Improvements in Bicycle Wheel Hubs and Bearings.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bicycle Wheel Hubs and Bearings.
I, PATRICK LUKE HUSSEY, of No. 135, East Center Street, in the City of Dayton,
County of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, U.S.A., Mechanic, 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 bicycle wheel hubs and bearings,
having for their objects the production of a hub that affords a more reliable
and substantial means for securing the wire spokes, and to a bearing that may
be detached and removed from the hub without displacing the balls.
And in order to fully understand the invention, I have appended the annexed'
sheet of drawings, of which,
Figure 1, is an elevation of a hub for a bicycle or similar machine, according
to my invention.
Figure 2, is a horizontal sectional view showing the inner bearings.
Figure 3, is a detached view of one of the outer ball cones, with annular
spring-ball-retainer.
Figure 4, is a view of the annular spring-ball-retainer removed.
The hub is essentially of a spherical form in order to obtain a maximum
amount of strength to successfully withstand the strain from the spokes. The open-
ings 2 for the spokes are formed in the rounded portions of the hub adjacent to
ends 3-3. The spokes are attached in these portions of the hub in a manner
similar to their attachment to the flanges of the ordinary oblong hub. The bear-
ing ends 3-3 of said hub are of a smaller diameter than the body or intervening
portion which as before stated, is of a spherical form. One of said ends is pro-
vided with exterior screw-threads for the attachment of the chain wheel 4, which
abuts against an annular shoulder 5. The hub may be constructed either by
stamping it in two longitudinal or transverse halves, and welding or brazing
said parts together, or by forcing the bulged or spherical form from a cylindrical
tube.
The main ball cones 6 inclose the ends of the hub, and are both the same in
construction, therefore a description of one, suffices for both. The inner end of
said cone 6 terminates in an annular ball-retaining flange 7 and the outer end
has a flat face 8 between which, and the flange 7 the balls 9 are placed.
The face 8 terminates in an annular shoulder 10 which receives and holds a
ball-retainer 11 which holds the balls in place when the cones are detached. This
ball-retainer 11 consists of a resilient band flat throughout its length and cut or
slit transversely to allow it to expand and contract, and has its adjacent ends
notched and beveled on their upper sides at 12 to enable the balls to be pressed
into position on the cone. By thus notching the ends, and beveling them off on
their outer surface, the balls may be easily placed in position in the cone with-
out necessitating a removal of the retainer from the cone.
Under a slight pres-
sure of the thumb, upon a ball resting on the ends of the spring, as shown by
the dotted circle, in Figure 3, the said ends will yield sufficiently to permit each

page_text: .
ball to pass onto the cone, after which the ends return to their contracted position
around the shoulder 10. The cones are screwed on the spindle 13. The inner
cone 14 provides an outer bearing for the balls; this cone may be maintained
in position in various ways.
As shown in the drawings, it abuts against the end of a sleeve 15 which is
inclosed in the hub. The devices described, enable the cone and balls to be kept
inseparable so that they may be dipped together in a small receptacle, in clean-
ing the bearings, without the annoyance of having the balls lost. Owing to the
construction of the spring-retainer 11 the balls may be placed in position after
the said retainer has been placed upon the cone, in assembling the several parts
of the bearings.
Having particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is:
-
1. A hub for a bicycle wheel, having its body made in a spherical form termi-
nating in reduced ends, and having openings in the rounded portion for the
attachment of the spokes.
2. In a ball bearing for the wheels, the combination of an inner cone, an inner
cone having an integral ball-retaining flange on its inner end, and a detachable
ball-retainer on its outer bearing face, the said detachable retainer consisting
of a ring of resilient material which is flat throughout its length and has its
adjacent ends notched and beveled on their outer surface.
3. In a ball-bearing for wheels, the combination of an inner ball cone, an outer
ball cone provided with a conical ball-retaining flange on its inner end, and an
outer flat ball-bearing surface surrounded by an annular shoulder, a detachable
ball-retainer on said shoulder, the said ball-retainer being flat throughout its
length, and of resilient material with its adjacent ends notched and beveled as
described, so that the balls may be inserted in the cone when the said retainer
is in position thereon.
Dated this 4th day of October 1898.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant,
18, Buckingham Street Strand, W.C., London.