IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES AND AXLE BOXES, AND THE PARTS OF WHEELS IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED THERE WITH
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Asbury, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES
AND AXLE BOXES, AND THE PARTS OF WHEELS IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED
THERE WITH."
Sealed the 9th February 1864, and dated the 14th August 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Asbury at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
August 1863.
1, WILLIAM ASBURY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AXLES AND AXLE BOXES, AND THE PARTS OF WHEELS IMMEDIATELY
CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows, that is to say:-
Firstly, I form upon the arm of the axle a collar, at the back of which,
or upon the inside of the arm, I place a leather washer, and again behind
this washer another washer or ring of cast or wrought iron, having grooves
cut in its periphery; this ring may be formed in one annular piece, or in
two semi-annular pieces. In the box are cut slots to correspond with the
grooves in the ring before named; these are to receive split cottars or set

page_text: pins, which when the axle is put together pass through the slots in the
box and the grooves in the ring, and thus bind all the parts together, leaving
the box free to rotate upon the axle.
Secondly, I form upon the outside end of the box a male screw, and
upon the inside of the nave of the wheel a female screw, making them
right and left handed, and thus screw these two parts together, avoiding
the use of long and short bolts, front and back plates, and large leather
washer.
Thirdly, my improvements refer to the cap, and the means of lubricating
the axle by means of an orifice in the centre of the cap; this opens into
an enlarged chamber within the cap, in which chamber is fixed a conical
tube the smaller end of which enters the orifice in the cap, the oil is
poured into the chamber through this conical tubo or funnel, which by
its form prevents any escape of oil retaining it in the before-mentioned
chamber.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by Joseph Asbury, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Machinist, Executor of the said William Asbury, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 13th February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ASBURY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Machinist, Executor
of William Asbury, of the same Place, Engineer, who departed this lifo
on the Twenty-fifth day of December, Ono thousand eight hundred and
sixty-three, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto him, the
said William Asbury, Her special licence that he, the said William Asbury, his
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as he, the said William
Asbury, his 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 AXLES
AND AXLE BOXES, AND THE PARTS OF WHEELS IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED THERE-

page_text: WITH," upon the condition, amongst others, that he, the said William Asbury,
his executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under his, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Asbury, as such executor
as aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Firstly, upon the arm of the axle is formed a collar, at the back of which
collar or upon the inside of the arm is placed a leather washer, and again
bebind this washer another washer or ring of cast or wrought iron, having
grooves cut in its periphery; this ring may be formed either in one annular
piece or in two semi-annular pieces. In the box are cut slots to corre-
spond with the grooves in the ring before named; these arc to receive split
cotters or set pins, which when the axle is put together pass through the
slots in the box and the grooves in the ring, and thus bind all the parts
together, leaving the box free to rotate upon the axle.
Secondly, upon the outside end of the box is formed a male screw, and
upon the inside of the nave of the wheel a female screw, making them
right and left handed; thus these two parts are screwed together, avoiding
the use of long and short bolts, front and back plates, and large leather
washer.
Thirdly, these improvements refer to the cap, and a method of lubri-
cating the axle by means of an orifice in the centre of the cap, this opens.
into an enlarged chamber within the cap, in which chamber is fixed a
conical tube the smaller, end of which enters the orifice in the cap; the oil
is poured into the chamber through this conical tube or funnel, which
by its form prevents any escape of oil, retaining it in the before-mentioned.
chamber.

page_text: line A, B; Figure 8 is a side elevation, and Figure 4 an inside end eleva-
tion of the same; Figure 5 shewing the cap detached.
I will now proceed with the aid of the Drawings to describe these improve-
ments more particularly in detail, the first part of the Invention being that
which refers to the fixing of the box upon the axle.
(a) is the arm of the axle; (b) the collar formed upon it; (c), the leather
washer; (d), the metal washer or ring, by preference of wrought or cast
iron, slotted or grooved to receive the set pins, or by preference split cotters,
(e), which entering by slots in the box (f), as shewn in Figure 2, pass along
the grooves in the washer (d), and coming out through slots in the box similar
to those by which they entered the points can be opened out, and thus prevent
their escaping; the parts are all thus bound together, leaving the box free to
rotate upon the axle.
The second part of this Invention is that which refers to the attachment
of the axle box to the nave of the wheel, and is thus carried out :-(g) is
the screwed end of the box, and (h) the nave of the wheel tapped with a
female screw; these two parts are thus screwed together, requiring, as before
stated, neither bolts, plates, nor washer.
The third part of these improvements, namely, the cap, and the means
of lubricating the axle through the cap without removing it is as follows:-
(k) is the cap screwed into the box, and furnished with a funnel or conical
chamber (1), whose smaller end is in and through the head of the cap;
this funnel opens into a chamber (m) within the cap, the oil or other
lubricator is poured in at the smaller end of the funnel, whence it is con-
veyed into the chamber (m), and thence percolates between the axle and the
box, keeping those parts lubricated, whilst its escape is prevented by the
peculiar form of the funnel (?).
Each of these several improvements is capable of being used without
the others, or either of them, that is to say, with axles, axle boxes, or
naves, constructed in all other respects upon different models; they are shewn
combined and as they may be used if preferred for facility of reference alone.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, it must be understood that the
details may admit of some variation, but that I claim the improvements
comprised under the first head of this description, or those which refer to the
securing of the axle box upon the axle, substantially as herein described.
And in like manner I claim the improvement described under the second
head, namely, connecting the axle box with the nave of the wheel by screwing
those parts together in manner shewn.

page_text: And, thirdly, I claim the improvements in the cap, and the means by which
a supply of lubricating material can be readily applied and constantly main-
tained for use, as herein more fully set forth and specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Asbury, as such Executor as
aforesaid, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-four.
JOSEPH ASBURY. (L.B.)