PEPE Applicable Especially for the Driven Spindle of Mill-stones.
Year: 1885

page_text: PEPE
Applicable Especially for the Driven Spindle of Mill-stones.
I ALFRED SHELDON of Wells in the County of Somerset, Millwright and
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FOOTSTEP BEARINGS FOR VERTICAL SPINDLES APPLICABLE ESPECIALLY FOR THE
DRIVEN SPINDLE OF MILL-STONES to be as follows:-
"
This Invention has mainly for its object to construct a footstep bearing in such
manner that it can quickly and readily be raised or lowered and always kept
in a perfectly true and upright position as well as efficiently lubricated.
For this purpose I make the exterior of the bearing block of a cylindrical form
and with a screw thread cut around its lower end.
This cylindrical block I fit into a cylindrical recess in a cast iron body or shell
having a corresponding screw thread cut in it for the screw thread in the bearing
block to screw into. I also provide gearing for turning the bearing block to screw
In this way
it inwards or outwards from the body or shell to raise or lower it.
cach time that the bearing is raised or lowered it is also turned so that any
tendency there may be for the bearing to become worn out of centre is from time
to time corrected.
To keep the bearing always lubricated I make the body or shell into which the
lower end of the bearing block is screwed to extend nearly up to the top of this
block but not to fit closely around it. The space between the two forms a reser-
voir which I keep filled with oil.
Above the top of. the body or shell I securely bolt down a cover which at its
centre fits closely around the upper part of the bearing block and forms a strong
support for it. To allow oil to pass from this oil reservoir to the hollow in the
upper end of the bearing block in which the end of the spindle rests, I make
the bearing block with a passage passing downwards from the bottom of this
hollow to the bottom of the bearing block so that oil can rise upwards through it.
I also form a vertical channel in the screwed end of bearing block, so that oil may
pass from the reservoir to the space below the bearing block.
For turning the bearing block to raise or lower it I employ by preference a
worm wheel surrounding the bearing and carrying a key to slide in a groove cut
lengthwise along it,

page_text: This worm wheel is contained within the oil reservoir above mentioned. To
turn the worm wheel I employ a worm which also lies within the oil reservoir.
This worm I carry by a spindle one end of which is carried out from the oil reser-
voir through a stuffing box. By this projecting end the spindle can be turned in
either direction as required either to raise or to lower the bearing.
In some cases where the bearing is not required to be raised or lowered the
bearing block may be made without any screw thread on its lower end and the
means for turning the block from time to time be alone used.
In order that the bearing may be adjusted sidewise in any direction desired
I make the lower end of the shell or body to lie within a slot in a base fitted with
set screws by which it may be moved or be held in any position desired-in order
also to prevent its tipping or being forced out of a vertical position I hold it down
in the base plate by a collar or plate fixed to it at the bottom.
Dated this Oth dose of 300

page_text: Improvements In Footstep Bearings тог Vertical Spruces,
Applicable Especially for the Driven Spindle of Mill-stones.
I ALFRED SHELDON of Wells in the County of Somerset Millwright and
Engineer 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 has mainly for its object to construct a footstep bearing in such
manner that it can quickly and readily be raised or lowered and always kept in a.
perfectly true and upright position as well as efficiently lubricated.
For this purpose I make the exterior of the bearing block of a cylindrical form
and with a screw thread cut around its lower end.
This cylindrical block I fit into a cylindrical recess in a cast iron body or shell
having a corresponding screw thread cut in it for the screw thread in the bearing.
block to screw into. I also provide gearing for turning the bearing block to screw
it inwards or outwards from the body or shell to raise or lower it. In this way
each time that the bearing is raised or lowered it is also turned so that any tendency
there may be for the bearing to become worn out of centre is from time to time
corrected.
To keep the bearings always lubricated I make the body or shell into which the
lower end of the bearing block is screwed to extend nearly up to the top of this
block but not to fit closely around it. The space between the two forms a reser-
voir which I keep filled with oil.
Above the top of the body or shell I securely bolt down a cover which at its
centre fits closely around the upper part of the bearing block and forms a strong.
support for it. To allow oil to pass from this oil reservoir to the hollow in the
upper end of the bearing block in which the end of the spindle rests I make the
bearing block with a passage passing downwards from the bottom of this hollow
to the bottom of the bearing block so that oil can rise upwards through it. I also
form a vertical channel in the screwed end of bearing block so that oil may pass
from the reservoir to the space below the bearing block.
For turning the bearing block to raise or lower it I employ by preference a
worm wheel surrounding the bearing and carrying a key to slide in a groove cut
lengthwise along it.
.
This worm wheel is contained within the oil reservoir above mentioned. To
turn the worm wheel I employ a worm which also lies within the oil reservoir.
This worm I carry by a spindle one end of which is carried out from the oil
reservoir through a stuffing box. By this projecting end the spindle can be
turned in either direction as required either to raise or to lower the bearing. In
some cases where the bearing is not required to be raised or lowered the bearing
block may be made without any screw thread on its lower-end and the means for
turning this block from time to time be alone used.
In order that the bearing may be adjusted sidewise in any direction desired
I make the lower end of the shell or body to lie within a slot in a base fitted with
set screws by which it may be moved or be held in any position desired-in order

page_text: also to prevent its tipping or being forced out of a vertical position I hold it down
in the base plate by a collar or plate fixed to it at the bottom.
Figure 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed shows a plan view and Figure 2 a
side elevation of a footstep bearing formed as above described-Figure 3 is a
horizontal section of the same taken through the line A B Figure 2 and Figure 4
is a vertical section taken through the line CD Figure 1.
A is the cylindrical bearing block with its lower end screwing into a corre-
sponding recess in the cast iron body or shell B the upper part of which shell
forms the oil reservoir. D is a worm wheel surrounding the cylindrical block and
resting upon the bottom of the oil reservoir. C is a key by which the worm
wheel is keyed to the cylindrical block it is received into a key way cut length-
wise of the block as shown. E is a worm gearing into the worm wheel-it is
carried by a spindle F one end of which is carried out from the shell through a
stuffing box G as shown in Figure 3. H is a cover closing over the top of the oil
reservoir and fitting around the upper part of the cylindrical block A. If desired
a guage glass might be fitted to the exterior of the oil reservoir to indicate the
height of oil therein.
Oil can pass down from the reservoir along the longitudinal keyway formed in
the block A and so to the space below the bottom of this block from whence it can
rise up through the passage A¹ to the lower part of the recess formed in the block
for the lower end of a spindle to revolve in.
K is the slotted base plate upon which the shell B is supported-the bottom of
the oil vessel rests upon the top of the base plate and the bottom of the shell B has
a plate L secured to it to bear against the underside of the base plate and so hold
the shell down. M. M. are screws screwed through the base plate to move the
shell B sidewise and to hold it in the required position.
As before stated the bearing block A might simply be made to turn within the
shell B. without being made to rise or fall at the same time if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. A footstep bearing the bearing block of which can be turned on its longi-
tudinal axis substantially as described.
2. A footstep bearing the bearing block of which can be turned on its longi-
tudinal axis or both turned and raised or lowered and which is surrounded by a
covered oil reservoir from which oil can pass to the cavity of the bearing block
substantially as described.
3. A footstep bearing constructed substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the drawings annexed.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.