AN IMPROVED METHOD OF ATTACHING WHEELS TO THE AXLES OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF ATTACHING WHEELS TO THE
AXLES OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES."-A communication.
Sealed the 1st February 1859, and dated the 29th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th October 1858.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF ATTACHING WHEELS TO THE
AXLES OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
The wheels of railroad carriages, as ordinarily constructed, are attached in
pairs rigidly to an axle which has its bearings at each end in suitable boxes
secured to the carriage or truck. This arrangement answers well on a straight
track, but in turning curves, where one wheel of the pair is naturally required
to revolve faster than the other, a considerable amount of torsion is put upon
the axle.
The object of the present Invention is to allow to each wheel of a pair a
motion on its axle independent of the other wheel, at the same time that the
wheels are firmly and securely connected to the axle.
in the following manner:-An auxiliary hub or plate is secured on the axle by
This object is effected

page_text: means of a key, and in this hub on the face next to which the wheel rests is
formed a groove having a recess therein. The running wheel with the tread
and flange of the usual form runs loosely on the axle, and is connected to the
auxiliary hub in the following manner :-A ring formed of segments is placed
in the groove of the auxiliary hub, and each segment has on its outer side a
flange or shoulder which fits the recess in the groove, so that when the
segmental ring is in place in the groove, its flange will fill the recess. These
segments are then secured to the running wheel by bolts which have been
previously inserted into the segments, and which pass through the body of the
wheel, and are drawn up tight by nuts on their ends. Thus, the segmental
ring is free to revolve in the groove whenever the running wheel, to which it
is attached, is required to turn independently of the axle.
The segments may form a complete ring, or may be of any required number
or size to properly support the running wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our
Lord 1858, in the twenty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Edward
Newton, Her special license that I, the said William Edward Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF ATTACHING WHEELS TO THE AXLES OF RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-

page_text: formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office. within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
Fig. 1 is a view of one side of a railroad car wheel; Fig 2, a view of the
opposite side; Fig. 3, a section taken transversely through the wheel and
longitudinally through part of the axle.
Railroad car wheels, as ordinarily constructed, are attached in pairs rigidly
to an axle, which has its bearings at each end in suitable boxes, secured to
the car or truck. This arrangement answers well on a straight track, but in
turning curves, where one wheel of the pair is naturally required to revolve
faster than the other, a considerable amount of torsion is put upon the axle.
The object of this present Invention is to allow to each wheel of a pair a
motion on its axle independent of the other wheel, at the same time that the
wheels are firmly and securely attached to the axle.
That others skilled in the art may understand and use this Invention, I will
proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried out the same.
In Fig. 3 of the said Drawings is represented a transverse vertical section
through one of the wheels, of a pair of railroad car wheels, and a longitudinal
section through part of the length of the axle. A is the axle, which has its
bearings at a; to it is firmly secured, by a key b (or in other suitable manner),
an auxiliary hub or plate B, which has formed in its face, next to which the
wheel rests, a groove C having a recess d. The wheel D with its tread and
flange of the usual form runs loosely on the axle A, and is connected to the
plate B in the following manner :-A ring formed of segments f, (shown
dotted in Fig. 1, and in section Fig. 3,) is placed in the groove C; each
segment has on its outer side a flange or shoulder e (Fig. 3), which fits the
recess d, so that when the ring is in place it will occupy the position in the
groove, shown in Fig. 3, with its flange e filling the recess d; these segments
are then secured to the wheel D by bolts g, which have been previously
inserted into the segments, and which pass through the body of the wheel D,
and are drawn up tight by nuts h on their ends. Thus, the segments fare.
free to revolve in the groove C, whenever the wheel D, to which they are
attached, is required to turn independently of the axle A whilst the wheel is
connected with the axle in a secure and reliable manner.

page_text: The segments f may form a complete ring, or may be of any required
number or size to properly support the wheel..
Having now set forth the nature of this Invention, and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under
the above recited Letters Patent I claim attaching the wheel D to its axle
by means of the auxiliary hub B, groove C, and segments f, connected with the
wheel in the manner substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)