Improvements in Ball Bearings.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball Bearings.
We, JOHN MCALPINE, of 30, Horace Road, Forest Gate, in the County of Essex,
Engineer, EDWARD STRONG TORREY, of 15, Britannia Street, London, Manufacturer,
and THOMAS STAMPS ALLDEN, of 46, Ashley Road, Crouch Hill, London, Accountant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in ball bearings, the said improvements
being more especially applicable to bearings of the kind described in the Specifica-
tion of Letters Patent No. 18272 dated 18th August 1896.
According to the present invention, we form ball bearings with the alternate balls
smaller than the others, the small balls being rotated by the motion of the larger
balls.
The said small balls are made of a size to just clear the shell of the bearing
and are, as above described, rotated about their axes by the larger balls which they
separate and the rotation of which they assist.
By this arrangement the friction between the balls is considerably reduced.
We also provide bristles upon the inside of the end discs of the bearing, the said
bristles projecting into the bearing and preventing dust collecting between the
balls and also acting as an efficient lubricator of the bearing.
Did the 2nd day of October 1897.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
.4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Dan Dearings
We, JOHN MCALPINE, of 30, Horace Road, Forest Gate, in the County of Essex,
Engineer, EDWARD STRONG TORREY, of 15, Britannia Street, London, Manufacturer,
and THOMAS STAMPS ALLDEN, of 46, Ashley Road, Crouch Hill, London, Accountant,
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 improvements in ball bearings, the said improvements
being more especially applicable to bearings of the kind described in the Specifica-
tion of Letters Patent No. 18272 dated 18th August 1896.
According to the present invention I form ball bearings with the alternate balls
smaller than the others, the small balls being rotated by the motion of the larger

page_text: balls. The said small balls are made of a size to just clear the shell of the bearing
and are, as above described, rotated about their axes by the larger balls which they
separate and the rotation of which they assist. To enable the small and large balls
to be easily distinguished from one another I make them of different colours, the
different colours being preferably obtained by the use of different materials for
forming the balls, for example the large balls can be of steel and the small balls of
phosphor bronze.
I also provide bristles upon the end discs of the bearing. The said bristles
project into the bearing and prevent dust collecting between the balls and also
act in lieu of a lubricator for the bearing so that all lubrication can be dispensed
with; or the bristles can be held against the end discs of the bearing to prevent
the entrance of dust.
In the accompanying drawing,-
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a bearing shewing my improvements
applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation of the said bearing; and
Figure 3 is a section shewing the end of a bearing wherein the bristles are
applied against the ends of the bearing but do not project into the ball races.
The bearing shewn in the drawing is one in which two ball races are employed
at each end and this is a form of bearing which I advantageously employ but it
will be understood that my improvements are equally well applicable to bearings
having only one ball race at each end.
a and bare the outer and inner shells respectively of the bearing and c is the
spindle upon which the shells rotate. The inner shell 6 is provided with two
race cones d and e the other cones d¹ and e¹ being formed separately one upon a
collar screwed upon the spindle c and the other upon the end disc f¹ screwed
within the shell a as clearly shewn in Figure 1. To this construction, however,
I make no claim.
As above
9, 9 are the larger balls of the bearing, the said balls being of such a size
that they are in contact with the two opposite race cones d, d¹ and le, el respectively
as shewn in Figure 1, and h, h are the alternate smaller balls which are of such
a size that they are in contact only with one cone of each ball race.
described the large balls g, g are preferably made of steel and the small balls h, h
of phosphor bronze although the said large and small balls can be distinguished
from one another by any other suitable method whereby,different colours are given
to them.
i, (Figure 1) are the bristles which are shewn extending into the inner ball races
in contact with the balls so as to effectually clean the same and act in lieu of
lubricant, the said bristles being carried upon rings j fitted to the collars f of the
bearing. It will be obvious that the outer ball races can be similiarly provided
with bristles.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 3 the bristles i do not extend into the inner
ball races, as in the arrangement illustrated in Figure 1, but are simply applied
against the outer face of each end of the bearing so as to cover the space necessarily
existing between the collar f and the end disc fi and efficiently prevent the entrance
of dust to the ball races.
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 ball bearings wherein large and small balls are employed 'making the
large and small balls of different colours or of materials of different colours, sub-
stantially as, and for the purpose, herein before described.
2. In ball bearings, the employment of bristles which extend through the ends
of the bearing into contact with the balls, substantially as, and for the purpose,
herein before described.
3. In ball bearings the employment of bristles which are applied against the

page_text: end faces of the bearing so as to prevent the entrance of dust into the ball races,
substantially as herein before described.
4. The manufacture and use of the ball bearings herein before described and
illustrated respectively in Figures 1 and 2; and 3 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 4th day of July 1898
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.