IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF APPLYING ANTIFRICTION ROLLERS TO WHEELS AND OTHER PARTS OF MACHINERY
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF APPLYING ANTIFRICTION ROLLERS TO
WHEELS AND OTHER PARTS OF MACHINERY."-A communication from
abroad by William Bonham Scott, of the City, County, and State
of Nam Van United States of Amarion
Sealed the 18th March 1870, and dated the 25th January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, ou.
the 25th January 1870.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said.
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF APPLYING ANTIFRICTION
ROLLERS TO WHEELS AND OTHER PARTS OF MACHINERY," a communication from
abroad by William Bonham Scott, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America, to be as follows:―
This Invention is intended to do away with the friction which usually
comes upon the journals of wheels, and to which those parts of machinery
which rotate in or upon bearings are ordinarily subjected. To effect this

page_text: object I employ discs upon which the journal shafts or other rotating
part bears, the rotation of said part serving to communicate a corre-
sponding rotating 'movement to the discs, so that there is no sliding
friction between them; and in order to prevent friction upon the discs
I support them upon rollers of suitable size and conformation, which will
revolve frecly and in turn bear against a suitable bearing surface. Under
this arrangement the discs in their rotation communicate a corresponding
.rotatory movement to the rollers, so that between these there is no
sliding friction; and in like manner as the rollers revolve upon their
bearing surfaces they do not rub or draw over said surfaces, so that all
sliding friction is entirely avoided. The form and proportion of these
antifriction devices may be varied considerably without departure from
the essential features of the Invention so as to accord with the particular
machinery or device with which they may be used.
These essential features consist, firstly, of the combination with the
journal of a carriage. wheel or other rotating device of a disc or discs
interposed between said journal and antifriction rollers or their equi-*
valents, the disc or discs being arranged so as to form a bearing surface
for and to rotate with said journal, and to transmit such rotatory
movement to the rollers.
Secondly. Of the combination of tapering journals with tapering or
conical antifriction rollers and bearing discs interposed between the
rollers and journals, and having their faces inclined so as to fit and be'in'
contact with the tapering journals and rollers.
Thirdly. In so arranging the journal or axle of the bearing disc with
which said journal is in contact and the series of antifriction rollers upon.
which said disc is supported that both the disc and its antifriction rollers
shall revolve around the same axis.
Fourthly. In combining with each bearing disc with which the journal
is in rolling contact conical antifriction rollers upon spindle or axis
radiating from a hub mounted loosely on the spindle axis upon which
the bearing disc of the journal relates.
Fifthly. In combining the journals and their rotating discs with
antifriction. rollers arranged to move around the axes of their respective
discs and the stationary bearing surfaces upon which said rollers
revolve

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th July 1870..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex;
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special. License
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my exccutors,, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter, during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF
APPLYING ANTIFRICTION ROLLERS TO WHEELS AND OTHER PARTS OF MACHINERY,"
a communication from abroad by William Bonham Scott, of the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and scal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be.
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and. immediately after.the.date
of the said Letters Patent.
;
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry. Johnson, do hereby,
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the sama
is to be performed, to be particularly. described- and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying.
Drawings, and to the letters. and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
The said Invention is intended to do away with the friction which
usually comes upon the journals of wheels, and to which those parts of
machinery which rotate in or upon bearings are ordinarily subjected. To

page_text: effect this object I employ discs upon which the journal shaft or other
rotating part bears, the rotation of said part serving to communicate a
corresponding rotating movement to the discs, so that there is no sliding
friction between them; and in order to prevent friction upon the discs
I support them upon rollers of suitable size and conformation, which will 5
revolve freely and in turn bear against a suitable bearing surface. Under
this arrangement the discs in their rotation communicate a corresponding
rotary movement to the rollers, so that between these there is no sliding
friction, and in like manner as the rollers revolve upon their bearing
surfaces they do not rub or draw over said surfaces, so that all sliding ]
friction is entirely avoided. The form and proportion of these anti-
friction devices may be varied considerably without departure from the
essential features of the Invention so as to accord with the particular
machinery or device with which they may be used.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both
Figures.
Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 a section illustrating the :
improved arrangement of antifriction rollers as applied to a wheel.
A represents a railroad car or other wheel, the journals B of which
bear against the discs a mounted loosely and so as to be capable of
revolving, upon the vertical axis b fixed to the frame C of the truck or
other part to which the wheel is applied. The discs a bear in their turn
upon rollers c which are mounted and are capable of revolving upon
spindles or axes d radiating from hubs e mounted loosely upon the same
axes or shafts 6 which carry the discs a. The rollers c bear against the
annular surfaces f, which are immovable and are attached to or form part
of the frame C. The journals B, which are in contact with the discs a at
the point shewn in the Drawing, are made conical or tapering in form for
reasons which will be readily seen. If, for instance, instead of being
tapering they were cylindrical or of equal diameter at every point, in
which case the surfaces of the discs with which they have contact would
be flat, then there would be necessarily friction between the journals and
discs at some point, for while it is true that every part of the disc makes
one revolution in the same time, yet it at its circumference is greater
than at any other point intermediate between that point and the axis.

page_text: The cylindrical journals B would have, however, an equal speed at every
point upon its periphery which is in contact with the bearing surface of
the disc, so that if the journal revolved in unison with the outer portion
of the bearing surface of the disc or that portion furthest removed from
the axis it would not revolve in unison with the more slowly moving
portion of the bearing surface intermediate between that outer point and
the axis, and there would thus be necessarily a sliding friction between
the two. Instead therefore of making the journal of cylindrical shape
I make it tapering toward the axis b, so that its periphery shall be
directly proportionate to its distance from said axis b. Thus the peri-
phery of the journal will have the same relatively greater speed in
proportion to its distance from the axis as the bearing surface of the
disc, so that the two will move in unison at all points of contact and all
friction will be avoided. The surface of the disc has of course a corre-
sponding inclination with the taper of the journal so that the two may
be properly in contact. A greater or lesser portion of the face of the
disc, as desired, may be used for the bearing surface. A circular recess
is or may be formed in the face of each of the discs around the axis, in
which is held a corresponding shoulder h on each. end of the journal, the
object. of this being to hold the journal firmly in place so as to prevent
all lateral play. The ends of the shaft projecting beyond the journals
are or may be held in brackets g which prevent the shaft or journals
from getting out of place with relation to the discs. As regards the
rollers c, which are held between the upper faces of the discs a and the
stationary discs or bearing surfaces f, they are made tapering or conical
in form like the journals B and for the same reason; and they also, like
the journals, are or may be provided with shoulders which are received
in circular, recesses formed in the parts f, and as shewn clearly in
Figure 2. The upper faces of the discs a and the bearing surfaces fare
also made inclined for the same reason, the lower bearing surfaces or
faces of the discs a being inclined, as above stated. When the journals B
are in motion they by reason of their contact with the discs cause a
corresponding rotation of the latter upon their axes b. These discs in
turn being in contact with the rollers c communicate to them a rotary
movement, and the rollers revolve not only upon their own axes & but
also around the axes 6 upon which the hub which carries the radial
axes d is loosely mounted. There is no sliding friction between the
rollers and the discs a, for they move in unison, that is to say, their
surfaces move at an equal rate of speed, and there is no friction between

page_text: the rollers and the stationary bearing surfaces f, for they roll or revolve
upon such surfaces just as an ordinary wheel or cylindrical body may be
rolled over a suitable surface.
By the means above described I avoid rubbing or attrition between the
parts and prevent the wear upon them, which is inevitable in the use of
ordinary journals and bearings.
As above stated, the construction and arrangement of the devices may
be varied without departure from the principle of this Invention, for
instance, balls might be employed instead of the conical rollers. I mucli
prefer, however, the arrangement shewn and described, as it enables ine
to produce the best results by simple and comparatively inexpensive
mcans. The spindles or axes d are not subjected to any appreciable
extent to friction, as they do not support nor convey the rollers, but only
serve to hold them in place at the proper distance apart. It is needless
to say that any suitable number of rolls may be used.
The Invention, while applicable to all parts of machinery which rotate
in or upon bearings, is particularly adapted for the axles or journals of
railroad car wheels, which are usually subjected to excessive friction
and wear. By the use of this Invention this friction and wear and tear
are avoided.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The combination with the journal of a carriage wheel or other
rotating device of a disc or discs interposed between said journal and
antifriction rollers or their equivalents, as described, the disc or discs
being arranged so as to form a bearing surface for and to rotate with
said journal and to transmit such rotary movement to the rollers,
substantially as and for the purposes shewn and set forth.
Second. The combination of the tapering journals with the tapering
or conical antifriction rollers and the bearing discs interposed between
the rollers and journals, and having their faces inclined so as to fit and
be in contact with the tapering journals and rollers, as shewn and set
forth.
Third. The so arranging the journal or axle of the bearing disc with

page_text: which said journal is in contact and the series of antifriction rollers
upon which said disc is supported, substantially as shewn and described,
so that both the disc and its antifriction rollers shall revolve around the
same axis, as set forth:
Fourth. Combining with each bearing disc with which the journal is
in rolling contact of the conical antifriction rollers upon spindles or
axes radiating from a hub mounted loosely on the spindle or axis upon
which the bearing disc of the journal rotates, substantially as shewn and
described.
Fifth. The combination of the journals and their rotating discs with
the antifriction rollers arranged to move around the axes of their
respective discs and the stationary bearing surfaces upon which said
rollers revolve under the arrangement and for operation as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to
this my Specification set my hands and seal, this Twenty-second
day of July One thousand eight hundred and seventy.