Improvements in the Bearings of Shafting and in Supports for the Bearings of Shafting.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1393
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in the Bearings of Shafting and in Supports for the
Bearings of Shafting.
We, HENRY JAMES TAYLOR PIERCY of the Broad Street Engine Works,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer and HENRY LEA
and WILLIAM HENRY THORNBERY the younger both of No. 38 Bennett's Hill,
Birmingham aforesaid Mechanical Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The said invention has reference to bearings of the kind known as long cast iron
swivelling bearings and in supports for the same. In these bearings brasses are
dispensed with, but they are sometimes lined with white metal.
The first part of our invention consists in making a bearing of the kind referred
to in the following manner. We make the bearing in two halves an upper and a
lower half. In the middle of the bearing we make an internal concentric annular
recess. The said annular recess constitutes an oil reservoir from which the oil is
raised by an endless band of cotton or other equivalent ineans.
At each end of the
bearing we make an internal concentric annular recess for receiving the overflow
oil. These recesses are connected by channels in the lower half of the bearing
with the oil reservoir and the overflow oil returns to the oil reservoir by the said
channels.
In situations where it is desired to prevent longitudinal motion of the shaft we
machine accurately the opposed faces of the middle recess and we fix a collar on
the shaft which collar runs in the said recess. The collar is of less diameter than
the recess and consequently does not interfere with the action of the said recess as
an oil reservoir. The said middle recess is formed in a raised band on the exterior
of the bearing on which band are projections which form the two "he" or convex
parts of the ball and socket joints the "she" or concave parts of the said joints
being formed in the ordinary way, that is, on the ends of screwed plungers.
The second part of our invention has for its object to effect an accurate adjust-
ment of the bearings of shafts in their supports, that is, hangers or brackets, and
has reference to bearings of the kind hereinbefore referred to. In carrying the
second part of the said invention into effect we dispense with the bosses ordinarily
employed and instead thereof we employ an arched or semi-circular metallic yoke
at each end of which is a boss having an internal or concave screw or screw box in
which the ordinary screwed plunger engages. We cast on the hanger or bracket
two open ended boxes for the reception of the bosses on the ends of the yoke. The
bosses fit sideways in the said boxes but there is clearance for adjustment between
the bosses and boxes from front to back. Front and back set screws in the boxes
bear against the yoke bosses and the said bosses may be accurately adjusted by the
said set screws. Wedges may be employed instead of set screws.
Hangers and brackets made according to the said invention do not need slotted
bolt holes for securing them to beams or walls. They can be fixed with great
readiness and the final adjustment of the bearings afterwards can be made by means
of the set screws, boxes yokes and bosses described.
Dated this 31st day of December 1892.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Bearings of Shafting and in Supports for the
Bearings of Shafting...
We, HENRY JAMES TAYLOR PIERCY of the Broad Street Engine Works
Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Mechanical Engineer and HENRY LEA,
and WILLIAM HENRY THORNBERY, the younger both of No. 38, Bennetts Hill
Birmingham aforesaid Mechanical Engineers do hereby declare the nature of our
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The said invention has reference to bearings of the kind known as long cast iron
swivelling bearings and in supports for the same.
In these bearings the use of brasses is dispensed with the said bearings being
made of cast iron, sometimes lined with white metal, preferably made so that their
length measured parallel to the shaft is about four times the diameter of the shaft.
These bearings usually have ball and socket joints at their points of support as is
well known.
The first part of the said invention consists in making a bearing of the kind
referred to in the following manner. We make the bearing in two halves, an upper
and a lower half, fitting into one another as usual, and we provide at the middle of
the bearing a deep annular recess concentric with the shaft. The lower part of the
said annular recess constitutes a reservoir for oil. We bring the oil up from the
reservoir and distribute it over the upper portion of the shaft preferably by an
endless band of cotton wick running on the shaft, or by a ring with a scraper, or
other equivalent device. At each end of the bearing we make an internal concentric
annular recess for receiving the overflow oil. Each of these recesses is in
communication with a middle recess or oil reservoir by means of a channel in the
lower half of the bearing so that the overflow oil received by the said recesses
returns to the oil reservoir by the said channels. Cleaning holes are provided.
In situations where it is desired to prevent longitudinal notion of the shaft and
where it is inconvenient or undesirable to have collars on the shaft external to the
bearing for that purpose we machine accurately the opposed faces of the middle
recess, and fix a collar on the shaft to run in the said recess. The collar is of less
diameter than the recess, and consequently does not interfere with the action of the
lower portion of the said recess as an oil reservoir. The metal surrounding the
middle recess forms a raised band on the external surface of the bearing, and on
this band we cast projections (formed in the shape of segments of spheres) which
form the two "he" or convex parts of the ball and socket joints by which the
bearings proper are supported on the hangers or brackets the "she or concave
parts being formed in the ends of screws commonly called screwed plungers as is
well understood.
The second part of the said invention has reference to the adjustment of the
bearings in their hangers or brackets.
It is well known to millwrights that in fixing hangers and brackets it is easy to
obtain a rough adjustment, but that the final and accurate adjustment to line is a
matter of difficulty and uncertainty both with ordinary plummer blocks and with
long cast iron bearings of the ball and socket type. The usual method is by giving
blows more or less violent to the hanger, bracket or plummer block, and finally
when the adjustment has been made, fitting packing pieces of iron or hard wood to
insure its permanence.
The said invention refers to long cast iron ball and socket bearings either of the
kind hereinbefore described or of the common type.
Instead of screwing the plungers into bosses cast on the brackets or hangers
as has hitherto been usual, we form an arched or semi-circular metallic yoke, at

page_text: each end of which is a boss screwed internally to receive the ordinary screwed
plunger.
When the bearing is put together, and its plungers are screwed into the bosses of
the yoke, the whole forms an independent piece of mechanism.
Upon the hanger or bracket we cast at the required distances, two open ended
boxes, these receive the two bosses of the ends of the yoke. The boxes are made
so that the bosses fit sideways, but there is clearance for adjustment between the
bosses and the boxes from front to back. Front and back set screws in the boxes
bear against the yoke bosses so that the yoke may be accurately adjusted to its
required position. Wedges may be employed in place of set screws, but we prefer
the latter.
Hangers and brackets made according to the said invention do not need slotted
bolt holes for securing them to beams or walls. They can be fixed with great
readiness and the final adjustment of the bearings can be made by means of the
set screws in their boxes acting on the bosses of the yoke which contains the
bearing.
We will now describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the manner
in which the said invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents partly in vertical section and partly in front elevation a cast
iron swivelling bearing constructed according to the said invention and
Figure 2 represents the same in end elevation.
Figure 3 is a plan of the same, the upper half of the bearing on the right hand
side of the figure being removed.
Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line A. B. Figures 1 and 3.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a bearing with a shaft having a
middle collar and
Figure 6 is a cross section of the same, the said Figures 5 and 6 being drawn to
a smaller scale than Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 represent the metallic yoke in side elevation, front elevation
(with a portion in section) and plan respectively.
Figure 10 represents in side elevation a hanger with yoke screwed plungers and
swivelling bearing complete.
Figure 11 represents in side elevation, partly in section, a wall bracket with
yoke, screwed plungers and swivelling bearings complete.
Figure 12 is a plan of the same, and
Figure 13 is a front elevation partly in section with part of the yoke broken
away to shew the bracket behind.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
a is the lower half of a long cast iron bearing.
this
At the middle of the lower bearing is a projecting external collar a' within
which is formed a semi-annular recess or chamber as to contain oil in its lower part
which forms an oil reservoir; a³, a³ are semi-annular recesses into which the oil
flows when it has passed over the shaft bearing; a, a' are channels to convey
oil back to the oil reservoir a²; a³, as are cleaning holes closed when the bearing is
in use by set screws as which may be taken out to remove spent oil and dirt; a' is
a projection of which the surface forms part of a sphere. This rests in a corre-
sponding concave surface on the lower screwed plunger 9 (see Figures 10, 11
and 13); as is a projection for limiting the swivelling motion of the bearing; a³, a'
are ribs or projections on the lower half of the bearing upon which the recesses or
rebates in the upper half fit; b is the upper half of the bearing resembling generally
the lower half of the bearing a the middle recess in the upper half of the bearing
corresponding with the middle recess or oil reservoir a' in the lower half of the
bearing and the recesses 6, in the upper half of the bearing corresponding with
the recesses a³ a' in the lower half of the bearing and so on.
The upper half of the bearing is provided with a hole 60 by which oil is
supplied to the reservoir in the bearing. Cups of solid lubricant may also be arranged

page_text: in the bosses to act in case of accidental neglect of the oil lubrication.
(Figure 4) is an endless band of cotton wick or similar material resting on the
shaft d the lower part of the said hand of cotton wick dipping into the oil in
the middle recess or reservoir a³. The said band of wick e is carried round by the
rotation of the shaft d and feeds oil to the highest part of the said shaft d whence
the oil finds its way outwards, being distributed by grooves 6" in the upper part of
the bearing over the whole bearing surface of the shaft, the oil escaping into the
said recesses a, b and returning to the middle oil reservoir a² by the channels a', a*.
Instead of using a band of cotton wick a metallic collar seef (Figures 5 and 6) may
be placed on the shaft, which collar dips into the oil and conveys it to the highest
part of the bearing, a scraper e being provided to remove the oil from the said
collar. Or projecting pegs on the shaft or other equivalent device may be
employed for bringing the oil from the reservoir a² and distributing it on the shaft.
The collar may also be employed for the purpose of preventing longitudinal
motion of the shaft. In this case the said collar fis made of the full width of the
recess a³, as represented in Figure 5, the meeting surfaces being machined.
Where however the collar fis employed simply to raise the oil from the reservoir
it need not be made of the full width of the recess a², *.
The second part of the said invention has reference to the adjustment of the
bearings just described in hangers or brackets. The spherical projections a³, b' on
the lower and upper halves of the bearings fit into corresponding sockets on the
inner ends of the screws or screwed plungers gg (see Figures 10, 11 and 13) by
which screws g, g a vertical adjustment is obtained as is well understood. Instead
of screwing these plungers into fixed bosses cast on the hangers or wall brackets, in
the ordinary manner, we screw them into blocks of metal 2 formed, one at each
end of a yoke h (see Figures 7. 8 and 9) these blocks being screwed internally to
receive the screwed plungers. The blocks, h at the ends of the yoke h fit in
oblong recesses ¹, formed in bosses ¹, k³ cast on the hanger or wall bracket,
see Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13. The opening in the recess is contracted at bottom
to support the yoke , the bearing a, b and the shaft d. The recess is open at top
and bottom. The blocks ', ' at the ends of the yoke have the same width as the
recesses, but the recesses are oblong and there is space for adjustment back and
front (see Figures 10, 11 and 12). The yoke carries the screwed plungers 9, 9
and the bearing a, b. The vertical adjustment of the bearing is effected by the
screwed plungers g, g being screwed up or down into the blocks ', * on the ends
of the yoke 'h. When the proper vertical adjustment has been obtained, the set
screws are tightened, the said set screws bearing against small packings
interposed between their points and the screwed plungers g, g. The horizontal
adjustment from back to front is obtained by means of the set screws m, m.
These
set screws have conical ends which take into corresponding conical recesses in the
blocks on the ends of the yoke. When the adjustment has been effected these
set screws m, m are tightened up and they not only preserve the adjustment, but
they prevent any tendency to springing in the yoke h.
We commonly cast recesses n, n in the bosses k', k2 of the hanger or wall bracket
and place therein ordinary square wrought iron nuts p, p for the set screws m m to
work in but we do not limit ourselves to this method. By the means described we
obtain a hanger or wall bracket having screw adjustments both in a vertical and a
horizontal plane.
For certain classes of supports for the shafting we use the bearings constituting
the first part of the said invention, without the yoke. By so doing we retain the
swivelling bearing in combination with the middle oil reservoir but without the
facilities for adjustment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim as the said invention;
First. In a long cast iron swivelling bearing the combination of a central

page_text: projection forming the convex part of a ball and socket joint, with a middle internal
recess or oil reservoir and the mechanical means described for conveying oil on to
the upper portion of the shaft; together with outer recesses to collect the oil, and
channels to return it to the reservoir substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. Preventing longitudinal motion of the shaft in a long cast iron
swivelling bearing by means of a collar working in a recess in the said bearing
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the
accompanying drawings.
Thirdly. Supporting swivelling bearings and their screwed plungers by means of
a metallic yoke capable of adjustment in a horizontal plane in a hanger or wall
bracket substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9,
10, 11, 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly. The construction of a swivelling bearing with middle oil reservoir,
the said bearing being capable of adjustment in vertical and horizontal planes
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the Twenty-first day of September 1893
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.