Improvements in Ball Bearings.
Year: 1896

page_text: This Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c., Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Chief Examiner of the 25th day of January. 1898.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball Bearings.
I, FREDERICK WATERS, of 12 Lozells Road, Six Ways, Aston, near the City of
Birmingham, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in ball bearings, and has for its principal
object, the adaptation of revolving bearings, known in commerce as ball bearings,
to heavy road vehicles and railway work, although my invention is equally appli-
cable to light vehicles, such as cycles.
My improvements consist in the employment of double or multiple rows or
double or multiple contiguous series of balls, with corresponding ball races or
part ball races formed on the outside contact surfaces of the cones and the inside
contact surfaces of the cups or ball chambers.
In carrying out one form of my invention, I provide the bearing surface of the
cone with a series of troughed ball races, that is, the cone has out within its cir-
cumference, a series of annular troughs or sinkings, corresponding in number to
the rows of balls to be employed, and in these troughed races the halls which
support in common the weight to be borne, roll.
If necessary, corresponding annular races may be formed in the bearing face
of the cups, or the said races may be formed in the cups alone, so that, in this
latter case, the balls roll upon the conoidal surface of the cone as a race, and within
the sunken annular races in the cup, which sinkings keep the rows of ball apart.
It will be understood that by employing a series of rows of balls, the weight
of a heavy vehicle is distributed over a larger surface, hence a mechanical
advantage.
The cones may be made sectional, and so formed as to have independent ball
races, hence independent adjustment, that is to say the cone may be made up of
three screwed sections, each being provided with an independent race.
The application of my invention to other forms of bearings differs in no
essential respect from its application to the form already described.
Dated this 20th day of Mar 1896

page_text: Improvements in Ball Bearings.
I, FREDERICK WATERS, of 12 Lozells Road, Six Ways, Aston, near the City of
Birmingham, Cycle 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in ball bearings, and has for its principal
object, the adaptation of revolving bearings, known in commerce as ball bearings,
to heavy road vehicles and railway vehicles, although my invention is equally
applicable to light vehicles, such as cycles.
My improvements consist in the employment of double or multiple rows or
double or multiple contiguous series of balls, with corresponding ball races or part
ball races, runs or confines, formed on the outside contact surfaces of the cones
and the inside contact surface of the cups or ball chambers.
In carrying out one form of my invention, I provide the bearing surface of the
cone with a series of troughed and annular ball races or confines, that is, the cone
has cut within its circumference, a series of annular troughs or sinkings, correspond-
ing in number to the rows of balls to be employed, and in these troughed races the
balls which support in common the weight to be borne, roll.
If necessary, corresponding annular races may be formed in the bearing face
of the cups, or the said races may be formed in the cups alone, so that, in this
latter case, the balls roll upon the conoidal surface of the cone as a race, and
within the sunken annular races in the cup, which sinkings keep the rows of balls
apart.
It will be understood that by employing a series of rows of balls, the weight
of a heavy vehicle is distributed over a larger surface, hence a mechanical
advantage.
The cones or bearing surfaces may be made sectional or in parts so as to admit
of the balls or spheres having independent adjustment, that is to say each cone or
bearing surface for receiving the serial balls may be made up of three sections
or parts each being provided with a part race.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, represents in longitudinal vertical
section, a road carriage wheel hub, provided with serial ball bearings, as according
to my invention.
Figure 2 represents one of the cone or bearing surfaces separately.
a is the axle box with head ends a, a, and neck a³, and with the mouths a
of each end of the said heads, having bearing liners a, against which a series of
ball bearings b, located within annular ball races confines or runs c, sunken
within the outside periphery of cones c, ¹, bear. The cone c is plain upon its
inside, whilst the cone is screwed and takes upon the screwed end d of the axle
arm d¹ of axle d. The cone c, which may be prevented from rotating by a lug
on axle d, is simply slipped upon the axle arm, so also the cone c¹ may be prevented
from rotating by a lub d, of a cap, which closes up the mouth at of the head a²,
further the cap collar also closes up the mouth end at, of the head a¹.. e is a
washer is a lock nut, y is a cap and h is a lock pin.
Figure 3 represents a modified form of bearing in which the liner has corre-
sponding annular ball races to that of the cone..
a' is the head, d the axle, the arm, c the cone, the ball races or runs the
balls, as the liner, with annular ball races formed within the inner periphery
so that the balls run within the opposed ball races of cone and liner.
Figure 4 represents a further form of bearing in which the ball races are only
in the liner.

page_text: a' is the head, d is the axle, the arm, c is a plain cone or bearing, bare balls,
as is the liner, with ball races a, running within them.
The inside cup or liner a, in Figures 1 to 4, is prevented from rotating by
forcing the same into the head a', or it may be held by a rib or feather on the
liner (shown by the dotted lines as) engaging in a corresponding groove in the
inside of the head.
Figure 5 represents a further form of bearing in which the bearing surfaces or
the cone is made split, or divided up into ring-like sections or segments, each
having part ball races, so that should the balls vary in size, they take independent
adjustments when in use.
is the head, with the mouth closed by a cap flange d³, of an axle d, whose
arm d passes through the section e, of a cone or hearing surface e, having part
ball races c, wherein in the balls b, coming upon the inner cone liner a, run and
take independent adjustment. a8 is a rib or feather fitting into corresponding
grooves in the sections c¹, to prevent them rotating.
Thus if the balls are not perfectly true as to size then the bearing sections self-
adjust themselves, by slightly opening away from or closing in upon each other,
hence independent adjustment of the balls.
Figure 6 represents the said bearing or cone sections, separately in elevations.
Figure 7 represents a modified form of Figure 5 in which the liner is made in
ball-raced ring sections instead of the cone, although if necessary both cone and
liner in sections may be used together.
d is the axle, c is the cone and the liner made in sections and having ball
race contacts a³, so as to admit of the balls having independent adjustment.
If necessary the balls may be confined within cages, instead of running in races.
The application of my invention to other anti-friction ball bearings differs in no
essential respect from its application to that of a wheel hub as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be under-
stood that I am aware of the Specification of Davies Patent No. 17407 of 1892
and of the Specification of Davies Patent No. 11379 of 1894, and I do not claim
anything described and claimed in the said specifications; and I declare that what
I claim is:
First. The combination of a cone on the axle provided with races corresponding
to the number of rows of balls, with a conical plain surfaced liner as shown in
Figures 1 and 5.
Second. The combination of a plain cone on the axle with a conical liner pro-
vided with races corresponding to the number of rows of balls as shown in Figure 4.
Third. The combination of a cone on the axle, either with or without races,
and whether made in one piece or in sections as shown in Figures 5 and 7, with
an unsplit conical liner, either with or without races as described.
Dated this 20th day of February 1897.
FREDERICK WATERS,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.