IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1855

page_text: application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed
by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th July
1855. A communication.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR RAILWAY
AND OTHER PURPOSES," a communication from Edmond Roy, of Villefranche,
in France, Superintendant of the Section of the Great Central Railway of
France at Villefranche, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improved constructions and arrangements
of railway axles, which are applicable also to axles for common road vehicles,
whereby, although the wheels are fast on the axle, they have each a separate
and independant movement of their own.
The improvements consist in forming the axle of two parts, joined or united
by a suitable coupling box in the centre of the axle. The ends of the two
parts of the axle to be joined are, according to one arrangement, formed with
flanges or shoulders upon them, and are held together by segment pieces, which
embrace the two ends to be joined, and are kept in their places by collars and

page_text: set screws.
Small spaces are left between these segment pieces to admit of
their being tightened up as the axle wears, and these spaces are filled up
with vulcanized india-rubber to prevent dust and dirt from entering inside
the joint.
According to another modification, one half of the axle is made to fit into
a longitudinal cavity in the other half, and both halves have a shoulder or
collar formed upon them, which collars are held together by inclined segment
pieces fitting over them, and tightened up by a large nut, having a tapered
bore, and screwed internally at one end to screw on to the segments, which
have screw threads formed on one end. This large nut is kept in its place
by suitable set screws, & the two ends are closed in to keep out dust and
dirt by plates or shields of sheet metal, or other suitable material, screwed
on to the two faces of the nut.
A third modification consists in fitting one half into the other, and securing
the two halves by a screw coupling merely, a collar being formed on each
half, and one of these collars is screwed to receive the coupling nut,
thus dispensing with the segment pieces. The coupling nut is held fast by
a set screw.
According to a fourth modification, the hollow or bored out portion of
the axle, which forms the socket for the reception of the other half of the
axle, may consist of an externally separate piece of metal, similar to a tube,
which is keyed on to one half of the axle, whilst the other half is inserted
and secured therein by a coupling nut, as described in the third arrangement.
A fifth arrangement consists in fitting a loose washer or flange on to the
junction ends of cach half of the axle, which have collars forged thereon, and
these flanges or washers are bolted together by bolts parallel to the axis of
the axle.
A sixth modification consists in uniting the two ends to be joined by means
of a hinged bearing piece, which is composed of two half circles, keyed
together on one side, and fitted on to the ends of the axle, and closed by
bolts on the opposite side, suitable collars being formed on the two ends to be
joined.
A seventh arrangement consists in fitting a bearing on to the under side of
the waggon, in which bearing the ends of the axle work, each axle having thus
three bearings.
According to another modification, the two halves of the axle may be bored
out and a mandril inserted into both, the two halves being tightened and hel
together by a screw coupling or other convenient arrangement.

page_text: According to all these various modifications, the two halves of the axle will
be able to rotate separately and independantly of each other, thereby enabling
the wheels when passing round curves to rotate at the proper relative speeds
without incurring the injurious wear and tear of the tyres caused by their
sliding along the outer rail of the curve. By using axles of this description,
curves of a smaller radius than have hitherto been used may be travelled over
with the greatest safety without slackening the speed of the train.