US390424A

US390424A - Anti-friction bearing

Info

Publication number: US390424A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 1905-10-02

Description

(No'ModeI.)

M. R. WOOD.

ANTI-FRIGTION BEARING. No. 390,424. Patented 001:. 2, 1888.

rares MILTON R. WOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLTNOIS.

ANTlmFRICTION BEARBNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,424, dated October 2, 188B.

Application filed April 1G, 1888.

, ings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a construction embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a central longitudinal sectional view of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse 'sectional view taken on the line l l of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a detail View showing a portion of the shaft and one of the bearing and spacing rollers detached.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to anti-friction bearings, and is in the nature of-au improvement upon the invention set forth in Letters Patent of the United States No. 378,350, granted to me February 21, 1888, for an improvement in anti-friction bearings.

The object of my presentinvention is to improve the construction therein shown in various points in order to render its operation more efiieientand reduce the friction to a minimum.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe, and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the present instance I have shown my invention as applied to the bearing of a shaft,

A, although, of course, it will be understood' neeted by suitable screw-bolts, b', which serve to hold the said end pieces and cylindrical casing firmly together and form of the whole Serial No. 270,855. (No model.)

a rigid box or housing, while at the same time they permit the said box or housing to be readily taken to pieces when necessary and as readily assembled.

The shaft A is provided with a reduced portion, a, which, when the said shaft is in position, is inclosed within the housing B, and around this reduced portion there is grouped a series of anti-frietion or bearing rollers, C, of a length sufficient to lit the said reduced portion a and of a diameter sufficient to bear upon the surface of the said reduced portion and also upon the inner surface of the annular flanges b, between which surfaces the said rollers travel. Any suitable number of these rollers may be employed, provided that their number or diameter is such as to prevent their having contact with each other when spaced at equal distances apart.

The rollers C are provided with grooves c, forming reduced portions, upon which the spacing-rollers bear. These spacing-rollers D are employed to prevent the bearing or antifriction rollers C from coming in contact with each other, one of said spacing-rollers being arranged between each pair of bearing or antifriction rollers, as shown in the drawings.

Each spacing-roller is provided with enlarged diskvshaped end portions, d, which fit within the grooves c of the rollers C and bear these points, and with a central reduced portion, d', which has no contact with. the rollers y C. The diameter of the spacing-rollers is such that whenall the rollers are properly grouped around the shaft said spacing-rollers will not pass down between the bearingrollers.

In order to hold the spacing and bearing rollers in proper relative position, I employa retaining-ring, E, of a width equal to the width of the reduced portion d of the spacing-rollcrs D and of a diameter sufficient to bear upon the said reducedportions when the parts are assembled, and upon those portions only. In order to provide for the assembling of the parts, I make this retaining-ring a divided ring, so that it may be opened sufficiently for this purpose. This may be effected in any suitable manner. In the present instance I have shown a construction in which the ring is cut at e, so as to permit the parts t0 be assembled, the severed ends being connected after the assembling is effected by means of a plate, E', which is secured to the exterior of the ring in any suitable manner.

If desired, the reduced portion a of the shaft A may be provided with collars to enter the grooves c; but in that case the relative diameter of the said collars and of the reduced portions of the rollers C will be such that their peripheral surfaces will not come in contact with each other.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the shaft A rotates, the bearing-rollers C will move around the same in the direction of the rotation of the shaft, the said rollers traveling upon the annular fianges b and rotating in the direction opposite to that of the shaft. Their friction will be entirely a rolling friction, and all sliding friction which would tend vto increase the resistance is obviated. The spacing rollers D serve to prevent the bearing-rollers from coming in Contact with each other, and the said spacingrollers rotate in a direction opposite to that of the bearingrollers and bear upon said bearing rollers with their enlarged end portions, d, only. The ring E serves in an obvious manner to retain the various rollers in position, and moves in the same direction and along with the spacingrollers.

In the construction shown in my Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to the various rollers bear upon each other and upon the journal at points of different diameters, and there is, consequently, a differential motion at these bearing-points which produces a sliding friction, which is obviously disadvantageous. In the construction shown in the present application this disadvantage is obviated by reason of the fact that the rollers bear upon each other and upon the shaft only at points of like or corresponding diameter, whereby all differential motion of surfaces in contact with each other is obviated and the friction reduced to a minimum by reason of its being entirely a rolling friction instead of partly a. rolling and partly a sliding friction.

It is obvious that various modifications in the details of construction may be made without departing from the principle of my invention; and I therefore do not wish t0 be understood as limiting myself strictly to the prea reduced portion, a series of anti-friction roll` ers iittingwithin the reduced portion and bearing against the surface of the same and against the annular anges, said anti-friction rollers being provided with grooves or reduced portions, a series of spacing-rollers provided with enlarged ends to enter the grooves of the said anti-friction rollers and bear upon the reduced surfaces thereof, and with an intermediate reduced portion not in Contact with the antifriction rollers, and a retaining-ring to fit upon the reduced portions ofthe spacing-rollers and hold the same in position, substantially as and for the purposes specified. l

2. The combination,\vth the housing B, having annular flanges b, of the shaft A, having continuous reduced portion a, the anti-friction rollers O, bearing upon said reduced portion and upon the annular flanges b and provided with reduced portions c, the spacing-rollers D, provided with enlarged end portions, (l, to enter and bear upon the reduced portions c ofthe rollers C, and with central reduced portions,d, not in contact with the rollers C, and the retaining-ring E, fitting upon the reduced portions d of the spacing-rollers D to retain the same in position, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination,with the box or housing B, having annular fianges b, of the shaft A, the rollers C, arranged between said shaft and annular flanges and provided with reduced portions c, the spacing-rollers D, provided with enlarged end portions, d, to bear upon said reduced portions,and with reduced central portion, d', not in contact with the rollers O, and the retaining-ring E, fitting upon the reduced portions d of the spacing-rollers D, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

MILTON R. kWOOD.

Witnesses:

A. M. Bas'r, IRVINE MILLER.