Improvements in the Manufacture of Axle Boxes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st Dec., 1891-Accepted, 31st Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Axle Boxes.
We, JOHN DONNELLY of 45, Brockley Road, Brockley, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, and THE PATENT STAMPED STEEL RAILWAY AXLE BOX
COMPANY LIMITED, of Leadenhall Buildings, in the City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to the manufacture of axle boxes by stamping up from a
sheet of metal substantially in the manner described in the Specification of previous
Letters Patcut granted to us, dated November 15th 1889, No. 18303.
The present invention relates, mainly, to the substitution for the stamped steel
interior liner or grease box described in the said Specification of a cast iron grease
box which also forms the seat for the journal brass or bearing and also forms
virtually the seat for the carrying spring so that the whole weight upon the latter
is transmitted through the cast iron grease box to the journal bearing, that is to say
the whole area of that part of the stamped sheet metal shell on which the carrying
spring bears is supported internally in such a way that it is not exposed to any
bending strain which would tend to distort the shell, a direct crushing strain only
This cast iron
being transmitted directly through the thickness of the metal.
grease box has lugs or projections cast upon it which project up through corre
sponding holes stamped in the crown of the sheet metal shell and form the sides of
the carrying spring seat whereby lateral displacement is prevented, the lid of the
grease box being hinged to one of these projections. Instead of two such lugs on
the cast iron box, the one side of the spring seat may be formed by stamping up
the crown of the shell at the proper place whilst the other side is formed by a lug
on the cast iron box projecting through a hole in the crown of the shell as above
described. With the exception of the upwardly-projecting lug or lugs, the grease
box is wholly enclosed within the stamped sheet metal shell against the inner sides
and top of which it fits, the fit being a close one over the whole area of that part
of the top on which the spring bears as above mentioned.
The sides of the grease box do not necessarily correspond in form to the internal
configuration of that part of the shell at which the horn plate grooves are formed
but it may bear against and support internally those parts thereof which bear
against the horn plates. The underside of the grease box is adapted to form a
seat for the journal brass and lateral supports for keeping the latter in position and
is provided with grease holes to which similar holes in the journal brass correspond.
The bottom of the box is dished and flanged and secured to the sides of the box
by screws or otherwise.
The dust guard at the back of the box is formed by a plate of wood or other
suitable material having an aperture fitting closely around the axle and confined
either between the back of the axle box and an outer semi-circular hood secured
In the
thereto or between the back of the box and the cast iron grease box.
former case the dust guard is outside the shell or box proper and abuts against the
outwardly turned flange around the top and sides of the axle aperture in the back.
of the box and against the rear edge of the bottom of the box at the lower part.
In the latter case the dust guard is wholly within the shell or box proper, being

page_text: interposed between the back thereof and the cast iron grease box at the upper
part and between the back and the rear edge of the bottom at the lower part.
Dated this 31st day of March 1891.
J. DONNELLY.
THE PATENT STAMPED STEEL RAILWAY
AXLE BOX Co., LD.
H. Cavanagh, Secy.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Axle Boxes.
We, JOHN DONNELLY of 45, Brockley Road, Brockley in the County of
Surrey Engineer, and THE PATENT STAMPED STEEL RAILWAY AXLE BOX
COMPANY LIMITED, of Leadenhall Buildings, in the City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of axle boxes by embossing or
stamping up, corrugating and bending a sheet of metal substantially in the
manner described in the Specification of previous Letters Patent granted to us,
dated November 15th 1889, No. 18,303.
The present invention relates, mainly, to the substitution for the stamped steel
interior liner or grease box described in the said Specification, of a cast iron liner
which also forms the seat for the journal brass or bearing and also forme virtually
the seat for the carrying spring so that the whole weight upon the latter is trans-
mitted through the cast iron liuer to the journal bearing, that is to say the whole
area of that part of the stamped sheet metal shell on which the carrying spring
bears is supported internally in such a way that it is not exposed to any bending
strain which would tend to distort the shell, a direct crushing strain only being
transmitted directly through the thickness of the sheet metal. The cast iron liner
fits tightly within the shell of the box although its sides do not necessarily corre-
spond in form to the internal configuration of that part of the shell at which the
horn plate grooves are formed but it may bear against and support internally those
parts thereof which bear against the horn plates.
The invention also consists in the combination, with said shell and liner, of the
herein described means of fixing the dust guard within the axle box.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 an edge view of the embossed and corrugated
plate before it is bent to form the box shell. Figure 3 is an edge view of the plate
after being bent, on lines 1-1, 2-2. Figures 4 and 5 are respectively rear and
front elevations, and Figure 6 is a plan of the box shell after being bent and before
being welded. Figures 7, 8 and 9 are a rear elevation, side elevation, and plan of
the shell after being welded. Figure 10 is a vertical cross section on line x-x
Figure 11, which latter is a vertical section on line y-y Figure 10 of the finished
box drawn to a larger scale, and Figure 12 is a half sectional plan of the same.
In the foregoing figures the axle box is intended for use with oil. Figure 13 is a
half sectional end view, Figure 14 a longitudinal section and Figure 15 a plan of
a similar axle box for use with grease, the cast iron liner being in this case the
grease box. Figure 16 is a face view of part, of an embossed plate, of modified
form.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

page_text: For making the box shown in Figures 7 to 12, the steel plate A of which the
shell is to be formed is roughly stamped or cut out of the form shown in Figure 1
and embossed at the centre a to form the seat on the top of the box for the carrying
spring, and also embossed or corrugated at bb in the form of ribs between which
are the external grooves b' for the horn plates, and also at c to form internal grooves.
for the dust guard hereafter referred to. The embossing and corrugating is per-
formed by a series of stamping operations between successive pairs of dies.
corresponding more or less to the intended configuration of the plate this part of
the operation being similar to that described in our previous patent aforesaid and
constituting in itself no part of the present invention.
The plate having been thus embossed is then bent on parallel longitudinal
lines 1-1, 2-2, Figure 1 so as to cause the wing portions 3-3, 4-4, and the
gusset piece 5 which are beyond those lines, to stand at right angles to the plane
of the plate, as shown in Figure 3. The plate is then bent (as indicated by the
dotted arrows in Figure 2) on the parallel transverse lines 6-6, 7-7, Figure 1,.
whereby it is brought to the form of a rough box, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6.
The meeting edges of the parts 3-3, 4-4 and 5 arc then welded together to
complete the formation of the shell, as indicated in Figures 7, 8 and 9. This
having been done, the apertures 8 and 9 left in the rear and front ends of the box.
are punched out to their final shape, the one to give passage to the axle and the
other to afford access to the interior of the box for cleaning.
Referring now to Figures 10, 11 and 12 D is a cast iron liner or distance block
which is inserted in the shell after being made as above described. It is made
hollow for the sake of lightness and is formed with a central post d affording
central support to the spring seat a and so transmitting the pressure on the latter
due to the load on the carriage spring directly through the block D to the journal
bearing which is not shown. This block has flanged ends d' and sides d² bearing
against the top of the box, the sides, ends and central post being strengthened by
webs or gusset pieces, and the sides have lugs d³ formed on them which enter
the hollow bosses a¹ formed at either side of the spring seat a whereby these bosses.
are supported laterally against the pressure of the spring and the distance block
is prevented from endwise displacement in the box. The under side of the block D
is formed of the usual shape shown in Figures 10 and 11 to form the seat in which
the axle journal brass or bearing is to be fitted in the usual manner.
E is a false back formed by a steel plate having an opening punched in it corre-
sponding to that in the back of the box and having side flanges e inserted in the
opening left in the top of the box at the front end, as shown in Figures 6 and 9,
by making the line 2-2 on which the plate is folded cross the separate gap in the
rear edge of the plate. This opening is closed by a removable cap plate. The
dust guard F is a plate of wood dropped into the space thus reserved and having
a circular aperture fitting closely around the axle. g is a cover for the hand hole:
in the front of the box. The bottom of the box is welded to the sides and ends.
after the casting is fixed in place.
In making the box shown in Figures 13 to 15 the plate A differs from that shown
in Figure 1 by the gusset piece 5 being omitted, the wings 3 square cornered and
without semicireular notches and a portion of the plate being cut away between.
lines 6-7 up to the bosses as shown in Figure 16 so as to leave an opening at the:
front part of the box top when the box is made, this opening being closed by a lid i
hinged between the bosses stamped up on the box top as shown in Figures 13 to 15.
The liner D is a box having a solid top directly supporting the spring seat at the
top of the shell and provided with a mouth corresponding to the opening in the
box top. It is used as a grease box, its bottom being provided with grease holes k
to which similar holes in the journal brass correspond. It is also cast with down-
ward extensions D' at either side of and beyond the journal brass so as to form
lateral supports to keep the journal in place in the bearing under the shocks.
incidental to shunting operations.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
1. The combination with a sheet metal axle box shell made by bending and
welding a corrugated and embossed steel plate as described, of a cast iron liner or
distance block adapted to internally support the spring seat at top of the axle box,
to form a seat for the journal bearing and also to serve as a grease box if required,
substantially as specified.
2. The combination with the herein described box and liner of a dust guard
inserted between the back of the box and the cast iron liner together with an inner
false back or not, as specified.