US840379A - Hub. - Google Patents

Description

No. 340,379. PATENTED JAN ."1,'1907'.' J. SAPP.

HUB.

APPLICATION FILED DOT. 7. 1905.

nmntw W 62mm 1n: NORRIS PETERS 60-. wAsnmc'roN. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JAMES E. SAPP, OF BAINBRIDGE, GEORGIA.

HUB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed October '7 1905. Serial No, 281,804.

The obj ectof this invention is to produce a hub in which the axial thrust upon the spindle and hub of the vehicle will be reduced to a minimum.-

A furtherobject of this invention is to provide a hub which is provided with antifrio tion means for reducing the friction incident to the travel of the rotating parts around the stationary parts of the hu this invention is to provide a hub having an elastic or flexible center located and arranged in such relation to the spindle that it will rotate with the hub portion and, furthermore, one that will be capable of yielding to great axial pressure and sudden jolts and thrusts, as well as carrying the radial pressure of the entire vehicle.

With these'and other objects in view my.

invention consists in the features and details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 2 alike view of the complementary parts of the hub segregated.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 1 represents the body portion of the hub arranged to receive the spokes of the wheel. This body portion is provided at suitable intervals on its interior periphery-with slots or grooves 2, which slots or grooves are arranged to accommodate a lug or pro ection 3, extending away from the annulus 4, which annulus is arranged to entirely fill the periphery of the interior of the body portion 1 of the hub. The extensions 3 are provided on said annulus for the purpose ofallowing said an- ,gage the threaded sleeve 9.

nulus to rotate or travel with the remaining portion of the hub 1. The projections provided on said annulus are arranged to fit into the slot or groove 2, provided in the interior periphery of the hub, the said slots being of suflicient length to permit said annulus to slide longitudinally with respect to the spindle 5 and the hub portion 1. This annulus 4 has an elongated depressed portion 6, said portion being threaded and arranged to receive the ring 7, likewise provided with screwthreads. This ring is secured onto the depressed portion 6 of the annulus 4 and serves to hold fast one end of a spring or other flexible and expansible means whereby the axial and radial thrusts (if the vehicle are offset.

This flexible means consists in the present instance of a spiral spring 8 being coiled around but spaced from the sleeves surrounding the spindle, each end of said spring being fastened to a ring 7, screwed to said annulus 4. A further and most important object of flanged portion 11, which flanged portion is adapted to conform to the shape of the an-- nulus 4. A cone or disk 12 is provided and arranged to be fitted onto the extension 10 of the sleeve, which cone or disk 12 snugly fits uponthe screw-threadedportionof saidsleeve 10 and lies flush with the groove formed in the flanged portion 11 of said sleeve 9. A

similar disk 18 engages the screw-threaded portion of said disk 12, which disk completes the structure of one end of thehub,with the exception of. a dust-guard 14, arranged to fit over the extreme end of the hub-body 1. The opposite end of the hub is provided with a similar sleeve 15, which sleeve is provided with external screw-threads arranged to en- In this manner the two sleeves are held securely in their proper positions. The'said sleeve 15 is likewise provided with a flanged and screwthreaded portion as well as the remaining parts similar to the parts of the opposite side of the hub which have just been described and are similarly numbered. The flanged portions of the sleeves 11 and 12, as well as the ings 16.

disks 13, are each provided on their peripheral edges with concavities forming, substantially, a raceway for a plurality of ball-bear- These balls are adapted to travel in the concavity or groove formed by the disk 13 and the flanges of the sleeves 11 and 12, the body portion of the hub revolving around these stationary parts having its annulus 4 provided with a curved shoulder 17, which forms the other concavity for the raceway in which the balls are designed to travel. The disks 12, which fitthe extensionsof the sleeves 11 as well as the disks 13, which are designed to be seated on said disks 12, are

likewise provided in their exterior and interior periphery, respectively, with annular grooves orconcavities forming a raceway for theballs- 16. The said annulus 4 has its peripheraledge curved to accommodate the balls and to forma raceway therefor. In thismanner it is obviousthat with the sleeve ortions and the complementary disks of the lid-b remaining stationary and the hub portion'proper, together with its annulus 4, rotating about these sleevesthe lateral strain of the: vehicle will be taken u and to a very important extent offset. T 1e rovision of a spiral spring which is interpose between the longitudinal slidable annuli .will effectually relieve thelateral oriaxial strain and thrust caused by the travel of thewheels over uneven highways and roads, inasmuch as the joltingot the-vehicle fromone side to theother is taken up by the flexiblecenter, which acts as a backing for the ball-retaining cups at each end of the hub.

One of the principal results attained-by providing a flexible center having metal threaded ends is thatwhen the annuli 4 be come. worn by the. constant rotation of-the same; around the ball-bearings'the said annuli canbe readily replaced with new ones at little expense. Furthermore, the provision or rings on the interior elongated portion of said annuli serves also as a means for securing-the ends. of the spiral. spring forming the elastic,

center. I

Itwill beseenthat two of the parts of. the hub body I and the axial portions are separate and distinct and not in contact with each other, the samebeing spaced from" eachother, and the interposition of the ball-bearings at the-above-described places insuring the retention of this space for the purpose of increasing the efficiency of. the. ball-bearings; The spring likewisebeingi fastened to the rings on the elongated portion of the annuli isfree from the sleeve and: rotates about'the samewithout contacting with them sothat there is noiriction on this portion of the hub either against the: hub portion proper or the sleeves.

Having thusfully described my invention,

flexible means positionedcentrally of said spindle and surrounding the same, for compensating for axial thrust,said axial-thrustcompensating means taking the pressure from the thrust throughout its entire length, and cups fixed to said body portion for receiving the-ends of the thrust-compensating means.

3. In a vehicle-hub the combination with a body portion and a non-rotating spindle, of a plurality of annuli slidable within said body portion and surrounding said spindle and a "spring for forcing said annuli in eitherdirection, whereby any axial thrust isvcompen sated i'or.

4. In a vehicle-hub the combinationwith a body portionhaving on its interior periphery a plurality of slots, of a plurality of rings within and arranged to rotate with i said body portion, said rings having ribs arranged to slide in the slots of-said body portion, and longitudinally thereof, means interposed between said rings for causing said longitudinal movementof said rings, whereby thelateral Find axial thrust of the wheel is compensated" 5. In a vehicle-hub the-combination with a body portion and a spindle,'rings within said body portion and arranged to rotate with respect to said spindle, of a plurality of sleeves mounted on said spindle, said-sleevesbeing interlocked and spaced from .said. rings, means positioned circumferentially of said sleeves for producing a longitudinal, slidable movement of said rings, and means interposed between said sleeves and ringsfor reducing frictional resistance.

6. In a vehicle-hub the combination with a body portion being provided with a plurality of peripheral socketsof a plurality oi 'rings within said body portion and arranged to fit said sockets said rings having an elongated flange provided with screw-threads, annuli arranged to engage'the screw-threaded portion of said rings, and meansinterposed between said rings whereby the axial thrust will be taken up and. offset by the longitudinal movement of said rings and said sockets.

7. In a vehicle-hub the combination with a body portion and a spindle, of a plurality of sleeves interlocking with said spindle and IIO fixed against rotation, a plurality of cones at I interposed between said rings for oflsetting either end-0f said sleeves and arranged to enthe axial thrusts of the vehicle.

IO gage said sleeves, said cones having raoeways In testimony whereof I affix my signature formed therein forball-bearings, rings Within in presence of two witnesses.

said body portion and arranged to travel JAMES E. SAPP. around the ball-bearings, said rings being Witnesses: slidable longitudinally'of the axis of the hub, A. S. MCBRIDE,

and annuli secured to said rings, and means T. B. MAXWELL.

Images