Year: 1887

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improved boxes or housings for the journal bearings of
railway vehicles engines and the like, which boxes are constructed with double guards
and intervening air chambers so arranged as to practically exclude all dust from the
journal bearings, and thereby greatly prolong their durability and at the same time
reduce the frictional resistance to the rotation of the journals to a minimum.
This invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing,
in which,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the improved dust-proof box, and
Figure 2, is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the packing rings or guards at the inner end
of the journal box, and
Figure is a transverse sectional elevation of one of the said packing rings or
guards.
The box or shell A is similar to those now in use, except as to the dust guard
appliances hereinafter especially described. It is made of cast iron, has a movable
door or gate A' at its front end, and a suitable aperture at its inner end for the
admission of the axle B, and is provided with suitable interior arrangements for the
hearing box C and its key D.
The door or gate A¹, is hinged or otherwise suitably attached to the box or
housing A, and it has an inner or duplex sheet A², which is attached to the oute
door by means of stud bolts a so as to leave an air space A³ between the said outer
and inner plates of the said door or gate. The bolts or attachment rods a are
n

page_text: securely fastened to the outer plate A, but the inner plate A is allowed a slight
movement in or out upon the said rods, and spiral or other suitable springs a are
placed between the said plates A1 and A2 in such a position as to press the inner plate A²
habitually inwardly upon its seat, thus insuring a tight fit of the inner door upon its
seat or rebates ². Packing strips and of feli, leather, india rubber, raw hide,
vulcanized fibre, or any suitable packing material, are interposed respectively between
the doors A and A2 and their seats, so as to make them practically air tight. If,
however, a small amount of dust shall pass the outer door or guard, it will be
caught and retained in the air chamber A3, which contains only dead or confined
air, and thus the dust caught in said chamber will be absolutely excluded from
passing the second barrier formed by the inner door A². This air chamber may
be lightly filled with wool, hair, asbestos, mineral wool or the like, which will add
to the retention of the dust therein, without disturbing the air space, except to
divide it into more minute air cells, which will act to prevent any dust-laden draught
or air current impinging against the inner door or barrier A, and so act as a
complete dust guard. If the doors A1 and A2 are nicely fitted to each other, and
respectively to their individual seats, they may be securely fastened together and
the closing springs for the inner door or plate dispensed with.
The rear end of the box is provided in a similar manner to the front end of the
box with a duplex guard E, E and an intervening air chamber F, which, while they
permit the axle free access to the box, exclude the dust therefrom. The guard rings E
and E are respectively adapted to fit laterally, closely into housings or recesses E
and E formed on or attached to the rear or inner end of the box A; but these
chambers or recesses permit the said guard rings to move freely up or down to a
limited extent, as may be required by the wheels of the axle in passing over
undulations of the track. These guard rings are constructed as shown in figures
and 4, and each consists of a divided metallic ring e, e', hinged at e², and provided
with a suitable spring, which habitually presses the two segmental sections of the
ring together upon the axle B, as shown in figure 1, and in full lines of figure 3,
but permits the said sections to be opened in the direction of the dotted lines of
figure 3, so as to readily place the same upon the axle in assembling the parts together.
These packing rings are allowed to turn freely in their housing recesses, or the axle
turns within them, and therefore, the springs are arranged to press them firmly
upon the axle so as to take up any lost motion that may, from time to time, occur by
reason of the wearing of the axle upon them.
Suitable annular packing strips and are respectively fitted and attached in any
suitable manner to the inner and outer edges of the said packing rings E, E, as shown
in figures 1, 3 and 4. These packings are made of leather, raw hile, felt, vulcanized
fibre or any suitable durable packing material. The inner ones are made to habitually
close tightly upon the axle B and exclude the dust from passing between them and
the axle, and the outer ones are arranged to fit tightly against the sides of their
respective recesses, or chambers E and E³, and consequently prevent dust from passing
through at that point. The intervening chamber F, serves a purpose similar to that
of the air chamber A³, above described, and like it, may be lightly filled with a
dividing substance like asbestos, fibre, mineral wool, hair, wool or the like so as to
break up or prevent any air currents passing through the said chamber.
The recesses or chambers E2 E³, may be formed on, or attached to, the box A in
any suitable manner which will readily suggest itself."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
:-
First. A railway journal box, formed of a suitable metallic case, closed at its front
end by a removable duplex door having an inner and an outer door plate arranged to
close tightly upon the case or housing, and containing between them an air chamber
or dust guard, substantially as described.
Second. In combination with a railway journal box, a duplex front door or gate

page_text: formed of two parallel plates held together by suitable fastenings so as to form a
closed air chamber between them.
Third. A duplex front door or gate formed of two parallel plates secured together
at a short distance apart so as to form an air chamber between them, and respectively
fitted to scats or rebates formed on the front end of a railway car axle box, in
combination with cushions or packing strips interposed respectively between them
and their said seats, substantially as described.
Fourth. A railway journal box formed of a suitable metallic case, closed at its
front end by a removable duplex door having its inner door plate attached to the outer
door plate by means of stud bolts on which the inner plate is allowed a slight motion
in or out, so that the two doors, while being coupled together, may individually adjust
themselves upon their respective seats while, at the same time, they, with the shell or
housing of the box, form a tightly closed air chamber or dust guard between them.
Fifth. In a railway journal box, a duplex front door or gate formed of two parallel
plates held together by stud bolts fixed to the outer door plate and passing easily
through the inner door plate so as to allow the inner door a slight adjusting movement
in or out on the said bolts, in combination with one or more springs interposed between
the door plates and arranged to yieldingly press the inner door inwardly, so as to
compel both doors to close simultaneously upon their respective seats as described.
Sixth. A railway car axle box provided at its rear end with two parallel guard
plates fitted respectively into exteriorly tightly closed recesses in the box, and placed
parallel to each other and a short distance apart so as to form a closed air chamber
between them and the axle and its surrounding case, substantially as described.
Seventh. A dust guard for the inner end of a railway journal box formed of two
segmental plates, each forming about one half of a ring, hinged together and provided
with a spring to throw their free ends together so as to form a complete annular plate
or guard piece, the inner and outer edges of which respectively form two concentric
rings or flanges which are cushioned or covered with a yielding packing material and
respectively adapted to fit tightly to the axle they are to protect, and to fit laterally the
annular grooves formed for them in the box or housing with which they are combined,
substantially as described.
Eighth. A duplex dust guard for the inner end of a railway journal box formed of
two divided annular plates, hinged together at one of their sides and habitually closed
upon the axle by actuating springs, cushioned with a packing material at both their
edges, and arranged to fit close laterally into vertical chambers formed for them in
parallel vertical planes at short distances apart, in the inner end of the journal box,
the whole combined and arranged, substantially as described and set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.