Improvements in the Means of Adjusting and Maintaining the Ad- justment of the Bearings of Axles, Spindles, or other Rotating Parts.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug, 1897-Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
Improvements in the Means of Adjusting and Maintaining the Ad-
justment of the Bearings of Axles, Spindles, or other Rotating
Parts.
We, JOHN FRANCIS LATHAM of 22 Woodstock Road, Bedford Park in the
County of Middlesex, Sword Maker, and HENRY WILKINSON LATHAM of 16 Priory
Road, Bedford Park aforesaid Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
This invention has reference to means for adjusting ball or other bearings of
axles, spindles or other rotating parts, and for maintaining or fixing them in
position when adjusted.
According to our invention we form the cup, cone or other adjustable part of
the bearing with a series of teeth or their equivalent around the periphery in
addition to the usual screw thread by means of which the adjustment is usually
effected. We provide a tangent screw to engage with the said teeth so that tha
turning of the screw will cause the cup or cone to rotate. When the bearing
has been adjusted the cup or cone is prevented from revolving because of the
tangent screw engaging with the teeth; consequently the adjustment is main-
tained. The adjustment may either be effected by means of the tangent screw
or it may be effected in the usual way, and the tangent screw be only used for
locking, in which case it may be inserted after the adjustment.
The tangent screw may further he utilized to jam the cup or cone by a wedging
or gripping action. This may be effected by making the screw tapering or
Or the wedging action may be effected and also the necessity for shoulders
or abutments to take the thrust be avoided by cutting the screw thread on a
hollowed or concave portion of the stem or shank; this hollowed or concave
portion fits or engages with a larger amount of the cup or cone, and allows of
the wedging being effected by a nut and washer at each or either end.
The teeth on the cup or cone may be cut parallel to the axis and the tangent
screw be set at a suitable angle, or it may be at right angles if it fits the teeth
loosely. or if they are of suitable shape.
The teeth on the cup or cone may either be cut upon the screw thread itself
or upon a smooth part of the cup or cone, or upon a separate ring or part of a
ring adapted to engage with the cup or cone.
A double adjustment or two simultaneous adjustments can be effected by having
right and left handed screw threads on the cups or cones, suitably coupling them
and working either of these oups or cones, or the coupling by the tangent screw.
The tangent screw may be interrupted, that is to say cut away at one side of
the stem or shank, so that the cup may be readily inserted into position, and
the adjustment effected by giving a half-turn, and the screw may be excentric
so as to jam.
Instead of a tangent screw we, may employ a tangent steni or spindle formed
with a cam to engage with a corresponding device on the cup or cone. Or a

page_text: tangent stem or spindle may be formed with a shoulder so as to engage with one
tooth and lock the cup or cone; this arrangement will maintain the adjustment
after it has been made.
The tangent screw or a bolt passing through it may be further utilized to
clam together the lugs of a split collar or portion of the bearing proper, sur-
rounding the adjustable cup or cone so as to grip it firmly, a nut and washor
being preferably added to the tangent screw or bolt for this purpose.
Dated this 21st day of November 1896.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in the Means of Adjusting and Maintaining the Ad-
justment of the Bearings of Axles, Spindles, or other Rotating
Parts.
We, JOHN FRANCIS LATILAM of 22 Woodstock Road, Bedford Park in the
County of Middlesex, Sword Maker, and HENRY WILKINSON LATILAM of 16 Priory
Road, Bedford Park aforesaid, Engineer, do herby 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 has reference to means for adjusting ball or other bearings of
axles, spindles or other rotating parts, and for maintaining or fixing them in
position when adjusted.
According to our invention we form a cup, cone or other adjustable part of
the bearing with a series of teeth or their equivalent around the periphery in
addition to the usual screw thread by means of which the adjustment is usually
effected. We provide a tangent screw to engage with the said teeth so that the
turning of the screw will cause the cup or cone to rotate. When the bearing
has been adjusted the cup or cone is prevented from revolving because of the
tangent screw engaging with the teeth; consequently the adjustment is main-
tained. The adjustment may either be effected by means of the tangent screw
or it may be effected in the usual way, and the tangent screw he only used for
locking, in which case it may be inserted after the adjustment.
The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example various arrangements
of our improved means of adjusting and maintaining the adjustment of hall
bearings as applied to cycles, only so much of such arrangement being shown as
is necessary to illustrate our invention. The same letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in the different figures.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 which show an adjustable ball bearing at one
end of the hub of a cycle wheel, the adjustable part of the bearing, in this case
the cup 1, is formed with a series of teeth 2 cut upon the usual adjusting male
screw thread 3 which engages with the corresponding female screw thread 4 in
the body 5 of the bearing. The tangent screw 6 is formed on a sleeve separate
from but fixed on the spindle or bolt 7 by means of a key 8. The bolt 7 is
formed at one end with a head 9 and at its other end with a washer and with a
nut 10 screwing upon the end 11 of the bolt. The bolt 7 has shoulders 12, 12 of
hemispherical or other suitable shape to take the thrust of the screw 6, and it
is carried in the ends 13, 13 of a split collar 13 which encircles a split or
divided portion of the body 5 of the bearing. After adjustment has been effected

page_text: by means of the tangent screw 6, the bolt 7 is prevented from rotating by means
of a spanner applied to its head 9, and the nut 10 is screwed up so as to contract
the split collar 13 upon the split or divided portion of the body 5. By this means
a two-fold locking is effected namely the locking of the screw 6 which is thereby
prevented from slacking back, and the locking of the adjustable part or cup 1
which is gripped fast by the clamping action of the body 5 which is split or
divided for the purpose transmitting the pressure of the split collar 13 to the
cup 1. The split collar 13 is preferably mounted on the body 5 by means of
Screw thread 14 as in Figures 1, 2 and 16, 17 or it may form part of the body
of the bearing as shown in Figures 18 and 19 and in Figures 20 and 21.
The tangent screw 6 may further be utilized to jam the adjustable part 1 by a
wedging or gripping action. This may be effected by making the screw tapering
or conical as shown in Figure 3. Or the wedging action may be effected and also
the necessity for shoulders or abutments to take the thrust be avoided by cutting
the screw thread on a hollowed or concave portion of the stem or shank 7 as
shown in Figure 4. This hollowed or concave portion fits or engages with a larger
number of the teeth 2 of the adjustable part 1 and allows of the wedging being
effected by a nut and washer (not shown) at each or either end.
The teeth 2 on the adjustable part 1 may be cut parallel to the axis and the
tangent screw G be set at a suitable augle as shown in Figure 5, or it may be at
right angles if it fits the teeth loosely as shown in Figure 6, or if the teeth are
of suitable shape as shown in Figures 7. The teeth on the adjustable part 1 may
either be cut upon the screw thread itself as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5; or
upon a smooth portion of the adjustable part 1 as shown in Figures 6 and 7, or
upon a separate ring (1 in Figure 8) or part of a ring (1 in Figure 10) adapted
to engage with the adjustable part 1 (Figure 9), by means of studs 15 taking
into holes 16 formed in the part 1 or other suitable means.
A double adjustment or two simultaneous adjustments can be effected by having
right and left handed screw threads 3, 3 on the adjustable parts 1, 1 suitably
coupling them say, by means of a sleeve 17 formed with projections 17 engaging
with recesses 1 in the parts 1, 1 and working either of these adjustable parts of
the coupling sleeve 17 by the tangent screw 6 as shown in Figure 11.
The tangent screw may be interrupted, that is to say cut away at 6 at one
side of the stem or shank 7 so that the adjustable part I may be readily inserted
into position and the adjustment effected by giving a partial turn as shown in
Figure 12. Or the screw 6 may he eccentric to its spindle 7 for the same purpose
and so as to jam, as shown in Figure 13.
Instead of the tangent screw 6 we may employ a tangent stem or spindle 7
formed with a cam 18 to engage with the teeth 2 on the adjustable part 1, as
shown in Figure 14. Or a tangent stem or spindle 7 may be formed with a
shoulder 19 so as to engage with one of the teeth 2 and lock the adjustable
part 1 as shown in Figure 15; this arrangement will maintain the adjustment
after it has been made by hand in the usual way.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 16, 17 and 18, 19 the screw thread 6
forms one with its stem 7, and the tangent screw (or a bolt passing through it) is
utilised to clamp together the lugs 13", 13° of a split collar 13 (Figures
16, 17) or portions 5, 5 of the body of the bearing 5, surrounding the adjustable
part 1 so as to grip the latter firmly, a washer and nut 10 being preferably added
to the tangent screw or bolt for this purpose.
Figure 20 illustrates a crank axle or bottom bracket bearing for cycles con-
structed with adjusting and locking devices in accordance with our invention.
Figure 21 illustrates a ball bearing head for cycles also fitted with our improve-
ments.
Figure 22 illustrates the application of our invention to the adjustment of a
ball bearing cone 20 working on a screw-threaded spindle or axle 21.
Although the various arrangements illustrated in Figures 1 to 21 have been
described and shown more particularly with reference to the cup or female portions

page_text: of cycle ball bearings, it is to be understood that these arrangements are equally
applicable to the cone or male portions of such bearings.
It is also to be understood that the screw 6 and its spindle 7 are in all cases
carried in suitable lugs or supports properly adapted and secured to effect the
objects of this invention.
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. The improved means of adjusting and maintaining the adjustment of
bearings for axles, spindles or other rotating parts, in which the adjustment is
obtained longitudinally by revolving the adjustable part, comprising a tangent
screw adapted to engage with teeth formed on the adjustable part, substantially
as described.
2. The improved means of adjusting and maintaining the adjustment of
bearings of the kind referred to in the preceding Claim, comprising a tangent
screw engaging with teeth formed on the adjustable part of the bearing, and
adapted by means of a screw threaded portion and nut to clamp together the
lugs of a split collar or portion of the body of the bearing surrounding the
adjustable part so as to grip the latter firmly, substantially as described.
3. The improved means of maintaining the adjustment of bearings of the kind
referred to in Claim 1, comprising a screw bolt passing longitudinally through
the tangent screw therein referred to, and adapted to clamp together the lugs of
a split collar or portion of the body of the bearing surrounding the aujustabile
part so as to grip the latter firmly, substantially as described.
4. The improved means of adjusting and maintaining the adjustment of
bearings for axles, spindles or other rotating parts constructed, arranged and
operating substantially as described and shewn in Figures 1 to 22 of the accom-
panying drawings.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.