IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE CRANK AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVES FOR RAILROADS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International Patent
Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CRANK AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVES FOR RAILROADS."-A com-
munication from abroad by Dyer Williams, of Syracuse, in the County
of Onondaga, and State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 24th April 1866, and dated the 11th November 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert
Lake at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 11th November 1865.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CRANK AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVES FOR RAILROADS," a com-
munication, to be as follows:-
Heretofore the only method employed for constructing the crank axles of
locomotive engines has been to forge the said crank axle in one piece out of
a bloom or ingot at a very great expense, projections or webs being forged
at proper points, which were afterwards cut or slotted out to form the sunk
cranks. By this mode of construction the fibres of the iron were much

page_text: twisted and contorted, and in slotting out the arm or web to form the sunk
crank, the grain or fibre of the iron was cut off and the structure very much
weakened thereby, rendering the axle constantly liable to fracture, which
required very large annual expenditure for repairs, and made this class or
style of locomotive engines somewhat unpopular, notwithstanding its very
decided advantages over the other class of engines in some other respects.
It has heretofore been assumed that this mode of construction was absolutely
necessary, on account of the stiffness required to resist the heavy strain upon
the crank axle of a powerful locomotive engine, which was liable to have its
driving wheels continually forced out of line when drawing heavy loads. By
my improved method of construction I have attained many important
advantages, making a much stiffer and cheaper axle than the old style or
solid one, and an axle which can be cheaply and easily repaired and made as
good as new in case of a failure of any part, whereas the solid axles when
once broken are worthless, except for old scrap. My improved axles are
also very much stronger than those heretofore made, never perceptibly yielding
with the heaviest loads upon them... One of these crank axles will outlast at
least two of the solid axles, thus lessening by one-half the liability to a very
dangerous class of accidents.
The construction of my improved crank axle is as follows:-I form the said
axlo in three separate pieces. The crank arms or webs are also forged separately,
as are the crank wrists. The crank arms or webs are pressed or shrunk upon
the ends of the axle, which ends are turned down and shouldered to fit the
holes in the said arms. The crank wrists are similarly connected with the
outer ends of these arms or webs. Keys are employed to give a further
security and permanance to the structure, and the whole is still further
secured and locked together by steel or iron pins passing through the arm or
web through the end of the axle and across a recess formed on the back or
top of the keys. The holes in the arms or webs must be accurately bored to
'fit the ends of the axle and crank wrist, and must be well shrunk or pressed
upon the said ends, which are accurately turned to the required diameter.
The keys are fitted into their respective grooves or slots, in such a manner
that when driven home they will hold the several portions of which the crank
axles are formed firmly and securely together. The pins are then driven
tightly across the recess in the back of the keys,. thus preventing the s
accidental displacement of the said keys from vibration or any other cause.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day. of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, .in. the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto.
me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence that I, the, said
William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should in 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 THE CRANK AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVES FOR
RAILROADS," upon .the, condition (amongst others) that. I, the said William
Robert Lake, 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 dato
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings making a part of this Specification:-
The said improvements relate to crank axles for locomotives, and are
applicable only to the axles of those locomotives which are provided with sunk
cranks. Heretofore the only method employed for constructing the crank
.axles for locomotive engines has been to forge the said axle all in one piece
from a bloom or ingot of iron or steel, with projections or webs to form the
cranks at the proper positions, these webs or projections being afterwards cut or
slotted out to form the sunk cranks. This mode of construction is very,
1

page_text: of the keys D, as represented in Figures 1 and 2. The arms or webs B must
be accurately bored to fit the turned-down ends of the parts A, A¹, and A² of
the axle, and must be well shrunk or pressed upon the said ends, which are
accurately turned to the required diameter. The keys D are fitted into their
respective grooves or slots in such a manner that when driven home they will
hold the separate parts of the axle, the arms and the wrists firmly and securely
together. The pins E are then driven tightly across the back of the keys D.
This prevents any accidental displacement of the said keys and consequent
weakening of the axle from vibration or other causes.
Having thus fully described my Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and shewn how the same may be conveniently and
advantageously carried into practice, I wish it understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, but I
claim, constructing the crank axles of locomotive engines of separate parts or
sections for the purpose and substantially in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.B.)