US2592811A - Ball-bearing assembly - Google Patents

Description

A ril 15, 1952 H. LEBENSFELD BALL-BEARING ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 5, 1950 INVJENTOR HARRY ZEBENSFELD ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1952 United Industrial Syndicate, Inc., New York County, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 3, 1950, Serial No. 136,623

The present invention relates to an improved ball-bearing assembly particularly applicable to bar stools having rotatable seats.

An object of my invention is to provide a ballbearing assembly of simple construction, the elements of which are easily removable and simply replaced.

A further object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive but serviceable ball-bearing assembly for use with bar stools having rotatable seats.

These objects and others are achieved by a ballbearing assembly including axially aligned movable and base members, secured to one another across a spacer washer, which members have opposed fiat surfaces forming a raceway in which may rotate anti-friction balls, mounted at spaced intervals in an annular ball carrier, which carrier is secured against lateral displacement by a plurality of dimples in one of said members disposed along the inner margin of said carrier.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying .drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, it be--- ing understood that the foregoing statement of the objects of my invention and the brief sum-' mary thereof are intended to generally explain the same without limiting it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of -a ball-bearing assembly embodying my invention, there being shown in dashed outline cooperative portions of a bar-stool seat and column with which it may be employed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof in elevation taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of said assembly showing the relation of parts.

Referring to the drawings, the embodiment of my invention therein illustrated includes a movable member I!) comprising substantially planar outer portions li, a centrally disposed concavity I2 of substantially circular cross-section, and having a centrally located aperture I 3; the under side of said concavity having an annular fiat upper race I4- concentrically related to said aperture and downwardly extending dimples I-5, in the form of indentations in said concavity which may be pierced therethrough, disposed about the inner margin of said upper race, the outer portions I6 of said dimples having preferably the same degree of are as the inner margin of upper race I4.

11 Claims. (01. 308-235) A bolt I'I, having a head I8 and a threaded shank portion l9, passes through a washer 3| and retains a base member 20 in association with mov able member ID by means of the coactive re- .straining influence of nut 22 and washer 25.

Base member 20 is essentially a dish-shaped disc having a relatively broad centrally located aperture 23. The peripheral portions of base member 20 have been bent downward toform a collar 2|. A plane annular surface extending inward of said collar along the top of said base member forms lower race 24 substantially in register with upper race M on the underside of movable member Ill when apertures I3 and 23 are axially aligned, thereby forming a raceway between said upper and lower races. Within aperture 23 is seated spacer washer 26 which consists of an annular fiat ring having a diameter just slightly less than the diameter of aperture 23 and having an axially disposed aperture preferably of the same diameter as aperture I3in movable member I0. Spacer washer 2B is just slightly thicker than the thickness of the material of which base member 20 is made and is designed in that fashion in order to prevent the binding of base member 20 and movable member ID.

An anti-friction element, comprising an annular ball carrier 21 of substantially the same diameter as upper and lower races I4 and 24 hav "ping apertured sockets 28 at spaced intervals in which are retained balls 29, is disposed between said base and movable members It and 20 and axially aligned with apertures I3 and 23 insaid members. Sockets 28 are of slightly smaller diameter than balls 29 so that somewhat less than one-half of such balls extend therethrough. Balls 29 are loosely held in place in ball carrier 21 by means of the upturned and inwardly turned marginal portions 30 of said carrier, which extend inwardly over the equator or greatest horizontally extending portions of said balls. Said marginal portions are slightly rounded at the location of each ball in order to minimize wear between said balls and the upper walls of such marginal por- Ball carrier 2'! is prevented from shifting laterally by detent means in the form of dimples I5, the outer curved portions I6 of said dimples coming into contact with the inner margin of said carrier. Although two such dimples aresufficient and although more than three may also be employed, I prefer to use three such dimples as the most efii'cient detent means commensurable with economic construction.

The elements of the assembly are made'inselfmay be covered with heavy grease.

evident fashion and hence need no comment. It may be observed, however, that the principal members may be formed in relatively simple stamping operations.

The assembly of the elements calls for neither particular mechanical skill nor special tools. Bolt ll is passed through the various elements in the order shown in Fig. 4, nut 22 being tightened home against Washer 25.

The ball-bearing assembly is easily incorporated into a bar stool, such as the one indicated in dashed outline in Fig. l by slipping collar 2 I,

of base member 20 over column 32 of a pedestal such as the pedestal illustrated in my application for a patent filed December 1, 1949, for a Pedestal, bearing Serial No. 130,568 (series of 1948). Bores 33 may be aligned with similar bores on such column and said base member may be bolted to said column or otherwise affixed thereto by fastening means passing through said bores. The movable member It may be secured to the underside of a seat 34 by means of wood screws or other fastening devices passing through bores 35 in said movable member.

For best operation, the anti-friction element It will be found that a seat mounted upon the ball-bearing assembly will rotate easily either with or without a heavy load.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous additional changes in the details of construction, combina tion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without transcending the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable member mounted for rotation relative to said base member, said members having opposed surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, anti-friction means disposed between said members, said means including an annular ball carrier and balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means, formed on one of said members, disposed along a margin of said anti-friction means to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

2. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable member mounted for rotation relative to said base member, said members having opposed surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, anti-friction means disposed between said members, said means including an annular ball carrier and balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means, comprising a plurality of dimples in one of said members extending toward the other of said members, disposed along a margin of said anti-friction means to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

3. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable member mounted for rotation relative to said base member, said members having opposed surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, anti-friction means disposed between said members, said means including an annular ball carrier and balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means, comprising a plurality of dimples in one of said members extending toward the other of 4 said members, disposed along a margin of said anti-friction means to prevent lateral displacement thereof, said dimples having curved edges confronting a margin of said anti-friction means and substantially in register therewith.

4. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable member oppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member, said members having opposed annular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an

annular ball carrier disposed between said members, balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means, formed on one of said members, disposed along a margin of said ball carrier to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

5. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable member oppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member, said members having opposed annular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an annular ball carrier disposed between said members, balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means, comprising a plurality of dimples in one of said members extending toward the other of said members, disposed along a margin of said ball carrier to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

6. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member, a movable member oppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member, said members having opposed annular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an annular ball carrier disposed between said members,

balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being operable in said raceway, and detent means, comprising a plurality of dimples in one of said members extending toward the other of said members, disposed along a margin of said ball carrier to prevent lateral displacement thereof, said dimples having curved edges confronting a margin of said ball carrier and substantially in-register therewith.

7. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member having a relatively broad centrally located circular aperture therein, a spacer washer seated in said aperture, said washer being slight; 1y thicker than said base member and of a diameter slightly less than that of said aperture, a movable member having an axial opening, said movable member being oppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member by means passing through said washer and said opening, said members having opposed annular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an annular ball carrier disposed between said members, anti-friction balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being in contact with said annular surfaces and operable in said raceway, and detent means, formed on one of said members, disposed along a margin of said ball carrier to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

8. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member having a relatively broad centrally located circular aperture therein, a spacer washer seated insaid aperture, said washer being slightly thicker than said base member and of a diameter slightly less than that of said aperture, a movable member having an axial opening, said movable member being oppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member by means passing through said washer and said opening, said members having opposed annular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an annular ball carrier disposed between said members, anti-friction balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being in contact with said annular surfaces and operable in said raceway, and detent means, comprising a plurality of dimples in one of said members extending toward the other of said members, disposed along a margin of said ball carrier to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

9. A ball-bearing assembly comprising a base member having a relatively broad centrally located circular aperture therein, a spacer washer seated in said aperture, said washer being slightly thicker than said base member and of a diameter slightly less than that of said aperture, a movable member having an axialopening, said movable member being oppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member by means passing through said washer and said opening, said members having opposed annular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an annular ball carrier disposed between said members, antifriction balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being in contact with said annular surfaces and operable in said raceway, and detent means, compris ing a plurality of dimples in one of said members extending toward the other of said members, disposed along a margin of said ball carrier to prevent lateral displacement thereof, said dimples having curved edges confronting a margin of said ball carrier and substantially in register therewith.

10. A ball bearing assembly comprising a base member having a relatively broad centrally located circular aperture therein, a spacer washer seated within said aperture, said washer being slightly thicker than said base member and slightly smaller in diameter than said aperture, a

movable member having an axial opening and adapted to carry a load oppositely and rotatably mounted in association with said base member by means passing through said washer and said opening, said members having opposed fiat an nular surfaces forming a raceway therebetween, an annular ball carrier disposed between said members, anti-friction balls rotatably mounted at spaced intervals along said ball carrier, said balls being in contact with said opposed annular surfaces and operable in said raceway, said movable member having a plurality of dimples therein extending toward said base member and spaced along the inner edge of the annular surface on said movable member, said dimples having curved edges confronting the inner margin of said ball HARRY LEBENSFELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,326,034 De Martino Dec. 23, 1919 1,859,352 Albee May 24, 1932

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