Improvements in Ball-bearings for Axles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball-bearings for Axles.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co. of
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C. Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by Narcisse
Rousselle of Verviers, Merchant, Victor Snutsel and Jean Snutsel, Carriage
Builders, of Brussels, all in the Kingdom of Belgium, to be as follows:-
Hitherto in the fitting of axles to wheels of vehicles where, in order to diminish
the effects of the side friction of the wheel, balls are made use of it has not
been possible to prevent the jamming and the sticking which may be produced
between the balls and the parts with which they are in contact or between these
parts and the box of the axle itself.
The present invention has for its purpose to obviate this inconvenience and it
consists in the interposition between the balls and the surface of the axle-box
of the wheel for transferring the side shocks resulting from the travelling of
the wheel, of a washer absolutely independent from the ball-box and from the
axle-box of the wheel fashioned in such a manner that the sidewards pressure:
of the box of the wheel can effect neither an alteration in shape of this interposed
washer, nor its jamming upon the rolling surface. Also to reduce as much as
possible the side action effected upon the balls by the pressure of the box of
the wheel, the fitting of the axle is completed by using a second ball-box arranged
like the first on or in the other extremity of the box or boss of the wheel.
In the realization of this invention the fitting of the axle-tree is arranged in
the following manner.
Upon the axle-tree and on the inner side of the axle-box is fitted a ball-box in'
which the balls are held by a groove of an appropriate form.
prolongation of the ball-box is fitted a flat shoulder washer in metal placed with
Upon the
one of its surfaces against the balls of which it completes the rolling groove. The
other surface of this shoulder washer is submitted to the pressures resulting from
the sidewards movement of the wheel; this surface is flat thus transferring the
sidewards movements in a direction passing through the centre of the balls and
parallel to the axle. This flat form also offers the advantage of presenting no
means for catching or gripping the corresponding surface of the box of the wheel
so that between the two surfaces only a simple moving friction can be produced,
the shoulder washer moved by the box of the wheel transferring the friction in
rolling by means of the balls.
The same arrangement is placed against the second face of the wheel-box on
the exterior extremity of the axle-box a flat shoulder washer rolling upon balls
contained in a ball-box serving alone as intermediary between the surface of the
wheel-box giving lateral thrust and the ball-box. It results from this manner
of fitting that the box of the wheel is placed between two flat surfaces of two
shoulder washers each completely independent from the box of the wheel and
from the ball-box which assures the realization of the result desired.
Dated this 17th day of Februar 1908

page_text: Improvements in Ball-bearings for Axles.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co., of
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C. Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention, a communication to me from abroad by Narcisse
Rousselle, of Verviers, Merchant, and Victor Snutsel and Jean Snutsel, Carriage
Builders of Brussels, both in the Kingdom of Belgium, and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
Hitherto in fitting axles to vehicles where, in order to diminish the effects of the
side thrusts of the wheel, balls are made use of, it has not been possible to prevent
the jamming and the sticking which may be produced between the balls and the
parts with which they are in contact or between these parts and the box of the
axle itself.
It has been tried to interpose a washer at one extremity of the axle between the
balls and the extremity of the axle-box, but the position of the balls in their race
and the conical form adopted for the surface of contact of the washer with the
extremity of the axle-box, caused the thrust of the box upon the washer to spread
the latter and make it stick in its revolution.
In order to avoid this jamming and sticking we have modified the form of the
ball-race in order to use, as point of application for an interposed washer, the
extremity of a diameter of the balls directed parallel to the axle. Also we have
combined therewith a special form of interposed washer in order that all side
thrusts upon this ring resulting from the side friction of the wheel are directed
parallel to the axle equally and have therefore as resultant the force passing
through the centres of the balls and directed parallel to the axle.
Upon the axle itself and on the inner side of the axle-neck we fit a ball-box in
which the balls run in a race of such a form that diameters drawn through the
centres of the balls parallel to the axle, terminate at one end in the race and at the
other end outside the race.
Upon the prolongation of this ball-box is fitted a flat washer placed with one of
its faces against the balls, the contact points between the balls and this washer
being precisely at the extremities of the diameter of the balls parallel to the axle.
The other face of this washer is submitted to the pressures resulting from the
side shocks of the wheel.
This flat face in company with the special form of ball-race has the effect of
giving as resultant to any side blow a force passing through the centre of the balls
parallel to the axle.
It results that the balls equilibriate this force precisely at their contact points
with their revolution surfaces, this being the most favourable arrangement for
obtaining absolute facility of revolution.
For the purpose of reducing the side action operating upon the balls by the
fastening of the box we complete the ball fitting of the axle by using a similar
arrangement at each extremity of the box, dividing in this manner between two
similar arrangements the side pressure operating upon the balls.
In this manner there is avoided the inconvenience which the use of one single
box presents, of the screw for setting up the ball-races, bearings bringing the whole
pressure upon the surface of a single washer exposed in this manner to relatively
considerable friction.
In the annexed drawing, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an axle: Fig. 2 is
the view of the end of the axle from the left of Fig. 1.
Upon the axle A and against the shoulder B is the box C with balls D. The
ball-race in this box C is disposed in order to retain the balls D, that is to say,

page_text: that it surrounds a little more than the half of the circumference of the balls,
leaving free one extremity of the diameter of the balls parallel to the axle. The
balls are introduced into the race by a small passage not shown in the drawing
placed upon the exterior side of the box C. The balls D support against the flat
washer E the longitudinal shocks of the box G of the wheel.
The drawing shows on the other extremity of the axle-neck a similar arrange-
ment consisting of the washer E' and the box C¹ with balls D, the setting of the
whole being effected by the screw H and the fixing clamp I: this clamp is slid
over the pentagonal prolongation of the axle-neck which allows of obtaining a
perfect setting by means of one single nut which may be adjusted to 3 of a turn
of the nut.
The drawing shows also a special conformation of the box of the wheel for the
purpose of protecting the parts of the ball-box, washer etc. from the dust on the
inner side of the wheel. For this purpose the box G is lengthened by a shoulder G¹
covering completely the ball-box which is therefore arranged in the interior of the
axle-box itself, the latter being in a measure closed on the inner side of the wheel
by the flange B of the axle.
The arrangement of ball-boxes and washers can be applied to any kind of shaft
or axle of any vehicle or even of machines or gearing.
It is sufficient to substitute the ball-bearing described above for the ring washer
generally used upon any axle to take the side thrust.
By replacing such ring washer by a ball-bearing the friction will be considerably
diminished and a greater ease of running will be obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination with an axle and an axle-box of a ball-bearing at each end of
said axle-box having a form of ball-race adapted so as to use as point of
application for the pressure exerted upon the balls the extremity of the diameters
of the balls parallel to the direction of the axle and facing each ball-race, a flat
washer independent of the axle-box of the wheel and having contact surfaces
perpendicular to the direction of side shocks, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 30th day of March 1896.
R. HADDAN.