Improvements in or relating to Ball Bearings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
Improvements in or relating to Ball Bearings.
We, FRITZ WILHELM ENGELS, Engineer, and
Engineer, and HERMANN RUDOLF
KIRSCHBAUM, Director of The Wilkinson Sword Company Limited both of
27 Pall Mall in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to ball bearings for cycles and for other purposes, the
object being to secure the cone or cup after adjustment. In carrying out the
invention we provide the adjustment cone which we prefer to form as a cup
screwing into the end of the hub or other barrel or bracket, with projecting teeth
or equivalent with which engage jaws or equivalent devices formed upon a clutch
ring or equivalent adapted to fit upon the end of the cup, or in proximity thereto.
The ring is provided with lugs or equivalent which engage in an annular groove
formed in the interior of a nut or cap which screws on to the end of the hub,
barrel etc., which may he tapered and split so that as the nut is screwed home the
end of the barrel will grip the cup which is inside it. The barrel besides being
split is provided with one or more recesses adapted to receive the previously-
mentioned lugs of the clutch ring which is thus prevented from turning so that
when its teeth engage the teeth upon the cup the latter is positively locked
independently of any gripping action to which it may he subjected when the nut
is screwed bome either by the compression of the slit barrel end, or the pressure of
the clutch ring upon the cup.
This method of securing the adjustment cone may be applied to various bearings
including the pedals, and may be used at one or both ends of the bearings. The
nut may be milled or provided with slots or one or more holes for a thin spanner
or other means by which it may conveniently be turned.
In a modification of the invention particularly suitable for the crank axle
bearings for bottom brackets of cycles the teeth are formed upon the edge or
periphery of the cup by making grooves across the screw threads by which it
screws into the barrel of the bearing. The barrel is provided with a lug centrally
divided and with a screw passing through it and screwing into the second of the
divided portions of the lug after it has passed through the first; the screw is of
two different diameters, the screwed portion being smaller than the other portion.
Upon this screw and in the space between the two portions of the lug, or between
two separate lugs if such be employed, we place a washer or locking plate which
engages in the grooves between the teeth of the cone, thus affording a positive
lock, so long as the locking plate is in position while if the barrel be split as well
as the lug the ends may be drawn together so as to grip the cup as in the former
case. The screw may be passed entirely through the two lugs which may be
drawn together by a nut on the end of the screw or the nut may be used as a lock
out where the screw is tapped into one of the lugs. More than one lug or pair of
lugs may be employed at each end of the bearing.
Dated this 5th day of May 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Ball Bearings.
We, FRITZ WILHELM ENGELS, Engineer, and HERMANN RUDOLF
KIRSCHBAUM, Director of The Wilkinson Sword Company Limited both of
27 Pall Mall in the County of Middlesex, 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 ball bearings for cycles and for other purposes, the
object being to secure the cone or cup after adjustment. In carrying out the
invention we provide the adjustment cone which we prefer to form as a cup
screwing into the end of the hub or other barrel or bracket, with projections or
teeth with which engage jaws or equivalent devices formed upon a clutch ring or
the like adapted to fit upon the end of the cup, or in proximity thereto. The ring
is provided with lugs or the like which engage in an annular groove formed in the
interior of a nut or cap which screws on to the. end of the hub, barrel etc., which
may be tapered and split so that as the nut is screwed home the end of the barrel
will grip the cup which is inside it. The barrel besides being split is provided
with one or more recesses adapted to receive the previously-mentioned lugs of the
clutch ring which is thus prevented from turning so that when its teeth engage
the teeth upon the cup the latter is positively locked independently of any
gripping action to which it may be subjected when the nut is screwed home either
by the compression of the slit barrel end, or the pressure of the clutch ring upon
the cup.
This method of securing the adjustment cone may be applied to various bearings
including the pedals, and may be used at one or both ends of the bearings. The
nut may be milled or provided with slots or one or more holes for a thiu spanner
or other means by which it may conveniently be turned.
In a modification of the invention particularly suitable for the crank axle
bearings for bottom brackets of cycles the teeth are formed upon the edge or
periphery of the cup by making grooves across the screw threads by which it
screws into the barrel of the bearing. The barrel is provided with a lug centrally
divided and with a screw passing through it and screwing into the second of the
divided portions of the lug after it has passed through the first; the screw is of
two different diameters, the screwed portion being smaller than the other portion.
Upon this screw and in the space between the two portions of the lug, or between
two separate lugs if such be employed, to place a washer or locking plate which
engages in the grooves between the teeth of the cone, thus affording a positive
lock, so long as the locking plate is in position while if the barrel be slit as well as
the lug the ends may be drawn together so as to grip the cup as in the former
case. The screw may be passed entirely through the two lugs which may be
drawn together by a nut on the end of the screw or the nut may be used as a lock
nut where the screw is tapped into one of the lugs. More than one lug or pair of
lugs may be employed at each end of the bearing.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section showing
one construction of the ball bearing and
Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of detached portions thereof,
Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Figure 5 and
Figure 5 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section of a modification
of the bearing shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In carrying out the invention as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 we provide the

page_text: adjustment cone A, which we prefer to form as a cup screwing into the end of the
bub, barrel or equivalent B with projecting teeth or equivalent A' (Fig. 2) with
which engage jaws or equivalent locking devices C formed upon a clutch ring C¹
adapted to fit upon the outer end of the cone or cup A or in proximity thereto.
The ring C¹ is provided with lugs or equivalent C which at their outer parts
engage in an annular groove D' formed in the interior of a nut or cap D. This
nut D screws on to the end of the barrel B which, may be tapered and, as shown
at D' Fig. 2 split, so that as the nut D is screwed home, the end of the barrel will
grip the cup A which is inside it. The barrel besides being split as at B' is
provided with one or more recesses B2 for receiving the inner parts of the lugs C'
so that the clutch ring C¹ is thus prevented from turning independently of the
barrel B and consequently when the locking devices C engage the teeth A¹ of the
cup A the latter is positively locked to the barrel B independently of any gripping
action to which it is subjected when the nut D is screwed home, either by the
compression of the slit barrel end, or the pressure of the clutch ring C' upon the
cup A.
To fit the clutch ring C to the nut D that is to say to enable the lugs C² to be
engaged with the groove D! we prefer to split the clutch ring as at C³ Fig. 3 so
that it may be bent or sprung inwards while the lugs C are being brought opposite
the groove D' and so that when it is released it will spring outwards to its normal
size and cause the lugs C to enter the groove D'; or this may be effected by
initially bending the lugs C inwards and afterwards bending them outwards when
they are opposite the groove D'.
The before described means of securing the adjustment cone or cup A is shown
in Figs. 1 and 2 applied to the hub of the driving wheel of a safety bicycle but it
may be applied to various bearings including the pedals, and may be used at one
or both ends of each such bearing. The nut D may be either milled as shown in
the drawing or provided with slots or one or more holes for a thin spanner or other
means by which it may conveniently be turned.
In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which is particularly suitable for the
crank axle bearings for bottom brackets of cycles (in which application it is shown
in these figures) the teeth or equivalent A' are formed upon the edge or periphery
of the cup A by making grooves A across the screw threads A by which it is
screwed into the bearing-barrel B. The barrel B is provided with two lugs B B₁
at a slight distance apart and with a screw E E' passing through them and screwing
into the lug B after it has passed through the lug B. The screw E E is of two
different diameters as shown, the threaded portion E (screwing into the lug B³)
being smaller than the portion E'; the screw from the portion E up to the head E,
may be of uniform diameter but for the sake of lightness I prefer to reduce it so
that the portion E' is left standing out as a collar one side of which viz., that nearest
the threaded portion E is conical to form a conical shoulder. Upon this screw and
in the space between the two lugs B3 B4 we place a washer or locking plate C
which engages with the grooves A in the cup A thus affording a positive lock so
long as the locking plate C is in position while if the barrel B be split between the
lugs B B the end of the barrel may be tightened upon the cup A by the same
operation, as in the former example. The screw E E' may pass freely through
both of the lugs B B these latter then being drawn together by a nut on the end
of the screw, but we prefer to employ the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 that is, to
screw the screw E E into the lug B and use the nut E for locking the screw in
position. I prefer to provide a flange C on the outer part of the locking plate C
so that the latter may be readily grasped for disengaging it from the grooves A' in
the cup A when the screw E E is released. If desired more than one pair of
lugs B B may be employed at each end of the last described barrel B.
The adjustment of the before described devices is a very simple operation and is
effected in the following manner :-
In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the nut D is unscrewed from the
hub or barrel B sufficiently far to release the teeth or locking devices C of the

page_text: clutch ring C from the teeth A¹ of, the cup A, the clutch ring C, during this
operation being prevented from rotating with the nut by reason of the engagement
of the lugs C with the recesses B. By a suitable spanner or tool the cup is then
turned in the desired direction to tighten or loosen the halls F against the collar G'
of the spindle G and to such an extent that the locking devices C can readily
engage with the teeth A', after which the nut D is tightened and the whole made
secure.
In the arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the adjustment is effected by releasing
the lock nut E and screwing the screw E E' outwards sufficiently to withdraw the
collar or enlarged portion El from the locking plate C which may then be drawn
out of engagement with the grooves A2 in the cup A; the latter may then by a
suitable spanner or tool be rotated in the desired direction for tightening or
loosening the balls and to such extent as to bring another of the grooves A² opposite
the locking plate C, after which the screw E E' is screwed home and the lock
nut E tightened and the whole thereby made secure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. In a ball-bearing the combination with a barrel surrounding the spindle, of a
screwed cup with teeth adapted to be locked by a correspondingly toothed locking
ring and a nut screwing on the end of the barrel and holding the locking ring in
place substantially as described.
2. In a ball bearing the combination with a barrel such as B having its ends
split and screwed externally and internally, of a screwed bearing cup such as A
with teeth A', a split locking ring such as C' and a nut D for drawing the latter
into and holding it in engagement with the teeth on the bearing cup substantially
as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. A ball bearing having a split locking ring such as C provided with teeth and
projections CC, the latter arranged to be sprung into engagement with a
groove D¹ on the interior of a nut such as D by means of which the locking ring
is held in position substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of
the accompanying drawings.
4. In a ball bearing the combination with an externally grooved bearing cup of
lugs upon the barrel and a screw or bolt with an enlarged portion upon it passing
through these lugs and through a washer so as to hold the edge of the latter in
engagement with one of the grooves in the cup substantially as described.
5. In a ball bearing the combination with a grooved cup such as A2, of lugs B³ B
upon the barrel, locking washer C C and bolt such as E E' substantially as
described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete ball
bearing substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 or in
Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
F. W. ENGELS.
H. R. KIRSCHBAUM.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.