Improvements in Anti-friction Bearings for Wheel Hubs and Fixed Bearing Blocks.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Anti-friction Bearings for Wheel Hubs and Fixed
Bearing Blocks.
I WILLIAM WILSON HORN of the firm of Horn and Son of 151 Strand in the
County of Middlesex l'atent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication to me from Charles J. Applequist of Ellendale State of North
Dakota United States of America and Nels. T. Holte of the same place Inventors)
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to journal-boxes for wagon hubs and fixed bearing-blocks;
and its object is to provide a simple frictionless bearing which after once being put
together will not under ordinary circumstances need to be taken apart or oiled.
Heretofore anti-friction hubs have been provided with longitudinal friction rolls
between the axle and the inside of the journal-box.
My present invention is an improvement over the device just described in the
practical use of which for wagon-hubs it has been found that the lateral thrust of
the hub upon the axle is apt to make the hub-box bear against the stationary
shoulder and nuts thereon with such force as to make the wheel hard to move. Το
obviate this difficulty I have conceived the idea of providing conical friction rollers
in the said shoulder and nut upon said shaft in combination with the longitudinal
rolls.
These conical rollers revolve upon axes corresponding to the radii of the con-
taining-cup and are adapted to allow the circular end of said hub-box to move
freely and without friction against the said shoulder or nut when thrust against the
same by the lateral movement of the wheel upon its axle.
Dated this 28th dow of March 1891
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Anti-friction Bearings for Wheel Hubs and Fixed
Bearing Blocks.
I WILLIAM WILSON HORN of the firm of Horn and Son of 151 Strand in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention
a communication to me from Charles J. Applequist and Nels. T. Holte both of
Ellendale State of North Dakota United States of America Inventors and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to journal bearings for wagon hubs and fixed bearing
blocks and its object is to provide a simple frictionless bearing which after once
being, put together will, not under ordinary circumstances need to be taken apart or
oiled. Heretofore anti-friction hubs have been provided with longitudinal frictional
rolls between the axle and the inside of the journal box. My present invention is
an improvement over the device just described in the practical use of which for
wagon hubs it has been found that the lateral thrust of the hub upon the axle is
apt to make the hub-box hear against the stationary shoulder and nuts thereon with
such force as to make the wheel hard to move. To obviate this difficulty I have
conceived the idea of providing conical friction rollers in the said shoulder and nut
upon, said shaft, in combination with the longitudinal rolls. These. conical, rollers
revolve upon. axes corresponding to the radii of the containing-cup, and are adapted.

page_text: to allow the circular end of said hub-box to move freely and without friction against
the said shoulder or nut when thrust against the same by the lateral movement of
the wheel upon its axle.
My invention consists further in a novel construction of the roller cup forming
the shoulder and the nut on the axle..
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this Specification,
Fig. is a longitudinal section of an antifriction bearing embodying my
invention.
Fig. 2 is an inside view of one of my friction roller cups.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the shaft journal box and friction rolls, slightly
enlarged and taken upon the linea a of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a view of the combination friction roller cup nut upon the outer end of
the axle, the nut being removed.
As shown in Fig. 1, the friction rolls 2 are provided about the shaft 3 and between
the shaft and the box 4 of the hub 5. This box 4 is permanently secured in the hub
and is held in place by the projections 6. The shoulder cup 7 is provided on the
square portion of the axle, as shown, and is provided with the requisite number of the
cone shaped friction rollers 8. These friction rollers are held in place in the cup 7
by the circular band 9 and the flange 91 on the outer edge thereof. This band or
sleeve 9 is held in place by turning over the inner edge thereof upon the shoulder
abutting against the square portion of the axle 3 in the manner shown by the
points 10 in Fig. 4. A similar cup 11 provided with similar conical rollers is
provided on the outer end of the axle 3, the points 12 of the retaining sleeve thereof
being turned down upon the shoulder 13, against which the square nut 14 corre-
sponding to the square portion of the axle over which the cup 7 is slipped, presses.
The ends of the hub are preferably bored out, as shown, to receive the inner end
of the cups, while the hub box 4 is of such length that the ends thereof extend out
into these openings, and into the said cups.
In the practical application of my invention the whole device is so proportioned
that the hub box has considerable play between the cups 7 and 11, and their
frictional rollers that the hub has considerable lateral play upon the axle 3. Hence
if the wheel is running perpendicularly upon the ground practically there will
be no engagement between the ends of the box 4 and the rollers in the cups 7
and 11, but if for instance the wagon should be on a side hill the wheel would be
pressed in or out as the case might be against the nut or shoulder upon the axle,
thus bringing the annular end of the hub-box with some force against the frictional
rollers in the cup.
I have shewn and described my invention as applied to the hub of a wheel with
its axle. It is obvious however that the hub could be made a stationary bearing,
and the axle or shaft allowed to rotate therein. There are also various modifications
of my invention which would readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art,
and I therefore do not confine myself to the specific construction shewn and
described.
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. In an anti-friction hub or bearing the journal-box adapted to receive the
stationary or movable shaft and the longitudinal friction-rolls between said shaft
and the inner surface of said box, with the cone shaped friction rolls provided in
the cups said cups being fixed on said shaft against rotation thereon and adapted to
limit the lateral play of said journal box or of the said shaft upon one another
respectively substantially as shown and.described.
2. The combination of the journal box adapted to rotate upon a suitable shaft
through the medium of friction rolls, with containing cups secured to said shaft
and provided with cone-shaped rollers revolving in an annular groove therein, said
rollers adapted to engage with the annular end of said journal box when the said

page_text: journal box is thrust longitudinally upon the said shaft into said cup, whereby the
friction between the end of the journal box and the limiting stop to which the
said containing-cup corresponds is lessened.
3. The combination of a friction roll cup adapted to be secured to a shaft or axle
and provided with conical shaped rollers in an annular groove or seat therein, said
rollers being of such number as to just fill said annular groove and being loosely
held therein by the flanged sleeve provided upon the inner surface of the opening
through which the shaft enters, said sleeve being held in place by turned down
points provided upon the other end thereof upon the shoulder of the larger opening
provided in the outer end of said cup for the accommodation of the large portion
of said shaft or axle substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination, in an anti-friction bearing, of the limiting cups 7 and 11
provided upon the shaft 3, the friction rolls 2, and the journal-box 4 with the conical-
shaped rolls 8, provided in annular grooves in said limiting cups, and adapted to be
held therein by the flanged sleeves 9 and 12 of said cups 7 and 11, and means for
securing the cup 7 to the shaft 3 and for removably securing the cup 11 to the
same, said journal box 4 being somewhat shorter than the distance between the
rolls in the boxes 7 and 11 and adapted to engage therewith, thereby lessening
the friction tending to oppose the revolution of the said box + or the shaft 3
respectively, when the shaft is moved longitudinally in or upon the said box sub-
stantially as shown and described.
Dated this 24th day of December 1891.
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.