Improved Means for Applying Ball Bearings to the Wheels of Carriages and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 13th Apr., 1896-Accepted. 6th June. 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Applying Ball Bearings to the Wheels of
Carriages and other Vehicles.
I GEORGE ASHTON of 36 Buchanan Street Leigh, in the County of Lancaster;
Baker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :--
The object of this invention is to enable ball-bearings to be easily applied to
carriages wagons bath-chairs, perambulators and other vehicles running upon
common roads or rails, and the principal feature of my invention consists of a tube
upon which the outer halves of the ball races are secured and which is fastened by
screwing or otherwise to or near the end of the axle; the other halves of the ball
races being either formed in a tube fixed in the centre of the hub of the wheel, or
otherwise formed or fixed in or to the centre of the hub.
In applying my invention to ordinary carriage wheels having hubs of wood,,
I cut a screw thread upon each end of the axle, and I form a corresponding internal
screw thread in a tube of suitable diameter and length, the outer end of which
I form to fit a screw key, wrench or similar device.
The screwed end of the axle is of such length that it will project beyond the
tube which can be kept in place by a lock-nut and split pin or cotter, or either.
Upon each end of the cylindrical part of the tube above named I form a suitable
screw thread upon which I screw the two fixed and outer parts of the ball races.
I also provide a metal tube of suitable diameter which I drive and fix fast into
the hub of the wheel, and I provide this tube on the outside with a ridge or feather
to prevent it from wearing loose. Inside this last named tube I form the inner or
running parts of the ball races.
I form a short screw thread at each end of the tube last named, and in the outer
end I screw a cap which covers the end of the axle and also serves to keep the tube
itself in place in the hub of the wheel, the other end of the tube being made with
an external flange fitting against or in a recess in the side of the said hub. Into
the inner end of the same tube I screw an annular plate which protects the ball,
races from dust and dirt and forms an oil chamber.
In some cases I use a screwed coupling, fitting over the axle and the tube
first-named.
Instead of screwing the latter upon the end of the axle I may dispense with the
screw thread, and dish or cup the ends of the tube, and I tighten it upon a pin or
peg in a tapering or convex shoulder on the axle by means of a similarly shaped
nut; and I retain it in place by a suitable ring or lock nut and pin or cotter; in
this case the above named screwed coupling will be found to greatly assist the
security of the joint. Or the tube may be otherwise secured to the axle.
It may
also be made slightly tapered or conical inside.
By the use of this invention the wheel and ball bearings can be removed together
from the axle and replaced without disturbing the balls or removing them from
heir races, and in less time than usual for removing ordinary wheels.
For wheels with metal hubs the tube provided with the running parts of the
all race may be formed in the hub itself or made in two parts secured to either
ide thereof.
For railway carriage and similar wheels where the spring of the carriage or
ehicle is placed outside the wheels the construction of my improvements is similar
o that above described, with the exception that the axle will pass through: a
entral opening in an annular plate at the outside of the hub; the fixed tube is

page_text: preferably plain and cupped or dished as above described and considerably longer
than that required for ordinary wheels with wooden hubs.
I provide a suitable oil cup on each side of the wheel for lubricating the
bearing.
'
Dated this 10th day of Tul 1905
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
• 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
10 Applying DAT D
Carriages and other Vehicles.
GUC
I GEORGE ASHTON of 36 Buchanan Street, Leigh in the County of Lancaster,
Baker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described & ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of this invention is to enable ball bearings to be easily applied to
carriages wagons bath chairs, perambulators and other vehicles running upon
common roads or rails, and the principal feature of my invention consists of a tube
upon which the outer halves of the ball races are secured which is fastened by
screwing or otherwise to or near the end of the axles; the other halves of the ball
races being formed in a tube fixed in the centre of the hub of the wheel, or
otherwise formed or fixed in the hub itself.
In applying my invention to ordinary carriage wheels having hubs of wood,
I cut a screw thread upon each end of the axle, and I form a corresponding
internal screw thread in a tube of suitable diameter and length, the outer end of
which I form to fit a screw key wrench or similar device.
Upon each end of the cylindrical part of the tube above named I form a suitable
screw thread upon which I screw the outer parts of the ball races of which I may
have any suitable number. At the outer ends of some of the cones or the above
named ball races I dish the above named cones and tube in the form of a square or
other suitable shape, in which I fit a similarly shaped ring which I keep in place
by a lock-nut and pin, cotter, or set screw, onto the axle. The above named
cylindrical tube may also be made slightly tapered or conical. In some cases
. I may dispense with the internal screw thread in the above named tube and dish
or cup the ends of the tube and I tighten it upon a pin or peg, lock nut or set
screw on the axle, and I provide a flange on the axle of a suitable form for the
inner end of the ball race or cone and tube to fit tightly against. In some cases
where an annular cover plate is used, this flange is enclosed between the plate and
cone or ball race and holds the wheel on in case of breakage.
I also provide a metal tube of suitable diameter and shape which in the case of
hubs of wood I drive and fix fast into the hub of the wheel. I may make this tube
in two parts, and drive one part of the tube on one side of the wheel and the other
I drive or screw into the first part on the other side thus forming one tube.
I provide the first named part of the tube on the outside with two ridges or
feathers to prevent it from wearing loose, and when I screw one part of the tube
to the other I provide it with a set screw to prevent it from unscrewing, I may
also make the front part of the tube less in diameter than the back part. Inside
the last named tube, whether made in one or two parts, I form or fix the inner or
running parts of the ball races. I form a short screw thread at the outer end of
the tube last named into which I screw a cap which I prefer to provide with a
smaller opening in the centre so as to allow for lubricating the bearing; I close
this opening by a smaller cap which covers the ead of the axle.
In some cases

page_text: form a screw thread in the inner end of the same tube and I screw therein an
annular plate which protects the ball races from dust and dirt and forms an oil
chamber; I may also fix this plate to the hub by screws or bolts and it then also
serves to keep the wheel on the axle in cases where there is a flange on the axle
inside the said annular plate should a breakage of the axle occur inside the hub.
By the use of this invention the wheel and ball bearings can be removed together
from the axle and replaced without disturbing the balls or removing them from
their races, and in less time than is usual for removing ordinary wheels.
For wheels with metal hubs the tube provided with the running parts of the
ball race may be formed in the hub itself or it may be made in two parts secured
to either side thereof, the bub itself completing the outer tube.
For railway carriage and similar wheels where the spring of the carriage or
vehicle is placed outside the wheels the construction of my improvements is similar
to that above described with the exception that the axle will pass through a
central opening in an annular plate at the outside of the hub. The fixed tube is
preferably plain or dished as above described and considerably longer than that
required for ordinary wheels with wooden hubs.
If required I provide a suitable oil cup on each side of the wheel for lubricating
the bearing.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood I have annexed
hereto a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof.
Fig. 1 shows detached one end of an axle a for a cart or carriage.
The end of the axle is screwed at a' and a tube b fitted thereon.
The ends of the tube bare screwed and the cones c' c² and c³ c are fitted thereon
forming the outer parts of the ball races.
Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, the tube b however is not screwed to the
axle a but fastened by the flange a² and washer or ring a³, nut a* and set screw a*.
The flange a and ring or washer a³ are squared or otherwise formed to fit in a
square or similar recess in the cones c¹, c³.
Fig. 3 is a detached view of the outer tube d d¹ to be fixed to the wooden hub of
a wheel, and Fig. 4 shews the parts seen at Figs. 2 and 3 applied together to the
hub of a wooden wheel.
e¹, e², ese are the inner or running parts of the ball races; they are fixed or
formed in the interior of the tube which is shewn made in two parts, both let into a
recessed hub, the part d is driven into the wooden hub h and prevented from
turning therein by the feathers f; the part d¹ is screwed to d. i are the balls
which run between the parts c and e¹, c² and e², c³ and e³, ct and e* respectively.
k is an annular plate fixed to the hub by screws k¹ forming an oil space. This
plate k is either made in two pieces or halves, or slipped over the axle, if the latter
s made in two halves before the two halves before the two halves of the axle a are
welded or coupled together. I is the outer cover fitted to d¹, and shewn provided
with a central cap for the admission of oil to the outer part of the bearing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
ion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
laim is
A tube upon which the outer halves or cones of the ball races are secured and
which is fastened by screwing or otherwise to or near the end of the axle; in
ombination with a tube fixed in the centre of the hub of the wheel or otherwise
ormed or fixed in or to the centre of the hub, and having the other halves of the
all races either fixed or formed therein substantially as hereinbefore described
nd illustrated.
Dated this 11th dom C
$110
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.