Professional Documents
Culture Documents
History of Ball Bearings
History of Ball Bearings
R=19810009866 2017-11-24T02:42:06+00:00Z
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: February 1981
The precision rolling-element bearing of the twentieth
industrial demand for such devices and certainly long before there
2
high stresses in the restricted regions of effective load
transmission.
i early man used rollers to move heavy objects, although this does
i not prove that wooden sticks, logs, or stones were never used for
interesting that writing and the wheel emerged at about the same
of the wheel, but this progress was not reflected in Central and
3
South America. This anomalous situation in America between about
1.1.1 Rollers
"
manner that indicates that they could indeed have been used as
ago.
4
1.1.2 The Wheel
• Figure 1.2. This record dates back almost 5000 years. A later
Chinese pictograph from about 3480 years ago shows that the spoked
wheel had developed in the East by that time. In the Middle East
aided preservation.
were often heavily studded with copper nails. Most of the early
this arrangement has persisted throughout the ages for road but
early developments near the Caspian Sea between the Kura and
Araxes rivers.
900 B.C. to A.D. 400. The Romans provided the most impressive and
Chinese.
6
there is no evidence of the use or study of rolling bearings in
Alexandria.
7
extinct volcano. They also constructed at least two ships on thiA
The second ship was found on November 18th of the same year,
sunken ships in Lake Nemi. The procedure adopted was to lower the
was exposed ~n June 1929, and the second ship was revealed in
1930. It was ascertained that both ships had been built between
been salvaged from the first ship by divers in 1895, and 16 are
8
A reconstruction of the thrust-bearing arrangement is shown
rather between the lower point on the balls and the flat wooden
base on the one hand and the upper generators of the trunnions and
wooden rollers within wooden rings. Ucelli formed the view that
9
wood, not only in the same century but in the same decade and even
technology.
May 1944, during the culmination of the Battle of Rome, the museum
was destroyed, the ships burnt, and most of the valuable remains
10
that the Celts were trying to replace conventional, plain hub
, internal compartments and dating back over 2100 years were found
cell.
ii
1.3 The Middle Ages (ca. A.D. 400 - 1450)
nothing emerged during this dark and empty period in the western
store of knowledge.
12
nineteenth century, but more recent records were found in the
wrote:
Also,
knowledge of theory.
materials.
13
free rolling-element bearing, S1nce he sketched a number of
idea was for a long time attributed to Leonardo, but when the
he was made aware of the use of this novel form of shaft support
Codex Madrid I:
14
each other in their motion, they will make the
contrariwise movement s.
15
clearly represent outstanding advances in bearing arrangements.
Leonardo wrote:
..
untouched.
16
Having with the utmost diligence finished the
it about.
for all but the lightest loads, the elements rotated about a fixed
times.
17
1.5 The Development of Bearings and Early Concepts of Rolling
1750)
the name of Henry Sully. Sully, who resided in Paris for many
18
Roller bearings were used in w]ndmilln in Europe in the
clearly shown above the base of the mill in Figure i. II. Wailes
telling words:
19
but the best way of all is, to make the gudgeons
accomplished by two.
Jacob Rowe (1734). Rowe was awarded Patent Specification No. 543
20
under Tom's Coffee House in Russell Street, Covent Garden, London,
horse-operated mills.
wheels "A" and "B" had diameters of about 0.61 m (24 in.) and
Jacob Rowe was also one of the first men to quantify the
21
half the 40,000 horses then employed in the United Kingdom. Since
the labor of the horse was valued at Is. 6d. per day, this
be £I0 per annum, and the savings on this account thus equalled
22
friction was followed by notable contributions by Philippe de la
wheel.
23
is lost, in raising or making a wheel pass over a
24
to which it sticks, which is most considerably in
the surfaces.
25
manufacture came with grinding, which was itself a product of the
fact, been taken before the end of the eighteenth century with
during this period have been presented by Allan (1945) and Dowson
(1976, 1979).
motion over sliding motion and then described one of the earliest
practical ball bearings for use on carriage axles. His claim that
the bearing would operate without either friction or the need for
26
doubtless in time...become general, as in every
The balls or globes (G) rolled freely between inner and outer
bushes (B) and (F) in grooves formed by the sideplates (C) and
(E). The outer bush (F) was made in two parts joined by a square
bolt (I), rotation within the nave being prevented by the three
diameters 25.4 mm (I in.), 31.6 mm (i 1/4 in.), and 38.1 nun (I 1/2
that the hardest cast or case-hardened metal with the finest grain
should be used for both the globes and the bushes. He also
recommended that the side plates should form a channel such that
the lateral clearance with the globes was a minimum and that the
27
number of balls or globes should be the maximum that could be
the loads on
28
The drawing of Vaughan's (1794) ball bearing, complete with axle,
• grooves. The balls were inserted into the bearing at point A, nnd
after packing, the section of the outer race labeled "4th" was
balls.
The former is believed to have been built about 1794 and the later
29
The Scottish civil engineer R. Stevenson, father of the
he had the granite pedestal for the statue to Peter the Great
block some 12.8 m (42 ft) long, 8.2 m (27 ft) wide, and 6.4 m (21
were made of an alloy of brass to which tin and pewter were added.
30
L
31
be part of the steady bearing from the shear beams beneath the
century.
dates back to about 1780 and might even be 50 years older, since
32
offered by l'Academie des Sciences. Coulomb was mainly concerned
vitae or elm over oak boards was recorded, and Coulomb found that
Arthur Jules Morin, who became a professor at, and later the
by earlier workers were widely known as Morin's laws until the end
roller. Dupuit agreed with the load relationship but found after
33
were remarkably close to present-day understanding of the
subject. The full story of this little known yet heated debate on
1.7 The Emergence of the Precision Ball Bearing (ca. A.D. 1850 -
1925)
34
bicycles was issued to A. L. Thirion on May 16, 1862, and a great
nineteenth century.
balls for bicycles for both the home and European markets.
35
the lack of suitable materials also hindered the development of
just the crushing strength of the balls, but also their ability to
36
percent, just before World War I, encouraged the adoption of such
which balls of remarkable accuracy were turned and parted off with
processes; larger balls were made by hot pressing. The thin flash
cast-iron discs and flat grinding wheels arranged such that the
by industry.
in.) of a nominal size, and this limit was halved by 1892. Finer
scene was now set for the emergence of specialist ball bearing
37
1.7.3 The Birth of Precision Ball Bearing Companies
for their own products that provided the springboard for the
industry.
here.
the English and European rights for the process, and persuaded
38
Hoffmann to come to England to establish the Hoffmann Manufacturing
The initial process involved the use of a fine lathe like that
problems that were relieved only when a grinding process for steel
39
were established in England in 1911, Germany in 1914, the United
made its own bearings, found that the latter products were much in
has told how the first rolling bearings were imported into Japan
from SKF in 1910 and how the first ball bearings were partially
40
manufactured in Japan by Nippon Seiko K.K. in 1916. Full
41
1.8.2 Studies of Ball Bearings
bearings and soon found that very small loads could lead to
and concluded that the load on the most heavily loaded ball Fmax
applications.
42
in the University of Leeds, where he held the Chnir in
that the balls sometimes developed specks and flakes that rapidly
speeds, and it has been perpetuated to the present day with little
modification.
43
1.8.3 Rolling Friction
by steel components.
within the Hertzian contact zone there would be two lines of zero
44
greater significance in pure rolling under dry conditions.
estimates are known as the LI0 and L50 figures for particular
45
particular application. This dominant feature of ball bearing
Section 3.5.
(1946), Shaw and Macks (1949), Wilcock and Booser (1957), Hall
46
Bearing materials and manufacturing processes are discussed
conditions with modest friction and little wear for very long
thickness, and show how such equations can be used in the analysis
47
of the accurately produced components, and second, it has a
I.I0 Closure
firm base built up over hundreds and even thousands of years. The
scene during the Middle Ages, was revived during the Renaissance,
companies making their own bearings. Growing demand for both ball
48
associated with the introduction of improved materials and
bearings in 1912:
49
REFERENCES
Allan, R. K. (1945) Rolling BearingS, Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, London.
Alsaad, M., Bair, S., Sanborn, D. M., and Winer, W. o. (1978) "Glass
257-282.
217-226.
50
Archard I J. F. (1968) "Nen-Dimen.ional Parameters in 1I0thenIIIl Theories
47-56.
New York.
51
Bamberger, E. N., Zaretsky, E. V., and Singer, H. (976) "Endurance and
Failure Characterist ics of Main-Shaft Jet Eng ine Bearing at 3xI0 6DN,"
NASA SP-J8.
524-529.
52
Brewe, D. E., Coe, H. H., and Scibbe, H. W. (969) "Cooling Studies with
vo 1. 12, 66-76.
485-487.
Brewe, D. E., Hamrock, B. J., and Tay lor, C. M. (1979) "Effect of Geometry
Engine Ball Bearings," PWA-FR-848l, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Group, West
191.
Oil Film in Lubricated Point Contact," Proc. R. Soc. London, Sere A., 291,
520-536.
, ,
Carburi, M. (1777) "Monument Eleve a la Gloire de Pierre-le-Grand, ou
, , ,
Relation Des Travaux et des Moyens Mechaniques Qui ont ete employes pour
, , ,
transporter a Petersbourg un Rocher de trois millions pesant, destine a
, ,
servir de base a la Statue equestre de cet Empereur; avec un Examen
" ,
Phy sique et Chymique de meme Rocher,'1 Pari s, (Bookseller: Nyon aine,
,
Libraine, rue Saint-Lean-de-Beauvoisi Printer: Imprimeur-Librai re, roe de
53
Castle, P. and Dowson, D. (l972) "A Theoretical Analysis of the Starved
54
Crook, A. W. (1957) "Simulated Gear-Tooth Contact: Some Experiments Upon
190, 1182.
255, 281-312.
400-409.
100(2), 304-308.
55
Dowson, D. (1968) "Elastohydrodynamics," Proc. lnst. Mech. Eng., London,
l82(3A), 151-167.
(To be published.)
56
Dowson, D., Saman, W. Y., and Toyoda, S. (1979) ."A Study of Starved
Dowson, D. and Toyoda, S. (1979) "A Central Film Thickness Formula for
180(3B), 57.
Dyson, A., Naylor, H., and Wilson, A. R. (1965-66) "The Measurement of Oil-
5-7.
.
ESDU (1965) "General Guide to the Choice of Journal Bearing Type,"
London.
Eng inperi ng Sciences Data Uni t, I tern 78035, Inst itut ion of Mechanical
Engineers, London.
58
Fellows, T. G., Dowson, D., Perry, F. G., and Plint, M. A. (1963)
"Optica 1 Elastohyd rodynamic s," Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng., London, Part I,
184, 487-503.
Goodman, J. (1912) 11(1) Roller and Ball Bearings;ll "(2) The Testing of
59
Grubin, A. N. (1949) "Fundamentals of the Hydrodynamic Theory of Lubrication
Gunther, R. T. (930), Early Science in Oxford, Volumes VI and VII, liThe Life
and Work of Robert Hooke," Vol. VII, Pt. II, 666-679, printed for the
Eia stohydrodynamic Contac t ," Froc. R. Soc., London, Sere A, 322, 313-330.
265-276.
TN D-7774.
61
Harris, T. A. 0970 "An Analytical Method to Predict Skidding in Thrullt-
Heathcote, H. L. (1921) "The Ball Bearing: In the Making, Under Test, and
York.
Hertz, H. (188l) liThe Contact of Elastic Solids," J. Reine Angew. Math., 92,
156-171.
101-121.
62
Houghton, P. S. (1976) Ball and Roller Bearings, Applied Science
Oil Films at High Rolling Contact Pressures," Proc. Ins. Mech. Eng. ,
63
Jones, A. B. (1946) "Analysis of Stresses and Deflections," New Departure
Kannel, J. W., Bell, J. C., and Allen; C. M. (964) "Methods for Determining
13-16, 1964.
Kakuta, K. (1979) "The State of the Art of Rolling Bearings in Japan," Bull.
Hamrock and Dowson Minimum Film Thickness Equation for Fully Flooded EHD
264-275.
Lane, T. B. and Hughes, J. R. (1952) "A Study of the Oil Film Formation
3(0), 315-318.
64
Layard, A. H. (1849) Nineveh and Its Remains, Vols. I and II, John Murray,
London.
Lee, D., Sanborn, D. M., and Winer, W. o. (1973) "Some Observations of the
Paris), 1, 307.
199.
Load Carrying Capacity of Oil Films Between Gear Teeth," J. lnst. Petrol.,
38, 646.
and of the Stressing of the Lubricated Flanks of Gear Teeth," Brown Boveri
Merri tt, H. E. (1935) "Worm-Gear Perf ormance," Proc. lnst. Mech. Eng.,
Film Thickness and Wear in Ball Bearings by the Strain Gage Method,"
Moes, H. and Bosma, R. (1972) "Film Thickness and Traction in EHL at Point
149.
Press.
66
Newton, I. (1687) PhiloBophiBc Naturales Principia Mathematics, Imprimsture
S. Pepys, Reg. Soc. Praeses, 5 Julii IbHb. Reviled and supplied with a
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Pai, S. I (1956) Viscous Flow Theory, Vol. I - Laminar Flow. Van Nostrand
Industries, Philadelphia.
5749 Corrosion Resi stant, High Temperature Bea ri ng Stee 1," J. Lubr.
Between Rolling Disks with a Synthetic Paraffinic Oil to 589 K (600° F);
NASA TN D-6411.
Geschmie rten um Laufenden Aehspa ralle len Zylinde r," Ma se hinene lemente-
67
Petrov, N. P. (1883) "Friction in Machines and the Effect of the Lubricant,"
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346, 277-244.
(2), 101-110.
68
Reynolds, o. (1875) "On Rolling Friction," Phil. Trans. R. Soc., 166, l't. I,
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the Viscosity of Olive Oil," Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, 177, 157-234.
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Lyon under Tom's Coffee House in Russell Street, Covent Garden, London.
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Sibley, L. B., Bell, J. C., Orcutt, F. K., and Allen, C. M. (1960) "A Study
60-189.
Rolling Contact Surfaces," Trans. Amer. Soc. Lub. Engrs., 4(2), 234.
69
Smith, F. W. (1962) The Effect of Temperature 1n Concentrated Contact
65-LubS-ll.
Thorp, N. and Gohar, R. (1972) "Oil Film Thickness and Shape for a Ball
70
Trachman, E. G. and Cheng, H. S. (1972) "Thennal and Non-Newtonian Effects on
London, 142-148.
Van Natr1ls, L., Polly, J., and Van Vuuren, C. (1734 and 1736), Groot
Varlo, C (1772) "Reflections Upon Friction with a Plan of the New Machine
with M ~tal Proper for the Machine, the Full Directions for Making It."
Vaughan, P. (1794) "Axle Trees, Arms, and Boxes," British Patent No. 2006
Wailes, R. (1954) The English Windmill, Routledge & Kegan Paul, London.
71
Wedeven, L. E., Evans, D., and Cameron, A. (1971) "Optical Analysis of Ball
97(4), 649-650.
1850), 1159-1169.
Technol., 87(1),47-62.
72
Figure 1. 2. - Uruk pictographs for sledge and
wheeled veh icle (ca. 3000 B. C. ).
Figure 1. 3. - Nail-studded tripartite wheels with Figure 1.4. - Fragment of revolving wooden platform with bronze balls and
wooden felloes from Susa Apadana, tomb 280 iron straps from the ships in Lake Nemi (ca. A. D. 50).
(ca. 2500 B. C. ).
PARTICOLARE
DELL'APPLICAZ1ONE DELLE SFERE
ALLA PIATTAFORMA
Figure1.8. - Roller-discbearingssupportingmainshafts
(atHandI) on atreadmill-operatedchain of dippers
(afterRamelli1588).
Figure1.13. - Representation
of RobertHooke's(1685)viewof rolling friction.
_ lOO
-
E
_
...... _'__
.'._'_._;
_,..._
0
1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910
Year
_ h 4% ".......
(b)Photographof E. G.Hoffman'soriginallathe.
Figure1.20. - Hoffmanball-turning machineandlathe.
Figure1.21. - SvenWingquist's
first sketchof his revolution-
ary self-aligning, double-row
ballbearing(1907).
1. Report No. 2. GovernmentAccmsionNo. 3. Recipient'sCatalogNo.
NASA TM-81689
4. Title and Subt,tle 5. Report Date
HISTORY OF BALL BEARINGS February 1981
6. PerformingOrganizationCode
505-32-42
7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No.
Duncan Dowson and Bernard J. Hamrock E-209
10. Work Unit No.
9. PerformingOrganizationName and Address
NationalAeronauticsand Space Administration
Lewis Research Center 11. Contract or Grant No.
The familiar precision rolling-element bearings of the twentieth century are products of exacting
technology and sophisticated science. Their very effectiveness and basic simplicity of form may
discourage further interest in their history and development. Yet the full story covers a large
portion of recorded history and surprising evidence of an early recognition of the advantages of
rolling motion over sliding action and progress toward the development of roiling-element bear-
ings. In the present paper the development of rolling-element bearings will be followed from
the earliest civilizations to the end of the eighteenth century. The influence of general technolog-
ical developments, particularly those concerned with the movement of large building blocks, road
transportation, instruments, water-raising equipment, and windmills will be discussed, together
with the e],_ergence of studies of the nature of rolling friction and the impact of economic factors.
By 1800 th,, essential features of ball and rolling-element bearings had emerged, and it only re-
mained fo] precision manufacture and mass production to confirm the value of these fascinating
machine e]ements.
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