IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF BALL- BEARINGS APPLICABLE ALSO IN OTHER WAYS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult of the Agencies for Foreign Patent
Solicitors 323 High Holborn London in the County of Middlesex and 6
Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Engineer for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF BALL-
BEARINGS APPLICABLE ALSO IN OTHER WAYS" A communication from
abroad by Hainrich Riccine of Beaunushensis in the
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Ottice of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd January 1882.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the Agencies for Foreign Patent Solicitors 323 High
Holborn, London, in the County of Middlesex and 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR
ARRANGEMENT OF BALL BEARINGS APPLICABLE ALSO IN OTHER WAYS" A com-
munication from abroad by Heinrich Büssing of Braunschweig in the German
Empire
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of ball-bearings and
has for its object such a construction of these devices (and of others of a kindred
nature) that the frictional resistance offered to moving bodies by the track or path
in which they move, will be reduced to a minimum. The Invention is applicable
to vehicles in which case it may be made to serve in lieu of wheels or as an axle
or central box for a wheel for vehicles or as a bearing for axles or shafts of various
kinds.
A castor constructed according to this Invention, which may also be used in lieu
of wheels for vehicles, cousists of an outer casing made in halves and so formed that
there is a suitable channel or path in the same which serves for the reception of a
series of spherical rollers, In the lower part of this channel are provided suitable
guides preferably of rounded metal
A series of balls or spherical rollers is placed within this casing and the size and
number of the same are such that they nearly fill the channel thus forming as it
were a continuous ring of balls, they are however not so tightly placed as to cause
much friction when in operation

page_text: The bottom of the casing is open so as to allow the balls to come in contact with
the track over which the body to which the device is attached moves. In moving
the said body the balls touch the track successively, rolling along the guides in the
casing and, as they obviously present but a very minute portion of their surface to
contact with the guides on the one hand and the track on the other, friction is
reduced to a very small amount.
In applying this Invention to a bearing for axles or shafts a casing is likewise
provided. It is in this case however preferably made in three pieces forming two
channels for two series of balls, The channels are so constructed that the balls
circulate, not as above described in a circular or approximately circular path but
in a path forming two shallow parallel or nearly parallel curves, the inner and
shorter one of which is concentric with the periphery of the axle, the balls touching
the axle.
This construction may be applied to journal bearings and to vehicles in which
the axle revolves with the wheels, the bearings above described being applied
below or above the axle, or both below and above according to circumstances.
The Invention is likewise applicable to wheels running loose on their axle.
In this case any suitable number of casings are inserted into the boss or nave of
the wheel, constructed substantially like those above described with reference to
axlebearings or these casings may be united into a kind of sleeve bodily fixed in
the wheel boss. Three such casings or a sleeve containing three sets of balls (each
of two series) will be found to answer very well but any suitable number may be
applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Julius Boult in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st July
1882.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the Agencies for Foreign Patent Solicitors, 323 High
Holborn, London in the County of Middlesex and 6 Lord Street Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OR
ARRANGEMENT OF BALL-BEARINGS, APPLICABLE ALSO IN OTHER WAYS"
A com-
munication from abroad by Heinrich Büssing of Braunschweig in the German
Empire.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of ball bearings
and has for its object such a construction of these devices (and of others of a
kindred nature), that the frictional resistance offered to moving bodies by the track
or path in or upon which they move will be reduced to a minimum.
This construction is to serve instead of wheels in vehicles on a firm path or also
as a bearing for the axles of wheels or as an axle box for rotating wheels.
Lastly the construction will be used as a bearing for vertical or horizontal
rotating shafts.
Figures 1 and 2 represent the typical form of the construction embodying this
Invention.
In the casing A formed in two parts a number of spherical rollers B (so arranged
as to form as it were a ring) are enclosed in such a manner that the rollers are
capable of moving in a circular or approximately circular path within the casing,
one behind the other and without meeting any appreciable resistance. At the
underside or edge the casing is open see Figure 1 so that the rollers in the lower
part are free to touch the path or track upon which the movement takes place.
For the balls which below touch the track a contact path above is provided in
the lower part of the casing A formed by strips C, C., Figure 1.
Now any pressure exerted by a load in the direction of the arrow Q upon the
casing is transmitted by the contact path to the rollers and from these to the path
of motion
If at the same time the load is moved towards the right then the spherical rollers
are moved forward in the casing in the direction of the arrows and thus moving in
a circle or an approximately circular path, they touch the track one after the other.
Whilst the spherical rollers thus roll along the contact part of the casing, (which is
parallel to the track) they serve as carriers or supports for the load and at the
same time serve as a medium for rolling motion between the surfaces on which the
pressure acts.
To prevent friction between two balls when rolling on the path of motion, a
slight amount of play is left between the rollers, which always becomes effective
between the carrying rollers.
Only when a ball is freed from the load, that is to say leaves the track it is
touched by the one next following as will appear from Figure 2.
The number of spherical rollers which simultaneously touch the path may be
varied, in the illustration there are always two which are in contact with the
track.
The bolts D D keep the two parts of the casing together and by means of the
flanged top or socket E it can be attached to the loaded part of suitable objects.
The described construction may also serve as a substitute for wheels of vehicles on
a hard or firm track.
Four such casings fixed underneath the longitudinal beams or supports of a
carriage instead of axlebearings would when the spherical rollers touch the hard
track act as wheels.

page_text: In Figures 3 and 4 is shown an axle-bearing embodying this Invention and
mounted above the axle but the pressure may be caused to act in the opposite
direction and a shaft be carried in a bearing of this construction.
In this arrangement the bearing is provided with a double series of balls as will
be clear from the section in Figure 3. The casing A consequently consists of three
pieces F, F, g, containing the guides for both series of balls. The periphery of the
axle or shaft serves as the path of motion for the spherical rollers and the
contact paths CC for the balls are arranged concentrically therewith in the
casing A
Bolts D D keep the three parts together and lugs Z Z allow the bearing to be
fixed either as an axlebox on a vehicle or as a journal on a fixed base. In either
case lugs H H serve for attaching a cover for the bearing.
If lateral pressure upon the bearing takes place and the axle rotates in the
direction of the arrow in Figure 4, the balls in the casing will assume motion in the
direction indicated in the Figure and will, one after the other touch the periphery
of the axle and the contact path C C and rolling along they will carry the load
between the bearing and the axle.
Several such bearings may be combined into one bearing box. To enable the
axle to counteract its own lateral motion relatively to the bearing, it may at the
part where the balls roll be provided with grooves cut in it to an appropriate
depth.
In Figures 5 and 6 is shown a bearing for a wheel turning on its axle In this
case also series of balls are placed side by side in the casing, sec transverse section
Figure 6 and consequently the casing in this case also consists of three parts
In Figure 5 three rings of balls are shown arranged symmetrically round the axle
and the whole casing is shown circular, the three parts of the same being held
together by bolts D D. The round bearing or axle box thus formed can be
connected with the hub of a wheel in various ways and several such boxes may be
applied to the hub of one wheel.
If the fixed axle exerts pressure upon the bearing and if the bearing firmly
connected with the wheel rotates in the indicated direction, the rollers will revolve
in the direction also indicated and one after the other come in contact with the
periphery of the axle and will thus take the pressure between the two parts.
The ball wheel in its use offers not inconsiderable advantages; it reduces as
shown by experiments the power expended to about one third of that of known
construction of journal bearings and the lubrication of the running parts is
obviated.
Having now described the said Invention and the manner of perferming the
same as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent I wish it to be understood,
that what I claim and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent, is,
The arrangement of spherical rollers B in casings A in such a manner that they
pass, in rolling through a circular, or approximately circular path when proceeding
over a solid body such as a track or an axle, or when such body moves over the
same, substantially as illustrated and described.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Julius Boult have hereunto set my
hand and seal this First day of July in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
ALFRED J. BOULT. (L.S.)