Improvements in Ball Bearings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Application Led kingum), or mar., 1299
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Mar., 1899-Accepted, 15th Apr., 1899
Improvements in Ball Bearings.
I, GEORGE ALBERT BURWELL, Manufacturer, a Citizen of the United States,
residing at Toledo, in the County of Lucas and State of Ohio, one of the United
States of America, 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 ball bearings, particularly adapted to bicycles and
kindred vehicles, though it may be used in any constructions of mechanism, in-
volving the ball bearing principle.
Its objects are to reduce the friction caused by the balls rubbing against each
other with their adjacent surfaces moving in opposite directions and it consists of
interposing between each of the balls in a bearing, an anti-friction roller, which
revolves with its surface moving in the same direction as the surfaces of the balls
against which it is in contact; it further consists in a peculiarly formed frame
or cage for supporting these anti-friction rollers and the balls and for holding
the balls in their proper positions against accidental displacement yet in such
manner that they may be moved radially by the exertion of a slight pressure,
the cage being preferably formed of stamped sheet metal as shown in the drawings.
These drawings show my invention in the best form now known to me, but
certain changes, obvious to a skilful mechanic, might be made in the details
thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the
Claims at the end of this specification.
Figure 1 is a view of a ball bearing, embodying my invention, partly in trans-
verse section on the line 1, 1, of Figure 2 with some of the parts broken away and
some shown in their original or primary condition before being bent to final
shape as will be explained further on.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line 2, 2, of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view, illustrating several balls with anti-friction
rollers between them, and portions of the supporting cage.
Figure 4 is a plan or top view of the cage, and
Figure 5 a horizontal transverse section through the same on the line 5, 5, of
Figure 1.
In these drawings I have deemed it necessary to show only the ball race or
cup A. and the cone B, of an ordinary ball bearing. The balls C, five of which are

page_text: shown, though a greater or less number may be used, lie in contact with and roll
upon the opposing surfaces of the cup and cone respectively.
Between each of these balls is located an anti-friction roller D, having concave
peripheries to conform to the surfaces of the balls against which they bear. These
rollers are mounted upon pins d, the ends of which are supported by metallic
cage or frame E. This cage is preferably formed of stamped sheet metal, with
brackets or arms F, which support the outer ends of the pins upon which the
rollers are mounted. These brackets are made integral with the main body of the
cage and are first bent at right angles at the outer periphery of the main body
and then again at right angles towards the centre of the cage so
embrace the outer end of the anti-friction rollers as shown in the drawings. The
original form of these arms or brackets as they are stamped from the sheet metal
is shown at G, Figure 1.
as to
The central portion of each arm is cut away for the purpose of lightness and
resiliency, leaving an aperture 9, with arms H, H, at each side of it which sup-
port the outer end F, of the bracket. The outer side of each of these arms are
cut away or formed with a curved indenture h, corresponding approximately to the
curvature of the balls.
It will be observed by reference to Figure 4, that when the arms or brackets
are bent over to their final position, the opening between the curved opposed
surfaces of adjacent arms is slightly smaller in width than the diameter of the
ball C, which is shown by dotted lines. As the cage is made of very light or
springy metal, the balls C, can be forced through these openings by slight pres-
sure which forces these arms aside and, when they are once in place, the arms
spring back so that the balls are held in position against accidental displacement,
and yet they can be withdrawn when desired by the application of sufficient force
to again spring the arms.
By this means, I am able to remove the cage with the balls and its anti-
friction rollers as an entirety from a bearing, without the balls necessarily
escaping from the cage. This I find is a great convenience not only in original
manufacture but for the purposes of repairing, and the like.
Below these arms, the metal of the body of the cage is cut away to form a
circular opening K, at the side of each ball, through which openings the balls
project without contact with the sides of the cage or in fact any portion of it,
when they are in working position between the cone and cup.
As illustrated, the balls are held in position laterally by the concave peripheries
of the anti-friction rollers between them, so that when the balls are in working
position in the bearing between the cone and the cup, they are absolutely out of
contact with the cage at every point, touching only the cone and its surfaces
and also the surfaces of the anti-friction rollers which latter hold the cage in
proper position out of contact with the balls.
The balls therefore have absolutely free rolling contact with the cone and the
cup and also with the anti-friction rollers, which revolve in unison with them,
but the balls do not touch or rub against any portion of the cage which supports
the rollers or against any moving surface rolling in opposition to them, thus
resulting in a great reduction in the friction existing in ball bearings as commonly
constructed.
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;
1. In a ball bearing, the combination of the bearing balls, the separating rollers
having concave peripheries located between the balls and the pivot pins on which
the rollers are mounted with a suitable revoluble frame or cage which supports
the pivot pins of the rollers, substantially as set forth.
2. In a ball bearing, the combination of the bearing balls, the separating
rollers having concave peripheries located between the balls and the pivot pins

page_text: on which the rollers are mounted with a suitable revoluble frame or cage which
supports the roller pins and retains the balls against accidental displacement,
substantially as set forth.
3. In a ball bearing, the combination of the bearing balls, the separating rollers
having concave peripheries located between the balls and the pivot pins on which
the rollers are mounted with a revoluble frame or cage composed of a disc having
suitable apertures K, at its sides through which the sides of the balls partially
project and having slightly yielding overhanging-arms or brackets which support
the outer ends of the pivot pins, with peripheral apertures or openings formed
between the adjacent sides of the said over-hanging arms slightly less in width
than the diameters of the balls, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.