disadvantages or
objections inherent in ball-bearings of the class referred to, and to construct a
beanng which is practically dirt proof and which practically needs no lubiication.
In the accompanying sheet of diawings,
Figure 1, is a transverse or cross-sectional view, enlarged, taken through the
center of my improved ball-bearing.
Fig 2 is a similar view, showing a modified form of the retaining or locking
device.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the ball-healing, portions being broken away to show
its interior, and
Fig. 4 is a side elevation, in partial section, showing the bearing combined
with a mounted live tube o spindle and a dead spindle, and atanged substantially
as u ise.
A agam refelling to the diawings, designates my improved ball-bearing as a
whole, and as aanged for the spindles of spinning and twisting machines. It
is composed of a round base member a having a horizontal or plane bearing
surface for the anti-friction balls e to bear and roll upon, a cui ved vertical
bening sun face d aanged at right angles to the former and upon which said
balls also bear and roll, and at the bottom of said base menibe there is a
central opening or hole e adapted to receive and fit the corresponding portion
of a dead spindle and which when mounted and in use serves to matutam or
hold said base member in a central or concentric position with respect to said
dead spindle
The beamng is further provided or composed of a revoluble cap-
plate having on its under side a horizontal or plane beaung surface h, parallel
with said surface b, adapted in use to roll and bear upon the balls c; the
cap-plate is provided with a downward extending peripheral concentric im
overlapping the upper outer portion of the base member a, it is further provided
with a cential sleeve or annular downward projection, its upper outer part
forming a convex or cylindrical bearing surface formed at right angles to the
said plane beaning of the cap-plate
By means of said construction and arrangement of the members a and g, it
will be seen that the said four surfaces, b, d, h and ', form between them an
annula space or chamber 6 having a substantially square cross-section, said
chamber being concentric with the center or hole e. The series of anti-triction
balls located in the chamber maintain the cap-plate in position centially,
since the balls bear upon the said four surfaces simultaneously. The central bore
o bole formed in the said annulai extension or sleeve is larger than the
opening of the base member, thereby maintaining said revolving cap-plate and
sleeve out of contact with the dead spindle.
The lower portion of the said anular projection 13 provided exteriorly with
a cucumferential groove k, thereby forming a small out flange at the lower
eud of it. This flange is screw-threaded, us at o Fig 1, and when in use extends
a distance below the inwardly extending Hange o' of the base member a, the latter
Hange has a female thread, formning the counterpart of the said thread o, as
clearly shown.
In Fig 2 the grooved portion of the sleeve 19 represented as adapted to
ficely receive the ends of screws m tapped into the base a. The object of this
device is to present the cap-member g from being accidentally lifted or separated
from the base. In like manner the said screw-threaded flange o prevents the
cap-plate from lifting after the male thread o has been passed through the
flange o. Or in other words, the parts are assembled by inserting the sleeve

page_text: into the base member and screwing the former into the latter until the threaded
portion o passes into and is adapted to turn freely in a chamber formed in
the base.
It will be apparent from the foregoing (see also Figures 1 and 2) that no part
of the revolving cap-plate and its sleeve is in contact with any part of the
stationary base member and that the balls have two points of contact with the
stationary part of the hearing and two corresponding points of contact with
the revoluble part of the bearing, and that the said revoluble part is kept perfectly
concentric with the stationary part through the intermediary of the balls only, and
tbat the said stationary part is kept concentric with the dead spindle by means of
the hole e at the bottom of the base member, through which the dead spindle f
extends It will also be noticed that there is a space or clearance around every
part of the beamng except at the points of contact of the balls
In Fig. 4 my improved ball-bearing is shown as adapted to spindles of spinning
and twisting machines. That is to say, the stationary or dead spindle is adjustably
mounted in a spindle-rail p and passes upward through the usual lifter-plate q On
top of the latter is located my improved ball-bearing A, said spindle also passing
through it. A sleeve or live spindle or tube 7 is mounted to freely revolve around
the stationary spindle and is arranged to carry a bobbin or spools, as shown by
dotted lines The live spindle has secured thereto, at the bottom, a belt-driven.
whirl; the two latter evolve together in unison as common and rest directly
upon and rotate the cap-plate member g, which in turn is supported by the
stationary ball-carrying base a, the balls serving to hold the evolving cap-plate
in position centrally, as before stated.
prefer to inter pose a lubricating disk or washer of fibrous material between
the underside of the bearing A and the lifter-plate, the latter being recessed for
the pun pose, as shown in Fig. 4. In some cases the bearing may be secured
directly to the dead spindle without the intervention of the lifter-plate. In any
event the base a of my improved ball-bearing is to be fixed or stationary while at
the same tune the cap-plate 9 and sleeve, thereof are adapted to be rotated by
and in unison with the live spindle.
Having now particularly described and ascertamed the nature of my said inven--
tion and in what manner the Bamе 16 to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim, is:
1. As an improved article of manufacture, the heretobefore described ball--
bearing for spindles of cap-spinning and twisting machines, the same consisting of
n base member having a vertical hole therethrough adapted to receive and centralize
the dead spindle and further having plane and curved beating surfaces, a revoluble
cap-plate capable of supporting and being rotated by the live spindle having a
central sleeve or annular projection adapted to receive but non-contact with the
dead spindle and normally concentric therewith and also having plaue and curved
bearing surfaces oppositely located with respect to the said surfaces of the base
member, a series of anti-friction balls in engagement with all of the said plane
and curved bearing surfaces of the base and cap members, and means for preventing
the accidental separation of said members, substantially as described.
2. In a ball-bearing of the class described, the combination of a stationary base
member and a cap-plate member capable of supporting and being rotated by a
live spindle or shait, each having plane and curved bearing surfaces arranged with
respect to each other to form an aunular space substantially square cross-sectionally
and concentric with such live spindle or shaft, a series of anti-friction balis located
in said annular space and in engagement with all of said bearing surfaces, and
means for preventing the accidental separation of the base and cap-members.
3. A ball-bearing, comprising a fixed or stationary base member having its upper
portion arranged to form plane and curved bearing surfaces, as b, d, a rovoluble
top or cap member having a central sleeve extending downward into said base and
also arranged to form plane and curved bearing surfaces, as h, h', the said four-

page_text: surfaces capable of forming an annular concentric space, and a series of anti-
friction balls rotatable in said space and engaging the said four bearing surfaces
simultaneously.
4 In a bearing of the class described, the combination with the centrally
apertured stationary base member a having ball-bearing surfaces, b, d, arranged
at right angles to each other and a flange located below said surfaces provided
with a female sciew-thread, of the evoluble cap-plate 9 having ball-bearing
surfaces, h, h¹, also arranged at right angles to each other and when in use
opposite to said surfaces b, d, a downward extending sleeve integral with the
cap plate having a peripheral groove therein located normally contiguous to
said screw-threaded flange, and having the lower end portion of said sleeve
provided with a malo screw-thread capable of being screwed completely through
said flange, and a series of anti-fiction balls in engagement with all of the said
four bearing surfaces.
Dated this 1st day of Octolie 1895
EMILE MAERTENS.