IMPROVEMENTS IN THRUST BEARINGS FOR SCREW PROPELLER SHAFTS AND OTHER SIMILAR SHAFTS 20
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wills of the Town and County of Leicester for an
invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THRUST BEARINGS FOR SCREW PROPELLER
SHAFTS AND OTHER SIMILAR SHAFTS
20
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wills at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th March 1882.
JAMES WILLS of the town and County of Leicester
IMPROVEMENTS IN THRUST
BEARINGS FOR SCREW PROPELLER SHAFTS AND OTHER SIMILAR SHAFTS
This invention relates to improvements in thrust bearings for screw propeller
shafts and other similar shafts
The object of this invention is to lessen the friction of shafts due to the pressure
exerted in the direction of the length thereof called the thrust, to withstand which
collars are now employed rotating in grooved gun-metal bearings
This invention consists in the construction of a bearing in which a series of balls
or rollers are employed which rotate freely between the end of the rotating shaft
or disc on the end of the rotating shaft, and a corresponding stationary disc. The
balls or rollers can or will be preserved in position by being inserted in recesses in
a plate or cage which will revolve with the rollers, independently of the shaft, or
they may be placed in recesses in the dise rotating with the shaft and bear on the
stationary disc
One or more series of rollers or balls, with plates or discs, may be employed at
the end of the shaft, or a thrust bearing of my improved construction can be
applied at any of the collars of a long shaft or to or between the boss of a
propeller and the stern post of the ship, or applied to a plummer block or
otherwise.
The disc or discs fitted on the shaft, or the stationary disc or discs can be made
adjustable by wedges or equivalent appliances to take up the wear of the balls or
rollers and discs
The rollers can be of any convenient shape and the discs can or will be grooved
to fit them and the balls, so as to form a pathway
The rollers and balls may be of steel hardened, and the discs and plates be of
chilled cast iron, or the rollers, balls discs and plates may be of other suitable
material

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Wills in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
September 1882.
JAMES WILLS of the town and county of Leicester IMPROVEMENTS IN THRUST
BEARINGS FOR SCREW PROPELLER SHAFTS AND OTHER SIMILAR SHAFTS
This invention relates to improvements in Thrust-bearings for Screw-propeller
shafts and other similar shafts
The object of this invention is to lessen the friction of shafts due to pressure
exerted in the direction of the length thereof called the "thrust" to withstand
which shafts with collars are now employed which rotate in grooved gun metal
(fixed) bearings
This invention consists in the construction of a bearing in which a series of balls
or rollers are employed which rotate freely between the end of the rotating shaft or
a disc on the end of the rotating shaft or a disc or discs forming part of or fixed to
any convenient part or parts of the said shaft and a corresponding stationary
disc. The balls or rollers can or will be preserved in position by being inserted in
recesses in a perforated plate or cage which will revolve with the rollers independently
of the shaft between the rotating shaft and the fixed disc or bearing, or they may
be placed in recesses in the disc rotating with the shaft and bear against and travel
on the stationary disc
One or more series of balls or rollers with perforated rings or cages may be fitted
to the end of the shaft, or a thrust-bearing of my improved construction can be
applied at any collar or disc of a long shaft or to or between the boss of a propeller
and the stern-post of the ship, or applied to a plummer-block or otherwise. The
disc or discs fitted to the shaft, or the stationary disc or discs, will by preference
be made adjustable by wedges, screws or equivalent appliances, for the purpose of
first adjustment and to take up the subsequent wear of the balls, rollers and discs.
The rollers can be of any convenient shape and the discs can or will be grooved to
receive them to form a pathway. The rollers and balls will by preference be of
hardened steel and the discs be of chilled cast iron, or the rollers, balls, discs and
plates may be of other suitable material
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention as applied to an intermediate
bearing of a propeller shaft. Fig 1 is a longitudinal section in Elevation of the
thrust-bearing in which E is the shaft; F F is the pedestal in halves adjustable
by the wedges OC¹ C³ C³-in the bed plate F-B B' are fixed discs grooved at HH
to receive the anti-friction balls D D; A. A¹ are discs fixed to and rotating with
the shaft E, grooved similarly to the fixed discs B B¹; GG are the cages perforated
with holes to receive and retain the balls D D. Fig 2 is an end view of half of
the fixed disc B' showing the relative position of the balls D D when they are
revolving in the cage G³; HH' are grooves in which the balls D travel. Fig 3
(sheet 2) is a front view and Fig 4 is a longitudinal section of the disc B on the
shaft E showing the grooves HH for the balls D D. Fig 5 is a front view and
Fig 6 is a vertical section of the cage G with perforations J J, which retain the
balls D D in position. Figs D' K L M N (sheet 2) are enlarged views of the balls,
cones, and rollers which can be employed with various modifications of my
improved thrust-bearing. As a modification the rotating discs can be placed
between the stationary discs, instead of being outside them as shewn in Fig 1 of
the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and object of
my said invention and specified in what manner the same is to be or may be

page_text: performed and carried into effect I would observe in conclusion that what I con-
sider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the invention secured to me
by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters-Patent is
Firstly
Improvements in Thrust-bearings for Screw-propeller shafts and other similar
shafts by the combination therewith of, or the construction thereof with, anti-
friction balls or rollers rotated independently in a perforated ring or cage by the
revolving shaft or disc against a stationary dise for the purpose of reducing
friction by receiving the "thrust" or longitudinal pressure of the said shaft directly
on a revolving instead of on a fixed bearing as herein-before specified and
described.
Secondly
The construction of an adjustable Thrust-bearing and the detailed parts thereof
as illustrated by Fig 1 to Fig 6 inclusive (Sheets I and 2) of the accompanying
drawings, and as herein-before specified and described, the antifriction balls and
rollers D D' K L M N being by preference of hardened steel, and being rotated
independently in a cage G by the pressure of the rotating disc A. against the fixed
disc B the said discs A B being by preference of chilled cast iron or hardened or
chilled cast steel.
In witness whereof I the said James Wills have hereunto set my hand an
seal this twelfth day of September in the year of our Lord One thousan
eight hundred and eighty two