Improvements in or relating to the Adjustment of Ball Bearings.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Adjustment of Ball Bearings.
ROBERT ALFRED MARPLES, Tyndale Lodge, Highland Road, Bromley,
Kent Engineer, and JOHN BONSFIELD CHAMBERS of 10 Richmond Villas, Holloway,
London N., Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In a ball-bearing which permits of a Spindle and a Bracket revolving relatively
to each other, either being fixed, it is usual to provide hardened ball-racers on
each element, which may or may not be solid with the Spindle or Bracket, herein-
after called the "elements." To permit of adjustment one at least of these ball
races must be capable of movement along the axis of the bearing. This is usually
provided for by having one or more of the ball-races screwed into or upon the
element to which it is to be affixed. Our invention consists of an arrangement
whereby the adjustable ball-race or ball-races may be firmly held in position
after the adjustment has been effected. This arrangement consists of a locking
ring of suitable shape, upon or within which are cut two screw-threads of different
pitch. These two threads engage, one with a screw-thread cut upon or within
the ball-race to be locked in position, and the other with a screw-thread cut upon
or within the element to which the ballrace is to be locked. These screw-threads
may or may not be identical with the thread which provides the adjustment.
When the ball race has been adjusted, rotation of the locking-ring relative to
the ball-race and element producers, by means of the difference in pitch, a longi-
tudinal pull between the ball-race and the element, thus locking the former to
the latter effectually.
001
1000
R. A. MARPLES.
JNO. B. CHAMBERS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Adjustment of Ball Bearings.
We, ROBERT ALFRED MARPLES, of Tyndale Lodge, Highland Road, Bromley,
Kent, Engineer, and JOHN BONSFIELD CHAMBERS, of 10 Richmond Villas,
Holloway, London, N. 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:-
This invention relates to ball bearings which permit of a spindle and a bracket
revolving relatively to each other either being fixed.

page_text: It is usual to provide such bearings with two hardened ball races on each
element, which races may or may not be solid with the spindle or bracket, and to
permit of adjustment, one at least of these ball races must be capable of a longi-
tudinal movement along the axis of the bearing. This is usually provided for
by having one or more of the ball races screwed into the element, as in the case
of a cycle bottom bracket, or upon the element, as in the case of a wheel hub,
to which it is to be affixed.
Our invention comprises an arrangement whereby an adjustable ball race
or adjustable ball races is, or are, or may be firmly held in their assigned positions
after the desired adjustment or adjustments has or have been effected. Now such
an arrangement consists of a locking ring of suitable shape provided or cut with
two serew threads of different pitch. In the case of a cycle bottom bracket, the
locking ring is inside and outside screwed with threads of different pitches; the
inside worm may screw upon the outside of the adjustable ball race, and the
outside worm of the said ring may screw into the like-wormed inside mouth of
the bracket or element, whilst in the case of a wheel hub, the locking ring may
be inside screwed only, that is, it may be of two diameters internally,
respectively differentially wormed. The fore part or part of larger diameter,
may screw upon the outside end or mouth of the hub, whilst the other and
differentially wormed part of less diameter may screw onto the wormed end of
the ball cup.
Thus, these two threads engage one with the screw thread cut upon or within
the ball race to be locked in position and the other with the screw thread cut
upon or within the element to which the said ball race is to be locked. Either
one of these screw threads is identical with the thread which provides the
adjustment.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a horizontal section of a cycle
bottom bracket, the bearings at the right hand end of which have adjustment-
locking means according to our invention.
a is the barrel or body of the bracket, constituting one element, and b is the
spindle constituting the other element and having fixed ball races &, upon it,
whilst the element a, has an adjustable ball race c, between the race face clo, of
which and the race face 63, of the other element, the anti-friction balls d, of the
bearing come and roll. e is an inside and outside screwed locking ring with the
screwed threads e, upon the inside being 1/24" pitch, right hand, and adapted to
screw onto the like-wormed outside periphery cl, of the reduced outer end c³, of the
ball cup c, whilst the screw threads e, on the outer periphery of the said ring are
finer or of about 1/28" pitch, right hand, and screw into the like inside screwed
mouth a', of the barrel a, which also receives the like outside-wormed inner end o",
of the adjustable ball race c.
The bearings at the left end of the bracket may be of the ordinary type, as
represented.
OPERATION.
First screw the locking ring nearly home upon the reduced end of the ball
race and then rotate the race and ring together into the mouth of the hub, and
after the desired adjustment of the bearings has been attained, then hold the
ball race and rotate or give a part forward or backward turn to the locking ring.
The differences in pitch between the screw threads el, e, produce a longitudinal
pull between the ball race and the barrel of the bracket, thus effectually locking
the former to the latter.
Figure 2 represents a horizontal section of a wheel hub with the bearing at the
right hand end of the same provided with means for locking them in their
adjusted positions according to another form of our invention.
a is the barrel of the hub, 6 the spindle, & the fixed ball races thereon, and e
is the adjustable ball race of the hub, with the ball bearings d, interposed and
running between the opposed faces b, c¹ of the races b¹, c. e is the locking ring,
which is of two diameters internally with the part e, of smaller diameter being

page_text: screwed to 1/28" pitch, right hand, and taking upon a corresponding wormed
end, of the ball race or cup c, whose other part c³, is wormed to the same pitch
and takes into the correspondingly wormed mouth of the barrel a. The part ea
of larger diameter is screwed with a coarser thread of 1/24" pitch, right hand,
and takes upon the correspondingly coarse thread on the outside end of the hub.
OPERATION
First screw the locking ring or nut e, nearly full home on the screwed end C',
of the hub. Then hold the same and meanwhile rotate the bali race through the
ring and into the mouth of the hub until the required adjustment has been
effected. Now give a forward turn to the locking ring or nut, when the difference
in the pitch of the threads produce a longitudinal pull between the ball race and
hub barrel and lock the one to the other.
We wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the relative pitches
of the threads as specified as the same may be varied as required, so long as they
differentiate to some extent.
The application of our invention to ball bearings for other purposes differs in
no essential respect from its application to cycle bottom brackets or to wheel hubs
as herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
First: Locking the adjustable ball races or cups of ball bearings in position
by locking rings or locking nuts cut or provided with two screw threads of different
pitch respectively engaging with correspondingly wormed parts of the said race
or cup and a relatively fixed or non-adjustable part of the bearing.
Secondly-Locking the adjustable ball races of cycle bottom bracket bearings
by the arrangement and combination of the parts, substantially as described and
set forth in Figure 1.
Thirdly: Locking the adjustable ball races of the bearings of wheel hubs
by the arrangement and combination of parts, substantially as described and set
forth in Figure 2.
Dated this 2nd day of September 1897.
ROBERT ALFRED MARILES.
JOHN BONSFIELD CHAMBERS.
By Henry Skerrett.
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.