IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINE AND AXLE BEARINGS, AND IN PLUMMER BLOCKS AND OTHER PARTS OF MACHINES AND VEHICLES TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH BEARINGS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Payton, of 38, Masbro' Road, Brook Green, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, for the Invention of " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINE AND AXLE BEARINGS, AND IN PLUMMER BLOCKS AND
OTHER PARTS OF MACHINES AND VEHICLES TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH
SUCH BEARINGS."
Sealed the 7th December 1877, and dated the Sth June 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Payton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th June 1877.
WALTER PAYTON, of 38, Masbro' Road, Brook Green, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINE AND AXLE BEARINGS, AND
IN PLUMMER BLOCKS AND OTHER PARTS OF MACHINES AND VEHICLES TO BE USED IN
CONNECTION WITH SUCH BEARINGS."
This Invention relates to a new and improved method of constructing machino
and axle bearings, and to improvements in plummer blocks and other parts of
machines and vehicles to be used in connection with such bearings, and the said
Invention has for its object the production of the said bearings by such processes
and in such a manner as will render them interchangeable, make them more durable,
greatly facilitate the substitution of new ones in place of worn ones, and at the
same time reduce considerably the cost of manufacturing them.
In carrying out the said Invention in one of its modifications I use rolled or
drawn slicets, or strips of phosphor bronze, gun metal, steel, white metal, or other
suitable material, and from such rolled or drawn sheets or strips I cut, by means of
shears or other suitable apparatus, pieces of such length and breadth as may be
requisite for any particular size of bearing, and to such pieces I give the required
circular curve by means of bending rollers or by suitably shaped dies, which dies
may be operated by screws, steam pressure, hydraulic pressure, or in any other
convenient manner, although I prefer to use for such purpose hydraulic pressure,
acting on a piston within a cylinder, in a manner well understood, as by such means
I am enabled to not only give the required curve to such pieces of rolled or drawn
sheet or strip, but can further subject them to such an amount of pressure in

page_text: addition as may be found useful in consolidating and so rendering more durable the
material of which such pieces may be composed. The circular curve so given to
the said pieces will in no case exceed in extent a semicircle, and it may be as much
less than a semicircle as may be required to adapt such pieces to the especial
circumstances under which such pieces may be required to be used; and in cases
where the outer ends of such pieces are required to be rounded off I use strips
rolled or drawn to the width required to give the requisite length to such pieces,
and I cause the edges of such strips to be rounded off during the process of rolling
or drawing such strips.
In cases where machine bearings are subject to a constant pressure in one
direction only, such as the ends of the connecting or push rods of single-acting
engines, one of the said curved pieces will form a bearing, the ends of the said rods
being shaped to the outside radius of the said curved pieces to receive them, pro-
vision being made to secure them to the said rods; and in cases where shafts,
spindles, or other revolving bodies are required to rotate within an adjustable
bearing, any two of such curved pieces will form a pair, and such pair, when placed
within a plummer block or part of a machine made adjustable in any usual
inanner, and bored out to the radius of their outer curve, will not only form an
interchangeable bearing for such shaft,- spindle, or other revolving body, but one
the parts of which may be renewed with great facility and with a considerable
saving both of time and expense. It is, however, necessary that provision should be
made to prevent the said curved pieces from turning round within the plummer
block or part of a machine in which they may be placed, or moving in an endway
direction, and set screws, studs, or other equivalents may be used for this purpose;
but, what I prefer is to bend over a portion or portions of one or both of the edges
of the said curved pieces so as to form a projection or projections on their outer side
or sides; and within the above-mentioned suitably bored-out plummer block or part
of a machine intended to receive such curved pieces I make notelies or recesses,
within which the said projections may lie, and so prevent the said curved pieces
from either turning round or-moving in an endway-direction. The said projections
may be formed by suitable dies, either before or after the curve has been given to
the said pieces, or they may be formed at the same time with such curve by dies
so constructed as to fit them for both purposes and such curved pieces when formed
in steel, with or without the said projections, may be afterwards tempered to any
degree of hardness that may be desired.
In another modification of my said Invention, and where bearings are required to
be in cross section of greater extent then a semicircle, I form the said bearings of
sheets or strips of any suitable metal, drawn in lengths to the section required
through draw plates in a manner well understood, such sheets or strips when so
drawn to the required section being cut or sawn to the lengths desired, and such
bearings may be prevented from turning round in the parts of machines to which
they are fitted by screws, studs, or feathers, or in any other manner that may be most
convenient. Such bearings may also be made of hard drawn tubes, such tubes
having a portion sawn or otherwise removed from them to admit the particular
kind of stop that may be used to fix them in the parts of machines to which they
are fitted.
The bearings made according to this modification are amongst other purposes
well adapted for the crank shaft bearings of single acting engines. They can be
manufactured cheaply, will also afford great facilities for renewal, and be greatly
more durable than are bearings made from cast metal in the ordinary manner.
In that modification of my Invention especially designed for bearings for axles
I use blocks similar to those now used for the axles of locomotives, railway
carriages and waggons, tramway cars, and other rolling stock, and to the lower face
of such blocks I give a curve of as much greater radius than the axles for which
they are intended as will admit the above-described curved pieces between the said
blocks; and the said axles and such curved pieces I secure to the said blocks in
any convenient manner, preferring, however, for this purpose to form on each of

page_text: such curved pieces one or more of the above-described projections, suitable notches
or recess being made in the sides of the said blocks to receive such projections.
The said projections may also, if desired, have screws passed through them for the
purpose of further securing the said curved pieces to the said blocks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Walter Payton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th December
1877.
WALTER PAYTON, of 38, Masbro Road, Brook Green, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINE AND AXLE BEARINGS, AND
IN PLUMMER BLOCKS AND OTHER PARTS OF MACHINES AND VEHICLES TO BE USED IN
CONNECTION WITH SUCH BEARINGS."
This Invention relates to a novel and improved method of constructing machine.
and axle bearings, and to improvements in plummer blocks and other parts of
machines and vehicles to be used in connection with such bearings, and the said
Invention has for its object the production of the said bearings by such processes
and in such a manner as will render them interchangeable, greatly facilitate the
substitution of new ones in place of worn ones, and at the same time reduce
considerably the cost of manufacturing thein.
In carrying out the said Invention in one of its modifications I use rolled or drawn
sheets or strips of phosphor bronze, gun metal, steel, white metal, or other suitable
metal, and from such rolled or drawn sheets or strips I cut, by means of shears or
other suitable apparatus, pieces of such length and breadth as may be requisite for
any particular bearing, and to such pieces I give the required circular curve by
means of bending rollers, or by a suitably shaped die, such as that represented by g
in Figure 21 of the annexed Drawings, the stamper h of which is operated by
means of screw pressure, steam pressure, hydraulic pressure, or in any other suitable
manner. The circular curve so given to the said pieces will in no case exceed in
extent a semicircle, and it may be as much less than a semicircle as may be required
to adapt such pieces to the especial circumstances under which they may be required
to be used.
In cases where machine bearings are subject to pressure in one direction only,
such as the ends of the connecting or push rods of single-acting engines, one of the
said curved pieces will form a bearing, the ends of the said rods being shaped to
the outside, curve of the said curved piece to receive it, and provision being made to
secure it to the said rods, and in cases where shafts, spindles, or other revolving
bodies are required to rotate within an adjustable bearing, any two of such pieces,
the transverse section of which is equal to or slightly less than a semicircle, will
forn a pair, and such pair, when placed within a plummer block or part of a
machine, made adjustable in any suitable manner, and bored out or otherwise
shaped to the outer curve of the said curved pieces, will form an interchangeable,
cheaply constructed, and easily renewed bearing for such shaft, spindle, or other
revolving body. It is, however, necessary that provision should be made to prevent
the said curved pieces turning round within the plummer block, or part of a
machine, in which they may be placed, or moving in an endway direction, and set
screws, studs, or their equivalents may be used; but what I prefer for this purpose.

page_text: is to press out, by means of a suitable die and punch, such as those illustrated by d
and e in Figures 17 and 20, a projection or projections upon the outer side or sides
of the said curved pieces, and to form within the said plummer blocks, or parts of
machines, notches or recesses to receive the said projections.
This will be clearly understood by reference to the Drawings, wherein Figure 1 5
illustrates a front elevation; Figure 2, a longitudinal section; Figure 3, a plan;
and Figure 4, a plan of the lower part of a plummer block fitted with the said
curved pieces, such curved pieces being also illustrated separately by Figures 9 and
10, in all of which Figures, a indicates the curved pieces; b, the projections; and c,
the notches or recesses above mentioned. The said curved pieces may, however,
have their projections formed as shown by b in Figures 7, 8, 11, and 12, or pro-
jections may be attached to them by screws, rivets, or solder, as will be understood
by reference to Figures 5 and 6.
By Figures 18 and 19 is illustrated one manner of applying the said curved pieces
to the axles of bicycles, and for this particular purpose I prefer to secure the said 1
curved pieces by means of the studs b, b, inserted in receptacle j, k, suitable holes /
being made in the said curved pieces to receive the said studs. When the 'said
curved pieces are required to be used as bearings in machines, I construct, as part of
such machines, adjustable receptacles, which I bore out to receive the said curved
pieces, and I provide such receptacles, with the above-described studs, notclies, or
recesses for the purpose of securing the said curved pieces within them.
$
.
By Figures 11 and 12 is illustrated in section and plan a mode of applying the
said curved pieces to the bearing blocks of railway carriage axles and the like, and
for this purpose the block m has its face shaped to the outer curve of the said
curved pieces, and is provided with notches or recesses c, c, to receive the projections?
b, b, above described, any of the other means above indicated may, however, be used
to secure the said curved pieces to the said blocks if preferred.
The said pieces may also be provided with the oil holes w bored through them,
and the oil channels v may be grooved in them by any ordinary planing machine,
such grooving and boring operations, together with the operation of pressing out
the above-mentioned projections being by preference completed before the curve has
been given to the said pieces.
When any of the alloys known as white metal are used in the construction of the
said curved pieces, they may be made by first giving the desired curve approximately
to them by pouring the said metal when fluid into suitable moulds, and afterwards
hardening, shaping, and finishing them by means of a die constructed in a manner
similar to that shown in Figure 21, the parts being, however, varied to suit the
particular section required; and when such curved pieces are formed of steel any-
degree of temper may be given to them by hardening them when shaped in any
usual manner:
In a second modification of my said Invention I also use rolled or drawn sheets of
metal, and such sheets I reduce by shearing, or otherwise, to strips of the width
necessary to form when curved any particular bearing; but to such strips, which
should be as long as can be conveniently worked, 1 give the required circular curve
by passing them in the direction of their length between rollers constructed in a
manner well understood, 'and to such curved strips I give great accuracy of shape,
hardness, and finish by drawing them through an adjustable draw plate such as that
represented by Figure 23, in which a is the curved strip, and n, o, the adjustable
parts of the said draw plate. The said curved lengths when thus finished I cut up
by saws, or otherwise, into suitable lengths for bearings, and provide such lengths
with one or other of the above-described means for securing them in their recep-
tacles; such strips may, however, after being approximately curved by rollers as
above stated, be divided into lengths suitable for bearings, and such lengths may be
shaped and finished by the process illustrated by Figure 22, which represents two
of such lengths, a, a, placed within the cylindrical die p for the purpose of being
subjected to the expansive action of the conical drift 8, which drift may be forced

page_text: through them by any conveniently applied power, preference however being given
to hydraulic pressure.
As a further modification of my said Invention, Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16
illustrate a method of constructing bearings which have a greater transverse section
than a half circle, and such bearings I construct from rolled or drawn strips of the
width required, to produce when curved the necessary section, and to such strips I
give the desired curve by drawing them through dies or draw plates upon a central
mandrel in a manner well understood by tube manufacturers. Such strips when
so curved I separate into lengths suitable for bearings, and such lengths I provide
with projections, as shown in Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16, or other suitable means
for securing them within their bored-out receptacles, such receptacles being also
provided with corresponding notches or recesses, as described in the above men-
tioned modifications.
Having now fully described the nature of my said Invention and the manner in
which it is to be carried into effect, I would have it understood that what 1
claim, is,―
Firstly. The construction of machine and axle bearings out of rolled or drawn
sheets or strips of metal bent to the desired curve by means of rollers, dies, or draw
plates, singly or in combination, and provided with projoctions formed by dies out
of, or with projections attached to, such bearings for the purpose of securing them
within or to parts of machines, plummer blocks, or the bearing blocks of carriage
axles and the like, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.
Secondly. The use in plummer blocks, parts of machines, and in the bearing
blocks of railway carriage axles and the like, of the notches or recesses above
described, for the purpose of securing the said bearings within or to them.
Thirdly. The construction of bicycle bearings in the manner described herein, and
further illustrated by Figures 18 and 19.
Fourthly. The application to railway carriage axle blocks and the like of curved
pieces constructed of rolled or cast white metal, shaped and hardened by means of
dies, substantially as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Payton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
WALTER PAYTON. (L.S.)