IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AXLE BOXES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Kenneth Stuart Austin, of 104, Cato Street, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
AXLE BOXES."
Sealed the 12th September 1879, and dated the 10th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Kenneth Stuart Austin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th June 1879.
KENNETH STUART AUSTIN, of 104, Cato Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AXLE BOXES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in railway axle boxes. The
improvements apply to the class of axle boxes in which oil is the lubricant
employed, and in which the oil is applied to the axle by pads or cushions bearing
against it laterally, such pads or cushions being themselves fed with oil by wicks
descending from them into an oil reservoir beneath. I mount the pads or cushions
upon a trough like cushion holder of sheet iron, in the bottom of which, beneath
the axle, I insert a cylindrical receptacle for the spent oil which drips from the
axle. The solid impurities are retained in this receptacle whilst the fluid oil
overflows and passes back into the oil reservoir, to be taken up again by the wicks.
The spent oil receiver is surrounded by a coiled spring, which, pressing the cushion
holder upwards, keeps the cushions in contact with the axle. In the bottom of the
cushion holder also two horns or guides are fixed, they descend from its under side
and enter guide grooves at the bottom of the box by which the cushion holder is
controlled whilst it is allowed sufficient freedom to permit the cushions to adapt
themselves to the axle.
In order to close the axle box on the inner side to exclude dust and to prevent
the escape of oil I employ an improved shield. It consists of three thin plates of
ebonite, hard wood, or such like material; they lie the one against the other, and
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page_text: rivets passing through connect the plates together. The rivets are fast in the outer
plates, but traverse slotted holes in the intermediate plate, which is thus free to
slide for a short distance between the two outer plates. Each plate has a hole
through it for the axle to pass, and the axle is caused to be gently nipped at the
top and bottom, between the centre plate and the outer plates, a spring or springs
of steel wire attached to the centre plate, near its upper end, pressing upon the
upper edges of the outer plates, and so giving to the centre plate a tendency to
rise; thus the shield is made to close upon the axle, and so it adapts itself in case
of wear.
The shield is itself held in grooves at the end of the box, in which it is
free to play and adjust itself in position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Kenneth Stuart Austin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
December 1879.
KENNETH STUART AUSTIN, of 104, Cato Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AXLE BOXES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in railway axle bars. The
improvements apply to the class of axle boxes in which oil is the lubricant
employed, and in which the oil is applied to the axle by pads or cushions bearing
against it laterally, such pads or cushions being themselves fed with oil by wicks
descending from them into an oil reservoir beneath. I mount the pads or cushions
upon a trough like cushion holder of sheet iron or other material, in the bottom of
which, beneath the axle, I insert a cylindrical receptacle for the spent oil which
drips from the axle. The solid impurities are retained in this receptacle whilst the
fluid oil overflows and passes back into the oil reservoir, to be taken up again by
the wicks. The spent oil receiver is surrounded by a coiled spring, which, pressing
the cushion holder upwards, keeps the cushions in contact with the axle. In the
bottom of the cushion holder also two horns or guides are fixed, they descend from
its under side and enter guide grooves at the bottom of the box by which the
cushion holder is controlled whilst it is allowed sufficient freedom to permit the
cushions to adapt themselves to the axle.
In order to close the axle box on the inner side to exclude dust and to prevent
the escape of oil I employ an improved shield. It consists of three thin plates of
ebonite, hard wood, or other suitable material; they lie the one against the other,
and rivets passing through connect the plates together. The rivets are fast in the
outer plates, but traverse slotted holes in the intermediate plate, which is thus free
to slide for a short distance between the two outer plates. Each plate has a hole
through it for the axle to pass, and the axle is caused to be gently nipped at the
top and bottom between the centre plate and the outer plates, a spring or springs
of steel wire attached to the centre plate near its upper end pressing upon the
upper edges of the outer plates, and so giving to the centre plate a tendency to rise;
thus the shield is made to close upon the axle, and so it adapts itself in case of wear.
The shield is itself held in grooves at the end of the box, in which it is free to play
and adjust itself in position.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shows an end view partly in sec-
tion of a railway axle box constructed as above described.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the same.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 show similar views of another axle box somewhat modified
in form.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 show various ways in which I make the cushion holder and
spent oil receptacle; these Figures also show the pads or cushions and wicks leading
to them, and also the coiled spring for pressing upwards the spent oil receptacle
and the pad or cushion holder.
Figures 10, 11, 12, and 13 show various ways of forming the dust shields of
three plates held together by headed pins or rivets, and drawn in opposite direc-
tions by a spring.
Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17 show ways of similarly forming the dust shield of
two plates held together by headed pins or rivets, and drawn in opposite directions
by a spring.
In these Figures A is the outer casing of the axle box, and B the axle ; C, C, are
the pads or cushions; D is the trough like cushion holder by which they are
carried; D' are slots in this holder, through which are passed flat wicks E, by

page_text: which oil is carried up to the pads or cushions C; F is the spent oil receptacle
carried at the bottom of the pad or cushion holder; F1 are overflow holes from
this receptacle to allow fluid oil from which any solid impurities previously con-
tained in it have settled down to the lower part of the receptacle; G is the coiled
spring surrounding the receptacle; this spring rests against the bottom of the axle
box, and presses upward the pad or cushion holder and the spent oil receptacle
carried by it; H, H, are horns descending from the pad or cushion holder, and
entering guide grooves or recesses formed for them at the lower part of the axle
box; they work loosely in these guides as shown, so that the cushions may adapt
themselves freely to the axle. The horns may be formed as shown at Figures 7, or
straight horns may be used as shown at Figures 8, or the pad or cushion holder
may be used without guiding horns, the spring in this case being made conical, as
shown at Figures 9.
The lower end also of the coiled springs may also rest either within a recess
formed at the bottom of the axle box or around a projection formed on the bottom,
as shown at Figures 1 and 2 and Figures 4 and 5.
I, I, are the dust shields or guards for preventing dust entering the axle box
where the axle passes into it; K, K, are the springs acting in the various ways
shown for drawing the plates, of which the guards are composed in opposite
directions; L, L, are the headed studs or rivets for holding the plates together.
The way in which the several dust guards are formed is clearly shown by the
Drawings, so that it is unnecessary to give further description of them.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the saine, I would have it understood that I claim as my improvements in
axle boxes,-
First. The combination of the trough shaped pad or cushion holder carrying the
pads or cushions which effect side lubrication of the axle, the spent oil receptacle
carried by the cushion holder, and the spring below them for pressing them both
upwards, substantially as described.
Second. The dust shield composed of three plates held together by headed pins
or rivets, and drawn in opposite directions by a spring or springs, substantially as
described.
Third. The dust shield composed of plates drawn in opposite directions by springs,
and held together by headed pins or rivets, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Kenneth Stuart Austin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.