JOURNAL BOXES FOR RAILWAY CARS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Nottingham Smith, of Jersey City, in
the County of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, United States of
America, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "JOURNAL BOXES FOR
RAILWAY CARS."
Scaled the 9th July 1875, and dated the 13th January 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Nottingham
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 13th January 1875.
I, JOSEPH NOTTINGHAM SMITH, of Jersey City, in the County of
Hudson, and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "JOURNAL
BOXES FOR RAILWAY CARS," to be as follows:-
:
My Invention relates to that form or construction of railway car
journal boxes in which the housing .or box frame which contains the
bearings is joined or connected to the frame of the truck by means
of a ball-and-socket joint, to allow the said bearings to adapt themselves

page_text: jamming and cutting of the bearing surfaces.
My said Invention consists,-
First. In a stop so combined with the two parts of the ball-and-socket
joint as to confine the motion thereof within proper limits.
Second. In a bearing divided longitudinally and having an open space
between the two parts over the axis of the journal, and the combination
therewith of a curtain or web of fibrous or other absorbent material
hung between the two parts of the bearing, its lower edge nearly or
quite touching the journal to take up and equalize the redistribution of
any excess of oil on the journal.
Third. In a stopping bar to take up or resist any undue endwisc
motion of the car on its axle, said bar being jointed in or near the
middle to facilitate its removal and replacement, and held in place by
projections on the housing or box frame. Oil is conducted to the aforesaid
bearings by means of wicks or webs of fibrous or other absorbent
material which take the oil up from a well at the bottom of the housing
or box frame by capillary action and distribute it to the bearing
surfaces.
Fourth. In a notch or opening in said stopping bar, by means of which
the examination of the bearings is facilitated, and the amount of wear
thereof observed without removing the stopping bar.
Fifth. In the combination with the oil reservoir in which the reserve
of oil is held, and the oil well at the bottom of the housing of an
intermediate chamber attached to said reservoir, and having inlet and
discharge openings in its.sides, which openings are so disposed that the
oil is held up in the reservoir by atmospheric pressure and only fed out
as needed, whether the car is on a level or an inclined track.
Sixth. In combination with said housing and the axle a plate for
excluding dust where the axle enters the housing, said plate.being in
two parts set in a frame, and held against the axle by the combined
action of gravity and a spring enclosed in said frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Nottingham Smith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
NOTTINGHAM SMITII, of Jersey City, in the County of Hudson, and
State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Nottingham Smith, Her
special licence that I, the said Joseph Nottingham Smith, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Josephi
Nottingham Smith, 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "JOURNAL BOXES FOR RAILWAY CARS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph Nottingham
Smith, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Josepli Nottingham Smith, 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 by the following statement, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to that form or construction of railway car
journal boxes in which the housing or box frame which contains the

page_text: bearings is joined or connected to the frame of the truck by means of a
ball-and-socket joint, to allow the said bearings to adapt themselves
freely to the direction and position of the journal, and thus prevent the
jamming and cutting of the bearing surfaces.
My said Invention consists,-
First. In a stop so combined with the two parts of the ball-and-socket
joint as to confine the motion thereof within proper limits.
Second. In a bearing divided longitudinally and having an open space
between the two parts over the axis of the journal, and the combination
therewith of a curtain or web of fibrous or other absorbent material
hung between the two parts of the bearing, its lower edge nearly or
quite touching the journal, to take up and equalize the redistribution of
any excess of oil on the journal.
Third. In a stopping bar to take up or resist any undue endwise
motion of the car on its axle, said bar being jointed in or near the
middle to facilitate its removal and replacement, and held in place by
projections on the housing or box frame. Oil is conducted to the
aforesaid bearings by means of wicks or webs of fibrous or other
absorbent material which take the oil up from a well at the bottom of the
housing or box frame by capillary action and distribute it to the bearing a
surfaces.
Fourth. In a notch or opening in said stopping bar by means of which
the examination of the bearings is facilitated, and the amount of wear
thereof observed without removing the stopping bar.
Fifth. In the combination' with the oil reservoir in which the reservo
of oil is held, and the oil well at the bottom of the housing of an
intermediate chamber attached to said reservoir, and having inlet and
discharge openings in its sides, which openings are so disposed that the
oil is held up in the reservoir by atmospheric pressure, and only fed out
as needed, whether the car is on a level or an incline track.
.
Sixth. In combination with said housing and the axle a plate for
excluding dust where the axle centers the housing, said plate being in
two parts set in a frame, and held against the axle by the combined
action of gravity and a spring enclosed in said frame.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my

page_text: improved railway car journal box, as it appears when ready to be inserted
in the "jaws" or "pedestal" of the truck frame; Figure 2 is a vertical
longitudinal section; Figure 3 is an end elevation; Figure 4 is an end
elevation with the oil tank or reservoir removed; Figure 5 is a vertical
cross section on the line x, x, Figure 1; Figure 6 is a vertical cross
section on the line y, y, Figure 1; Figure 7 is a horizontal section on
the line 2, 2, Figure 1, showing the form of the housing; Figure 8 is a
horizontal section on the line 2, 2, Figure 1, showing the under-side of
the top of the surrounding frame in which the female part of the ball
joint is formed; Figure 9 is a side view of the plate for excluding dust
with its frame and spring; Figure 10 is an inside end elevation of the
stopping bar removed from the housing; Figure 11 is a side elevation of
the same; Figure 12 is an outside end elevation of the same; Figure 13.
is a top view in detail of the bearings; Figure 14 is an end elevation in
detail of the same.
I
A is the housing or box frame. It has seats formed in its upper
corners to receive the bearings a, a, and ribs b, b, c, c, to hold them in
place, a well or cavity d in its bottom part to receive and hold a supply
of oil, a pocket or recess at the front end to receive the oil tank or
reservoir B, ribs e, e, on its inner end on which the frame C is fitted and
held, and the male part of the ball joint at its top by which it is con-
nected to the surrounding frame D. The female part of the ball joint is
formed in the lower side of the top of the frame D, as seen in Figure 8,
and the stop is formed in it to limit the motion of the joint. For this
purpose
and to facilitate the insertion of the housing A in the frame D,
one side of the male part ƒ of the ball joint is cut away, as seen at h.
The bearings a, a, being inserted in their seats in the housing a roll of
fibrous or other absorbent material having a flap or curtain i depending
from it is inserted between them, and hung or laid on the projecting
corners of the bearings, as seen in Figures 2 and 6. This curtain extends
down to the journal and takes up any excess of oil from the journal and
redistributes it again, thus equalizing the supply of oil and helping to
maintain uniform and efficient lubrication.. Fitted into the housing A
at the end of the journal E is the stopping bar F, G, formed in two parts
which are connected by a hinge joint to facilitate its insertion and
removal.

page_text: on its hinge m out of the way, the part. G is thrown up against the side
of the part F, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 11, and the bolt j
carrying the tumbler k, and oiling wick or web is passed under the
journal, the end of the bolt j finding a bearing in the notch n in the
inner end of the housing A. The forked upper end o, o, of the bar is
then passed up into the slot or socket p in the housing far enough to
allow the heel g of the part G to pass the stops which are formed on
the bottom of the housing, and the part G is then swung down in place
and allowed to fall behind the stops where it is securely held. It is
prevented from rising by the button or stop which bears against the
edge of the outer wall of the socket p. On the pivot pin s of the stopping
bar a click or tumbler is loosely hung, and an endless wick u passes
around it and down into the oil in the bottom of the housing. This
wick supplies oil to the bearing face of the stopping bar and to the end
of the journal through a hole in said bearing face. Through the
notch or opening to between the prongs o, o, of the stopping bar the
amount of wear of the bearings a, a, and the bearing face a' of the bar
may be observed without removing the bar and the necessity for their
renewal ascertained. The oil tank or reservoir B is connected by the
joint m to the housing A, and when shut down' is fastened by the
catch c¹. In conjunction with this joint ba packing of any suitable
soft elastic substance, as leather for example, is interposed between the
tank B and the edge of the pocket in which it fits to exclude the dust.
This packing is shown at b'.
When the tank is to be raised to be filled or to permit access to be
had to the interior of the housing, the catch c¹ is unhooked by means of
a wire or small pin inserted through the hold d. At the bottom of the
tank B an intermediate chamber e¹ is formed and an opening f¹ is made
through the wall g' near the bottom of the intermediate chamber on the
side nearest to the journal to connect it with the interior of the tank.
Another hole having its lower side a little below the top of the hole f¹
is made in the opposite wall of the chamber e¹ at the side farthest from
the journal. By considering the position of these holes with reference to
the tank and chamber; it is evident that while on a level track the oil
will be retained in the tank by atmospheric pressure until the surface of
the oil in the well d gets below the level of the top of the hole f¹, and
that in case of any tipping of the housing from running around a curve

page_text: Sixth. In a railway car journal box having a ball-and-socket joint
interposed between the bearings a, a, and the car truck, a dust excluding
plate, j', clasped around the axle and held up snugly against it by the
sliding frame C and spring k¹, substantially as and for the purpose
herein-above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Nottingham Smith, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five
herein-above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Nottingham Smith, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five
JOSEPH NOTTINGHAM SMITH. (L.S.)