Cheaply Produced Substitute for Ball Bearings
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A Resume of Patent Specifications that Have Recently Been Published
BECAUSE the present demand for ball bearings is in excess of the supply, particular interest attaches to patent No. 546,817 -dealing with a bearing which is easily and cheaply produced, and which will act as an efficient substitute in cases where the rotational speed is not high. The patentees are Brown Brothers (Aircraft), Lt4., and R. L. M. Saunders, Alperton Lane, Perivale, Middlesex.
An accompanying drawing shows a section of the bearing, which has the same external dimensions as standard ball bearings, so that no other modifi-. cations are required. An outer ring (2) has its two parts riveted together to enclose an inner member (1); the latter, in the present case, is of partspherical form so as to give the bearing self-aligning properties. The inner member is made of steel, the outer rings being also of steel or light alloy. An annular space is left to hold lubricant sufficient for a long period.
If a self-aligning bearing be not required, the inner piece is formed with a square shoulder.
USING SULPHUR AS PROMOTER FOR OIL FUEL
A CCORDING to the Standard Oil riDevelopment Co., New Jersey, U.S.A., there are many oil fuels suitable for high-speed compressionignition engines except for one defect, the low cetarte number, that is, the tendency to knock and smoke. Patent No. 546,780, from the above concern, discloses suggestions for improving fuel in this respect.
There are several additives, commonly called ignition promoters, that can be used. One of the best is sulphur and its-compounds, but they have an extremely corrosive effect on the fuel tanks. The patent deals with a means for rendering practicable the employment of sulphur by introducing it to the fuel immediately before use.
It is proposed to insert in the fuel pipe, between the main° tank (1) and the engine, a container or containers (2) holding a quantity of sulphur or nitrogen sulphide. The fuel passes through. the sulphur and picks up a percentage sufficient to act as a knock inhibitor. The container is heated, by either electritity 'or exhaust gases, and the percentage of sulphur dissolved can be nicely adjusted—tryvarying the temperature. Not all of the fuel passes through the promoter tanks, some being by-passed. by line 4 to form a second means for adjustment for richness of sulphur. A filter (3) is also included in the promoter system.
The consumption for a vehicle doing 5 m.p.g. of fuel is said to be
in the neighbourhood of 5 lb. of sulphur per 1,000 miles. 10,
DETAIL IMPROVEMENTS IN AN UNUSUAL BRAKE QOME time ago, the Rover Co., Ltd., b.-raft P. A. Scott-Iversen, both of New Meteor Works, Coventry, described in a patent an interesting design of brake, in which the problem of bringing the shoes to bear was solved by the simple, if unusual, method of allowing them to rub slightly all the time. These patentees n o w disclose, in patent No.
2 546,789, an improvement o n
C•31 the scheme.
It has been found, the specification \ , states, that the • conventional
546789 type of hydraulic cup-washer is somewhat hesitant when released, and may give rise to an unwanted i" hang-on "of the brakes. The patent shows a spring pull-off mechanism intended to overcome this defect. The
drawing shows one of several construe tions. In this case a pair of springs (2), anchored to frictionally gripped plates (1), serves to assist the return of the hydraulic pistons. The patent stresses the fact tikat although the springs bear a superficral resemblance in their action to the usual pull-off variety, their function is onlyto return the pistons; the shoes themselves are returned by the contraction of the forcibly expanded drums.
FILLER CAP WITH PRESSURERELEASE VALVES
ARADIATOR filler cap which, although normally sealed, can • open to restore pressure equilibrium, is shown in Datent No. 546,811 by General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. As pressure in the cooling system may be either positive or negative, the cap is provided with valves operable under both conditions. In the drawing the filling spout is provided with a pressed-up seating (4) in the lower end, whilst the upper end terminates in a turned-down flange (1) for receiving a bayonet-fitting cap.
The cap carries a centre post fitted with a sliding flange and sealing washer (2), the latter being spring-loaded to permit the escape of pressure. In a metal diaphragm in the centre of the flitke is a second valve (3), which is spring-loaded in the opposite direction and allows air to enter in the event of a• sub-normal pressure. A hairpintype friction spring grips the moving part of the main valve and prevents " dither" during running.
SPRING BRACKET INCORPORII,TING TIPPING HINGE
THE pivot of a tipping body is a heavily loaded par t of the mechanism, and a little slack at this point soon becomes a lot, owing to the chattering produced by running. An effort to improve this detail is shown in patent No. 546,739 by W. Smith and W. R. Ingram, Ltd., 24a, Moat Lane, Yardley, Birmingham.
It is proposed to form the pivot as part of the bracket which normally carries the shackle of the rear spring; this is usually attached to the chassis in a notably sturdy manner. A onepiece casting thus performs the dual duty of housing the spring shackle and supporting the pivot, the former being located in a bore (4) whilst two 'bosses (1) receive the tipping pivot pin.
One or both of the bosses may be split and tightened on to the pin by a screw in the hole (5). The screw also intersects the pin (2) to form an endwise location.
The body bracket which surrounds the pin is bushed with bronze or needle-rollers.