Improvements in Roller Bearings.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by the THE COPELAND ROLLER BEARING COMPANY,
of New Jersey, having its principal place of business at 120, Broadway, New
York, United States of America.]
Improvements in Roller Bearings.
I, DAVID YOUNG, Patent Agent, of the firm of D. Young & Company 11 & 12
Southampton Buildings, in the County of London, 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 improvements in roller bearings, and has for its object
the production of a simple, practical, durable, and effective construction for
reducing to a minimum the slip and rattle of the rollers, and for reducing to a
minimum the usual binding of the axle or journal mounted in the bearing, when
one of its ends is caused to assume an abnormal position, as, for instance, when it
is elevated or depressed in passing over elevations or depressions, or is advanced
or retracted from the plane occupied by its other end when rounding curves; and
to this end it consists, essentially, in an outer casing provided with an annular rib
projecting from its inner face; normally separated anti-friction rollers having bearing
faces of greater width than the bearing face of said rib, said rollers having their
bearing faces normally separated from the inner face of the casing and being each
automatically adjustable upon said rib and provided with a groove for receiving
the bearing rib; and in the detail construction and arrangement of the parts.
Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of this invention embodied in a bearing
for a wheel hub.
Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views, taken respectively on line 2-2
and 3-3, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an isometric perspective of the axle encircling sleeve shown at
Figure 1.
Figure 5 is an isometric perspective of one of the detached dividers for separating
the adjacent faces of two of the anti-friction rollers.
Figure 6 is an enlarged detail elevation of the adjacent ends of the band
encircling the anti-friction rollers.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of this invention embodied
in a journal box for railway cars and similar vehicles.
Figure 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken on line 8—8, Figure 7.
Figures 9, 10, and 14 are longitudinal vertical sectional views of the right-hand
ends of vehicle hub bearings embodying modified forms of this invention.
Figure 11 is an elevation, partly in section, of the detached divider shown at
Figure 9.
Figure 12 is a detail elevation of the lapping ends of the band shown at
Figure 10, and
Figures 13 and 15 are transverse vertical sectional views, taken respectively on
lines 13-13 and 15-15, Figures 10 and 14.
This improved bearing or journal box consists of an outer casing A provided
with an inner face a and a bearing rib a' projecting inwardly from the face a; and
normally separated anti-friction rollers B each having bearing faces formed of
greater width than the bearing face of the rib a' and having their bearing faces
normally separated from the face a of the casing A.
The casing A is of any desirable form, size, and construction best suited for the
particular vehicle for which the bearing is intended. At Figures 1, 2, 3, 9, 10,
13, 14, and 15 it is shown as of a form suitable for attachment to the hubs of
vehicle wheels as carriage wheels, and at Figures 7 and 8 as of a form suitable

page_text: for attachment to railway cars and other heavy vehicles. It is unnecessary,
however, to herein describe the detail construction of the casing A, as such con
struction forms no part of this invention.
The bearing rib a' is preferably separable from the casing A, although it is
evident that it may be formed integral therewith. At Figures 1, 9, 10, and 14 this
rib is shown as interposed between a shoulder a² extending outwardly from the
inner face a of the casing A, and the inner end of a hollow nut or movable end
wall A for the casing, and, as clearly illustrated in said views, the inner circular
face of said nut or end wall forms a continuation of the inner face a of the
casing A. At Figure 7 the bearing rib a¹ is shown as interposed between
separable sections A2 A2 forming the casing A and secured together by bolts A³
passed through said bearing rib.
The rib a is preferably formed with a bearing face of rounding cross section,
although, as shown at Figure 14, said bearing face may be of angular cross section.
The rollers B are each formed at their central portions with grooves b for
receiving the bearing rib a', and, when said bearing rib is of rounding cross
section, the grooves are also of rounding cross section, and, when of angular cross
section, the grooves are also of angular cross section, and are of greater width,
as shown at Figure 14, than the width of said rib.
Within the casing A is one end of an axle or shaft C journalled therein, and at
Figures 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, and 13, said axle is shown as encircled by a sleeve c upon
which bear the anti-friction rollers B, and at Figures 9, 14, and 15, the axle is
unprovided with a sleeve, and consequently the anti-friction rollers bear directly
against the axle. This sleeve c may tightly fit the axle C, as shown at Figures 1,
2, 3, 7, and 8, or may be of greater diameter than the portion of said axle encircled
thereby as shown at Figures 10 and 13. In the latter case the uppermost portion
of the axle is the only part bearing against the inner face of the sleeve.
The anti-friction rollers of this improved bearing are thus free to automatically
adjust themselves, as the end of the axle C is elevated or depressed when passing
over obstructions or depressions, or is advanced or retracted when rounding a
curve, and this action is effected by the separation of the bearing faces of the
rollers from the inner face of the casing, and the peculiar construction of said rib
and rollers.
The adjacent faces of the rollers are separated by suitable dividers, which may
consist of blocks D, best seen at Figure 5, interposed between the adjacent faces of
each pair of the rollers as shown at Figures 2, 3, and 8, or of a ring d, Figure 11,
provided with arms d' interposed between each pair of the rollers, as shown at
Figures 13 and 15.
In order to additionally support the rollers B the sleeve c may be provided with
a rounding rib c', as seen at Figures 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8, and at Figure 4 there is
illustrated in isometric perspective the sleeve shown at Figure 1.
Rattling of the rollers is prevented by bands E encircling their extremities, and
consisting of spring metal, or other suitable material having their adjacent ends
lapped one upon another as best seen at Figures 2 and 6, or beveled and lapped as
shown at Figure 12.
It will thus be readily understood that the anti-friction rollers of this improved
bearing are free to automatically adjust themselves, and thereby reduce binding of
the axle, and that the slip, wear, and rattle of the rollers is reduced to a minimum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim, is:
1. The herein described roller bearing, the same comprising an outer casing
provided with an annular bearing rib, substantially as described, projecting from
its inner face, and normally separated anti-friction rollers having bearing faces of
greater width than the bearing face of said rib; the roller bearing faces being
normally separated from the inner face of the casing and being each provided with

page_text: a groove for receiving the bearing rib, all constructed and operating substantially
as described.
2. The herein described roller bearing, the same comprising an outer casing
provided with an annular bearing rib, substantially as described, projecting from
its inner face, a shaft journaled within said bearing, a sleeve encircling a portion
of said shaft, and normally separated anti-friction rollers bearing against said sleeve
and having bearing faces of greater width than the bearing face of said rib, the
roller bearing faces being normally separated from the inner face of the casing
and being each provided with a groove for receiving the bearing rib, all constructed
and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The herein described roller bearing, the same comprising an outer casing
provided with an annular bearing rib, substantially as described, projecting from
its inner face, normally separated anti-friction rollers having bearing faces of
greater width than the bearing faces of said rib; the roller bearing faces being
normally separated from the inner face of the casing and being each provided with
a groove for receiving the bearing rib, and bands encircling the corresponding
ends of said rollers, all constructed and operating substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Dated this 1st day of April 1893.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.