Improvements in Car Axles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1893-Accepted, 12th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Axles.
I, JAMES H. WATT, of Barnesville in the County of Belmont and State of
Ohio, United States of America, 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 :-
The object of the present invention is to simplify, cheapen and improve the
construction and mountings of axles for mine cars or trucks, and other like vehicles,.
in which stout metallic axles are required and designed for heavy work.
The invention therefore consists in the employment of cylindrical continuous.
solid or non-sectional axles each having a single annular collar, with a stationary
slotted box or keeper adapted to embrace the axle and collar, and whereby the
axle is allowed to rotate freely if desired in its bearings but is kept from longitudinal.
play therein.
The slotted box may also serve as an additional support for the axle between the
journal boxes proper. By this construction the axle may be made of rolled bars.
and the collar shrunk or otherwise rigidly secured thereon thereby greatly lessening
the cost of production by dispensing with the necessity of forging bearings, spindles
etc. as is the case with the ordinary forms of angular axles, and likewise relieving
the wheel-hub fastenings in a great measure of end wise thrust of the shaft.
In the drawings ;—
Fig. 1 represents a bottom plan view of an axle and mountings constructed in.
accordance with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.
Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the keeper detached.
A designates a cylindrical axle journaled near its ends in boxes B, B, of any
suitable construction and free to revolve therein.
At a suitable point on the axle is forged, shrunk or otherwise rigidly secured a
collar a.
C represents the keeper partly embracing the axle and having a central longi-
tudinal slot or recess c to accommodate the collar a, the parts c of the keeper at
each side of the collar fit closely thereagainst and also to the axle, as shown, so.
that lateral movement of the collar and axle will be prevented by the keeper when
secured in place. As shown, the keeper is provided with perforated ears C¹ at its
ends by which it is secured to the bottom of the car to which the boxes B, B, are
also attached.
By this construction of axle mountings, the draft strain is greatly lessened as the
trucks can be moved much more easily when the axles are loose and revolvable than
when they are fixed, and the cost is greatly lessened owing to the doing away with
forgings as above noted.
Obviously the construction of the slotted box and arrangement of parts might be
varied and yet the beneficial effects of my invention produced; therefore, I do not.
limit myself to the precise construction and location of parts herein shown and.
described.
I am aware that sectional axles have been provided with flanges or enlargements
on the meeting ends of their sections, which meeting ends are confined in a boxing
intermediate the wheels, and I disclaim such constructions.
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 combination with a car body, or frame, a car axle having a collar rigidly

page_text: secured thereto intermediate its journals, and a keeper loosely receiving said collar
but secured to the body, whereby longitudinal movement of the axle and consequent
thrust thereof against the journal boxes is prevented, substantially as described.
2. The combination of the car body, the journal boxes attached thereto, the axle
journalled in said boxes having a collar intermediate the boxes; with a one-piece
keeper lying across the axle and bent thereunder so as not to interfere and secured
at its ends to the body at opposite sides of the axle, and longitudinally slotted in its
bent portion to accommodate the collar on the axle, whereby longitudinal movement
of the axle is prevented, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of July 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant.