Improvements in Ball Bearings for Shaft Journals and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball Bearings for Shaft Journals and the like.
We, HERMANN LEITELT, Machinist, JOHN DELOYIA, Contractor, and CHARLES DOE,
Contractor, all of Corner of 8th & F. Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C., United
States of America, 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:-
Our invention relates to certain novel improvements in multiple ball bearings
for shaft journals, vehicle axles or spindles, and the like, and the object is to
provide a multiple ball bearing of this class that may be simply and conveniently
adjusted to compensate for wear, and thus indefinitely prolong the life of the
bearing.
To these ends the invention consists in the construction, combination and
arrangement of the several parts of the device as will be hereinafter more fully
described and particularly pointed out in the claims.
The same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention in the
several views.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of our improved adjustable multiple ball
bearing;
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same;
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the adjustable or outer sleeve;
Figure 4 is a similar view of the fixed or inner separable sleeve;
Figures 5 and 6 are views of different forms of the adjustable sleeve; and
Figure 7 is a plan view of the nut which engages the outer end of the spindle
shown in Fig. 5.
1 denotes a cylindrical shaft or a section of a line of shafting 2-3 the half
sections of a bearing sleeve encompassing the shaft so as to rotate with it. The
contiguous edges of the outer ends of said sections are formed with recesses 4
and 5, which combined, form the female section of a dovetail joint, and the outer
edges of the annular ends are formed with radial grooves 6-7, as shown.
8 denotes a locking key for the purpose of locking the inner sleeve sections 2
and 3 together, and at the same time rigidly securing them in place on the shaft
which they encompass. There are four of these keys for each bearing, and each
key is formed with a central longitudinal dovetail tongue 9, which is seated
in the corresponding recess formed between the edges of the sections 2-3, and
with inwardly-projecting parallel teeth 10-10, which serve to clamp the sections
on the shaft.
The sections 2-3 are provided with a parallel series of aligned external
grooves 12-12, which form continuous ball races for the bearing balls 13, 13,
arranged in annular series in each race.
14 denotes the outer or adjustable sleeve having a longitudinal sector shaped
removable section 15. This sleeve 14 is formed with external tapering
threads 16-16 at its outer ends to receive the compression or contracting
nuts 17-17, which are correspondingly threaded internally to encompass the ends
of said sleeve. The inner face of said sleeve 14 and its removable section 15 are

page_text: formed with a parallel series of annular grooves 18-18 to correspond with the
aligned grooves on the inner sleeve, and which form the encompassing ball race
for the bearing balls 13-13. 19 19 denote oil ducts formed in the removable
section 15, and communicating with the ball races.
When the bearing balls or the ball races wear from use, the nuts 17-17 are
detached, the section 15 removed, and a portion filed off of one or both of
its longitudinal edges, so that when replaced and the nuts 17-17 adjusted, the
abutting edges of the sleeve 14 will be brought into contact with the edges of the
filed section, and consequently the diameter of the encompassing sleeve sufficiently
reduced to compensate for the wear that has taken place 'in the bearing.
In Fig. 5 we have shown the encompassing sleeve 14 with two slots 20-20,
which receive removable keys 21-21, and the contiguous edges of the web-
portion of the sleeve extending between the inner ends of the said slots may be
separated, and the lining strip removed to permit the diameter of the sleeve to be
reduced, the parallel edges of the keys 21-21 being of course filed away to correspond
to the reduced diameter of the sleeve.
In this form the external surface of the sleeve is formed with annular parallel
grooves to receive the encompassing springs 22-22 to hold the keys in place, and
in this illustration 23 represents a carriage, wagon or car-axle or spindle, and 24
the usual flanged nut secured to the outer end of the spindle to retain the sleeve
in place.
As shown in Fig. 7, the flange of this nut is provided with an orifice 25 to
receive a screw so as to secure the nut in place when applied to a wooden axle,
In Fig. 6 the parallel edges of the sleeve 14 are formed with female dovetail
recesses to receive the correspondingly formed male tongues of the strips, which
retain the removable section 15 in place.
"L
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 :-
1. In an adjustable ball bearing of the class described, the combination with the
shaft, of a divided sleeve encompassing said shaft, and provided externally with a
series of parallel annular ball races, bearing balls arranged in said races, and a
bearing sleeve formed with a series of internal annular parallel ball races, and
encompassing said bearing balls and interior divided sleeve, substantially as shown
and described.
2. In an adjustable ball bearing for cylindrical shafts, the sleeve sections 2
and 3, formed with dovetail recesses 4 and 5, the radial grooves 6-7, and the
annular ball races 12-12, in combination with the locking key; 8-S, an encom-
passing sleeve formed with a series of ball races, and the bearing balls arranged
between said sleeves, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 12th day of April 1898.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.