Improvements in Bearings.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bearings.
I, HERMON HINCKLEY, residing at 878 West Fourth Street, in the City of
Williamsport, County of Lycoming, State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 especially to roller bearings employed in connection with
the axles of bicycles and other vehicles, but it is of general utility in connection
with all classes of bearings.
It is the object of my.invention to provide a roller bearing of a compact and
simple form, in which the parts are so constructed and arranged that the rollers
will under all circumstances be maintained in an equidistant relationship,-that
wear of the parts will not affect the working efficiency of the device, that very
perfect compensation for wear may be made by a simple adjustment of the parts,
that the maximum reduction of friction will be effected, and that wear will be
reduced to the minimum.
In the accompanying drawings I illustrate and herein I describe a good form of
a convenient embodiment of my invention, the particular subject-matter claimed as
novel being hereinafter definitely specified.
+
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of a hub and axle
shown as equipped with my improved roller bearing.
Figure 2 is a view' in side elevation, and Figure 3 a view in end elevation, of
the separator.
Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the axle bar,-Figures 5 and 6 of the
counterpart shells, and Figure 7 of a roller.
Figure 8 is a transverse vertical sectional elevation of the structure shown in
Figure 1, section being supposed upon the dotted line - of said figure..
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the drawings,
A is the main axle bar, the extremital portions a a of which are of slightly less
diameter than the central portion,-and B B are a pair of counterpart annular
shells mounted respectively upon the portions a a of said axle bar, and bearing
as to their inner ends against the shoulders a* of the same.
Nuts a are mounted
upon the protruding extremities of the axle bar, and, bearing against said shells,
bind the latter firmly against the shoulders, so that the shells and the axle bar are
fixed with respect to each other, and as so fixed constitute the axle upon or with
relation to which the other parts of the device have movement of rotation.
C is the hub casing, consisting conveniently of the cylindrical barrel c, the
respective extremities of which are internally threaded to receive correspondingly
externally threaded caps e*, which, as usual, embody axial openings through which
the respective extremities of the axle extend. Eath cap is provided with a
peripheral extension c embodying a threaded longitudinal aperture in which is
mounted a set screw c³ adapted to be advanced into contact with the end or lip of
the barrel e to lock said cap in any position of adjustment; any suitable locking
levice may, however, be adopted in its stead.
Dare a series of rollers shown as extending from end to end of the hub and
nterposed between and treading respectively against the axle and the hub.
The portions of the axle with which the rollers make contact and upon which

page_text: in their movement they tread, are the peripheral surfaces of circumferential
external ribs e situated at or near the respective extremities of the axle, and which,
as a matter of convenience of construction, are preferably formed, as shown, as
integral parts of the counterpart shells herein before referred to.
I prefer to provide two of these ribs at each extremity of the axle. -
The portions of the roller which are abreast these ribs and which rest upon or
tread against their peripheral surfaces, and also the peripheries of the ribs them-
selves, are preferably in the form of circular or cylindrical planes, in order that in
the continued use of the device such wear of the parts as does occur effects merely
a uniform reduction of the respective diameters, which may be compensated for by
setting the rollers more closely to the ribs.
The inner faces of the caps happen in the form shown in the drawings, to
constitute the portions of the hub casing with which the rollers are in contact or
upon which they tread, said caps being in the preferred embodiment of my
invention respectively provided with an inwardly extending circular lip c,-
which cause them to be internally of an approximately hemispherical form.
Each roller D is provided near each of its respective extremities, with what I
term an inclined bearing rib F, each of said ribs being at one side from its line of
greatest circumference to its base inclined obliquely with relation to the axis
of the axle, and as to such side slightly convex in profile.
The rollers D tread outwardly through the convex surfaces of their respective
inclined bearing ribs upon or against the inner faces of the respective caps of the
hub, which inner faces are shown as provided with slightly concave tapering
portions constituting tread surfaces ; these trend faces may however be straight
inclined surfaces, or be outwardly curved, presenting convex faces.
The respective extremities of the rollers are provided with small hemispherical
knobs 9, the outwardly-facing convex portions of which abut against correspondingly
opposite stop collars h, as I term them, formed upon the axle and having inwardly-
facing inclined convex sides as illustrated. The point of contact between the
knob and stop collar is in line with the peripheries of the ribs e, which arrange-
ment insures that in each revolution of the rollers the same distance is travelled
by a knob on the stop collar / as by the cylindrical part of a roller on a rib e, thus
avoiding any slip of parts.
Mounted upon the central portion of the axle is a device which I term a
separator, I, the same being, in the form shown, a sleeve mounted for revolution
upon said axle, and provided with a series of longitudinal grooves or roller
seats i, somewhat larger in diameter than the rollers, corresponding in number with
the rollers employed, and in which respectively the rollers are seated, to the end
that the rollers may be retained at equal distances apart around the hub and in
parallelism with the axis of the axle. The grooves are made of a sufficient
depth to prevent contact between the rollers and their bottoms when the rollers are
drawn radially inward by adjusting to take up wear.
In the tightening up of the nuts a¹ to secure the shells B in position, the
contact of the latter against the axle shoulders a* prevents them from binding
against the separator,-the length of which is less than the distance between said
shoulders.
The operation of the hub or bearing will be readily understood:
Rotation being imparted to the wheel and hub, the latter is revolved about the
axle, friction being diminished by the presence of the rollers.
The movement or rotation.of the rollers upon their axes, and their consequent
travel upon the ribs e is due to the driving action of the inner face of the hub upon
the bearing faces of the ribs F, and the said ribs F which thus receive the power,
so to speak, being considerably greater in diameter than those portions of the
rollers which tread upon the ribs e, a leverage is secured for the driving action
of the hub upon the rollers, which is greater than would exist were the rollers of
uniform diameter throughout their lengths, with the result that the movement of
the hub is rendered easier in proportion to the increased leverage.

page_text: As will be understood from an inspection of the drawings, the wear upon the
rollers due to their tread upon the hub casing comes only upon certain portions
of their lengths, while that due to their tread upon the axle comes upon other or
different portions of their lengths, a distribution resulting in increased durability.
In other words, that portion of the length of a roller which is in contact with
the axle is not in contact with the hub casing,-while that portion of the length
of a roller which is in contact with the hub casing is not in contact with the axle.
The stop collars h against which the knobs or enlargements 9 abut, resist
end thrust of the rollers and therefore operate to retain the latter in proper
longitudinal position; while the separator, which in the revolution of the hub is
carried with the rollers around the axle, retains said rollers in proper lateral
position.
When, in the continued use of the device, the rollers or the portions of the axle
or hub upon which they tread become worn, the wear, owing to the bearing faces
of the inclined ribs F and the inner faces of the hubs being both inclined or, so to
speak, tapering, as described, may be taken up by the screwing up of one or both
of the said caps, the result of which will be to, first, carry the inner faces of the
caps, if they should be out of contact, against the faces of the inclined ribs, and
then to set or carry all the rollers, if they should be out of contact, radially inward
against the faces of said ribs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
alaim is:
1. In a bearing, in combination, a hub casing, provided with interior inclined
tread faces, an axle provided with circumferential ribs, and a series of rollers
disposed about said axle and bearing against said ribs, said rollers being provided
with ribs having inclined faces, and, being in contact, through said inclined faces
alone, with the tread faces of the hub casing, substantially as set forth.
2. In a bearing, in combination, a hub casing provided with adjustable caps
having interior inclined tread faces, an axle provided with circumferential ribs, and
a series of rollers disposed about said axle and bearing against said ribs, said rollers
being provided with ribs having inclined faces, and being in contact, through
said inclined faces alone, with the tread faces of the hub casing, substantially as
set forth.
3. In a bearing, in combination, a hub casing provided with interior inclined
tread faces, an axle provided with circumferential ribs, a series of rollers disposed
about said axle and bearing against said ribs, said rollers being provided with ribs
having inclined faces, and being in contact, through said inclined faces alone, with
the tread faces of the hub casing, and a separator which maintains said rollers in
equi-distant relationship, substantially as set forth.
4. In a bearing, in combination, a hub casing provided with interior inclined tread
faces, an axle provided with circumferential ribs, and with a pair of inclined stop
collars, a series of rollers disposed about said axle, and bearing against the ribs of
said axle, said rollers being provided with inclined extremital enlargements adapted
to make contact with the stop collars, and also provided with ribs having inclined
faces through which inclined faces alone said rollers are in contact with the hub
casing, substantially as set forth.
5. In a bearing, in combination, a hub having screw caps adapted to be moved
inward to take up wear and formed each with an interior tapering tread face, an
axle provided with tread faces, and a series of rollers disposed about said axle in
contact with its tread faces and provided with inclined ribs adapted to tread upon
the tread faces of the caps, substantially as set forth.
6. In a bearing, in combination, a hub having screw caps adapted to be moved
inward to take up wear and formed each with an interior tread face, an axle
provided with circumferential ribs formed with plane peripheral faces, and a series
of rollers disposed about said axle and formed with plane cylindric surfaces adapted

page_text: to tread upon said 'peripheral faces, and likewise with ribs possessing inclined convex
faces adapted to make contact with the tread faces of the caps, substantially as set
"forth.
7. In a bearing, in combination, a hub having screw caps adapted to be moved
inward to take up. wear and formed each with an interior tread 'face, an axle
provided with circumferential ribs formed with plane peripheral faces, a series of
rollers disposed about said axle and formed with plane cylindric surfaces adapted
to tread upon said peripheral faces, and likewise with ribs possessing inclined convex
faces adapted to make contact with the tread faces of the caps, and a separator
rotatably mounted upon the axle and embodying grooves or seats for the reception
of the rollers, substantially as set forth.
8. In combination, an axle embodying four ribs having plane peripheral faces,
and also embodying a pair of stop collars, a hub having screw caps at its respective
extremities which caps embody.tread faces, and a series of rollers each provided
with cylindric portions in tread upon the plane peripheral faces of the ribs, with
extremital enlargements in trend upon the stop collars, and with two ribs having
each an inclined convex face which faces are respectively in tread upon the
-corresponding tread faces of the caps, substantially as set forth.
9. In combination, an axle embodying four ribs having plane peripheral faces,
and also embodying a pair of stop collars,-a hub having screw caps at its respective
extremities which caps embody interior tread faces,-a series of rollers which are
provided with cylindric portions in tread upon the plane peripheral faces of the
ribs, with extremital enlargements in tread upon the stop collars, and with two
ribs having each an inclined convex face which faces are respectively in tread
upon the corresponding tread faces of the caps, and a separator surrounding the
axle and embodying seats for the reception of said rollers, substantially as set
forth.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of January A.D. 1894
HERMON HINCKLEY.