Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-06
DIFFERENTlAL AXLE
TO BE GIVEN TRIAL
SANTA FE ARRANGES WITH
INVENTOR SEABR0OK
Remarkable Yet Simple Invention ls
to Lessen FIange Friction and
Wear on Tracks and
Wheels

Final arrangements have been made by
the Santa Fe railroad to give trial to
new dlfrerentlal axle invented by r. b.
seabrook. q mechanical engineer recently
FROM British Columbia. hut now in Los An
geies The purpose OF the new axle is 10
lessen the nange friction and the accom-
panying wear and tear on tracks ana
wheels. The new axle Will also lessen the
traction power, problem which mas con
fronted railroad men ana inventors ior
rhe kind OF axle now in use is Of solid
m IKE, the two wheels being attached SO
II At they both must turn at once at equal
speed, and one must slide while the other
while the invention is revolutionary In
character. only well known principles have
been used.
Perhaps the most important result is
that the wheels do not bind on the rails
The axle adjusts itself to any curve ana
relieves all friction.
curves II the Seabrook box dimerential rall-
way axle coupler is used. as Is the case with
N rigid axle. Therefore no increase OF
power is necessary In order to maintain the
same speed on curves on straight road.
with the rigid axle the rails are Iorced
apart on a curve. Each car as IL nits tho
curve delivers its lateral thrust-d Is
regulation car of forty tons capacity. trav-
cling at thirty miles an hour, the force OF
tho out-thrust is over seven tons
This produces an immense frictional en-
gagement between the rail and the wheel
nange and with the leverage OF cne-half
the diameter of the wheel, delivers an
enormous torslonal strain upon the axle
Tho differential axle overcomes this tre-
mendous torsonal strain
whenever either wheel is retarded from
any cause. as occurs with the rigid axle
when one wheel is smaller than the other
when on q curve, this retardation must
be overcome by the engine. which means
added power. The Seabrook box difrerential
railway axle coupler allows each wheel to-
carry it's full share of the load, avoids all
retardation and therefore increases the en-
gine's power This Increase will amount to
Is per cent more high railway Of
hcial has ventured the assertion that three
cars can be added to every passenger train.
railway earnings would be increased by
$40, 600, 900 or more.
The use OF the seabrook box dffcrential
axle saves wear the rail and on the
nanges iof the wheels Both rails and
wheels suffer when rigid axle is used, from
ferent sizes or OF different degrees OF hard
ness. In this latter case II is necessary
frequently to turn large wheels down to the
same size as the smaller wheel with which
they are coupled on rigid axis, but on the
Seabrook axle coupler this detail and ex-
pense is entirely avoided.
The liability of hot boxes. which is
caused by the torsional strain displacfng the
journal brasses, is very much reduced with
the Seabrook method. 1t is so constructed
that It lubrieates automatically.
The axle is attachment. It can
be applied to any axle any style car in
any shop. by the regular mechanics of the
roads This means wide and extremely
quick adoption, according to the common
opinion Of railroad men and engineers.