VEX Bearings
Square Axles & Round Holes
bearing
block
axle
J.M. Gabrielse
Square Axles Spin
Inside Circular Holes
bearing flat
axle
Bearings have circular holes so
axles can spin.
J.M. Gabrielse
A square axle will spin inside a
round hole.
A square axle will not spin inside a
square hole.
J.M. Gabrielse
Square Axles
Stick in Square Holes
medium
wheel
lock-bars
axle
clutch
Square axles don’t spin in
square holes!
J.M. Gabrielse
A square axle and a square hole
stick together.
J.M. Gabrielse
Attach bearings anywhere an axle
needs to spin.
square hole
Axles
must be
supported
by two
bearings.
round hole
round hole
J.M. Gabrielse
Use Rivets to Attach Bearings
1. Put the two pieces of the rivet together
2. Insert bearing rivets into holes from the metal
side, not the rivet side (pictured above)
3. Push the rivet until the back of the rivet
expands to hold the bearing in place
J.M. Gabrielse
Your Turn
What kind of hole would you use so an axle
could spin in the hole?
What kind of hole would you use to attach a
gear to an axle so the gear would spin with
the axle?
?
J.M. Gabrielse
Your Turn
What kind of hole would use so an axle could
spin in the hole?
Bearing flats and pillow blocks have round holes so
axles can turn in the holes.
What kind of hole would you use to attach a
gear to an axle so the gear would spin with
the axle?
Gears and lock bars
have square holes
so they can turn with
the axle.
J.M. Gabrielse
Resources
• Inventor’s Guide: 3·2 - 3·3
J.M. Gabrielse