Wheels for roller skates and the like

Claim 2

A wheel ball bearing for a roller skate comprising: a ring-shaped outer shell member produced from a single metal plate and being constituted by a peripheral portion of an annular configuration, first and second flanged end portions centrally extending integrally from the opposite ends of said peripheral portion, said first flanged end portion being substantially sufficiently larger in radial inward extent than said second one; a first annular groove defined by said peripheral portion, and first And second flanged end portions; a plurality of steel balls received in said first annular groove in an annular arrangement; and, a tubular sleeve member including a peripheral portion, a collar means radiating outwardly from connection therewith, the collar means comprising an inner annular ridge integrally formed on said sleeve member to define a second annular groove between itself and a radially outwardly extending flange provided at one end of the sleeve member for receiving said steel balls, said ridge being opposite to said first flanged end portion for cooperating therewith to prevent the departure of the sleeve member off the outer shell member, said radially outwardly extending flange being axially spaced from said collar means and being so large as to form, between a radially inner portion of this flange, said collar means and said peripheral portion of the tubular sleeve member, said second annular groove of such a depth as to receive therein a substantially major part of said steel balls, said sleeve member being fitted centrally of the annular arrangement of said steel balls so that said second flanged end portion is brought into relation opposite to said radially extending flange, for retaining said steel balls in said groove by said flanged end portions, said collar means and said radially extending flange.

Claim 3

A wheel ball bearing for a roller skate comprising: a ring-shaped outer shell member produced from a single metal plate and being constituted by a peripheral portion of an annular configuration, first and second flanged end portions centrally extending integrally from the opposite ends of said peripheral portion, said first flanged end portion being substantially sufficiently larger in radial inward extent than said second one; a first annular groove defined by said peripheral portion, and first and second flanged end portions; a plurality of steel balls received in said first annular groove in an annular arrangement; and, a tubular sleeve member including a peripheral portion, a collar means comprising a retainer ring fitted on an end portion thereof for prevention of the departure of the sleeve member off the outer shell member, said retainer ring having an end wall which radially inwardly extends from one end thereof and is provided with a central opening of a diameter at least as large as that of the interior of the sleeve member, and having a radially outwardly extending flange axially spaced from said collar means at one end of the tubular sleeve member which is so large as to form between a radially inner portion and said peripheral portion of the tubular sleeve member a second annular groove of such a depth as to receive therein a substantially major part of said steel balls, said sleeve member being fitted centrally of the annular arrangement of said steel balls so that said second flanged end portion is brought into relation opposite to said radially extending flange, for retaining said steel balls in said grooves by said flanged end portions, said collar means and said radially extending flange.

Claim 4

A wheel ball bearing for a roller skate comprising: a ring-shaped outer shell member produced from a single metal plate and being constituted by a peripheral portion of an annular configuration, first and second flanged end portions centrally extending integrally from the opposite ends of said peripheral portion, said first flanged end portion being substantially sufficiently larger in radial inward extent than said second one; a first annular groove defined by said peripheral portion, and first and second flanged end portions; a plurality of steel balls received in said first annular groove in an annular arrangement; and, a tubular sleeve member including a peripheral portion, a collar means comprising a retainer ring fitted on an end portion thereof for prevention of the departure of the sleeve member off the outer shell member, said retainer ring having an end wall which radially inwardly extends from one end thereof and is provided with a central opening of a diameter at least as large as that of the interior of the sleeve member, and having a radially outwardly extending flange axially spaced from said collar means at one end of the tubular sleeve member which is so large as to form between a radially inner portion and said peripheral portion of the tubular sleeve member a second annular groove of such a depth as to receive therein a substantially major part of said steel balls, said sleeve member being fitted centrally of the annular arrangement of said steel balls so that said second flanged end portion is brought into relation opposite to said radially extending flange, for retaining said steel balls in said grooves by said flanged end portions, said collar means and said radially extending flange.

Claim 5

A roller skate wheel, comprising: a wheel body having a throughbore provided with two annular shoulders which face away from one another; two like ball bearing assemblies received in the throughbore against respective ones of said shoulders and having ends which abut one another intermediate the ends of the throughbore; each ball bearing assembly comprising: a unitary outer shell fabricated of metal plate so as to include an annular outer peripheral portion flanked at the opposite ends thereof by respective radially inwardly extending annular end portions, one end portion extending further radially inwardly than the other to respectively provide a smaller diameter opening through the one end portion and a larger diameter opening through the other end portion; a unitary inner sleeve member including a radiating annular flange having a tubular end portion coaxially extending from one face tHereof to provide a throughbore which extends through both the flange and the tubular end portion; the tubular end portion of the inner sleeve member being inserted through the larger and smaller diameter openings of the outer shell to the extent that the axially outer face of the annular flange is generally in radial alignment with the axially outer face of said other end portion of the outer shell and the smaller diameter opening is disposed intermediate the axial extremes of said tubular end portion; a circle of bearing balls confined between the outer shell and inner sleeve member in an annular space delimited by the tubular outer peripheral portion and said one end portion of the outer shell and the annular flange and tubular end portion of the inner sleeve member; and retainer means provided on said tubular end portion for normally preventing axial withdrawal of the inner sleeve member from the outer shell, the retainer means comprising: an annular ridge provided exteriorly, circumferentially on the tubular end portion on the opposite side of the circle of bearing balls from said radiating annular flange, the annular ridge being of such height that the ridge is locally deformed by contact with the bearing balls when the inner sleeve member is inserted through said openings to said extent.

Claim 6

A roller skate wheel, comprising: a wheel body having a throughbore provided with two annular shoulders which face away from one another; two like ball bearing assemblies received in the throughbore against respective ones of said shoulders and having ends which abut one another intermediate the ends of the throughbore; each ball bearing assembly comprising: a unitary outer shell fabricated of metal plate so as to include an annular outer peripheral portion flanked at the opposite ends thereof by respective radially inwardly extending annular end portions, one end portion extending further radially inwardly than the other to respectively provide a smaller diameter opening through the one end portion and a larger diameter opening through the other end portion; a unitary inner sleeve member including a radiating annular flange having a tubular end portion coaxially extending from one face tHereof to provide a throughbore which extends through both the flange and the tubular end portion; the tubular end portion of the inner sleeve member being inserted through the larger and smaller diameter openings of the outer shell to the extent that the axially outer face of the annular flange is generally in radial alignment with the axially outer face of said other end portion of the outer shell and the smaller diameter opening is disposed intermediate the axial extremes of said tubular end portion; a circle of bearing balls confined between the outer shell and inner sleeve member in an annular space delimited by the tubular outer peripheral portion and said one end portion of the outer shell and the annular flange and tubular end portion of the inner sleeve member; and retainer means provided on said tubular end portion for normally preventing axial withdrawal of the inner sleeve member from the outer shell, the retainer means comprising: an annular ridge provided exteriorly, circumferentially on the tubular end portion on the opposite side of the circle of bearing balls from said radiating annular flange, the annular ridge being of such height that the ridge is locally deformed by contact with the bearing balls when the inner sleeve member is inserted through said openings to said extent.

Claim 7

A roller skate wheel, comprising: a wheel body having a throughbore provided with two annular shoulders which face away from one another; two like ball bearing assemblies received in the throughbore against respective ones of said shoulders and having ends which abut one another intermediate the ends of the throughbore; each ball bearing assembly comprising: a unitary outer shell fabricated of metal plate so as to include an annular outer peripheral portion flanked at the opposite ends thereof by respective radially inwardly extending annular end portions, one end portion extending further radially inwardly than the other to respectively provide a smaller diameter opening through the one end portion and a larger diameter opening through the other end portion; a unitary inner sleeve member including a radiating annular flange having a tubular end portion coaxially extending from one face thereof to provide a throughbore which extends through both the flange and the tubular end portion; the tubular end portion of the inner sleeve member being inserted through the larger and smaller diameter openings of the outer shell to the extent that the axially outer face of the annular flange is generally in radial alignment with the axially outer face of said other end portion of the outer shell and the smaller diameter opening is disposed intermediate the axial extremes of said tubular end portion; a circle of bearing balls confined between the outer shell and inner sleeve member in an annular space delimited by the tubular outer peripheral portion and said one end portion of the outer shell and the annular flange and tubular end portion of the inner sleeve member; and retainer means provided on said tubular end portion for normally preventing axial withdrawal of the inner sleeve member from the outer shell; the retainer means comprising: an annulus received on the tubular end portion outside the outer shell, engaging both the exterior of the tubular end portion and the axially outer face of said one end portion of the outer shell.

Claim 8

A roller skate wheel, comprising: a wheel body having a throughbore provided with two annular shoulders which face away from one another; two like ball bearing assemblies received in the throughbore against respective ones of said shoulders and having ends which abut one another intermediate the ends of the throughbore; each ball bearing assembly comprising: a unitary outer shell fabricated of metal plate so as to include an annular outer peripheral portion flanked at the opposite ends thereof by respective radially inwardly extending annular end portions, one end portion extending further radially inwardly than the other to respectively provide a smaller diameter opening through the one end portion and a larger diameter opening through the other end portion; a unitary inner sleeve member including a radiating annular flange having a tubular end portion coaxially extending from one face thereof to provide a throughbore which extends through both the flange and the tubular end portion; the tubular end portion of the inner sleeve member being inserted through the larger and smaller diameter openings of the outer shell to the extent that the axially outer face of the annular flange is generally in radial alignment with the axially outer face of said other end portion of the outer shell and the smaller diameter opening is disposed intermediate the axial extremes of said tubular end portion; a circle of bearing balls confined between the outer shell and inner sleeve member in an annular space delimited by the tubular outer peripheral portion and said one end portion of the outer shell and the annular flange and tubular end portion of the inner sleeve member; and retainer means provided on said tubular end portion for normally preventing axial withdrawal of the inner sleeve member from the outer shell; the retainer means comprising: an annulus received on the tubular end portion outside the outer shell, engaging both the exterior of the tubular end portion and the axially outer face of said one end portion of the outer shell.