Improvements in Appliances for Lubricating Railway and other Axles and Journals.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov.. 1887
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 28th Sept.,
1888
Improvements in Appliances for Lubricating Railway and other
Axles and Journals.
I THOMAS FREEMAN NOTT FINCH, of Sidbury Works, Worcester, in the County of
Worcester, Button Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to
be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in appliances for lubricating
railway and other axles and journals.
A constant supply of oil or other lubricant is applied to the journal, while revolving,
by means of a wheel or roller fitted in a reservoir or vessel under the journal. The
wheel or roller is pressed upwards, in contact with the journal, by means of spiral or
other springs, in such a manner as ensure such contact. The lubricant is supplied
through a hole formed in the external wall of the axle box.
The wheel or roller may be made of any suitable material, and, if necessary, may be
covered with felt or any other suitable substance, in order to carry up to the journal a
larger supply of the lubricant, than would be supplied by the bare wheel or roller.
The wheel or roller is fitted with a spindle, running through its longitudinal
centre, the two ends of such spindle entering slots or other suitable provisions in tho
walls of the axle box, and sustained or pressed upwards by the springs; or the wheel
or roller may be formed with trunnions for the same purpose.
The wheel or roller revolves wholly or partially in the oil or other lubricant, and in
its revolutions, carries up a constant supply of the same to the axle or journal, such,
supply being continued so long as the roller itself is in contact with such lubricant.
Dated 7th of November 1887.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Lubricating Railway and other
Axles and Journals.
I, THOMAS FREEMAN NOTT FINCH, of Sidbury Works, Worcester, in the County of
Worcester, Button Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to he particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to effect improvement in appliances for lubricating
railway tram-car and other axles and journals; and this specification describes the
method of applying the same to railway and tram-car axles, from which description
its application to other kinds of axles and journals will be readily understood.
A constant supply of oil or other lubricant, is appliod to the journal, while revolving,
by means of a wheel or roller fitted in a reservoir or vessel under the journal. The
wheel or roller is pressed upwards and retained in contact with the journal, by means
of spiral or other springs, in such a manner as to ensure such contact.
The lubricant is supplied to the box through a hole formed in the external wall of
the axle box.
The wheel or roller may be made of any suitable material, and, if necessary, may be
covered with felt or any other suitable substance, in order to carry up to the
journal a larger supply of the lubricant, than would be supplied by the bare wheel or
roller.
The wheel or roller is fitted with a spindle, running, through its longitudinal
centre, the two ends of such spindle entering slots or other suitable provisions in the
walls of the axle box, and sustained or pressed upwards by the springs; or the wheel
or roller may be formed with trunnions for the same purpose.
The wheel or roller revolves wholly or partially in the oil or other lubricant, and, in
its revolutions, carries up a constant supply of the same to the axle or journal, such
supply being continued so long as the roller itself is in contact with such lubricant.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a side view of a railway axle box. Fig. 2 is an inside end view.
Fig. 3 is an outside end view, and Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the same,
showing the application of my invention to railway and tram-car axles.
a is the axle, b the axle box, c the axle arm, d is an inner box fitted inside the box v,
and capable of sliding vertically therein. This inner box is fitted with an axle é
carrying a grooved wheelf. Springs g g are fitted under the box d, which press it
upwards and thereby keep the wheel fin contact with the axle c. is a flexible chain
or band of leather or other suitable material formed in links or sections in a similar
manner to some kinds of driving bands for machinery. In some cases I profer to use
a metal chain at h in combination with the wheel f.

page_text: k is a leather collar fitted round the axle and held by the sliding plates m m, which
plates are held together by the screws and bolts n n. o is a screw plug, which may
be unscrewed with a square key for inserting the oil. is a leather washer. The
oil enters the box d by the hole p, and the position of the plug o is adapted to the
height of the oil in the box.
The wheel is caused to rotate by its contact with the axle c, and being partly
immersed in oil, it carries oil upwards to the axle c. The strap also carries oil
upwards to the axle c with which it rotates.
I sometimes mount the wheel fin the box without the strap h, in which case the
groove is unnecessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The method of lubricating railway tram-car and other axles and journals by means
of a grooved or other wheel f, revolving in oil, mounted in the sliding box d, and
retained in contact with the axle arm c by means of springs g g sustaining the box d,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings.
D
GEO. DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C.,
Agent for Applicant.