IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William George Beattie, of Nine Elms, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AXLE BOXES."
Sealed the 11th January 1873, and dated the 11th July 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William George Beattie
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th July 1872.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE BEATTIE, of Nine Elms, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES," to be as follows :—
The first part of my Invention refers to apparatus for supplying axle
boxes with oil. I place a float in the box, to which a rod is connected,
carrying at its other end a valve which has its seat against the bottom of
the oil supply chamber, the-float and valve consequently rising and
falling as the oil in the box is increased or diminished. The upper part
of the axle box is fitted with a cap, having apertures in it to correspond
with the aperture in which is the valve of the oil float, and also with an
aperture leading to the upper part of the axle bearing; and a spring is

page_text: placed round the central spindle to which the cap is connected, whereby
the cap is always maintained in such a position that the apertures in the
axle box are covered, so that to inspect the interior of the same to
ascertain, for example, if the supply of oil in the boxes is sufficient, or to
pour in more oil, the cap must be turned round until the apertures in
the same are brought opposite to the apertures in the axle box, when
fresh oil or other lubricating materials can be introduced. On releasing
the cap the spring brings it back to its original position, and the apertures
are closed.
The second part of my Invention refers to the wicks used for supplying
the lubricating material to the axles. According to this improvement
I use a frame made of metal rods, round which I extend a band of cotton
or other suitable capillary material, with a weight at the lower part
which causes it to assume an angular shape, and on that part of the
wick on which the axle is to rest I place an additional thickness, or
several additional thicknesses of cotton or other suitable material. When
the axle is on the wick the latter is depressed and assumes the form or
shape of the axle that is more or less concave, according to the position
of the frame, and the weight at the lower part of the lubricating band.
causes the wick to be kept in contact with the axle.
The third part of my Invention consists in forming projections round
the interior of the bottom portion of the box, but above the oil level, and
partitions rising from the bottom of the box, so that the motion of the oil
is restrained and it is prevented from getting out of the. box.
The fourth part of my Invention refers to an arrangement for
preventing oil or other lubricating material from escaping from axle
boxes, as well as to an arrangement for preventing dirt, or dust, or other
extraneous matter from entering. For these purposes I fit a double
flanged collar or shield round the axle at a slight distance from the journal,
and I form a groove in the axle box in which the flange nearer the
journal is contained. The bottom of the groove is inclined downwards
towards the interior of the box, so that any oil which may travel along
the journal, or may be thrown up against the flange, is intercepted and
thrown off on to the inclined surface of the grove and so returned to
the axle box. The collar or shield has also another flange, which is
partly contained in a recess or hollow formed in the back of the axle
box, and is formed with projecting ribs or fans which carry a ring or

page_text: flange clear of the axle, so that air is free to pass through the spaces
between the flanges and the fans, and as the axle revolves a current of
air is created through the apertures giving the action of a fan, and
causing air to be continually rushing out so long as the axle is rotating,
and consequently throwing off any dust or dirt which may be thrown up
against the back of the axle box.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William George Beattie in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th January 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM™
GEORGE BEATTIE, of Nine Elms, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William George Beattie, Her special licence
that I, the said William George Beattie, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such. others as I, the said William George Beattie, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AXLE BOXES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William George Beattie, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
'months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
D
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William George Beattie, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and

page_text: by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
say :—
The first part of my Invention refers to apparatus for supplying axle
boxes with oil. I place a float in the box, to which a rod is connected,
carrying at its other end a valve which has its seat against the bottom
of the oil supply chamber, the float and valve consequently rising and
falling as the oil in the box is increased or diminished. The upper part
of the axle box is fitted with a cap, having apertures in it to correspond
with the aperture in which is the valve of the oil float, and also with
an aperture leading to the upper part of the axle bearing, and a spring is
placed round the central spindle to which the cap is connected, whereby
the cap is always maintained in such a position that the apertures in the
axle box are covered, so that to inspect the interior of the same to
ascertain, for example, if the supply of oil in the boxes is sufficient, or
to pour in more oil, the cap must be turned round until the apertures in
the same are brought opposite to the apertures in the axle box, when
fresh oil or other lubricating materials can be introduced. On releasing
the cap the spring brings it back to its original position and the apertures
are closed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical cross section of
an axle box constructed according to my Invention, taken partly through
the oil supply chamber and partly through the central portion thereof;
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same; Figure 3 is a
plan; and Figure 4 is a plan of the lower part of the box.
a is the float in the box to which a rod b is connected, carrying at its
other end a valve c, which has its seat against the bottom of the oil
supply chamber d, the float and valve consequently rising and falling as
the oil in the box is increased or diminished. I prefer to make the float
of cork. e is the cap on the upper part of the box, having apertures e¹,'e³,
in it (see Fig. 3), to correspond with the valve opening in the oil supply
chamber d, and with an aperture of leading to the upper part of the axle
bearing. A spring g is placed round the central spindle h of the cap e,
one end of it being attached to the cap and the other to the box, whereby
the cap is always maintained in such a position that the apertures to the
interior of the axle box are closed. To inspect the interior turn the cape e
round until the apertures e¹, es, are brought opposite the apertures at d

page_text: and f. On releasing the cap the spring- brings it back to its normal
closed position.
The second part of my Invention refers to the wicks used for supplying
the lubricating material to the axles. According to this improvement I
use a frame made of metal rods, round which I extend a band of cotton or
other suitable capillary material with a-weight at the lower part which
causes it to assume an angular shape, and on that part of the wick on
which the axle is to rest I place an additional thickness or several
additional thicknesses of cotton or other suitable material. i, i, is the
frame made of metal rods; w is a band of cotton or other suitable
capillary material extending round the frame; j is the weight at the
lower part which causes it to assume an angular shape, as shewn, and on
that part of the wick in which the axle rests I place an additional thick-
ness or several additional thicknesses, or I in some cases place another
wick k, the ends of which hang down and rest on the bottom of the oil
chamber. I however also prefer to place a pad against the axle, as
shewn. When the axle is on the wick the latter is depressed and
assumes the form or shape of the axle that is more or less concave,
according to the position of the frame, and the weight; causes the wick
to be kept in contact with the axle.
-
The third part of my Invention consists in forming projections round
the interior of the bottom portion of the box but above the oil level,
and partitions rising from the bottom of the box so that the motion of
the oil is restrained and it is prevented from getting out of the box.
m, m, are the projections around the interior of the bottom oil chamber
above the oil level; n, n, are partitions or brackets, so that the motion
of the oil is restrained and it is prevented from being thrown out of the
box.
The fourth part of my Invention refers to an arrangement for
preventing oil or other lubricating material from escaping from axle
boxes, as well as to an arrangement for preventing dirt, or dust, or other
extraneous matter from entering. For thes purposes I fit a double flanged
collar or shield o round the axle, at a slight distance from the journal,
and I form a groove in the axle box in which the flange nearer the
5 journal is contained. The bottom of the groove is inclined downwards,
as shewn, towards the interior of the box, so that any oil which may
travel along the journal or may be thrown up against the flange is
interrupted and thrown off on to the inclined surface of the groove and

page_text: so returned to the axle box. The collar or shield has also another flange
which is partly contained in a recess or hollow formed in the back of the
axle box, and is furnished with projecting ribs or fans p, p, (as clearly
shewn at Figure 5, which is an end view of the collar) which carry a
ring or flange clear of the axle box, so that air is free to pass through 5
the spaces between the flanges, and as the axle revolves a current of air
is created through the apertures, giving the action of a fan and causing.
air to be continually rushing out so long as the axle is rotating, and
consequently throwing off any dust or dirt which may be thrown up
against the back of the axle box..
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my
improvements in axle boxes,--
.
1
First. The employment and combination of a float and valve, arranged
to rise or fall as the oil in the box is increased or diminished, the said 1
box being covered with a spring cap, all substantially in manner herein-
before described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The employment of wick carrying frames in combination
with weighted wicks, pads, or their equivalents, substantially in the
manner and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The employment of projections for arresting the lubricating
material, substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
2
Fourth. The arrangement or arrangements for preventing lubricating
material from escaping, as well as for preventing dirt from entering, 2
substantially in the manner herein-before described, and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William George. Beattie, have here-
unto set my hand and seal this Tenth day of January in the
WILLIAM GEORGE BEATTIE. (L.S.)