IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR CARRIAGES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Grice, of the Firm of Grice and Harrison,
of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Coach Smiths and
Coach Ironmongers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES
FOR CARRIAGES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Grice at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th July 1875.
I, JOHN GRICE, of the Firm of Grice and Harrison, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Coach Smiths and Coach Ironmongers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AXLES FOR CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the front bearing parts of the arm of the
axle and the axle box, and consists in constructing the said front
bearing parts in the manner herein-after described, whereby the outside
diameter of the axle box may be reduced without diminishing its

page_text: strength, and a lighter and smaller nave may be used with the said
box; the diameter and strength of the arm of the axle may be increased,
and the noise or rattling of the parts of the axle prevented.
I make at the front of the arm of the axle, and near the right and
left-handed screw threads on which the collet is placed and the
fastening and lock nuts are screwed, a conical or inclined shoulder,
which shoulder may be casehardened, and I make on the interior or
boro of the barrel of the axle box and near the front ond or mouth
thereof a double inclined bearing or shoulder, the said double bearing or
shoulder having in cross section nearly the figure of the letter V, the
point-end of the V.or double bearing being presented to the axis of the
barrel When the axle box is placed upon the arm of the axle the rear
or inner inclined face of this double bearing or shoulder takes its
bearing against the conical or inclined shoulder on the front of the arm
of the axle. The box is fixed on the arm by means of a collet and
scrow nut, and by a lock nut in front of the said screw nut, the collet
being situated within the axle box. The face of the collet is inclined,
and takes its bearing against the front or outer inclined face of the
double shoulder or bearing in the front of the barrel of the axle box.
A double bearing is thus provided for the front of the axle box, one
bearing being formed by one face of the double shoulder or bearing in
the axle box working against the inclined shoulder on the arm of the
axle, and the second bearing being formed by the other face of the
double shoulder in the axle box working against the inclined face of
the collet fixed at the front of the arm of the axle.
A combined collet and screw nut may be used, or a separate collet
and screw nut in conjunction with a second or lock nut.
The collet, or combined collet and first nut, is driven closely against
the end of the arm, whereby the noise or rattling between the arm and
axle box is entirely prevented.
The double inclined bearing or shoulder described in the bore of the
barrel of the axle box is made of a separate and removeable ring of case-
hardened iron or gun metal, the outer face of the said ng bẹing
screwed. A concave screw thread is made in the front part of the bore
of the barrel of the axle box to receive the sciewed face of the rụng,
which ring after it has been screwed to the required distance in the axle

page_text: box is fixed by a cross pin passed from the outer side of the said box
into the said ring
In consequence of the double inclined shoulder or bearing in the
axle box being of less diameter than the bore of the barrel, the outer
diameter of the barrel may be greatly reduced, and the diameter of the
arm of the axle may be proportionately increased, and the arm thereby
strengthened, and breakage diminished or prevented. In addition to
these advantages a broader bearing or larger wearing surface is obtained
for the collet,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Guice in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 21st January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GRICE, of the Firm of Grice and Harrison, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Coach Smitlis and Coach Ironmongers, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Grice, Her special
license that I, the said John Grice, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Grice, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AXLES FOR CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Grice, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within sıx

page_text: 4434
མསས་ས་སY 23432
C
Q430
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said John Grice, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed. to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to the front bearing parts of the arm of the
axle and the axle box, and consists in constructing the said front
bearing parts in the manner herein-after described, whereby among
other advantages the outside diameter of the axle box may be reduced
without diminishing its strength, and a lighter and smaller nave may
be used with the said box; the diameter and strength of the arm of the
axle may be increased and the noise or rattling of the parts of the axle
prevented.
-
I make at the front of the arm of the axle and near the right and
left-handed screw threads, on which the collet is placed and the
fastening and lock nuts arc screwed, a conical or inclined shoulder,
which shoulder may be caschardened, and I make on the interior or
bore of the barrel of the axle box and near the front end or mouth
thereof a double inclined bearing or shoulder, the said double bearing or
shoulder, having in cross section nearly the figure of the letter V,
the point end of the V or double bearing being presented to tho
axis of the barrel. When the axle box is placed upon the arm of
the axle the rear or inner inclined face, of this double bearing or
shoulder takes its bearing against the conical or inclined shoulder
on the front of the arm of the axle. The box is fixed on the arm
by means of a collet and screw nut, and by a lock nut in front
of the said screw nut, the collet being situated within the axle
box. The face of the collet is inclined, and takes its bearing against
the front or outer inclined face of the double shoulder or bearing in the
front of the barrel of the axle box A double bearing is thus provided
for the front of the axle box, one bearing being formed by one face of
the double shoulder or bearing in the axle box working against the
inclined shoulder on the arm of the axle, and the second bearing being
formed by the other face of the double shoulder in the axle box working
against the inclined face of the collet fixed at the front of the arm of
the axle.

page_text: A combined collet and screw nut may be used, or a separate collet
and screw nut in conjunction with a second or lock nut.
The collet, or combined collet and screw nut, is driven closely against
the double bearing and end of the arm, whereby the noise or rattling
between the arm, collet, and axle box is entirely prevented.
The double inclined bearing or shoulder described in the bore of the
barrel of the axle box is made of a separate and removeable ring of case-
hardened iron or gun metal, the outer face of the said ring being
screwed; or the said double bearing may be made solid with the axlo
box. A concave screw thread is made in the front part of the bore of
the barrel of the axle box to receive the screwed face of tho which
ring,
ring after it has been screwed to the required distance in the axle box
is fixed by a cross pin passed from the outer side of the said box into the

page_text: the collet, and beyond the said plain part are right and left-handed
screw threads for receiving the fastening and lock nuts d is the
separable or removeable double inclined bearing or shoulder fixed near
the front end or mouth of the barrel of the axle box. This double
inclined bearing or shoulder consists of a ring of caschardened iron or
gun metal or other hard metal or alloy, having the sectional form best
seen in Figures 4 and 6, that is, having in cross section nearly the
figure of the letter V, the point end of the V being presented to the axis
of the barrel. The outer face or edge of the V shaped ring d is screwed,
and a concave screw thread e is made in the front part of the bore or
interior of the barrel b of the axle box to receive the said screwed face
of the ring. After the ring d has been screwed home in the bore of the
barrel b it is fixed in its place by the scrow pin f. The screw thread e
in the bore of the barrel b serves to receive the screwed covering cap h.
is the collet of caschardened iron or other hard metal or alloy (shown
detached in Figure 7), the face of the said collet being inclined. The
said collet is placed on the end of the arm of the axle by a sliding
motion, the rotation of the said collet on the said arm bang prevented
by the square shoulder 2 on the inside of the said collet bearing on the
flat face a³ of the end of the arm a (sco Figures 5 and 7)
In arranging and fixing the parts of the axle for use the axle box b
is placed upon the arm a of the axle, the rear inclined face of the
double bearing d in the boro of tho axle box 6 taking its bearing against
the inclined or conical shoulder c of the axle arm a; the collet i for
fixing the axle box on the arm is then placed by a sliding motion on
the end of the said arm, and its inclined face made to bear against the
front inclined face of the double bearing d, the said collet & being
secured in its place by the screw nut ³, and the latter by the lock nut 1³
in front of it. The lock nut is fixed on the end of the arm by the
lynch pin . The cap / being screwed in its place the fixing of the
axlc box to the arm is complete.
When a combined collet and screw nut is used as represented in
Figures 8, 9, and 10, where the said collet and nut is marked m, the
said collet and nut is put in its place on the arm by a screwing motion,
and is fixed by a lock nut and lynch pin.
By an examination of Figures 2 and 3 the manner in which the faces

page_text: against the inclined shoulder c of the axle arm a, and against the
inclined face of the collet fixed on the front of tho said arm a will be
readily understood.
It will also be understood how by the driving home of the collot i
against the front inclined face of the bearing d, and against the axle
arm a, the noise or rattling between the collet and axle box and arm
caused by the moving of the collet upon the arm is prevented
In consequence of the double inclined shoulder or bearing in the axlo
box being of less diameter than the bore of the barrel the outer diameter
of the barrel and its thickness or strength of metal may be greatly
reduced, and the diameter of the arm of the axle may be proportionately
increased, and the arm thereby strengthened, and breakage diminished
or prevented In addition to these advantages a broader bearing or
larger wearing surface is obtained for the collet.
Although I have shown in the accompanying Drawing the double
bearing made of a separable ring screwed and fixed in the axle box, and
which method of construction I prefer, yet the said double bearing may
be made in one piece with or solid to the axle box, and although I have
found in practice that a double bearing having inclined faces answers
well, such as are represented, yet I do not limit myself to the figure of
the bearing faces of the said double bearing, as they may be made
curvilinear or flat with the same or nearly the same effect.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
in which the same may be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention of improvements in axles for
carriages, constructing the front bearing parts of the arm of the axle
and the axle box in the manner hercin-before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, fixing or making in the
interior or bore of the barrel of the axle box, and near the front end or
mouth thereof, a double bearing or shoulder, one face of the said doublo
bearing or shoulder working against a shoulder on the axle arm, and
the other face of the said double bearing or shoulder working against
the face of a collet fixed at the front of the axle arm, the several parts

page_text: being constructed and combined and used substantially as described and
illustrated
In witness whereof, I, the said John Grice, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOHN GRICE. (L.S.)