IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BEARING SURFACES OP SHAFTS AND OTHER AXLES
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at, the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th February
1863. A communication from abroad by Nicolas Bailly and Charles
Durand, both of Paris, in the Empire of France.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the. said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BEARING SURFACES OP SHAFTS AND OTHER
AXLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the application of hard metal spheres for trans-
mitting the load weight of journals and shafts. These spheres are contained
in a suitable box, and the journal, in its rotation, produces a rolling movement
in the whole of the spheres, thus creating a rolling friction in lieu of the
ordinary sliding or rubbing friction of journals and shafts in their bearings...
The Invention is illustrated in the annexed Drawing, which represents, &
journal fitted in its axle box and surrounded with three series of spheres.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section between the rows of large balls; Fig. 2, a plan of
the axle box, the cover removed; Fig. 3, a central vertical section through
the small balls; and Fig. 4, a plan of the journal with encircling ring.
The apparatus consists, 1st., of the box; 2ndly, of two rows of balls or
spheres b, about two inches in diameter; 3rdly, of another row of balls d, an
inch and a half in diameter; 4thly, of two rings c fixed in the interior of the
box in which the large balls are guided; and, 5thly, of another ring e mounted
on the journal forming a guide for the small balls d; 6thly, of the journal a

page_text: itself. The two rings c, which are concave on their inner face, and of the
same radius as the large balls b, are received in grooves made in the sides of
the box. Each of these rings is fixed to the box for about a third of its
circumference; the other part being detached therefrom remains free to act
as a spring for facilitating the rotation of the large balls in case they should
get out of their line of bearing.
Two grooves of similar radius to that of the rings are made in the sides of
the journal to receive the large balls, which thus move between the journal
and the inner rings of the box. The exterior of the small ring e encircling
the journal, without, however, being in contact therewith, is also hollowed
out of a concave form corresponding to the size of the small balls d, which
run in it, and also bear against the large balls b; these latter form two rows,
between which are placed the small balls, the function of which is to keep the
larger ones at an invariable distance apart. Supposing the small balls should
not preserve each of the large ones at an equal distance (which is hardly
probable) from the rigidity of the small ring e, this may be remedied by
placing the small balls behind the large ones, maintaining them in position by
a large ring enclosing them. The necessary degree of pressure between the
large and small balls may also be regulated by adopting this arrangement, in
which case it will be understood the small ring is dispensed with. There
results from this arrangement of apparatus an entire absence of sliding
friction, while the great mobility attained by the contact of round bodies with
each other presents great facilities for traction beyond that hitherto attained.
With this system the only resistance is that produced by the friction of
the rolling surfaces, which is but trifling, and their being only tangential
surfaces of contact, the wear is almost nil.
I also obtain economy [in two ways, 1st,
the rolling friction is never sufficient to
extent; 2ndly, by greatly reducing the power for overcoming the resistance or
extreme mobility of the axle in its bearings, which will produce in some cases
a considerable saving of fuel.
From the foregoing arrangement
by dispensing with lubrication, as
develope heat to any prejudicial