US791059A - Self-adjusting bearing. - Google Patents

Description

No. 791,059. PATENTED MAY 30, 1905. A. VAN WORMER.

SELF ADJUSTING BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: Z14 W INVENTOR 2 a. 4M, V W I A7TOH/VEY PATENTED MAY 3Q, 1905.

A. VAN WORMER. SELF ADJUSTING BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1904.

2 SHEETS8HEET 2.

WITNESSES: M Kw Z INVENTOH BY%%QWI Patented May 30, 1905.

PATENT FFICE.

ARBA VAN WORMER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE FORT WAYNE WIND MILL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

SELF-ADJUSTING BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 791,059, dated May 30, 1905.

- Application filed August 8, 1904. Serial No. 219,845.

To all whom it 77710; concern:

Be it known that I, ARBA VAN WORMER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Adjusting Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in self-adjusting bearings; and the object thereof is to afford a ball-bearing which will automatically adjust itself to the plane of the member which rests upon the balls and to provide means to hold said balls in proper relative position. I accomplish this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a planashowing the bearing arranged upon a tower-cap, part of the retaining-ring being cutaway. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same and showing also the shank of a windmill-head mounted in place. Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the invention applied to the hub of a windmill, and Fig.4 is a vertical section showing the retaining-ring upon an enlarged scale.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and, referring now to the same, 1 is a cup having in one side thereof an annular channel 2. An annular flange 3 extends upward at the outer periphery of the cup and overhangs inwardly, and an annular shoulder 4 ranges around the channel 2 and adjacent the flange 3. An annular flange 6 extends upwardly from the cup along the inner margin of the channel 2. Bearing-balls 7 are arranged to roll in the channel 2, and a retaining-ring 5, having openings 8, is placed within the flange 3 and over said balls, the said balls ranging loosely in said openings, re-

spectively.

5 is composed of two semicircular sections, one of which has extending llps 9 upon its under side, which range under the abutting 5 ends of the opposite section, and said lips are secured thereto by screws 10, thus connecting said sections. 11 is a tower-cap having therein a socket-seat 46, in which the cup 1 is loosely supported; The said cup has a central bore 15, through which the shank 12 of the windmill-head extends. The said bore is of greater diameter than the said shank and affords sufficient play to allow the cup to shift in said socket-seat without coming into contact with said shank. A bearing-ring 14: is arranged between the shoulder 13 of the head 17 and balls 7 and is made of hardened metal suitable to resist the wear occasioned by engagement upon the balls. The outer lower edge 5 of the shoulder 13 overhangs the cup 1, and thereby shields the bearing from the weather.

In Fig. 3 a socket-seat 16 is shown formed in a hub 18, which is arranged to rotate upon a stud 19, and the cup 1 is arranged in said seat in a similar manner to the former instance.

For the sake of convenience of expression the tower-cap, with its socket-seat, will hereinafter be referred to as the supporting member and the shank 12 and the ring 14 as the rotating member, and the construction shown in Fig. 3 will be considered as an equivalent of that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the operation of my invention it is ob- 8o vious the rotating member is supported upon the balls, and because of the weight of said rotating member and the curvature of the lower surface of the cup and of the socketseat the said cup will adjust itself in said socket-seat of the supporting member, and thereby compensate for any unequal weight placed upon any of the series of balls 7 by the said rotating member.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, a supporting member having a socket-seat therein;

a cup loosely arranged in said socket-seat there being an annular flange extending inwardly at the top of said cup; an annular series of balls arranged in said cup; a retainingballs respectively, and being held loosely in place by said flange; a bearing-ring resting upon said balls; and a rotating member having a shank Which extends loosely through the bore of said cup, and a shoulder supported upon said bearing-ring.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ARBA VAN WORMER. Witnesses:

H. J. LAMPKE, W. G. BURNS.

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