Talk:Ball bearing

Untitled
advantages of ball bearings over plain bearings

Inventor
The ball bearing was not invented by Sven Wingquist (research reveals it was invented by Da Vinci as it says later on the page), he was merely a pioneer. I will make the change. STufaro 21:33, 10 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Got a cite for that?
 * I've got info which says that Philip Vaughan patented the first ball bearings. I've also read/heard about Emperor (Nero?)'s ball bearings in his pleasure ship, which was sunken in Italy, and raised in the 1900s... but very little details on that.
 * ~ender 2006-11-23 4:54:AM MST


 * Specifically, Sven Wingquist developed the self-aliging spherical ball bearing (non-standard terminology, translated on the spot). Earlier designs were cylindrical and less tolerant to misaligned axles. I don’t have a reference handy, though. -Ahruman 08:39, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

NO! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 138.38.249.125 (talk) 03:38, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

Sorry. First time using. Would like to say please add in how the reference code for ball bearings are read ie 6309, 6302 and so on. Also, the Da Vinci with no citation can be found on repeated on the Bearing(mechanical) page. Just type "bearings" to find it. Yeokaiwei —Preceding unsigned comment added by Yeokaiwei (talk • contribs) 12:13, 15 April 2008 (UTC)

Minor revision to the paragraph dealing with Leonardo do Vinci's designs and the Roman bearing from the ship wreck. 16 Nov 2009 Cymtriks (talk) 20:32, 16 November 2009 (UTC) This edit was removed by "twinkle" almost as soon as it was posted. Why? The Leonardo da Vinci bearings form part of his helicopter plans (as mentioned on his page). Including this is valid history as it represents possibly the oldest aerospace bearing design.Cymtriks (talk) 22:04, 16 November 2009 (UTC)


 * A reliable source is require for a statement like that. There is nothing on the da Vinci article about him being the first to write about a ball bearing. Wizard191 (talk) 22:06, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

What sort of reliable source would you want? This is well known in the aerospace bearing industry with Leonardo's drawings often forming part of presentations on the history of the product. I am not aware of a definitive reference for a da Vinci bearing but a quick image search produces several images attributed to him. He is certainly not the first to discuss the concept, it has been known since antiquity (the Roman bearing for example), but he probably was the first to produce an actual drawing of a bearing intended for an aerospace application. Would inserting a picture of a da Vinci sketch be good enough?Cymtriks (talk) 23:27, 16 November 2009 (UTC)


 * I've moved the history section to the bearing (mechanical) article because most of the info is redundant and the information should just be consolidated. I've found some refs for Da Vinci, but in doing that I've found he wasn't the first to record a roller-element bearing as used in its current form. When I get a chance I'll add it to the bearing (mechanical) article. Wizard191 (talk) 21:47, 17 November 2009 (UTC)

colloquial use
The article should mention, that when most people mention "ball bearings" or "BBs" they actually mean the balls, and not a bearing at all. --BjKa 15:22, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Zero Byte
This article does not look like a Zero-byte sized article to me. Is this a bug in the Wiki software or somthing? -- soum সৌমো yasch  05:27, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

e-DENTITY
For those who work on it, this article features in the theatre play/work e-DENTITY that is currently being performed in Toronto. One of the characters uses it to produce a report for his boss that he's too busy playing RPG games to write for himself. Ben W Bell  talk  21:37, 7 April 2007 (UTC)

Lack of pictures
I really can't form a mental picture of the different types of ball bearings discussed in the article. Could we please have some more illustrative images ? 87.194.10.183 20:04, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * There's an animated 3D-version of a ball bearing on an external link now. Does that help? Khashayar.farmanbar 15:53, 3 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Jlindbergh: Is it possible to re-insert the link to the 3D-animation? It was explanatory, specially the red lines. /andersp 83.251.54.215 11:23, 5 May 2007 (UTC)


 * andersp: Of course. Though I feel I want to lay low and be a little more careful adding links for now. But maybe someone else agrees and adds it. Jlindbergh 08:55, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

19:13, 4 January 2020 (UTC)~ I have to agree. The very first thing that came into my mind when opening this page was: where are the pictures????? The lack of images of the different kinds of ball bearing makes this Wiki page utterly useless. Such a waste of time and energy. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rbox22 (talk • contribs)

Removed fact
I removed the following fact. It's unsourced and smells of an urban legend/original research. It should stay here until it is sourced.
 * "It should also be noted that as the allied bombers destroyed the ball bearing factories, all of the small, metal balls became projectiles. Many of these projectiles were launched high into the air and caused damage to the Allied bombers. At least one bomber was known to have crashed due to the large amount of damage caused from the balls. Essentially, the entire ball bearing factory was like a huge Claymore mine!"--Tabun1015 20:34, 13 June 2007 (UTC)

Magnetism and ball bearings?
Ball bearings www.magnetman.com have also been experimented by use a luancher to test to see if magnetics have an effect on the ball bearings. The answer to that is apparent. --64.20.134.228 01:04, 12 October 2007 (UTC)Chris K.--64.20.134.228 01:04, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

Caged
Caged bearings typically have fewer balls than a full complement, and thus have reduced load capacity. However, cages keep balls from scuffing directly against each other and so can reduce the drag of a loaded bearing. Caged roller bearings were invented by John Harrison in the mid 1700s as part of his work on chronographs.[1]

- this page is about ball bearings. this fact is about roller bearings and should be on that page. 75.153.120.169 (talk) 23:05, 16 November 2007 (UTC)jer


 * That's untrue. Roller bearings aren't the only bearings with cages as I work ball bearings with cages. --Wizard191 (talk) 13:20, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

The cage maintains space between the balls not so much to prevent scuffing as to prevent the balls from all bunching up on one side of the races, leading to spontaneous disassembly. When bearings are assembled, the inner and outer races make direct contact, leaving a large gap on the other side where the balls are loaded. Then the balls are moved around until the races are concentric. Shields and cages can now be added to maintain race concentricity. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.254.42.143 (talk) 15:05, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

Ball race?
The parts of the ball bearing assembly are not described comprehensively. What is a "bore" for instance? The term is mentioned only once, without explanationn — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.79.15.111 (talk) 13:06, 19 October 2011 (UTC)

I came here as a result of a redlink for the term 'ball race'. Now, to my thinking, "ball race" is a colloquial equivalent for "ball bearing" (in its 'bearing' sense, rather than the 'ball' sense!) Am I correct in that thinking?

Regardless, could some knowledgeable person explain (in the lead) what a 'race' is here? The word is used at various points in the article, although from just reading the introduction (where the word is first used) I could not determine what it means.

Thanks.

EdJogg (talk) 13:52, 27 February 2008 (UTC)


 * I added a redirect. I think they're synonymous in practice, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the ball race is technically the raceway that the balls run it if you're being very strictly accurate, but I'm not completely sure; close enough, they're both covered here in any case.- (User) WolfKeeper (Talk) 18:40, 27 February 2008 (UTC)


 * Thank you for your attention to this, your description matches my understanding. However, if you read this article from the POV of someone who knows nothing about it, knowledge of the term 'race' is assumed, as the word is used without explanation.
 * EdJogg (talk) 18:57, 27 February 2008 (UTC)


 * In the absence of anyone else doing it, I've added a line about 'races' to the lead paragraph. This description was arrived-at with the help of the Wiktionary definition of 'race (noun)'. It would be a good idea for an 'expert' in the subject to check my wording!
 * EdJogg (talk) 13:33, 6 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I've reworked the intro to try and make it less technical while being as descriptive as possible. Let me know what you think. --Wizard191 (talk) 03:16, 7 March 2008 (UTC)


 * That is exactly what it needed. As a 'layperson' (albeit with a good understanding of mechanical things) that is a very clear description. Thank you.
 * My only reservation is that "ball bearings" is used to introduce three consecutive sentences in paragraphs three and four. This is a tricky one, as the term is needed in these locations, but a slight re-ordering should be enough. This is a minor style issue though, rather than one about content. The whole is a great improvement.
 * EdJogg (talk) 08:05, 7 March 2008 (UTC)


 * I've done some copy-editing to address this. Hope it's OK now. EdJogg (talk) 10:56, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks for cleaning up my style issues. It looks much better to me. --Wizard191 (talk) 13:17, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

"Angular Load"?
The section on angular contact bearings includes this line:

An angular load passes in a straight line through the bearing, whereas a radial load takes an oblique path that tends to separate the races axially.

Should that second word be "axial"? MrRK (talk) 06:14, 6 March 2008 (UTC)


 * Yes you are correct that should be axial. I went in and changed it already. --Wizard191 (talk) 13:18, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

Needs Section on Manufacture
There ought to be a section which explains how ball bearings are made. Tmangray (talk) 01:53, 15 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Agreed! Wizard191 (talk) 02:07, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

Geekologie as a reference
Really?

"So it works like any other sequencer, but with balls. And let's face the facts people: balls make everything awesome. I have balls and I'm awesome. Pinball machines, ballpits, and ballgames are all awesome. The balls on that chick from last ni -- oh god no."

... sweet!

65.64.217.138 (talk) 13:31, 15 August 2008 (UTC)
 * I'll admit...that's pretty freaking cool. But...I don't think it's applicable to wikipedia. I contend that the beat bearing thing should be removed from the article. Wizard191 (talk) 13:40, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Chrome steel
See, which notes the chemical composition of chrome steel, which does not qualify it for stainless. Also, note that it is used for ball bearing races and balls. Wizard191 (talk) 12:52, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

coefficient of friction vs number of balls
the basic working — Preceding unsigned comment added by 182.67.118.112 (talk) 07:42, 12 May 2015 (UTC)

The page doesn't discuss full complement vs caged. Most such discussions focus on load capacity, but I'd very much like to see coverage of how the number of balls affects coefficient of friction, i.e. is a ten ball bearing faster than a seven or six ball? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.254.42.143 (talk) 15:10, 18 January 2010 (UTC)

Explanations of Parts
Can someone who knows what they are talking about briefly explain, or at least list, the different parts that make up a typical ball bearing. For instance, the word "bore" only appears once in the article in the phrase "bore-hole". I still don't know what part a "bore" is. Gatorgirl7563 (talk) 15:03, 13 February 2010 (UTC)


 * I've copy-edited that section, hopefully making it more understandable. I didn't explain what a bore is, but for your knowledge it is a precision hole. Wizard191 (talk) 17:40, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Disputed Statement
This reference states that a journal bearing is "low cost" compared to a rolling element bearing. Page 40 www.ejsong.com/mdme/modules/7759G_Mechanical_Design/bearings_journal/bearings_journal.pdf 86.14.39.133 (talk) 13:13, 26 February 2011 (UTC)


 * Read the sentence, it says "compared to other roller-element bearings". Wizard191 (talk) 17:08, 4 March 2011 (UTC)

Series
I suggest reinstating the example of bearing series usage and how it may vary between manufacturers, i.e. that a deep groove ball bearing with 45mm bore could be described as either 6909 or as 61909.

Also I suggest removal of citation requests for series included in standard (i.e. ISO) tables. I'm not certain why these were added in the first place, a quick look through bearing catalogues and/or the ISO document will confirm what I've added. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cymtriks (talk • contribs) 11:17, 15 April 2011 (UTC)


 * If it's so easy for you to look up and confirm what you added is correct, then it shouldn't be too much of a stretch for you to type in that reference. As to your example, it's confusing because it's got a 6 at the being of the part number, which isn't in the series list. I understand what you are trying to explain, but I think the average layperson wouldn't. As such, I believe it's better to leave it at "The nomenclature of the lighter series is often applied inconsistently from one manufacturer to another." Wizard191 (talk) 13:13, 15 April 2011 (UTC)

Point taken about a layperson not understanding the example. I'm not certain how a citation for the lighter series being rarely manufactured could be produced. They are certainly absent from many catalogues and were regarded as a bit specialised when I worked at RHP, SKF and NSK. I've simply removed the comment which I presume removes any need for citation.Cymtriks (talk) 16:32, 15 April 2011 (UTC)

Applications
Aren't the current listed ones a bit trivial? 99.237.77.32 (talk) 03:44, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

SUGGESTED ADDITION: Philip Vaughan was a Welsh inventor and ironmaster who patented the first design for a ball bearing in Carmarthen in 1794.[1] His design ran along a track in an axle assembly, known as a ball race, thus originating the modern ball bearing design.[2] PER WIKIPEDIAHoohoolian (talk) 22:31, 19 June 2013 (UTC)

Re-organizing / Simplification needed?
It seems like this page could use a little re-organization, and simplification/clarification in language. If I hadn't spend a large part of the past ~7 years of my professional life with bearings, I'd probably be pretty confused reading some sections. Illustrations would help, but not as much as just some simplification. I do hesitate to meddle with others' work though...

Also, I think I'll be adding a section on radial/axial play, and raceway curvature, as these are significant drivers of the performance of any ball bearing, and are often not understood by your average joe who may use bearings. Also I may add a section on preloading, which is often a significant issue, and drives several things in the performance of a bearing as well. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Eboomer (talk • contribs) 08:18, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

life
Is it true that ball bearings last an average of 5.5 hours? That makes no sense seeing as most ball bearings around my house (mowers, motorbikes etc) seem to last for 1000's of hours. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.91.2.247 (talk) 07:21, 30 August 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on Ball bearing. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20130511155609/http://www.intechbearing.com/5200Series-DoubleRowAngularContactBallBearings-SealsandShields-Shop.html to http://www.intechbearing.com/5200Series-DoubleRowAngularContactBallBearings-SealsandShields-Shop.html

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 05:08, 14 July 2017 (UTC)

Proposed reference
Book by Tedric A. Harris, Michael N. Kotzalas, "Rolling Bearing Analysis", ISBN 9780849381676 - CAT# 8167 Is a recognized reference on rolling bearing subject and provides good, accurate empirical and theoretical information. Not selling, this book, nor have any relation to the author(s). Just a recommendation. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bikegremlin (talk • contribs) 09:08, 6 September 2018 (UTC)

Regards,  spintendo   23:52, 6 September 2018 (UTC)
 * The request does not specify what material, if any, should be used from the provided source. This is necessary if the source is to be used as a reference in the article.