IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES TO RENDER THEM SELF-LUBRICATING
Year: 1858

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Bland William Croker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents. with his Petition, on the 31st March
1858.
1. BLAND WILLIAM CROKER, of Vienna. in the Empire of Austria. Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AXLE BOXES TO RENDER THEM SELF-LUBRICATING," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to lubricate the axle boxes of locomotive
engines, tenders, and of railway and other carriages and vehicles, without using
packing, sponge, or other similar substances for retaining the oil, grease, or
other lubricating matters intended to be applied to the bearings. For this
purpose I attach one or more circular discs or plates, to the outer end of the
axle, either flat against the same or secured by studs, in the manner shewn on
the Drawing. These discs or plates dip into the oil and revolve in an oil
chamber while the carriages are in motion, and by these revolutions convey oil
to the axle step, or bearing, without the intervention of any kind of sponge or
packing. By this mode of lubricating a great saving in the consumption of
oil or grease is effected, and the axle step is rendered much more durable.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, represent a self-acting lubricating axle box on the
proposed plan. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section: Fig. 2, cross section; Fig. 3,
ground plan; Fig. 4. external end view; Fig. 5, section of proposed axle step
-7

page_text: or bearing block. The same letters of reference are used to denote the same
parts in all the Figures.
The disc A of steel plate. or any other metal, is fixed on the outer side of
the axle concentric with the axis of the same by 2 or 4 screws J, J, in the
manner shewn by the Drawing; this disc or plate may be fixed flat against
the end of the axle, or in any convenient manner.
The disc A is immersed in oil or grease at its under surface, and revolves
through a plate of zinc or tin, as at B; this plate collects the oil, &c. from the
disc A. and conveys it to the axle step C, either in the direction K or L, ac-
cording as the axle revolves to the right or left, the superfluous oil returning
to the chambers D and II, to be again elevated to the plate B, whence it flows
to the step C. E is an orifice provided with a stop screw and washer for feed-
ing the axle box with oil and regulating the supply. F. F. are also orifices
provided with siop screws & washers at the lowest point of the chambers
D. D, for drawing off the dirty and useless oil. A small cover G is also
provided. secured by 2 screw nuts, so that previous to starting a small
quantity of oil may be poured into the axle-step chambers N, N, and thus
conveyed to the axle bearing.
The manner in which the oil may be collected from the disc A and conveyed
to the axle-box step are numerous,, and I do not confine myself 10 the mode
shown on the Drawing, as this object may be effected in various ways. The
distinctive features of my Invention are, the application of a disc or discs, as
oil elevators, to the outer end of the axle, the collecting and distributing the
oil. &c., so raised to the axle step. and the depositing chambers D and H for
the purification of the lubricating material.