IMPROVEMENTS IN BALL BEARINGS CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR USE IN VELOCIPEDES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BALL BEARINGS CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR
USE IN VELOCIPEDES" 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 an improved ball-bearing for velocipedes or other
machines.
In the accompanying drawing:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ball-bearing embodying my invention and
especially adapted for bicycles.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same, a portion of the casing being represented
as broken away.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line x y Figure 2.
Figure 4 is an interior view of the casing and
Figure 5 is a view of the cone shaped sections separated.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
A indicates the driving shaft or axle of a bicycle, and B a collar rigidly, but
detachably, driven or keyed onto the axle A, and provided with one or more
annular grooves b in which are placed the balls a constructed as usual.
CC indicate sections of a cone surrounding the collar B and grooved at d
coincidently therewith, the said sections being made of such widths circumferentially
as to leave a slight space between the adjacent sections.
Each section C is provided on its outer face with a groove or opening C¹ into
which extend projections E¹ rigidly secured to the inner surface of the casing E.
This casing is internally threaded to receive the adjusting cap H which has its
edge serrated at H' in the usual manner. The said cap is prevented from rotating,
by means of the toothed extensiou I' of the oil-cup I adjustably secured to the
casing E by the screw J, and the sections C are prevented from rotating by means
of the projections E' extending into the grooves or openings C¹. Thus it will be

page_text: seen that the axle A and collar B rotate, while the sections C, cap H and casing E
are stationary, the said casing being secured to the fork of the bicycle by means
of the lug K in the ordinary manner.
As the balls or their grooves wear, the bearing is easily and quickly adjusted by
screwing the adjusting cap H into the casing upon the sections C, which draw nearer
to each other as the wear progresses, sufficient space being left for the purpose
between their adjacent edges, as above described, one of such spaces being shewn
at L in Figure 2.
There being but few parts to this bearing, the adjustability is exact and entirely
under control, and the possibility of breakage is reduced to a minimum.
Rigidly secured to the under side of the casing E is a lug or ring of metal N,
provided with a perforation N¹. This is intended for attaching luggage, suspending
a lamp, or for carrying any articles for which it may be found practicable. The
advantage of suspending a lamp from one of the bearings of the driving wheel of
a bicycle instead of centrally from the hub thereof is, as will be understood by all
riders, that the shadow of the rim of the wheel is not thrown directly in front.
This bearing may be applied not only to bicycle-wheels and pedals, but to
shafts and axles in machinery of any kind.
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:
The herein described ball-bearing consisting essentially of the internally threaded
casing E provided with the projections E¹, the cone-sections C provided with the
annular grooves d and the grooves or openings C₁ into which the said projections E¹
extend, the adjusting cap H extending between the said sections and casing, and
the shaft A, grooved collar B and balls a, all constructed and arranged substantially
as, and for the purpose, set forth.