Leonardo da Vinci, the famed 16th century inventor and artist, was the first person to create an actual working model of what we now call ball bearings, or antifriction bearings. Ball bearings-also known in some circles as antifriction bearings-developed quickly from that point until today they are fairly ubiquitous and are found in virtually every machine and mechanism of any complexity.|Though brilliant in their simplicity, nobody developed the idea much for the next couple centuries.|Though obviously a good idea, the development of the ball bearing stagnated for many years.=====}===== From the time of da Vinci until the early 1790s, not much was actually created with bearings, in part because the metallurgical arts had yet to come up with materials well suited to their use. Then in 1791 another inventor, Philip Vaughn, applied for and was granted a patent for ball bearings similar to the bearing types still used in wheels and similar mechanism to this day. Then in 1791, another inventor-Philip Vaughn-obtained a patent for an invention very similar to the modern ball bearing. The ball bearing worked well for this purpose, in part because it really was almost identical to some bearing types still in use today. The idea, in essence, is that things roll more easily than they slide. Essentially, bearings are simply balls placed between two moving surfaces, the idea being that it's easier to get things to roll than it is to push them while they're in contact with something else. Now remove the wheels and put the car on skis. There's simply not as much friction when wheels, or bearings, are involved. There's simply less friction involved. If you've ever disassembled a wheel from a roller skate, you've seen how bearings work. Their movement depends entirely on the near-frictionless action of an inner and outer hub rolling over a sleeve of ball bearings. But ball bearings are merely the tip of the iceberg. Though they were almost certainly the first type developed, other bearings have been extrapolated outward from that initial idea. Other bearing types include roller bearings, wider and as a rule more heavy duty than ball bearings. Ball bearings, however, are just the most ubiquitous bearing type in existence today. Many more have been developed and are in daily use since da Vinci's day. Despite their ability to handle heavy loads, bearings can be-individually-a bit delicate. Though built to handle heavy loads easily, bearings themselves, as well as the sleeves and races which hold them in place during operation, can be delicate. ====={=====
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The development of the ball bearing and similar bearings has had a lasting impact on society.
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