IMPROVEMENTS IN BEARINGS FOR SPINDLES AND IN THE METHOD OF LUBRICATING THE SAME
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM HEATHER SPENCE of 8 Quality Court Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex Patent Agent do leroby doclare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BEARINGS FOR SPINDLES AND IN THE METHOD OF LUBRICATING
THE SAME" and in what manner the same is to be performed (being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Addison, Sidney Hopkins of Burrillville in the
County of Providence and State of Rhode Island United States Spindle-maker) to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The objects of this Invention are the securing of high speed, thorough lubrication,
with a small quantity of oil, light running, the retention of the lubricant within
the bolster so that no oil whatever is thrown from the spindle upon the other
parts of the machine or upon the work, and great economy and simplicity of
construction.
This Invention consists of a tubular socket or bearing in which the spindle is to
run the inside of which tube is provided with a screw thread or spiral groove
turning in the same direction as that of the revolution of the spindle: that is to
say, to the right if the spindle turns to the right to the left if the spindle turns to
the left. In other words the direction of the spiral is to be such in all cases with
reference to the revolution of the spindle as to carry the oil down from the top of
the tubo or bearing towards the bottom.
At or near the bottom of the tube one or more small apertures are provided and
conducting tubes or passages which lead from such apertures to the top of tho
tubular bearing through which conductors the oil may pass from the bottom of the
tubular bearing to the top and be delivered to the interior of the bearing.
When the spindle is in operation the oil within the tubular bearing is driven
downward and passing through the apertures and side passages is delivered at the
top of the tubular bearing and is again carried down along the spindle thereby
Becuring a thorough lubrication of the bearing surfaces.

page_text: In constructing the apparatus it is preferred to employ a tubular bushing tung
tightly in an outer tubular case. The bushing is first prepared with the internal
spiral grooves and with one or more longitudinal channels on its outer surface the
channels being connected with apertures at the bottom of the bushing.
The bushing is driven snugly into the outer case the walls of the latter being 5
allowed to come a little above the top of the bushing so as to form an annular
chamber around the spindle at the top of the bushing.
A step may be first inserted in the bottom of the outer case and the bushing be
driven down upon it.
In practice there has been used a tubular bearing of considerable length and it 1
has been found unnecessary to carry the spiral the whole length of the bearing and
satisfactory results have been obtained by applying it to the top and bottom of the
bearing leaving the middle portion of the bearing smooth.
However the proportion of the interior surface to be occupied by the spiral, the
pitch of the thread and depth of groove will of course be more or less influenced by 1
the speed of the spindle, its closeness of fit and also by the consistency of the
lubricant.
In the accompanying drawings Fig: 1 is a longitudinal section of the bushing.
Fig 2 shows the outer casing with the tubular bushing inserted the step spindle
and whirr all in section. There is also shown an inlet oil duct in section and a 5
bent arm overhanging the top of the whirr.
"
Fig 3 is an end view of the lower end of the bushing.
Fig 4 is a viow of a portion of the upper end of the bushing showing longitudinal
grooves on opposite sides.
Fig 5 is an inlet oil duct in section and showing an automatic stopper supported
from the inside by a spring which holds the stopper against an inner shoulder.
C is the outer case B the bushing and S the spindle P is the step which is
practically a part of the bushing but is made separate merely as a matter of
convenience.
The case C is an ordinary cast iron tube closed at the bottom and to be secured
to the rail in any desired and well known manner.
The step P is first driven to the bottom of this tube where it is held by friction.
An annular chamber or well is formed in the walls of the step and in.
connection with the small oil chamber m next above the top of the step.
This well is intended to receive any trifling sediment that may chance to collect
in the oil chamber above it.
The bushing B fits tightly upon the top of the step except the grooves g across
the bottom which lead into the channels c, c', extending longitudinally from top to
bottom of the bushing.
The walls of the case C extend a little above the top of the bushing forming an
annular chamber h around the spindle above the bushing.
The screw or spiral s in the drawings is right-handed the spindle being supposed
to turn to the right, thereby giving a downward tendency to the oil around the
spindle.
Suppose now the spindle and bearing to be lubricated with a slight film of oil
throughout the interior of the bushing and step, and the small oil chamber m to be
filled with oil, the inlet or feeding duct d being closed with a stopper a small
quantity of oil will suffice for the whole. The revolution of the spindle in the
direction specified with reference to the spiral tends directly to force the oil
downward, and as the spiral begins at the very top of the bushing against which
the spindle bears, the oil is prevented from working up around the spindle above
the bearing to be thrown off by centrifugal force.
The spiral at the bottom of the bushing is also acting coincidently with the
upper spiral, and is both drawing the oil down from above it and also forcing or
driving into the chamber m the oil that is within reach or contact, thereby
producing a pressure in this chamber which carries the oil into the channels or
ducts leading up on the outside of the bushing into the chamber h at the top.
ii, v

page_text: The top of the bushing is constructed so as to facilitate the bringing of a drop of
oil so soon as it appears at the top of the duct promptly within the influence of the
spiral. .
A shoulder r is formed upon the top of the bushing where the groove of the
spiral commences-The channel c opens at the foot of this shoulder and opposite
the beginning of this groove-The face of this shoulder is chamfered so as to form
an inclined plane to conduct the drop of oil acted upon by the revolution of the
spindle directly into the groove of the spiral.
The top of the bushing between the channels c' and c following the direction of
the revolution of the spindle is inclined downwards so that a drop of oil arriving
at the top of the former duct will be carried around until it meets the shoulder r
and thence into the spiral groove. With these safeguards against the escape of oil
by centrifugal force and especially as an extremely small quantity of oil is intended
to be used no oil whatever need ever be sprayed or thrown outside the chamber h.
If however by any mischance too much oil should be used and a quantity should
collect in the chamber h a spiral on the inner surface of such chamber may be
employed continuously with that in the bushing, the effect of which would be in a
large measure the same as that of the spiral already described, namely, to carry the
oil down and prevent its rising and spraying from the spindle above the top of the
tubular case C.
Furthermore the Chamber h is overhung or capped by the hooded whirr w of a
common and well known construction.
It is to be observed that the spindlo does not run in a well of oil neither is
submerged in oil but is intended to be worked with a very small quantity merely
sufficient to fill the small chamber m at the bottom of the bushing, thereby
obviating the violent agitation of a large body of lubricating fluid and the heating
consequent upon such agitation to which the lubricating oil now almost universally
in use is specially subject.
The oil is supplied to the spindle through the inlet duct & which opens into the
channel c.
Figure 5 is a modification of this inlet duct d the top of which is inclined from
the spindle to carry it further from the band on the whirr for the purpose of
avoiding whipping of the band against the duct.
A stopper is located in the interior of the duct automatically held against an
interior shoulder by a spring i keeping the orifice of the oil duct automatically
closed. The shoulder may be formed by driving a ring o into the top of the duct
after the spring and stopper have been inserted.
This arrangement is highly convenient as the stopper is constantly in place and
does not require to be removed by hand in oiling it being readily pushed on one
side by the nozzle of the oil cup and returning immediately to place when the
nozzle is removed.
The bent arm a is to retain the spindle in place while doffing.
To remove the spindle the arm is turned to one side.
After the step and bushing aro inserted and firmly secured it is preferred to ream
out the inside to make the whole bearing concentric and to insure that the surface
of the threads is even with the smooth portion of the bearing.
With bearings constructed as described the oil is kept moving in a circuit down
along the spindle to the bottom or to the apertures and thence up through the
ducts to the top of the bearing insuring thorough lubrication at all points of contact
and affording opportunity for the oil to cool while withdrawn from actual friction
of the spindle in the upward part of the circuit.
It is a noticeable fact that a spindle in a bearing of this description with an
average closeness of fit will run at a speed of 10.000 revolutions and upwards per
minute without any perceptible heating.
This is believed to be due to the fact that a very small quantity of oil is at any
time in contact with the spindle and to the further fact that the oil is frequently
rolieved from friction by withdrawal from contact with the spindle.

page_text: Although continuous channels cand c' have been described for the conveyance of
the oil from the bottom or lower part of the bearing to the top it is manifest that
any passage which allows the oil to ascend to the proper point is equally within
this Invention.
For example the bushing B may be made to fit the case only at top and bottom
for a sufficient length to provide holding surface the intermediate portion coming
something short of filling the case.
The oil in its upward course then passes through one or more short ducts into
the annular space thus provided and thence through ducts at the top to be delivered
to the spindle. In this way less turning and fitting of the bushing is required and
the operation is found to be equally satisfactory.
Spindle bearings have heretofore been constructed wherein a spiral or screw
thread has been employed to act in a body of oil to force the same towards the top
of the bearing, from whence oil is allowed to flow back in a space or spaces outside
of the tubular boro in which the spindle runs, through perforations at intervals in
the intervening walls.
In such cases a comparatively large quantity of oil is used maintaining itself at a
height near the top of the bearing and which is kept in constant agitation.
In such constructions there is no provision similar to that shown herein for
preventing the scattering of oil from the surface of the spindle upon other parts of
the machine.
As already shown in bearings of the construction above described no such well of
oil is employed surrounding the spindle but only a mere film sufficient to lubricato
the surfaces in contact and under this Invention the oil is caused to travel in a
contrary direction from that in the constructions above referred to and the effect
and operation aro entirely different.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed (communicated to me
from abroad as aforesaid) I declare that what I claim is
First A tubular boaring for spindles with the means described for distributing
the lubricant in a thin film over the surface of the spindle and returning it to the
source of supply while withdrawn from the effect of friction of tho spindle,
substantially as and for the purpose or purposes described.
Secondly A tubular bearing for spindles constructed as described with an
internal screw at top and bottom and with a passage for the lubricant downwards
in contact with the spindle and upwards out of contact therewith such passages
being respectively in communication with chambers at the top and bottom of the
said bearing, substantially as described.
Thirdly The construction of the feeder for the lubricant with a spring stopper
and its application to the said tubular bearing substantially as described.
And lastly The general construction and arrangement of the parts constituting
a bearing and lubricating apparatus for spindles substantially as described.
Dated this third day of October 1884.