An Improved Supporting or Carrying Device for Flexible Shafts.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1897-Accepted, 19th Feb., 1898 :
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Supporting or Carrying Device for Flexible Shafts.
I, ADOLPH STRIEMER, of 124, Wilhelmstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, 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 a ball-bearing supporting or carrying device for flexible
shafts and consists of a ring inserted between the balls and the shaft, in which ring
the flexible shaft is loosely mounted, or the ring may be firmly connected with the
flexible shaft. In both cases these rings are carried by means of balls or rollers in
adjustable bearings and the necessary parts of bearings may be suspended or fixed
and be employed for instance for both directions of the flexible shaft.
The flexible shafts or the flexible parts of stationary shafting such as described in
my previous Patent No. 1431407 are by the use of this ball bearing support ring,
merely held or supported by means of a spiral or tube in the said ring without the
usual casing necessary for holding the bearings of flexible shafts, in such a way that
as little friction as possible or wear and tear on the flexible shaft takes place, and if
necessary the flexible shaft may move freely or be adjusted longitudinally on its point
of support.
In the accompanying drawings :—
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a suspended or suspension ring;
Figure 2 is a front view and
Figure 3 a rear view of the same;
Figures 4 and 5 show a standard support for the ring;
Figure 6 is a section showing how the balls may be replaced by rollers;
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of a ring fixed on the flexible shaft.
Two ball bearing parts a b (Figure 1) connected with one another each carry in a
suitable race a suitable number of balls e between which a ring c is held for instance
by means of a V-edge. The parts a and b may be screwed together and their position
to one another may be fixed for instance by means of screws & Figure 3, the screws
seated in the part a engaging through slots &' in the flange b. The part a of the
bearing may for instance as shown in Figure 1 have an eyelet o for suspension or as
shown in Figure 4 may be provided with a foot, pedestal or fastening plate g. As
may be seen in Figures 1 and 2 an oil catcher d may be arranged on the part a of
the bearings and may be mounted at the point f firmly or removably. Another form
of construction of the oil catcher is shown in Figure 4 in which one part d' is formed
in one piece with the part a whilst the other part d consisting of another piece is
specially mounted on the part b of the bearing. The balls e employed in Figures 1
and 4 may also as shown in Figure 6 be replaced or completed by means of rollers e',
whilst the ring c and also the parts ab of the bearing may assume another form to
suit the object or rather the form of the shaft. The supporting or carrying ring
shown in Figures 1-3 is employed in such a way that it affords the flexible shaft a
suspended movable and if desired oscillatory support or bearing whilst the carrying
ring shown in Figures 4 and 5 affords the flexible shaft a stationary mounting of the
point of support in any suitable position.

page_text: In the form of construction shown in Figure 7, the ring c is firmly mounted on
the flexible shaft x and is held in the manneralready herein before described by means
of balls or rollers in parts a and b of the bearing adjustable as regards one another
whilst these parts a and b'of the bearing may also be arranged either suspended
oscillating or fixed.
7
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 :-
1. An improved supporting or carrying device for supporting flexible shafts or the
flexible parts of transmission shafting, consisting of the arrangement of two parts (ab)
of a bearing adjustable as regards one another and provided with a foot (g) or a
suspending lug (o), which parts hold between them by means of balls (e) or rollers (e').
a revoluble ring (c) for carrying the flexible shaft in such a way that on the rotation
of the flexible shaft the ring (c) may revolve with it and the flexible shaft may be
adjusted end wise, within the ring (c), substantially as herein before described. "
2. A modification of the supporting or carrying device for flexible shafts,
herein before described, which consists in the carrying ring, which is supported in
ball bearings or the like, being fixed on the flexible shaft whereby endwise movement
of the latter is prevented, substantially as herein before described.
5
Zvun day of December 1897.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant......
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