Improvements in or connected with Ball Bearings.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Ball Bearings.
I, EUGENE GERMAINE, Mechanic, of 33 Grande Rue, Sens (Yonne) in the
Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The present invention has for its object an adjusting arrangement for all classes
of ball bearings, and is applicable to the wheels of all kinds of vehicles, particularly
to the wheels of velocipedes, to pedals and in a general manner to all rotative
bearings.
In order to clearly describe the object of my invention, I will explain its
application to the hub of a velocipede.
In this case, my arrangement produces a simultaneous adjustment, much more
rapid and simple and such as to cause the wheel to retain always the median plane
between the forks.
In order to clearly describe the invention I have shown an example of the same
in the accompanying drawing in which
Figures 1 represent the axis or spindle of the hub and end views of the same.
Figures 2 and 3 show two cones internally screw threaded but in opposite
directions.
Figures 4 show the hub and its closing cups.
Figure 5 is an elevation showing my arrangement of hub applied to the fork of
the back wheel of a velocipede.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a side view of same.
Figures 8 are detail views showing the tension arrangement of the chains.
Figure 9 shows the arrangement of the extremity of the fork of the front wheel.
In all the figures the same letters of reference indicate similar parts.
My arrangement of hub is composed of an axis a, screw threaded at both ends
but in opposite directions, see Figure 1.
The extremity b is provided with a nick b¹ or has several flat sides to enable the
adjustment to be made by means of a screw driver or by a key or spanner; the
other extremity e of the spindle a, forms the step and has a projection d to prevent
the foot of the rider from slipping off therefrom.
On this axis are screwed two cones e which are internally screw threaded in
opposite directions each being provided with a small tenon which fits as hereafter
described, into a mortise made for this purpose in the chain tension arrangements
on the front and back forks.
This axis a passes through the hub g properly so-called, having at its two
extremities cups h internally screw threaded in opposite directions, so as to receive
the screw caps i, the screw threads of which are also in opposite directions, and
which are provided with a milled outer edge and with two notches or recesses to
enable it to be readily manipulated.
The bearing balls k are placed between the cones e and the screw caps i.
One of the cups h carries the driving pinion j.
The putting together of these pieces is effected as follows:-
The axis or spindle a being introduced into the hub g, the two cones e are
screwed on to the two corresncuding screwed ends of the spindle a until the flat

page_text: parts of these cones abut against the ends of the cups h; the bearing balls k are
then placed in position, and then the screw caps i are screwed into the corresponding
screwed parts of the cups h.
As shown in Figure 6, the right hand cup i which is screw threaded from right
to left, see Figures 4, takes the place of the counter nut on the driving pinion j
which is screw threaded from left to right and prevents it from becoming unscrewed,
the fixing washer is thus dispensed with.
The two chain tension arrangements are then placed in position so that the
small tenons of the cones e enter the mortises formed in these pieces, the hub is
then placed in the fork m by fitting the tenons f in the mortises made in this fork
if the back wheel is in question, or the tenons fit directly into the mortises of the
fork if the front wheel is in question.
The whole is held in position by binding nuts, see Figures 5, 6 and 7.
With this arrangement, the adjustment of the two cones is made at the same
time by rotating the spindle a.
The screw threads being arranged as shown in the drawing, if the spindle a is
turned from left to right, as the cones e are held fixed and the arms of the forks
have a certain elasticity, these two cones e will separate the one from the other by
approaching respectively the screw caps i and consequently tightening up the
bearing balls against the end of these latter, if on the contrary the spindle a is
turned in the opposite direction the loosening of the bearing is effected.
The two cones therefore act simultaneously and their movements are always
equal, from which it results that the adjustment is twice as rapid as that ordinarily
adopted, and that the centre of the hub remains always centrally between the
forks.
My arrangement presents besides the following advantages.
1. Dust cannot penetrate into the interior of the cups.
2. The lubricant cannot escape as there is no orifice for it to escape from, the
lubricaut, moreover, does not become sticky and thick, thereby ensuring a sweet
movement of the balls.
My system of adjustment can be applied to the hubs of wheels of all kinds, in
velocipedes, as well to the hub of the front wheel as to the back wheel, to the pedals,
and generally to all bearings on axes as above explained.
I reserve the right of varying at will the shapes, details, accessories, materials
and dimensions of my system of adjustment, according to its different applications,
without departing in any way from the peculiar character of my invention.
Dated January 18th 1895
Improvements in or connected with Ball Bearings.
I, EUGENE GERMAINE, Mechanic, of 33 Grande Rue, Sens (Yonne), in the
Republic of France, 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 :-
The present invention has for its object an adjusting arrangement for all
classes of ball bearings, and is applicable to the wheels of all kinds of vehicles,
particularly to the wheels of velocipedes, to pedals, and in a general manner to
all rotative bearings.
In order to clearly describe the object of my invention, I will explain its
application to the hub of a velocipede. In this case my arrangement produces a

page_text: simultaneous adjustment much more rapid and simple, and such as to cause the
wheel to retain always the median plane between the forks.
In order to clearly describe the invention I have shown an example of the same
in the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification, in which :-
Figs. 1 represent the axis or spindle of the hub and end views of the same.
Figs. 2 and 3 show two cones internally screw threaded, but in opposite
directions.
Figs. 4 show the hub and its closing cups.
Fig. 5 is an elevation showing my arrangement of hub applied to the fork of
the back wheel of a velocipede.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a side view of same.
Figs. 8 are detail views showing the tension arrangement of the chains.
Fig. 9 shows the arrangement of the extremity of the fork of the front wheel.
In all the figures the same letters of reference indicate similar parts.
My arrangement of hub is composed of an axis a screw threaded at both ends,
but in opposite directions, see Fig. 1. The extremity b is provided with a nick bi
or has several flat sides to enable the adjustment to be made by means of a screw
driver or by a key or spanner; the other extremity c of the spindle a forms the
step and has a projection d to prevent the foot of the rider from slipping off
therefrom.
On this axis are screwed two cones e, which are internally screw threaded in
opposite directions, each being provided with a small tenon f which fits, as
hereafter described, into a mortise made for this purpose in the chain tension
arrangements on the front and back forks.
This axis a passes through the hub g, properly so called, having at its two
extremities cups internally screw threaded in opposite directions, so as to
receive the screw caps i, the screw threads of which are also in opposite
directions, and which are provided with a milled outer edge and with two notches
or recesses to enable them to be readily manipulated.
The bearing balls k are placed between the coues e and the screw caps i.
One of the cups carries the driving pinion j.
The putting together of these pieces is effected as follows. The axis or
spindle a being introduced into the hub g, the two conese are screwed on to the two
corresponding screwed ends of the spindle a until the flat parts of these cones abut
against the ends of the cups ; the bearing balls are then placed in position and
then the screw caps i are screwed into the corresponding screwed parts of the cups h.
As shown in Fig. 6, the right hand cup i, which is screw threaded from right to
left, see Fig. 4, takes the place of the counter nut on the driving pinion j, which is
screw threaded from left to right and prevents it from becoming unscrewed; the
fixing washer is thus dispensed with. The two chain tension arrangements are
then placed in position so that the small tenons on the cones e enter the mortises
formed in these pieces; the hub is then placed in the fork m by fitting the tenons f
in the mortises made in this fork if the back wheel is in question, or the tenons fit
directly into the mortises of the fork if the front wheel is in question. The whole
is held in position by binding nuts, see Figs. 5, 6 and 7.
With this arrangement the adjustment of the two cones is made at the same
time by rotating the spindle a. The screw threads being arranged as shown in the
drawings, it the spindle a is turned from left to right, as the cones e are held fixed
and the arms of the forks have a certain elasticity, these two cones e will separate
the one from the other by approaching respectively the screw caps i, and con-
sequently tightening up the bearing balls k against the end of these latter; if, on
the contrary, the spindle a is turned in the opposite direction, the loosening of the
bearing is effected. The two cones therefore act simultaneously and their
movements are always equal, from which it results that the adjustment is twice
as rapid as that ordinarily adopted and that the centre of the hub remains always
central between the forks.

page_text: My arrangement presents besides the following advantages.
1. Dust cannot penetrate into the interior of the cups.
2. The lubricant cannot escape as there is no orifice for it to escape from. The
lubricant moreover does not become sticky and thick, thereby ensuring a sweet
movement of the balls.
My system of adjustment can be applied to the hubs of wheels of all kinds, in
velocipedes, as well to the hub of the front wheel as to the back wheel, to the pedals,
and generally to all bearings on axes as above explained.
I reserve the right of varying at will the shapes, details, accessories, materials
and dimensions of my system of adjustment, according to its different applications,
without departing in any way from the peculiar character of my invention.
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. The arrangement of adjustment for all kinds of ball bearings, in which the
adjustment is made by means of the spindle screw threaded upon a portion of its
length and upon which are screwed the bearing cone or cones arranged in such
manner that they are moved in one or in the other direction when the spindle is
turned, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The application of the arrangement of adjustment above claimed to the hubs
of wheels of vehicles of all kinds and particularly of velocipedes, the spindle having
in this latter case right and left handed screw threads so that the two bearing cones
are moved simultaneously when the spindle is turned, substantially as herein shown
and described.
3. The application of the arrangement of adjustment substantially as herein
described to the ball bearings of pedals of velocipedes.
4. The improvements in or connected with ball bearings substantially as herein
shown and described.
Dated this 11th day of June 1895.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.