CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLETREES AND AXLETREE BOXES
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
GIBSON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of May, in the fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Joseph Gibson, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Joseph Gibson, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Joseph Gibson, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLETREES AND
AXLETREE BOXES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that
I, the said Joseph Gibson, shall cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Joseph Gibson, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):
:-
My Invention consists of an improved construction of axletree and axletree
box, whereby the lateral or end motion of the latter on the former may be
prevented; also an improved method of lubricating the moving parts of an
axletree and axletree box; and also an improved method of fastening the
axletree box on the axletree, and removing it from the same.
Figure 1 in the accompanying Drawing represents an external view of a
near axletree (as the axletree on the left hand of the driver is technically
called), in which these several improvements are combined.
Figure 2 represents the axletree without the axletree box; and Figure 3
represents a vertical and longitudinal section of the axletree and axletree box.
Figures 4 to 7 represent some of the parts of the axletree and axletree box.
a, Figures 1, 2, and 3, is the bed of the axletree; and b, Figures 2 and 3; is
the arm of the same. c, Figure 3, is a shoulder on the coned part of the axle-
tree (as the part 6¹ is technically called); d is a groove cut on the upper side
of the arm of the axletree, and communicating with the passage e in the
shoulder c; f (shewn separately in Figure 4) is a collar, made of gun metal or
iron. The internal part of this collar fits the shoulder c and the coned part of
the axletree. This collar is partially screwed 'externally; as sliewn at f; and
the other part contains the mechanisin hereafter described for retaining the
axletree box in its place. h, Figure 3, is a washer of leather placed between
the collar and the shoulder c; i is a collar of iron, which screws on the
coned part of the axletree. The external part of this collar is of an octagonal
figure, and a hole is formed in each of its sides, as shewn at k, k. Each of
these holes is made in the direction of a radius from the centre of the arm.
1 (shewn separately in Figure 5) is a pin, made to fit the holes k in the
collar i; m is a washer of leather, placed between the collar i and the collar f.;
n.is the axletree box, which screws on the collar f, and has one or more
recesses o'in its edge, of the form shewn by the dotted lines, Figure 6, for the
purpose of securing it in its place, as hereafter explained; a is the cap of the
axletree box; P, P, P, Figure 4, is a chamber or cavity in the collar f, shewn
in dotted lines, containing the bolt 9, q, shewn separately in Figure 7, and the
spiral springs r, r, shewn in dotted lines. These springs are introduced,' as

page_text: shewn in the Drawing, between the shoulder s of the bolt q, q, and the back of
the chamber or cavity p, p, and force the bolt into the position represented.
ats.
Figures 8 and 9 shew another arrangement of the keeping bolt; Figure 8
shewing the bolt in its place, and Figure 9 shewing it detached. f. f, is the
collar, and q, q,, the bolt, which is placed in the cavity p, p, and is hung upon a
pin q' at one end; it is kept down by the spring,, pressing upon its shoulder
In lieu of placing the bolt in the collar f, and making the cavity in the
box to receive it, the construction may be reversed, the cavity being made in the
collar, and the bolt q being placed in the box. Also, in lieu of forming the
recess o in the manner described, a groove v may be turned in the edge of the
box or collar, and a pin or pins w, w, inserted in the circumference across the
groove to form stops for the bolt, as shewn in Figure 10, the spaces between
the pins, being the chambers or recesses for the bolt. The form of the hole fis
not material.
Having described the various parts of the axletree and axletree box, I will
explain their use and action.
The axletree box being screwed on the collar f, as herein-before described,
and as represented in the Drawing, it is evident that any lateral or end. motion
in the former may be prevented by the adjustment of the latter. This adjust-
ment is effected by means of the screwed collar i; by screwing up this collar i
the collar f, to which the axletree box is attached, is pressed more or less
forcibly towards the shoulder c of the axletree, and consequently can have no
lateral motion. In order to prevent the unscrewing of the collar i; the pin
is introduced into one of the holes k, which hole must be exactly over the
groove d of the axletree. The pin 7 passes through the hole k into the groove d,
and thereby prevents the turning of the collar i. When, by use or otherwise,
the washers and m are worn or compressed, so as to allow a slight lateral
motion in the collar f, the collar i must be screwed tight on, and secured in the
manner just described. In order to lubricate the axletree, it is only necessary
to bring the axletree box in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, so that the
opening in the collar f may be over the passage of the shoulder of the axle-
tree. Oil may now be poured in at f", and running down the passage e, and
along the groove d, it escapes at the contracted part of the arm of the axle-
tree 6, and at the end t, and thus lubricates it. The mechanism contained in
the chamber p, p, p, of the collar f has already been described, and it has been
shewn that the bolt q'is forced into the position shewn in Figures 2, 3, and 4,
by the springs r, r.
I will now explain the action of this mechanism in preventing the unscrew-

page_text: ing of the axletree box. On screwing the axletree box on the collar f (the
screw of which is of the kind commonly called a left-handed screw), the edge
of the axletree box pressing during its rotation against the inclined edge of the
bolt q, q, presses it back into the chamber p, p, p, and thus passes by it; im-
mediately, however, that the cavity o in the axletree box comes opposite to the
bolt q, q, the bolt is pressed by the springs r, r, into the cavity o. By con-
tinuing the rotation of the axletree box, the inclined bottom of the cavity o, or
the side of the pins w, again presses the bolt q into the cavity p, p, p, and this
action is repeated one or more times during each of the last three or four revo-
lutions of the axletree box. When the axletree box is screwed up tightly, so
that its edge is in contact with the shoulder of the collar f, the cavity o on the
axletree box is opposite to the bolt q, and the latter is forced therein. It is
evident that the axletree box cannot now be unscrewed, for the bolt q can only
be pushed back by the edge of the axletree box when it is turned in the direc-
tion proper for screwing it up. When for the purpose of screwing up the
collar i, or any other purpose, it is desirable to remove the axletree box, it may
be effected in the following manner :-A wedge-shaped or conical piece of iron
on the end of the wrench by which the collar i is turned, is to be introduced
into the opening f" in the collar f, and forced through the opening q' in the
bolt q, whereby the latter becomes withdrawn from the cavity o in the edge of
the axletree box, and at the same time the piece of iron passing into the
passage e in the shoulder c holds the collar f firm whilst unscrewing the box.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention,-
Firstly, the method of preventing the lateral motion of an axletree box upon
an axletree by means of a screwed collar upon the coned part of the axletree,
as herein-before described.
Secondly, the method of lubricating the moving parts of an axletree and
axletree box, herein-before described.
And thirdly, the method of securing the axletree box on the axletree,
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Gibson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.
JOSEPH (L.S.) GIBSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventeenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1842, the aforesaid Joseph Gibson came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-two.