IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BOXES FOR THE JOURNALS OF RAIL- HOAD CARRIAGE AND OTHER AXLES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BOXES FOR THE JOURNALS OF RAIL-
HOAD CARRIAGE AND OTHER AXLES."-A communication from abroad
by Davis Henry Dotterer, of Chicago, in the County of Cook, State of
Illinois, United States of America.
Sealed the 20th May 1862, and dated the 29th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th January 1862.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66. Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BOXES FOR THE JOURNALS OF
RAILROAD CARRIAGE AND OTHER AXLES," to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention of improvements in the boxes for the journals
of railroad carriage and other axles, consists, 1stly, in providing in journal boxes
an endless revolving belt or ring, for the purpose of sustaining the weight
bearing on railroad carriage axles, and of reducing the friction on the axles.
induced by the weight supported, and likewise for elevating the lubricating or
cooling material, which may be water or other liquid, from the bottom of the
journal box to the upper side of the axle journal, and further, under certain

page_text: circumstances, for the purpose of forming a spring cushion above the axle
journals.
It consists, 2ndly, in suppotring in the journal box the endless belt or ring,
by means of a combination of a pin, sleeve, and sheave, or simply by
means of a series of friction rollers or balls interposed between the shell
of the journal box, and the belt or ring.
It consists, 3rdly, in the employment of an auxiliary box for steadying the
end of the journal sidewise and endwise, and also for lubricating the end of
the journal.
It consists, 4thly, in making the journal box with a longitudinal partition,
and thus forming a separate chamber for containing the lubricating material
and cotton waste which lubricates the axial pin of the sheave."
The advantages of this Invention may be summed up as follows, viz. great
reduction of friction.--the substitution of water for oil as a lubricator,-saving
in the consumption of "waste" used in packing old form of boxes.-dispensing
with the use of expensive compositions or metals.-preventing undue heating of
the journals, and saving labor and attention in renewing, oiling, and packing
old kinds of boxes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of January in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton. Her special license, that I. the said William
Edward Newton. my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 THE BOXES FOR THE JOURNALS OF RAILROAD CARRIAGE AND

page_text: OTHER AXLES," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawings, hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of Improvements in the Boxes for the Journals of Railroad
Carriage and other Axles," consists, first, in providing in journal boxes an endless
revolving belt or ring for the purpose of sustaining the weight bearing on
railroad carriage axles, and reducing the friction on the axles induced by the
weight supported, and likewise for elevating the lubricating or cooling material,
which may be water or other liquid, from the bottom of the journal box to
the upper side of the axle journal, and further under certain circumstances,
for the purpose of forming a spring cushion above the axle journals.
It consists, second, in supporting in the journal box, the endless belt or ring
by means of a combination of a pin, sleeve, and sheave, or simply by means
of a series of friction rollers or balls interposed between the shell of the
journal box and the belt or ring.
It consists, third, in the employment of an auxiliary box for steadying the
end of the journal, sidewise and endwise, and also for lubricating the end of
the journal.
It consists, fourth, in making the journal box with a longitudinal partition,
and thus forming a separate chamber for containing the lubricating material
and cotton waste which lubricates the axial pin of the sheave.
Fig. of the accompanying Drawings represents a side elevation of a
journal box applied to railroad purposes, a portion of one of the hangers,
between which it plays up and down, being broken away, and a column
spring interposed between the journal box and a side timber of the railroad
truck frame; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, in partial side elevation and longi-
tudinal section, of the journal box, shewing the box bolted fast to the side
timber of the truck frame; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of Fig. 2,
and Figures 4, 5, and 6 are details of the same; Fig. 7 is a modification of the
means for supporting the belt.

page_text: A represents the shell of a railroad carriage journal box: B is a partition 1
dividing longitudinally the space enclosed by the shell into two chambers C, C¹,
the chamber C containing lubricating material and the gearing of the journal
box, and the chamber C¹ containing cotton waste and lubricating material for
lubricating the axial pin of the sheave or pulley, hereafter described; a
circular or nearly circular hole is cut through the partition to admit the
journal of the axle through it. D is a bonnet hinged to the top of the journal
box, and covering the charge hole E of the same; F is a dust and dirt hood,
surrounding and extending over the cylindrical or nearly cylindrical opening G
of the journal box; H is a sliding plate, with a hole b in it, and fitted in
grooves c, c, near the inner end of the journal box. To this plate is securely
fastened a piece of leather packing H', which comes between it and the inner
face of the inner end of the journal box. This packing has a circular hole in
it for the passage of the axle journal. I is a vertically sliding end-bearing for
the axle; it is arranged within the chamber C of the journal box, and fitted
by a tongue d, or otherwise practically to the partition B thereof, as shewn,
and is held in place by india-rubber or other suitable packing e, which packing
fills the space between the bearing and the inner side of the front of the
shell of the journal box, and is removeable so as to allow of the bearing I
being taken out of the journal box at such times as may be necessary. The
bearing in its longitudinal section presents the form of a semi-cylinder, as
shewn at f, and above this cylindrical portion it is of rectangular configuration,
the rectangular portion g forming a pocket for cotton waste and lubricating.
material. From the outer end of the semi-cylindrical portion a disc h projects
downward, so as to sustain the end of the journal. In the inner face of this
disc h, and through the semi-cylindrical portion f, a vertical groove i is formed
so that the lubricating material may run down from the pocket . upon the
end of the journal. J, Figures 1, 2, and 3, is a sheave or pulley arranged
and hung within. the lower contracted portion A' of the journal box on an
axial pin j. which is directly under the journal of the axle, it being fitted on
a hub or sleeve K, which slips round the stationary grooved axial pin j, and
has its ends extending loosely into circular enlargements, chambers, or
recesses A2, A3, formed on the portion A¹ of the journal box. One of the
ends of the axial pin enters a reduced extension of the recess A2, and its other
end enters a tongued recess of a moveable gland A', which forms the ter
mination of the other recess A". M is an endless belt or cylindric ring placed
around the pulley J, and extending up high enough to admit the journal M
of the axle M². This band occupies the space between the partition B and
the inner side of the journal box, as shown, and its offices are, in one

page_text: application, to sustain the weight of the carriage or other object bearing on:
the axle, and to elevate the lubricating material from the journal box to the
wearing part of the journal, and further to reduce friction by rolling round
the axle, and its offices, in another mode of application, are those just named,
and the additional one of serving as a spring cushion above the axle journal.
O, Fig. 4, is a vertical passage in the gland A', leading from the outer to the
inner circumference of the gland, and its office is to receive and conduct
lubricating material from the passage in the bottom of the chamber C' into
the groove of the axial pin j, and thus prevent heating of the axial pin and
sleeve K. The shell or casing A is made entirely of cast iron, and forms a
strong support for the internal moving parts. Reservoirs C, C'. for holding
lubricating material, and a guard or hood F, for keeping the parts clear of
dust. The endless belt or ring is made of wrought iron, solid, as shewn in
Fig. 3, or of a series of light steel rings combined, as shown in Fig. 2. When
made of solid wrought iron it serves the functions of sustaining the weight,
an antifriction bearing, and an elevator of the lubricating material from the
bottom of the box to the upper portion of the journal, and when made of a
series or several series of steel rings or bands, it serves like functions and the
additional function of a spring cushion over the journal. The sheave or
pulley J is made of cast iron, and is chilled on its face or periphery the same
as railroad carriage wheels; it it as broad on its face as the endless belt, and
is situated to run partly in the lubricating fluid contained in the lower part of
the journal box. The sleeve or hub K of the sheave J is made of cast iron,
and has its inner circumference chilled so as to be durable, and its outer
circumference turned so as to slip through the centre of the sheave with ease.
The axial pin is made of round rolled steel requiring no finish except the
cutting of the groove 1, to receive lubricating material. As the sleeve K and
pinare subjected to the greatest wear, the screw cap or gland A' is provided
at the front end of the box A', and, by unscrewing it, these parts when worn
out can be withdrawn, and new ones inserted. When the journal box is
constructed with an endless belt formed of a series or several series of thin
steel rings or bands, which answer as a spring cushion over the axle, as shown
in Fig. 2, it may be suspended directly from the truck frame by means of
hangers S, S. and brackets S'. S', so as not to be capable of sliding up and
down against a spring cushion. The hangers and brackets which suspend it
are made a part of the outer shell of the box, and fastened by bolts to the
truck frame, as shewn in Fig. 2. but when the journal box is provided with
a belt or ring made of wrought iron, which does not answer as a spring
cushion over the journal of the axle; the journal box works better if it is

page_text: 1.
arranged to slide up and down in guides of the hangers S, S, and has a
spring V between its top and the side timber of the truck frame, as shewn in
Fig. 1. Instead of using the sheave for supporting the endless compound
spring belt the shell of the journal box may be made cylindrical on its
interior, and friction rollers or balls m, m, may be interposed between the
endless compound spring belt and the shell of the journal box, as shewn in
Fig. 7, or in any of the practical modes of applying friction rollers or balls.
In the practical use of the journal box the chamber C is supplied, with water,
oil, or other cooling or lubricating substance, and the pockets or chambers C¹
with cotton waste and oil, or other suitable lubricating material. The
journal of the axle enters the opening on the inner side of the box, and finds
its bearing within the upper portion of the circle of the endless belt and
against the end piece 1. and, as the carriages 'moves, its weight rides on the
endless belt and axial pin i, and therefrom is transmitted to the axle, and
consequently much friction is induced, but as the belt revolves, the wearing
action of this friction is reduced, and its heating and injurious effects to a
great degree overcome, by the elevation by the belt of the lubricating or
cooling material upon the heated portion of the axle, and while this is
occurring the axial pin is being lubricated from the chamber C', the
material running down into the groove of the pin, and therefrom around the
pin. It will be observed that provision is made by the spaces . y, and
the elasticity of the spring belt for the rise and fall of the axle journal and
the end piece, against which it bears when by reason of jolting such movements
take place it will also be observed that the endless wrought-iron belt, in
connection with the plan shewn in Fig. 1 of hanging the journal box. also
allows of such movements of the whole journal box, together with the journal
of the carriage axle.
The advantages of the Invention may be stated as follows, viz., great
reduction of friction, the substitution of water for oil as a lubricator,-saving
in the consumption of "waste" used in packing old forms of boxes,-dis-
pensing with the use of expensive composition metals, preventing undue
heating of the journals, and saving labor and attention in renewing, oiling,
and packing old kinds of boxes.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim,-
The application to journal boxes of the endless revolving belt or ring M,
for the purposes described.

page_text: Second, I claim the means herein described for supporting the endless
revolving belt or ring within the journal box.
Third, I claim the auxiliary end bearing for the axle journal, substantially
as described.
Fourth, I claim making the journal box with a longitudinal partition, for
the purpose herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
J
Witness,
H. E. NEWTON,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON
L.S.)