IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Montgomerie Neilson, of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES."-Partly a communication from abroad
by Eugene Thetard. of Paris, France.
Sealed the 3rd May 1864, and dated the 6th November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Montgomerie
Neilson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th November 1863.
I, WALTER MONTGOMERIE NEILSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES," (in part communicated to me from
abroad by Eugene Thetard, of Paris, France, and in part invented by myself,)
to be as follows, that is to say:
This Invention relates to axle boxes such as are fitted to railway rolling
stock, and comprises improvements designed to exclude dust, and to prevent
the egress and waste of the oil or lubricating liquid, notwithstanding wear of
the parts.

page_text: In one modification of axle box, embodying the improvements, the main
portion of the box, comprising the bottom and sides, is made so that the brass
which bears upon the axle journal, or the casting to which the brass is attached
and on which the spring or other part bears, can slide vertically therein, and a
packing is applied to the parts to render them tight. The outer end of the
box is shaped to enclose the outer end of the axle, whilst the inner
part encircles a portion of the shoulder of the axle at the inner end
of the journal, and a ring of leather, rubber, or other packing material is
fitted in a deep groove to make a tight joint at this inside part. In this way
the box is suspended on the journal independently of the main bearing brass.
The parts of the box encircling the outer end and the inside shoulder of the
journal are by preference lined with brass, whilst to reduce the tendency of
the oil to work towards the inside shoulder a metal ring turning with the
journal is applied to the edge of that shoulder. The bottom of the box is
formed with a reservoir to contain a supply of oil or lubricating liquid, which
is applied to the axle journal by a feeder borne up against the journal by
springs, and provided with fibrous materials dipping into the liquid beneath,
and causing its elevation by capillary attraction. If wished, a reserve supply
of oil or grease may be contained in a separate receptacle above the level of
the axle, and communicating with the brass by an opening ordinarily closed
by a fusible plug. With this arrangement, if the lower supply becomes
exhausted the bearing becomes heated and melts the fusible plug, whereupon
the reserve supply has immediate access to the journal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Walter Montgomerie Neilson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER
MONTGOMERIE NEILSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One 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 me,
the said Walter Montgomerie Neilson, Her special licence that I, the said
Walter Montgomerie Neilson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: such others as I, the said Walter Montgomerie Neilson, 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," in part communicated
to me from abroad by Eugene Thetard, of Paris, France, and in part invented
by myself, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Walter
Montgomerie Neilson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, 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 Walter Montgomerie Neilson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to axle boxes such as are fitted to railway rolling
stock, and comprises improvements designed to exclude dust, and to prevent
the egress and waste of the oil or lubricating liquid, notwithstanding wear of
the parts.
And in order that the said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, there is hereunto appended a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing axle
boxes, embodying modifications of the improvements.
Figure 1 is a vertical section, taken parallel to the axle, and Figure 2 is a
vertical section. taken at right angles to the axle; Figure 3 is a vertical
section taken parallel to the axle, but showing a different modification of a
part of the arrangement and Figure 4 is a plan of the lower and external
part of the axle box. The same reference numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts in all the Figures. The axle (1, 2, 3) is shown in position
in Figures 1 and 2, but not in Figures 3 and 4.
In this improved arrangement, the main portion of the axle box, comprising
the bottom 4 and sides 5, is made so that the brass 6, which bears upon the
axle journal 2, or rather the cover or casting 7, to which the brass is attached,
and on which the spring 8 (or other part) bears, can slide vertically therein,

page_text: and a packing 9 is applied to the parts to render them tight. The form of
the space or opening 10, in which the cover 7 fits and slides, is best seen in
the plan, Figure 4. The strip 7 of rubber or other packing material may be
either held upon the edge of the opening 10 by a gland 11, as in Figures
1 and 2, or it may be fitted on the outside of the projecting lip of the open-
ing 10, the cover 7 being made with an overlapping flange 12 to cover it, as
in Figure 3. The outer end 13 of the box is shaped to enclose the outer
end 1 of the axle, whilst the inner part 14 encircles a portion of the shoulder 3
of the axle, at the inner end of the journal 2, and a ring 15 of leather,
rubber, or other packing material is fitted in a deep groove in the box to
make a tight joint at the inside part. In this way the box is suspended on
the journal independently of the main bearing brass 6, so that the wearing of
the brass does not cause the axle to bear more strongly on the other close-
fitting parts of the box, and these consequently retain their fit and tightness
much longer. The parts of the box encircling the outer end 1 and the inside
shoulder 3 of the journal are, by preference, lined with brass, as at 16 and 17,
whilst to reduce any tendency of the oil to work towards or over the inside
shoulder 3 a metal ring 18, turning with the axle, is applied to that shoulder,
being fixed on after the box (4, 5) is put on the axle. The bottom 4 of the
box is formed into a reservoir to contain a supply of oil or lubricating liquid,
which is introduced by the capped inlet 19, and which is applied to the
journal 2 by a feeder 20, borne up against the journal by springs 21, and
provided, when in use, with fibrous matters dipping into the liquid beneath,
and causing its elevation by capillary action. Or the lubricating liquid may
be applied to the journal by one or more rollers borne up by springs, and
partly immersed in the liquid, and revolving with the rotation of the axle. If
wished, a reserve supply of oil or grease may be contained in a separate
receptacle above the level of the axle, and communicating with the bearing
surface by an opening through the brass 6, such opening being ordinarily
closed by a fusible plug. With this arrangement, if the lower supply becomes
exhausted the bearing becomes heated and melts the fusible plug, whereupon
the reserve supply has immediate access to the journal.
Having thus particularly described the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the constructing of an axle
so that the bearing part is separate from the rest of the box, and can adjust

page_text: itself within the lower and enclosing parts, the latter fitting closely upon the
axle, substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof. I, the said Walter Montgomerie Neilson, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
WALTER M. NEILSON. (L.S.)