Improvements in Axle-boxes for Railway Rolling Stock, and in the Means for Lubricating same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 28th. Dec., 1895
Improvements in Axle-boxes for Railway Rolling Stock, and in the
Means for Lubricating same.
I, HENRY FRANCIS CLIVE, Loco. Foreman of the South Indian Railway,
Tuticorin, Madras, East India, of 7, Mecklenburgh Street, London, W.C. 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in axle-boxes for railway rolling stock and
refers more particularly to an improved method of supplying a lubricant direct to
the axle bearing, the said lubricant being contained in the bottom of the axle-box,
and by this means I provide a better and more effective system of lubrication than
has hitherto been employed.
In carrying my invention into practical effect, the axle-box is suitably shaped so
as to hold or contain at the bottom a supply of oil or other suitable lubricant while
beneath the end of the axle I arrange a short spindle mounted upon suitable
bearings and furnished at one end with a friction wheel designed to engage with a
fillet or flange on the end of the said axle, the object being to cause the spindle to
revolve with the axle. Upon the said spindle I further mount two or more suitable
grooved or shaped splash wheels, the said wheels being normally partly below the
surface of the lubricant, so that as they revolve with the spindle, the lubricant is
splashed or thrown up against the underside of the axle and by this means a
sufficient and constant supply of lubricant is furnished.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed to
describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 represents a sectional side elevation of a railway vehicle axle-box and
Fig. 2 an end view of same with the door open.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.
In the drawings b represents the axle-box which is shaped in such a manner as
to contain the lubricant at the bottom of saine while it is further furnished with
a suitable door or flap d in order that ready access may be had to the interior of
same. Beneath the axle k I mount a spindle s upon bearings e, e, which are
designed to fit tightly across the front and the back of the box, and upon the said
spindle s I mount a friction wheel w designed to engage with the fillet or flange z
of the axle k and by which the spindles is revolved. Upon the said spindle I
further mount two grooved or other suitably shaped splash wheels w³, w', which
carry or throw up the oil or other lubricant against the underside of the axle k.
findicates the bearing block.
The spindle s runs in half round bearings which are so arranged that the friction
wheel end is made to deflect on putting in the spindle afterwards recovering its
position so that the friction wheel to may engage with the fillet or flange of the
axle k.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved method of lubricating, and the mechanism by which it is
effected consisting of the spindle s mounted on bearings e, e, splash wheels w', w¹,
friction wheel w in combination with fillet or flange z of axle k and the arrangement

page_text: of the axle box whereby the oil or other lubricant is held or contained at the
bottom of same, substantially as herein described and shown and for the purposes
*pecified.
2. The improvements in axle-boxes for railway rolling stock and the method of
lubricating same substantially as herein described and shown and for the specified
purposes.
Dated this 25th day of November 1895.
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.)
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.