Improvements in the Journals of Shafts or other Movable Contact Surfaces and their Bearings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 17th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Journals of Shafts or other Movable Contact
Surfaces and their Bearings.
I ALFRED LADDS of 4 Craven Terrace Uxbridge Road Ealing in the County
of Middlesex Miller do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object to reduce friction, facilitate cleaning, prevent
heating, keep a true bearing, and economise lubricant and power.
According to my invention I form in the journal or like part a groove or grooves
so arranged that it or they extend from end to end of the journal or part of the
shaft in the bearing and which are not arranged in planes at right angles to the
axis of the shaft but preferably in a helical manner although they may be formed
longitudinally of the shaft. For footstep bearings I may make the groove or
grooves by cutting it or them across the end of the shaft extending to a depth
about equal to the depth of the bearing.
For cleaning purposes there may be an opening in the bottom of the bearing
closable by a screw or cover.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Journals of Shafts or other Movable Contact
Surfaces and their Bearings.
I, ALFRED LADDS, of 4 Craven Terrace, Uxbridge Road, Ealing in the County
of Middlesex, Miller, 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 has for its object to reduce friction between rubbing surfaces,
facilitate cleaning, prevent heating, keep a true bearing, and economise lubricant
and power.
According to my invention as applied to rotating shafts and the like I form in
the journal or like bearing part of a shaft, a groove or grooves extending from end
to end of the journal or bearing part of the shaft which groove or grooves is or are
arranged in a helical or inclined direction not extending more than once round the
journal or shaft. For footstep bearings I make a groove or grooves across the end
of the shaft in combination or not with a groove or grooves in the bearing portion
of its circumference.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompaning drawing represents in side elevation the journal of
a shaft provided with a helical groove in the circumference according to my
invention and
-
.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the journal showing the shape of the
groove.
The journal A is mounted in a bearing B of ordinary construction provided with
an aperture c for the introduction of lubricant to the journal A which lubricant

page_text: enters the groove C as the shaft revolves and is conducted thereby over the whole
inner surface of the bearing. The groove C is arranged helically round the journal
it extending in one direction round one half of its circumference from one end to
the other of the bearing surface, and returning in the reverse direction on the other
half of the circumference joins the first mentioned portion thereby forming an
endless groove round the journal. This groove may be made of uniform depth
throughout or it may be made, as shewn, deepest at or about the centre of each
part which is contained in each half circumference of the journal and gradually
reducing in depth towards the opposite ends of the bearing part of the journal, at
which parts the groove may vanish or nearly vanish into the surface of the journal.
This groove may be of any suitable form transversely but I prefer to make it in
the form shewn in Figure 2 that is deep at one side as at a and gradually reducing
in depth to the opposite side where it merges into the surface of the journal the
groove being somewhat like those in a corn mill stone.
The lubricant introduced at centers the groove C as the journal revolves and is
conducted thereby to the opposite ends of the bearing surface the said lubricant
being distributed over the surface of one half of the circumference of the journal
by one portion of the groove the other half of the circumference being lubricated
by the other portion of the groove on the other half of the circumference of the
journal. The whole bearing surface is thus efficiently lubricated with a minimum
expenditure of lubricating material and with cleanliness as very little if any of the
lubricant passes outside the bearing.
In applying my invention to vertical shafts working in footstep bearings, I
preferably provide the end of the shaft with a flat bearing surface and form therein
a groove of an S or reverse curved form extending from one side to the opposite
side through-the-centre-or-axis-of-bearing-surface-of-the-shaft_ns_shewn in
Figure 3. The form of this groove transversely is preferably like that herein-
before described and illustrated in Figure 2 and may be of uniform depth throughout,
or it may be made to increase in depth from its ends towards the centre. The
transverse inclination of the bottom of the groove on one side of the centre or axis
of the shaft is in the reverse direction to that of the bottom of the groove on-the
-other side of the centre or axis. If the vertical-surface of the lower end of the
shaft has a bearing in the footstep as shewn in Figure 4 the said bearing part is
preferably provided with a double or reverse helical groove similar to that herein-
before described with reference to the journal Figure I and this helical-groove may-
be made to communicate with the groove formed in the end bearing surface of the
shaft when used in combination therewith.
To permit of the footstep bearing being readily cleaned I provide in the bottom
brass thereof a groove or recess d communicating by passages e with a hole f
through which any dirt or other extraneous matter may be withdrawn. This
hole may be closed so as to be readily opened when required, by a screw plug g
as shewn or by any other suitable closure capable of being readily removed.
By means of the grooves C constructed and arranged as described the contact
surfaces are efficiently lubricated with a minimum expenditure of lubricant, friction
is reduced and grit excluded from between the bearing surfaces whereby the
surfaces are preserved from being cut or unduly worn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. In journals or like bearing surfaces of rotating shafts or axles, a helical
groove or grooves extending from one end to the other end round one half of the
circumference of the bearing surface and returning in the reverse direction from
end to end round the other half of the circumference of the bearing surface sub-
stantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1
of the accompanying drawings."
2nd. In journals of shafts or other movable bearing surfaces a helical groove or

page_text: grooves for conducting lubricant over the bearing or contact surfaces, the said
groove or grooves being of gradually increased depth from one side to the opposite
side thereof substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In shafts or spindles working in footstep bearings a reverse curved or
S shaped groove extending through the centre and from one side to the opposite
side of the bearing surface substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
4th. The combination with a S shaped groove in the end bearing surface of a
shaft, working in a footstep bearing, of a helical groove or helical grooves in the
circumferential bearing part of the shaft substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
5th. In a footstep bearing for vertically rotating shafts a passage or passages for
discharging dirt from the bearing the said passage being closable by a screw or
screws or other suitable covers or closures substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of September 1891.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.