US449967A - Ball-bearing - Google Patents

Description

2 sheets-sheet 1,

(No Mbdl.) I r G. F. SIMONDS.

BALL BEARING.

Patented Apr. "7, 189-1.

7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. I. SIMONDS.

BALL BEARING.

No. 449,967. Patented Apr. 7, 1891.

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I Wilma/J 66f w/vswfoif' eozyeifdv'weond UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE F. SIMONDS, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

BALL-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,967, dated April 7, 1891. Application filed December 30, 1890. Serial No. 376,298. (No model.)

To all whom it 71mg cancer/L:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FREDERICK SIMONDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of IVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ball-bearings for reciprocating or sliding surfaces; and it has for its object to provide means for confining spherical rollers or balls in rectangular cages in suitable position to resist and sustain pressure or weight, to diminish friction, to evenly distribute the frictional wear of the bearingsurfaces, and to enable the balls to be applied and removed in a body without loss of time.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a plan of a rectangular ball-carrying cage constructed wholly of wire. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the same, showing the construction of the cage more clearly. Fig. 3 is a plan illustrating a modification in the arrangement of the wires that form the separate ball-compartments. Fig. 4. is a perspective of a portion of a cage in which the wires that form the ball-compartments. are arranged diagonally. Fig. 5 isa side elevation of a rectangular wire cage. Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of a cage having hexagonal ball-compartments. Fig. 7 is a plan of a rectangular cage constructed 'partly of wire and provided with oblong compartments in which the balls have free lateral play. Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section of said cage on the line :10 a. Fig. 9 is a plan of a portion of a flexible rectangular cage. Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on the line y y.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the spherical rollers or balls of a ball-bearing, and 2 denotes the cagein which said balls are confined and from which they protrude.

In the construction shown in Figsil'to 6, inclusive, the cage is made wholly of wire and comprises two parallel wire frames 3, each composed of intersecting wires at, that form the opposite sides or top and bottom of the flat cage. These frames are connected by cross-wires 5, arranged at proper intervals where the wires at intersect, and also, prefer-.

ably, where they are connected with the wires 3, that form the rim or border of the cage. The intersecting wires 4 may be arranged at right angles to the border-wires 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or they may cross the frame 3 diagonally, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In either of these forms of construction the cage is divided into a number of compartments 6, in each of which is confined a single ball in such position that the several balls are free to revolve in all directions in contact with the moving surface or surfaces whose pressure they are to sustain.

In order to provide for arranging the spherical rollers or balls 1 in close proximity to each other, the ball-compartments may be made hexagonal, as shown in Fig. 6, byso placing As shown in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive, the flat.

rectangular cage may consist of two or more metal bars 7, connected by double sets of parallel transverse wires 8, arranged to form oblong compartments 9, in which the balls 1 can play freely. If preferred, the cage may be braced by bars 10, arranged at suitable intervals.

For the purpose of adapting the ball-bearing cage to move over or between curved surfaces it can be made in flexible sections by constructing it of short metal bars 7, Fig. 9, pivotally connected, as at 12, Fig. 10, and supporting the transverse wires 8, that form the ball-compartments.

It is obvious that by forming the ball-bearing cage wholly or partly of wire the balloompartments can be arranged in various ways to present the confined spherical rollers or balls in proper position to sustain pressure from various directions. It will be also observed that the several forms of cage illustrated are each so constructed as to be wholly independent of the bearing-surfaces against which the balls act and that the balls and cage are removable in a body Without permitting the balls to become displaced.

In another application, Serial No. 376,289,

filed December 30, 1890, I have described and claimed a cage having double sets of wires, between which the balls are retained and which wires can be sprung apart to permit the insertion and removal of the balls, and

this feature I therefore do not claim in this application.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a ball-bearing, the combination, with spherical rollers or balls, of a flat rectangular ball-bearing cage provided with rectangular compartments for confining the spherical rollers or balls in position to revolve in all directions and sustain the pressure of reciprocatin g or sliding surfaces, said cage being wholly independent of the bearing-surfaces against which the balls-act, and the balls and cage beingremovable in a body, substantially as described.

2. In a ball-bearing, the combination, with 20 spherical rollers or balls, of a removableballbearing cage composed of flexible sections adapted to turn curves and provided with compartments consisting of double sets of parallel transverse wires between which the spherical rollers or balls are retained in position to revolve freely in all directions and sustain the pressure of sliding surfaces, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 30 my hand and affixed my seal in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. F. SIMONDS: 14.3.

Vitnesses:

JAMES L. NORRIS, JA ES A. RUTHERFORD.

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