IMPROVEMENTS IN BALL BEARINGS FOR BICYCLES AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & C° Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings London in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the
nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BALL BEARINGS FOR BICYCLES
AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES" 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 ball-bearings which are particularly applicable for the
rear or trailing wheels of bicycles, although they may be used for other purposes.
In the accompanying Drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the hub of the rear wheel of a bicycle
provided with the improved bearing, and
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the box detached.
Figures 3 and 4 are similar views illustrating a modification hereinafter described.
Similar letters of reference indicato corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A indicates the hub of a wheel from which extend the spokes a, and B the
stationary axle secured rigidly to the rear wheel fork b in the usual manner,
Rigidly secured to, or made integral with, the axle, is the portion B' which is
provided with the two annular grooves CD. The outer groove C is nearly semi-
circular, in cross section, and the inner groove D at the end of the portion B' is
nearly quadrantal or a quarter of a circle in cross section.
E indicates a circular box, rigidly secured in the hub A, and provided with the.
two internal annular grooves HLI. The groove H, which is nearly semi-circular, is
directly opposite the nearly quadrantal groove D, and the groove I, which is nearly
quadrantal, is directly opposite the nearly semi-circular groove C. The usual
balls d and cages e are placed in the grooves, although the cages may be omitted
if desired.
This device forms a very efficient and noiseless double-ball-bearing, the novelty
of which consists in the peculiar relative arrangement of the grooves, for if the
quadrantal grooves were not placed at the ends, thus bringing them opposite the
semi-circular grooves, the bearing could not be put together. It is evident that the
grooves must fall a little short of being quadrantal, and a little short of being
semi-circular in cross section, otherwise their edges would touch those of the

page_text: opposite grooves, defeating the object of the balls, besides making no allowance
for wear.
In the modification shown in Figures 3 and 4, which show, respectively an
elevation partly in section similar to that shown in Figure 1, and detached sectional
views of the cone and box, the principle is precisely the same, but the cone J which
revolves with the hub A, is provided with the semi-circular annular grooves C, and
the quadrantal groove D, and the box K, which is stationary (being rigid with the
fork b) is provided with the semi-circular annular internal groove H and the
quadrantal groove I. In Figures 1 and 2 the external portion of the bearing
rotates, and in Figures 3 and 4 the internal portion rotates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
A double-ball-bearing for bicycles and other velocipedes consisting essentially of
an external annular box or surface provided with two internal annular grooves H I,
the groove H being nearly semi circular in cross section, and the groove I being an
end groove and nearly quadrantal in cross section; an internal bearing provided
with the similar grooves CD, the nearly semi-circular groove C being situated
opposite the nearly quadrantal groove I, and the nearly quadrantal groove I
opposite the nearly semi-circular groove H; and the two rows of balls d d, all
constructed and arranged substantially as, and for the purpose, berein set forth.
Dated this 18th day of March 1884.