[Bell Historians] Re: ball bearings

[David Beacham]

David Bryant asked:

"Out of interest, when did Whitechapel move over to using double-row
bearings in SKF housings? I've got one of theirs from the 1930s, and
it is single row with an extra ring around the outside to achieve the
aligning properties."

I put this question to John Slater, one of our Worcester ringers who worked
for Whitechapel during the '60s and '70s. He said that although they had
used RHP double-row s/a bearings on a few jobs, they first used SKF
double-row s/a bearings on 9th and tenor at Westminster Abbey in 1971. The
old single-row bearings continued in use, to use up stocks, but with the
housings modified to provide increased end float (they had only nominal
end-float before).

DB