IMPROVE- MENTS IN BEARINGS FOR BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES, AND FOR WHEEL CARRIAGES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Green, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Machinist and Bicyle Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BEARINGS FOR BICYCLES, TRICYCLES, AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES,
AND FOR WHEEL CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Green at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st June 1880.
RICHARD GREEN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist and
Bicycle Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEARINGS FOR BICYCLES, TRICYCLES,
AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES, AND FOR WHEEL CARRIAGES."
My Invention consists in the construction herein after described of the bearings
of bicyles, tricycles, and other velocipedes, and of wheel carriages, whereby the
friction between the axis of the bicycle or velocipede or carriage wheel and the bush
of the wheel is much reduced and a large bearing surface obtained. The adjustment
of the parts is easily effected, and the moving parts are readily kept to their bearing,
and the effect of wear compensated for.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a bicycle. To each end of the
axle of the principal or driving wheel I affix a strong tubular collar or bush, in
which a concave groove is formed. Loosely fitting upon this collar or bush is a
thin ring having in it a series of equi-distant holes, in each of which a sphere or
ball of steel is placed, the said spheres bearing in the groove in the collar and being
kept apart by the said ring. Around the ring and spheres described I place a
strong steel ring split or divided in the direction of a radius, a portion of the metal
at the divided part equal to an angle of a few degrees being removed. The division
of the ring and the space between the two opposed ends of the divided ring permits
of the expansion and contraction of the said ring and its consequent increase or
decrease of diameter. The inner face of this ring has a concave groove made in it,
and its outer face is not cylindrical but conical. This ring is of such a size that it
requires to be expanded somewhat in order that it may be passed onto the spheres.
After it has been put in its place on the spheres and allowed to contract to its
normal size its groove engages with the spheres, which are thus enclosed, and roll
Prine 11

page_text: in the opposed grooves of the collar or bush on the axis of the wheel and the split
or divided ring. The end of the axis with the collar or bush, thin rings, spheres,
and divided ring in the respective relative positions herein before described are
inserted in a cap or circular box at the end of the fork of the bicycle. This cap
has lugs at opposite sides, by means of which a covering plate may be secured to
it, the cap and covering plate having central openings. The interior of the cap is
conical, and the conical, split, or divided ring fits in the conical interior of the cap, the
diameter of the divided ring being diminished as it is forced home in the said cap.
The position of the divided ring in the cap is determined by the covering plate,
which, by being screwed more or less tightly on the cap, forces the divided ring to
a greater or less distance in the cap.
By this arrangement the wearing of the spheres and the grooves in the collar or
bush and divided ring is easily compensated, the screwing down of the covering
plate pushing the divided ring further into the cap, thereby diminishing its diameter
and thus keeping the moving parts to their proper bearing.
Instead of adjusting the parts by the adjustment of the covering plate, the said
plate may be fixed, and set screws passing through it may be made to force the
divided ring to a greater or less distance in the cap.
The arrangement of parts described may also be applied to the bearing of the
back wheel of a bicycle.
The application of my Invention to tricycles and other velocipedes and to
wheel carriages differs in no essential respect from its application to a bicycle as
herein described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said Richard Green in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 29th April 1881.
RICHARD GREEN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist and
Bicycle Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEARINGS FOR BICYCLES, TRICYCLES,
AND OTHER VELOCIPEDES, AND FOR WHEEL CARRIAGES."
My Invention consists in the construction herein after described of the bearings
of bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes, and of wheel carriages, whereby the
friction between the axle of the bicycle or velocipede or carriage wheel and the
bush of the wheel is much reduced and a large bearing surface obtained.
adjustment of the parts is easily effected and the moving parts are readily kept
to their bearing and the effect of wear compensated for.
The
I will describe my Invention in connection with a bicycle. To each end of
the axle of the principal or driving wheel I affix a strong tubular collar or bush, in
which a concave groove is formed. Loosely fitting upon this collar or bush is a thin
ring having in it a series of equi-distant holes, in each of which a sphere or ball of
steel is placed, the said spheres bearing in the groove in the collar and being kept
apart by the said ring. Around the ring and spheres described I place a strong
steel ring, split or divided in the direction of a radius, a portion of the metal at the
divided part equal to an angle of a few degrees being removed.
The division of the ring and the space between the two opposed ends of the
divided ring permit of the expansion and contraction of the said ring and its conse-
quent increase or decrease of diameter. The inner face of this ring has a concave
groove made in it, and its outer edge is not cylindrical but conical.
This ring is of such a size that it requires to be expanded somewhat in order
that it may be passed onto the spheres. After it has been put in its place on the
spheres and allowed to contract to its normal size, its groove engages with the
spheres, which are thus enclosed, and roll in the opposed grooves of the collar or
bush on the axle of the wheel and the split or divided ring. The end of the axle,
with the collar or bush, thin ring, spheres, and divided ring in the respective
relative positions herein before described, are inserted in a cap or circular box at
the end of the fork of the bicycle. This cap has lugs at opposite sides, by means of
which a covering plate may be secured to it, the cap and covering plate having
central openings. The interior of the cap is conical, and the conical split or
divided ring fits in the conical interior of the cap, the diameter of the divided
ring being diminished as it is forced home in the said cap. The position of the
divided ring in the cap is determined by the covering plate, which, by being screwed
more or less tightly on the cap, forces the divided ring to a greater or less distance
in the cap.
By this arrangement the wearing of the spheres and the grooves in the collar or
bush and divided ring is easily compensated, the screwing down of the covering
plate pushing the divided ring further into the cap, thereby diminishing its diameter
and thus keeping the moving parts to their proper bearing.
Instead of adjusting the parts by the adjustment of the covering plate, the said
plate may be fixed, and set screws passing through it may be made to force the
divided ring to a greater or less distance in the cap.
The arrangement of parts described may also be applied to the bearing of the
back wheel of a bicycle.
The application of my Invention to tricycles and other velocipedes and to wheel
carriages differs in no essential respect from its application to a bicycle as herein
described.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.

page_text: Figure 1 represents in front elevation a portion of the principal or driving wheel
of a bicycle and parts connected with it, to which bearings constructed according to
my Invention are applied. Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same taken at the
face of one of the covering plates of the bearings. Figure 3 is a horizontal section
of one of the bearings; and Figure 4 is an end elevation of the same with the
covering plate removed. Figure 5 represents the covering plate separately; and
Figure 6, the cap or circular box of the bearing separately. The other Figures
represent a modification and separate parts of the bearing.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a is the hub of the principal or driving wheel of the bicycle, and b is the axle
On each end of
of the same; c, c, are the cranks on the ends of the said axle b.
the axle b a strong tubular collar or bush e is affixed. This collar or bush is shown
separately in Figure 7. In the said bush or collar e is a concave groove f, in which
the balls or spheres of the bearing work; g is the thin ring fitting loosely on the
bush e.
In each of the equi-distant holes in the said ring g a sphere or ball of
steel is placed, the said spheres or balls bearing in the groove f in the bush e,
and being kept apart by the said thin ring 9. The ring g is shown separately in
side elevation and section in Figure 8; i is the strong divided or split steel ring
placed around the sphere carrying ring g and the spheres h. This divided ring is
shown separately in side elevation and cross section in Figure 9, and front elevation
and section in Figure 10. By an examination of the said separate views, Figures 9
and 10 of the ring, it will be seen that the said ring is divided in the direction of
a radius, a portion at 2 equal to an angle of a few degrees being removed.
division of the ring and the space between the opposed ends of the divided ring
permit of the expansion and contraction of the said ring, and its consequent
increase or decrease of diameter. In the inner face of the divided ring i is a concave
groove, and the greater part of the outer edge of the said ring is conical (see
Figures 3 and 9). In order to pass the said divided ring i onto the balls or
spheres carried by the thin ring g it is necessary to somewhat expand the said
divided ring.
The
After the said divided ring has been put in its place on the spheres h and allowed
to contract to its normal size its groove engages with the said spheres, and when
the several parts of the bearing have been put in their places the said spheres
are enclosed in the groove fin the bush or collar e fixed on the axle b, and in the
groove in the split or divided ring i, and on the motion of the bicycle the said
spheres roll in the opposed grooves f and i³, carrying with them the supporting
ring g, as will be understood by an examination of Figure 3. The parts described,
namely, the ring g, spheres h, and divided ring i are enclosed in the cap or circular
box k (shown separately in Figure 6), the arm on the said cap being fixed by
the screws m, m, to the end n of the fork of the bicycle. The interior of the
cap is conical (see Figure 3), and the outer conical edge of the divided ring i fits
in the conical interior of the said cap, as represented in the said Figure 3. By
forcing the divided ring i more or less into the conical cap k the diameter of the
said ring may be diminished as required to compensate for the wear of the said
ring, and the other parts of the bearing. The cap or circular box k is closed, and
the position of the divided ring i in the cap or box determined by the covering
plate or disc p having a central opening. The said covering plate or disc p is
shewn separately in Figure 5. The covering plate 2 has at opposite points
lugs p, p, which take into cut away parts in the cap k, and the said cap is furnished
with similar screwed lugs k², k². The covering plate p is fixed to the cap k by
means of the screws q, q, passed through the lugs p³ and k². By screwing the
covering plate p more or less tightly in the cap by the screws q, q, the said
covering plate forces the divided ring i to a greater or less distance in the cap,
thereby diminishing the diameter of the said ring and causing it to contract more
or less upon the spheres h. The wearing of the spheres h and the grooves f and i³
in the bush e, and divided ring i is thus compensated for, and the moving parts

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- The per-
Figure 3.
The parts of the bearing are put together in the following manner:-)
forated ring g is first put upon the bush e, and over the said perforated ring g is put
the divided ring i. A sphere is next pressed against the opening i² in the ring i
so as to expand the said ring sufficiently to permit the said sphere to enter the
groove in the ring i, and to fall into one of the holes in the perforated ring g.
The sphere thus introduced is moved from opposite the opening 2 carrying with it
the ring g. A second sphere is forced through the opening in the ring i, and so
on till the whole of the spheres have been introduced. The cap is next put on
the axle b, and the bush e carrying the ring g, spheres h, and divided ring i is
next placed upon the axle b, as shown, and the bush fixed to the axle by a pin
or cotter, or otherwise. The covering plate p with a screwed edge is next screwed
into the middle of the cap or box / sufficiently far to compress or contract the
ring i so as to give it a proper bearing on the spheres h. When a cap or box of
the kind represented in Figure 6 is used the covering plate p is made to press
upon the ring i to the required degree by driving home more or less the
screws q, q.
Instead of closing the cap or box k and adjusting the position of the ring therein
by a covering plate forced more or less into the said cap by screws taking into
screwed lugs on the said cap as before described and illustrated, the edge of the
covering plate itself may be screwed and the mouth of the cap be provided with a
concave screw for receiving the screwed edge of the covering plate.
This modification is represented in longitudinal section in Figure 11%; end
elevation in Figure 12 and cross section in Figure 13. The cap or box is shown
separately in section in Figure 14 and the screwed covering plate is shown
separately in section and front elevation in Figure 15. The screwed edge of the
covering plate p is marked p³, and the concave screw in the mouth of the cap k to
receive the screwed edge of the covering plate is marked k³. By screwing the
covering plate p, Figures 11, 12, and 15, more or less into the cap or box by
means of a spanner applied to the outer pins r, r, the position of the divided ring
in the said cap or box may be determined and the adjustment of the parts of the
bearing effected as before described. The parts of Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15,
which I have not described are the same as corresponding parts of Figures 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, and are marked with the same letters of reference.
When the cap or box carrying the bearing is to be connected to the lower end of
the bicycle fork by a knuckle joint arrangement instead of an arm and a screw pin
or screw pins, the cap or box k is furnished with a knuckle which is secured between
outer knuckles on the lower end of the bicycle fork as is well understood. Figure 16
represents in side elevation and Figure 17 in front elevation, a bearing made
according to my Invention to be fixed to the bicycle fork in the manner last
described.
Although I have represented the arrangements of parts which I prefer to use for
covering the mouth of the cap or box in which the divided ring and spheres and
the carrying ring of the spheres are enclosed, and for adjusting the position of the
said divided ring in the cap or box and consequently the bearing parts, yet I do
not limit myself thereto as other equivalent means may be adopted. For example,
the covering plate may be secured to the mouth of the cap so as to have a fixed
position, that is, incapable of advancing in the said cap, and set screws passing
through the fixed covering plate may be made to force the divided ring to a greater
or less distance in the cap.
The grooved bush or collar e may be dispensed with, and that part of the axle b
(see Figure 3) situated in the cap k may have the diameter of the bush e and be
provided with a groove similar to that in the said bush e.
Although I prefer to make the groove in the divided ring i semi-circular, yet I
do not confine myself thereto, as the said groove may be made of a semi-elliptical
figure or of an angular figure.

page_text: In applying my Invention to the bearings of the back wheels of bicycles, and to
tricycles and other velocipedes, and to wheel carriages, I construct, arrange, and
apply the parts substantially as herein before described and illustrated with respect
to the bearings of the principal or driving wheel of a bicycle, such changes only in
detail being made as are necessary to fit the bearing to the particular use to which
it is to be applied.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention of
improvements in such bearings for bicycles, tricycles, and other velocipedes, and
for wheel carriages as are furnished with balls or spheres for reducing the friction
of the parts of the said bearings.
The divided or split ring marked i, i², ³, in the accompanying Drawings, the said
ring having in its inner face a concave groove either curved or angular, which
groove partly encloses the balls or spheres of the bearing, the said divided ring
being capable of expanding and contracting so as to increase or decrease its
diameter, the outer edge of the divided ring being conical and seating itself in the
conical interior of the cap or box k of the bearing, the adjustment of the parts of
the bearing being effected by forcing the divided ring more or less into the said cap
or box, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Green, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
RICHARD GREEN. (L.S.)