Improvements in Roller Bearings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1896-Accented; 7th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Roller Bearings.
1, WILLIAM HUGH WOODCOCK, of 25 Auckland Hill, West Norwood, in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, 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:-
My invention has reference to improvements in roller bearings, having for its
object to diminish friction between revolving journals or shafts and their bearings,
and also between wheels or pulleys revolving ou fixed journals or shafts.
My invention consists in placing between the journal or shaft (which I prefer to
incase in a hardened sleeve) and its bearing a series of rollers retained in their
proper relative circumferential and parallel positions by a cradle so devised that
the rollers can be inserted in the said cradle from the outside before the cradle is
placed in the casing, but on being so placed the rollers and cradle are retained in
their proper positions; or, as an alternative, the rollers can be inserted from the
inside of the cradle before the cradle is placed in the casing, in which alternative
the rollers and cradle are retained in their proper relative positions after the shaft
is inserted. The rollers are parallel throughout-their length and run between the
spokes of the cradle, such spokes forming the bearings for the said rollers. Lateral
movement of the cradle in the casing is prevented by projecting circular ribs
formed on the outer surfaces of the cradle at each end and engaging with similar
ribs formed on the inner surfaces of the casing. Lateral movement of the rollers
within the cradle is prevented by the inner faces of the discs forming the ends of
the cradle.
In order to enable my improvements to be the more easily understood I will now
describe them with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters
refer to similar parts throughout the different figures.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, represent the application of my improvement to a
railway axle box. The left half of Figure 1 being a front elevation, and the
right a back elevation. Figure 2 being a part longitudinal section. Figure 3
being, on the left half, a cross section on centre line, and on the right half a cross
section on line A-B, Fig. 2. Figure 4 shows, on the upper half a sectional plan
on centre line of a railway axle box, the lower half being an outside plan on
top. Figure 5 illustrates a cradle constructed according to my invention, suitable
to cases where the rollers are inserted from the outside, and Figure 6 is, on the
left half, a cross section on centre line, and on the right half a cross section on
line A-B (Fig. 2) of a cradle suitable to cases where the rollers are inserted
from the inside.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of a railway axle box showing grooves in the
end of the axle and projections formed on the casing fitting into said grooves,
for the purpose of preventing lateral movement between the axle or shaft and the
axle box or bearing in either direction.
Referring to the drawings:-a is the journal at the end of the axle of a railway
vehicle, b is the axle box preferably made of cast steel, c c are the rollers placed
between the journal and the casing, d is the metal cradle, e are the projecting
circular ribs formed upon the ends of the cradle, ff are the corresponding circular
ribs formed upon the casing, gg are the faces formed on the inner sides of the ends
of the cradle, which control the lateral movement of the rollers cc within the said
cradle; h h in Figure 5 are the bearing surfaces of the rollers formed on the

page_text: spokes of the cradle d, suitable to cases where the rollers are inserted from the
outside of the cradle, and k k in Figure 6 are the similar bearing surfaces suitable
to cases where the rollers are inserted from the inside of the cradle.
In Figure 7, is the groove formed in the end of the axle, and m is the projection
formed in the casing of the bearing and fitting into the groove l.
With my invention as above described I prefer to make the rollers in one length,
but in some cases it may be found desirable to make them in two or more lengths,
in which case one or more stiffening discs or rings are interposed between the
spokes of the cradle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I am aware that parallel rollers have been used before; I am also
aware that cradles have been used before to support parallel rollers; I, therefore,
do not claim any of these, but what I do claim is :-
1. In roller bearings, the combination of a cylindrical journal or shaft, with or
without a sleeve fitted thereon, rollers running between and on the spokes of a
cradle, such spokes forming the bearings of the said rollers, substantially as herein
described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. A cradle for roller bearings having the bearing surfaces for receiving the
rollers on the upper halves of the spokes, substantially as herein described and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. A cradle for roller bearings having the bearing surfaces to receive the rollers
formed on the lower halves of the spokes, substantially as herein described and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of March 1896.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for the said Applicant.