IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth of the firm of Wirth and Company, Patent
Solicitors, at Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES." A communication from
Messrs Dick & Kirschten, manufacturers a firm resident at Offenbach-on-the
Main, in the Empire of Germany
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank. Wirth at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th January 1883.
FRANK WIRTH of the firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at Frankfort
on the Main, in the Empire of Germany "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES" [A com-
munication from Messrs Dick & Kirschten, manufacturers a firm resident at
Offenbach-on-the Main, in the Empire of Germany]
It is well known that the efficiency of an axle, more particularly of the so,-
called patent axles, depends essentially upon the condition that the front cap or
closing arrangement shall allow of the box being simply, solidly and durably fixed
on the axle in such a manner that it shall have no play in the direction of the axle.
Many attempts have been made to fulfil these conditions but they have hitherto
1.ore or less failed.
The Collinge system appears to have approached the nearest to the object aimed
at, as the closing of this axle is regulated by using a right and a left handed screw
nut. This regulation, which answers the purpose before mentioned has, however, dis❤
advantages which stand in the way of its general use. In consequence of the threads
of the closing arrangement being partly very short and fine and their being right and
left handed the manipulation of the cap becomes difficult for unpractised persons,
and, by wrongly turning the different nuts defects frequently arise which detract
There is further, the more
from the utility of the axle or entirely destroy it.
serious objection that a permanent fixing of the axle box on the axle cannot be
obtained in consequence of the pair of nuts turning to the right and left hand
respectively as, by the wear of the ring and the consequent tightening of the two
nuts, a space is left between the outer nut and the washer so that the latter does

page_text: not prevent the nuts from becoming loose. from the effect of shocks when in use,
whereby the boxes or wheels are caused to rattle on their axles.
This latter defect cannot be prevented by the employment of a single nut
arrangement fixed on the axle by means of a washer which would, by the arrange-
ment of six slits in the nut, fix. the latter on the axle at every one sixth of a turn
for, although by this construction considerable simplification and greater facility of
closing would be obtained, the far greater disadvantage arises that, as the closing
nut can only be regulated to the extent of one sixth of a turn in either direction,
it is impossible to fix the box exactly in the proper position in every case.
This last named very serious objection and the defects of Collinge's system
before mentioned are completely obviated by the present invention.
According to the present improvements not only is the closing rendered very
simple but the possibility is afforded of properly fixing the nut on the axle even
by only a slight turn of the ring.
In carrying out the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the
ring a, to which a shape has been given better answering the purpose than the
ring and nut in one piece used up till now, is made to serve as a nut and is made
with a collar or flange a', and an octagon head a², for the spanner to turn the ring
by. Inside the octagon head a², is a suitable number of small teeth b, which can
be made of any shape and which gear into the corresponding teeth of the sleeve c.
The sleeve c, can be moved without being turned on the projection d, of the axle
and is secured by the pin or cotter e.
It is evident that, by this arrangement, the ring a, can be tightened to the
slightest extent with perfect security against its becoming loose by unscrewing.
The ring a, and the sleeve c, are made of suitable metal or alloy.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st July 1883.
FRANK WIRTH of the firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors at Frankfort-
on-the-Main in the empire of Germany "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE-BOXES" (A com-
munication from Messrs Dick and Kirschten, Manufacturers, a firm resident at
Offenbach-on-the Main, in the empire of Germany)
It is well known that the efficiency of an axle, more particulary of the so called
patent axles depends essentially upon the condition that the front cap or closing
arrangement shall allow of the box being simply, solidly and durably fixed on the
axle in such a manner that it shall have no play in the direction of the axle.
Many attempts have been made to fulfil these conditions but they have hitherto
more or less failed.
The Collinge system appears to have approached the nearest to the object aimed
at, as the closing of this axle is regulated by using a right and a left handed screw
nut. This regulation which answers the purpose before mentioned has however
disadvantages which stand in the way of its general use. In consequence of the
threads of the closing arrangement being partly very short and fine and their being
right and left handed the manipulation of the cap becomes difficult for unpractised
persons, and, by wrongly turning the different nuts defects frequently arise which
detract from the utility of the axle or entirely destroy it. There is further, the
more serious objection that a permanent fixing of the axle box on the axle cannot
be obtained in consequence of the pair of nuts turning to the right and left hand
respectively as, by the wear of the ring and the consequent tightening of the two
nuts, a space is left between the outer nut and the washer so that the latter does
not prevent the nuts from becoming loose from the effect of shocks when in use,
whereby the boxes or wheels are caused to rattle on their axles.
This latter defect cannot be prevented by the employment of a single nut
arrangement fixed on the axle by means of a washer which would, by the arrange-
ment of six slits in the nut, fix the latter on the axle at every one sixth of a turn
for, although by this construction considerable simplification and greater facility
of closing would be obtained, the far greater dis-advantage arises that, as the
closing nut can only be regulated to the extent of one sixth of a turn in either
direction, it is impossible to fix the box exactly in the proper position in every
case.
This last named very serious objection and the defects of Collinge's system before
mentioned are completely obviated by the present invention.
According to the present improvements not only is the closing rendered very
simple but the possibility is afforded of properly fixing the nut on the axle even
by only a slight turn of the ring.
In carrying out the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in
which figure 1 represents a longitudinal section and figure 2, a transverse section
on line a, b, of figure 1 of an axle box constructed according to this invention; the
ring a, to which a shape has been given better answering the purpose than the
ring and nut in one piece used up till now, is made to serve as a nut and is made
with a collar or flange a¹, and an octagon head a², for the spanner to turn the ring
by. Inside the octagon head a², is a suitable number of small teeth b, which can
be made of any shape and which gear into the corresponding teeth of the sleeve c.
The sleeve c, can be moved without being turned on the projection d, of the axle
and is secured by the pin or cotter e.

page_text: It is evident that by this arrangement the ring a, can be tightened to the
slightest extent with perfect security against its becoming loose by unscrewing.
The ring a, and the sleeve c, are made of suitable metal or alloy.
Having thus described the invention and the means of carrying the same into
effect I wish it to be understood that what is claimed is
The fixing axle boxes on carriage axles by means of a ring a, made similarly to
a. nut and provided with teeth b, and a sleeve c, also provided with teeth gearing
with those on the ring in connection with the pin or cotter e, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth and shewn in the drawing.
In Witness whereof I the said Frank Wirth have hereto set my hand and seal
this fourteenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and eighty three.
FRANK WIRTH (L.S.)