IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR CARRIAGES, AXLE BOXES, AND OIL CAPS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Watkins, of 14, Parliament Street, Small Heath,
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR CARRIAGES, AXLE BOXES, AND OIL CAPS."
Sealed the 6th October 1877, and dated the 10th April 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Watkins at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th April 1877.
JOHN WATKINS, of 14, Parliament Street, Small Heath, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR CARRIAGES, AXLE
BOXES, AND OIL CAPS."
My Invention consists in a series of improvements over a Patent granted to nic,
dated 31 October 1867, Scaled 4th April 1868, and filed at the Great Seal Patent
Office April 27th 1868, and Numbered 3071.
First. I apply to that part of the axle, called (in my former Specification) the
cone C, a number of spherical ball rollers, which work between the faces of the
revolving collar and the lock nut, the said rollers are substituted for leather washers
and to avoid friction.
In order to secure the ball rollers I groove out the outer face of the revolving
collar to nearly half the depth of the diameter or size of the balls I intend to usc.
I also groove out the inner face of the lock nut (which secures the revoling collar)
to receive the other part of the balls. The ball rollers are then placed between the
corresponding grooves and permanently secured, when the lock nut is finally screwed
to the cone of the axle, and thereby permits the rollers to work freely round the
periphery of the cone when the axle box is in motion. I also apply the antifrictional
rollers to the outer end of the box to work in recessed grooves, and between the end
of the box, or the lock nut, or collett, or whatever is placed at the end of the arm to
secure the box thereto. If I prefer, I bore out one or two loose collars or bushes to
fit on the end of the arm or box which contain the rollers, which when applied to
the end of the box are secured between the lock nut or collet and the box, and are
thus allowed to work freely when the box or the wheel is in motion.

page_text: to usc.
To avoid the spherical balls becoming jagged or injured by the concussion caused
in passing over uneven surfaces, or by the oscilation or vibration of wheels when in
motion, I place india-rubber washers at the back or front of each loose bush or
socket which contain the rollers. When placed in their respective poisitions on the
axle or dray, van or cart arm, and secured in the manner before described, I also
place the ball rollers at the back of the collar of the ordinary long bolt axle by
grooving out the inner face of the collar to receive the spherical balls rollers I intend
I also groove the back plate to correspond exactly with the groove thus
provided in the collar to receive a portion of the said ball rollers, which are secured
when placed in the grooves thus provided by the long bolts, being finally screwed
ap in the ordinary manner, and permit the said rollers to work freely round the
periphery of the back collar of the axle. By this Invention of applying the spherical
ball rollers it will at once be seen that they can be permanently secured either to
the front of the collar or at the back of the collar, and also to the outer end of any
discription of axles, thus reducing friction, and the necessity of leather washers are
avoided.
I
Secondly. In order to relieve the wearing strain of the undor bearing of the arm
I create at the outer end of the arm a centre or conical bearing, which I make
either an internal cone contre, or an external cone centre, and I thus procure the
internal cone by boreing up the solid arm to the angle required, and if an external
cone I turn down the end of the arm to the angle I require. I also then construct in
the box, at the outer end thereof, a corresponding conc, or in the the ordinary cap
place an internal or external cone, which takes its entire end bearing against the centre
cone provided at the end of the arm for its reception when the box or the wheel is
in motion. I also procure an end centre or cone bearing for the common cab axle
where no cap is used at the end of the box by attaching a front plate to the hobb of
the wheel, through the centre of which I screwo a steel-ended pin, which takes its
centro bearing in a centre cone provided in the outer end of the arm for its reception.
The said scrowe pin is prevented from tigthening itself by the revolution of the
wheel by a lock nut being screwed up at the face of the front plate through which
the pin is screwed. By this Invention the durability in the wear, and steadiness
in the motion of the wheel when in work is greatly facilitated.
I thus claim as my Invention the method of applying the spherical ball rollers to
the parts of the axles before described, in conjunction with the improved conical end.
centre bearings thus created in the box or cap, and provided at the outer ends
of axles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Watkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
October 1877.
JOHN WATKINS, of 14, Parliament Street, Small Heath, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR CARRIAGES, AXLE
BOXES, AND OIL CAPS."
My Invention consists of the improvements herein-after described in the con-
struction of axles for railway or other carriages, whereby perfect antifrictional roller
bearings are obtained, combined with simplicity of the parts.
In constructing axles according to my Invention, firstly I place upon the parallel
or conical bearing of any description of axles a series of loose collars, which are made
to fit the axle bearing, and the interior of the axle box; by the application in this
manner of the said loose collars upon the axle an independent bearing is procured,
upon which the box may revolve, that is to say, the axle box may revolve upon the
outer diameter of the loose collars without the said loose collars revolving upon the axle
bearing. Secondly, the said loose collars are provided with recessed annular grooves or

page_text: channels on either side; if grooved upon one side only, the reversed side of the said
loose collar is provided with holes placed therein to receive the pivot ends of tubular,
cylindrical, or parallel rollers, which I apply to an axle in a triangle, hexagon, or
other form.
I will first proceed to describe the application of the spherical ball rollers which
I secure to the axle, and form the parallel bearing for the axle box, that is to say,
when the said loose collars provided with internal annular grooved channels are
placed upon the axle bearing; I then interpose between each separate loose collar a
series of ball rollers, which ball rollers are protected and secured in and between
the corresponding grooves provided in the loose collars, and in this manner are
placed alternately by the antifrictional rollers and loose collars to extend the whole
length of the axle bearing, the same being secured thereto from accidental
disconnection by the screwed nut or collet being secured to the end of the arm
which forms the outer shoulder or collar bearing of the axle. The external
diameter of the rollers when placed round the axle bearing form the exact internal
diameter of the axle box which works thereon. I also apply antifrictional rollers
either tubular, cylindrical, or parallel in conjunction with spherical ball rollers to
rotate round the periphery of the axle bearing secured in the manner and by the
same means employed as for the ball rollers before described; and in order to
facilitate the means of lubricating the bearings of axles and axle boxes, I prefor
using tubular antifrictional rollers to rotato round the axle bearing, the same being
filled with oil or other lubricating substance, and being perforated, thus
advantageously forms revolving lubricating chambers. It will thus be seen and
readily understood that the facility procured by the means used for the application
of the antifrictional rollers to the bearings of axles to avoid friction and wear upon
the rubbing surface bearings, and the advantage of the revolving lubricating
chambers becoming the bearing upon which the axle box revolves; thus renders
friction upon the axle bearings avoidable and impossible.
It will be observed that the construction of the axle boxes can be made at all
times suitably adapted to the various kinds of axles used and constructed for axles for
railway and other carriages; and for the convenient application of the antifrictional
rollers to all the axle bearings, boxes, or oil caps, I provide in the hole of the
loose screwed collar a keyway which is provided to receive a key fixed upon the
back collar, and made to slide easily in the keyway provided in the loose screwed
collar on the detachment of the wheel from the axle; the key slides in the keyway
and holds fast the revolving collar, thereby avoiding the use of wrenches or spanners
in detaching the wheel from the axle; I also provide a flange on the outside of the
revolving screw collar through which may pass long bolts similar to the mail axle
and secured to the axle by the same means if desirable.
The axle box can be made with a solid cast hub, or the hub can be made to
revolve upon the axle box if desirable, with the rollers placed between the axle box
and the hub of the wheel.
Having now explained the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details herein-before described, as slight modifications may be
made without departing from the nature of my Invention, but what I claim is the
application of the antifrictional rollers to the parts of the axle bearings as herein-
before described, which are as follows:-
Firstly. In employing loose collars upon the axle bearing to secure antifrictional
rollers thereto.
Secondly. For applying spherical ball rollers to shoulder or collar bearings of
axles and axle boxes to avoid friction.
Thirdly. In applying cylindrical or parallel rollers to revolve between the axle
box and axle bearing to avoid friction.
Fourthly. By applying revolving lubricating chambers to revolve between the
bearings of the axle box and axle arm to avoid friction.
Fifthly. By creating an end centre cone bearing, external or internal, in the end

page_text: of the axle to procure steadiness in motion and greater durability to the wear of
the axle.
Sixthly. The application of an axle-lifting lever with rollers secured to the
axlo.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Watkins, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN WATKINS.
(L.S.)
Witness,
GEO. SPENCER.