An Improved Bearing Metal Mixture and Wrought or Cast Iron or Steel Axlebox for Lubricating Axles and Shafts, with Automatic Lubricators and Dust Guards, to be Used for all Kinds of Fixed or Moveable Machinery.
Year: 1888

page_text: An Improved Bearing Metal Mixture and Wrought or Cast Iron or
Steel Axlebox for Lubricating Axles and Shafts, with Automatic
Lubricators and Dust Guards, to be Used for all Kinds of Fixed
or Moveable Machinery.
HARRY KENNETH AUSTIN Civil Engineer Carn Brea Washwood Heath Birmingham
Warwickshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The invention consists of an improved wrought or cast iron or steel axlebox for
lubricating axles & shafts, with automatic lubricators, and dust guards, for the purpose
of perfectly lubricating the bearing surfaces, preventing the entrance of dust, and
lubricating all the surfaces in moving contact; also for the ready means of examining
interior of axlebox or casing, by means of doors with adjustable joints.
The casing of axlebox is made either solid or in top & bottom parts held together
with bolts or screws; when made solid it has at one end an adjustable jointed door,
which may extend all over the face, or only part thereof; the adjustment is made by
either one or more eye bolts, set pins, handles or T headed bolts at top, side or
bottom, and the door is provided with either a recessed hexagonal snug, or recess, or.
projection forming a handle or handhole for opening the door; the bolts, holding
down the lid may be so made as to form a handle on the head, or the nut may be
screwed and extended so as to provide a handle for the ready opening of the lid.
The lid may be solid at the top, or made with jaws with chamfered points, to engage
and allow for the gradual closing of the lid; the lid may also be provided with oil
holes & small doors, and lips for distributing the oil. The joint between the lid and
casing may be machined or left rough, and provided in either case with a leather or
other flexible joint of special flat, round or ☐ section to prevent entrance of dirt; the
flexible joint may be kept in place by a suitable adhesive solution or by a portion
of the lid being made so as to hold the flexible joint in place, by a projecting edge.
The front lid is held in place by 2 or more eye & T bolts;-when hold on each
side it will swing round or open straight and the eyebolt is pulled up to its work

page_text: by a nut, and the T bolt is also adjusted in like manner;-when held at the bottom
or top the lid may be fastened by a cast iron or wrought iron snug in the centre,
or at the sides, by one or two eyebolts with pin passing through same.
When the
The lid may be as before described provided with a swinging action, or may be
stamped out of wrought iron with corrugations in same, or may be flat with suitable
recess for end of axle, and provided with pointed screws to keep same in place, and
flexible joint to make it dust tight, and when necessary with oil hole & lid to cover
same, along with plate to keep the lubricator or lubricant in position.
casing of axlebox is made in cast iron, channels are made in the top and along the
sides for the distribution of the oil directly to the axle and internal lubricating
arrangements, and these channels & holes may be closed by screws, or plain cast,
(with handle) or stamped dished steel or iron lids, which may be provided with
springs when necessary. The bearing which takes the weight of the vehicle follows
the outline of the interior of the axlebox casing either rectangular, circular or other
shape, and is arranged with side & centre channels for oil, and central bearing strip
upon which the weight is distributed.
The thrust of the axle may be taken as ordinarily, or by a centre projecting snug at
top, or on the sides, or the thrust may be specially taken on one end only, in which
case (the axle being in one piece) the thrust or pull is alternately taken by each
bearing; the advantage of not having any projecting snugs being, that the bearing is
more readily removed when required to be renewed. The bearing may be directly in
contact and fit into the casing, or may be provided with a packing plate made of
wrought or cast iron (preferably of wrot. iron) with holes for oiling and removal, or a
handle may be screwed or rivetted in, or the end turned over to form a handle.
In some cases the height from the casing to the bearing being great, the inter-
vening space is filled in with a stamped wrot. iron or cast iron packing piece, with
central rib and oil channels, and hand holes for removal. The bearing may be made
of a curved forni in main section, with outer square end to prevent its turning round ;
in such a case the end is formed into a handle, or slots, or snugs are cast for the same
purpose, and the loose packing piece may be dispensed with when convenient. The
special mixture of metal which I claim to have discovered is Copper 86.48%
Tin 10.83% Phosphorus 1.02% Aluminium 1.67% this is used as a main mixture
and is varied as occasion requires when bearings are large or small, with 5%, 6%
or 7% of lead and mixed with great care in a clean plumbago crucible, and kept
from contact with the atmosphere during mixture by a suitable flux or covering
powder. In cases where specially hard bearings are required, the lead is entirely
omitted, and suitable scrap metal of standard quality is remelted with the mixture in
the crucible, and is then cast into ingots ready for use. The interior of the casing
at bottom of axlebox contains the lubricant and lubricator and is, when made solid
closed with a stamped dish which supports a hook ended pair of springs at the centre
or sides attached to a plain flat centre picce. The lubricator frame is made so that
the padding reaches down into the lubricant below and is made in one solid piece
or with side pieces formed to the required cradle shape. The lubricator may be
supported by spiral springs held by a chamfered washer and pin, in which case tho
guide pieces are cast in the main chamber or casing. The lower back part of the
chamber comes up to the axle so that the oil may be brought directly in contact with
same.
When the main casing is made in its lightest forin, a circular or other section is
adopted with plain flat or corrugated surfaces, and provided with a suitable light
internal box brazed or welded, containing the lubricating arrangements, which when
required can be removed through the opened end. The box rests on the bottom of
the main, casing, or is pressed upwards by a spring at the back end. The lubricators
when used as before described may be fitted with guides for maintaining the film of oil
until it reaches the bearing, or. they may be formed of a simple circular oil distributor,
which revolves on a spindle, or is attached thereto, in which case the spindle inoves in
gunmetal bearings supported and held in place by suitable chamfered studs or
recesses, and are pressed against the under side of axle, by circular or flat springs one

page_text: or each end resting on the casing, in a cross or longitudinal direction. These may
be used in conjunction with the beforementioned distributors or with ordinary
packing or padding. The side of the main casing may be provided with a screwed
sight holo closed by a pin or lid. The lower part of the main casing is provided
with guides for the lubricator (which is pressed upwards by springs as before
described) so as to keep same in a correct position with the axle and when necessary
has a front hole and screwed pin, through which when the pins is removed, the
lubricator may be passed. The dust guard is held in position by the back portion
of the casing, which may be made in the form of a cored recess open at the top
or bottom, and may be covered by a suitable cover plate held with screws.
When a plate dust guard is used the plate forming the main body is pressed against
tho casing or the face of wheel by flat springs similar to that shewn in my patent
No. 15014, 1885 or may be held by spiral springs in the usual way, either by one
large spring or smaller springs held in recesses. The attached plates may be of fibre,
ebonite, wood leather or metal or other suitable material and pressed upward against
the axle, by a spring attached to the main plate, and the vertical motion kept true
by slotted holes through which guide rivetts pass, or the same motion may be
obtained by a single plate held by suitable guide pieces.
The dust guard may also be made in the form of a bush in one or more pieces,
when made in one piece it is provided with suitable oil holes or grooves which may be
either left open so as to collect the dripped oil or may be filled up at intervals with
felt or other absorbent, or with a composition of paraffin wax and plumbago. When
the oil chambers are left open the inside of the main casing is made so as to collect
the drippings from the end of journal, and from thence the oil,runs through the
oil chambers before mentioned.
The part of the main casing over the top of the bush may also be made so as
to form a chamber, closed by a small lid or screw into which oil may be placed so
as to lubricate the bearing surface of bush, and this part of the casing may be
made to project over the boss of the wheel, so as to prevent any water or dirt
getting on to the bush. The bush may be held directly by the casing in a recess
curved on edge, so as to allow of free movement in any direction, or may be held
by a plate in such a manner that the bush is always concentric with the axle. Tho
bush may be made in one piece with oil holes as before described, of square section
or where it touches the face of wheel may be curved or chamfered so as to reduce
the bearing surface, or may be recessed for the same purpose by one or more grooves,
which will also contain the lubricant by means of which the surface is lubricated.
The boss of wheel may also be recessed in like manner either with grooves or holes
for the same purpose. The bush may be formed of any suitable material either simple
or compound one form of it is a thin plate of metal with an internal bush of
asbestos, felt, or asbestos & rubber composition. The ordinary cored recess may also
be filled up so as to hold the before mentioned bushes, which may also when made of
thin metal be corrugated or ribbed for stability. The bush may be made of steel or
other metal combined with other suitable material, and on one side boar against the
boss of wheel, and on the other against an external or internal formed wedge face on
the end casing, the edge of the bush being forced by the boss against the inclined
faces closes or opens the bush and the bush again closes or opens when the return
motion takes place. When it is desired that the bush should be accessible so that
it may be replaced or repaired, it is made to surround a suitable curved or flat pro-
jection at the back of the main casing and is made in one or more pieces for this
purpose, when made in one piece it is preferably made of steel but it may be made of
any material so as to allow of it being opened by it being divided in one place; when
made in two or more pieces it is either hinged with a simple leather or pin hinge, and
secured either by a light spring surrounding it or by screwed pins and locked nuts or
by pins alone, the bush being as before described pressed forward by flat or spiral
springs as required. The main casing may also be made as before described to hold
the external solid or divided bush, and instead of being machined so as to fit exactly,
a rubber or other. flexible ring is placed between them so as to make a dust tight

page_text: joint; this may also be done with the internal bushes before described. The top of
the bushes may have a lubricator or may be so made as to form an oil chamber.
connected with the bearing surfaces. Instead of using a bush, a plate of metal
exactly fitting the axle collar may be used, and is held in position by suitable guides
or corner strips: the plate may rest on the axle or made so as to fit tight or loose, in
the latter case side springs take the weight of the plate off the axle thus doing away
with the necessity of the ordinary washer, the plate acting in this capacity; stops at
the bottom prevent the plate from falling out. Any of the back parts likely to rust
are either galvanized or protected with suitable soapstone paint.
The main casing may be, when made of the lightest form in wrought or cast iron,
of a tubular section closed at the ends as before described, and made with a recess for
the bearing inside; the portion forming the spring seating being either made
separately in cast iron, or welded to the wrought iron tube (of circular oval square
or other section) the whole of the strains being conveyed directly through the seating
of spring to the bearing on to which it fits; and the axleguard grooves being made in
one piece with the spring seat, either cast or wrought also by this method convey the
strains on axleguard to the bearing & from thence to the axle, without the casing
being strained in any way. The front lid is stamped as before described or may be
made so as to open half way down by means of a hinged lid. In cases where the
springs are carried on the side of the axlebox as in tramcars, a shackle is made going
over the top part (in wrought or cast iron or steel) and the other main casing as
before described is fixed thereto with the varied forms of lubricators dust guards
bushes bearings etc. substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of April 1888

page_text: An Improved Bearing Metal Mixture and Wrought or Cast Iron or
Steel Axle-box for Lubricating Axles and Shafts, with Automatic
Lubricators and Dust. Guards, to be Used for all Kinds of Fixed
or Movable Machinery.
I, HARRY KENNETH AUSTIN, Civil Engineer, of Carn Brea, Washwood Heath,
Birmingham, Warwickshire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object an improved bearing metal mixture and wrought
or cast iron or steel axlebox for lubricating axles and shafts, with automatic lubricators
and dust-guards, to be used for all kinds of fixed or movable machinery.
The annexed drawings represent axle boxes constructed in accordance with my
invention.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of one form of the axle box, Figures 10 and 11
are end elevations (the former partly. in section) and Figure 12 is a plan of the same.
In these figures the axle box is made solid or in one piece having the adjustable
jointed door A which extends over a part of the front of the axle box. Or the door
may extend over the whole face as is the case in the axle box of which Figure 15 is a
longitudinal section and Figures 16 and 17 are end elevations (the former partly in
section). The adjustment of door is, made with an ordinary hinge A' (Figure 8) or
with eye bolts which pass through and are held by side lugs cast on the axle box
casing as shewn in the sectional plan Figure 1 and the vertical section Figure 7;
here the screwing up of the nuts B, B', tighten up the lid firmly to the joint. The
top of the lid may be secured by an ordinary screwed pin as shewn in Figures 2
and 3, or by a T beaded bolt as shewn in Figures 5 and 6. The lid may also be held
by a handle C-Figures 8, 11, through which the holding bolt C (Figure 8) passes
or the pin may be continued out so as to form a handle in one piece as shewn in
Figure 13. The door is provided with a hand hole or recess D (Figs. 8 & 1.1) used
in opening the door. The door may be provided with chamfered lugs E so formed
that when the handle is turned round the part of the handle bearing against the door
is eased by the inclined surface into its place. If desired a spring washer El may be
inserted between the nut and the casing or it may be omitted. The lid may be made
plain as shewn in Figure 8 or as shewn in Figure 15 with an oil hole F.
Or the oil
hole
may be closed with a pin or a small spring door or hinged door of ordinary type
such as is shewn by Figures 26, 27. When, as represented in Figure 15, a pin is used,
it may be screwed into the door or into the oil chamber as shewn at F in Figure 14.
The joint between the door and the box may be planed as shewn in Figure 8 and
elsewhere or provided with a washer piece F3 Figure 15 intervening between the
surfaces. The washer may be of flat or round section or of section to fit on to the
door so as to prevent all dirt getting in. The washers may be secured by an adhesive
•

page_text: solution of india rubber or shellac or by an L piece cast on to or secured to the door
on its inner side. The door can be held by two or more eyebolts at bottom as shewn
in Figures 1 and 7, or an eyebolt may be placed at the middle in which case the door
swings on a central hinge. Or the door may be secured to the face by ordinary set
pins or bolts G, Figures 15, 16 and 17. The door or lid may be cast or it may be
made of wrought iron or malleable metal and stamped with corrugations on its
surface as shewn in Figure 18. Or the door may be dished to cover end of axle as
shewn in Figure 19. These lids Figures 18 and 19 may be secured by hinges to the
axle box as before described or by screws or bolts passing through the holes H H',
Figure 18 H2 H3 Figure 19. The door may be fitted with an oil hole in front as
shewn at F, Figure 15 and this may be closed by a pin or swinging or spring hinged
lid of ordinary construction. When cotton waste is used as an absorber of the oil and
applied to the axle as shewn in Figure 8 an L piece A³ is cast on the door to carry
a flat plate which keeps the lubricating material in place when the axle is revolving,
this plate may he secured to the door with rivets.
A channel I Figure 8 is cast in the top of the box for the distribution of oil
directly to the top of the axle when needed." The side channels I Figure 10 and 12
Figure 16 in the bearing convey the oil directly to ducts cut or drilled in the bearing.
The channels I may he closed as shewn in Figures 8 and 15. by a screw or they may
be closed in the ordinary way by a stamped or cast lid furnished with a handle and a
spring may be applied when necessary to keep lid in place.
The bearing J which rests directly on the axle is made to fit the interior of the
casing as shown in Figures 15 and 16 or it is fitted with a packing plate K as shewn
in Figures 8 and 10. The bearing is arranged with side channels I Figure 10
and 12 Figure 16 and with the central fitting strips K¹ K². The thrust of the axle is
taken by the side pieces J¹ J Figure 23 which fit into recesses in the axle box casing.
Figure 22 is a section of the same bearing. Or the thrust may be taken by the
enlargement at the outer end of the bearing as shewn in Figures 20 and 21 at J³ J<
which is provided for the ready removal of the hearing from the axle box casing.
The bearing may fit the casing as shewn in Figures 15, 16 and may be of any shape
on the back (preferably rectangular) or may be provided with a plain packing plate
without any projections (except fitting strips) on its surfaces. The packing plate is
preferably made of wrought iron and as shewn in Figure 4 or when very thick it may
be made of cast iron with oil holes and with a handle at the end for its removal.
When made of wrought iron the packing plate has holes drilled or punched
through K, K Figure 4 for allowing the oil to pass through and to facilitate the
removal of the plate, or an ordinary handle may be formed on the end. The bearing
may be made as shewn in Figures 24, 25, of curved section with the outer end
rectangular. Or the bearing may be made flat on its surface where it fits against the
casing of the axle box or the packing plate and the end may have handles J, J cast
on it on either side of the bearing. Or handles may be cast in one piece with the
main body of the bearing.
j
I make the bearing of a special mixture of metals which I claim to have discovered
this mixture is copper 86.48 %. tin 10-83 %, phosphorus 1.02 %, aluminium 1.67%
this is used as a main mixture and is varied as occasion requires when bearings are
large or small, with 5%, 6%, or 7% of lead and mixed with great care in a clean
plumbago crucible, and kept from contact with the atmosphere during mixture by a
suitable flux or covering powder. In cases where specially hard bearings are required,
the lead is entirely omitted, and suitable scrap metal of standard quality is reincited
with the mixture in the crucible, and is then cast into ingots ready for use.
The interior of the axle box casing may be made as shewn in Figure 8 or as shewn
in Figure 15; in the first form the oil chamber below the journal contains cotton
waste which is saturated with oil. In the form shewn in Figure 15 the dish F* is
provided; it is either stamped or cast into the necessary shape and it supports a
lubricator L Figures 15, 16. The padding L' Figure 16 reaches down into the
lubricant contained in the stamped or cast dish or vessel Fx Figure 16.
The same
form of lubricator may be held on two spiral springs L L Figures 28 and 29 which

page_text: are kept in place by the chamfered washers and pins L' I; in this case the guide
pieces L L are cast in the oil vessel or casing. The lower back part of the vessel F
Figures 8 and 9 and 15 is made as high as is practicable so as to bring the oil level
as near as possible to the journal of the axle..
Figure 30 is a cross section, Figure 31 a longitudinal section and Figure 32 a plan
of an axle box in the lightest form; it is made of a circular tube T¹ which forms the body.
The tube may be plain or corrugated on its surface and may be made with flattened
sides. Within the tube T¹ there is the box T2 Figures 30 and 31 which contains the
lubricant and lubricator.
The main casing or tube T¹ is closed at the ends by a door which may be secured
by bolts, pins or hinges as before described and has in the centre a recess into which
fits the bearing T Figure 31. The axle guard the guide and the spring seating T
are made in one piece either cast or wrought or held together by fitting, bolting or
shrinking.
Figure 33 is a diagram of a shackle which is made to fit on to a light axle box
casing; instead of a spring being carried on the top and in the recess To Figure 30
springs are carried on the sides To T' (Figure 33).
The lubricator as shewn in Figures 34 and 35 is made of a simple circular oil
distributor M which is attached to or revolves on the spindle M¹ which is pressed
upwards against the axle M³ by the spiral springs M³ resting as shewn in Figure 35
on the casing in a longitudinal direction. This form of lubricator may be used with
guide strips M M Figure 36 which allow the film of oil taken up by the roller M
to be maintained until it reaches to the journal of the axle.
In another form Figure 37 the roller is used in conjunction with ordinary
lubricators M6 M7 held up to the axle by springs or by other means as shewn.
The side of the main casing of axle box in any of its forms may be supplied with
a screwed sight hole or lip closed by a pin or lid similar to that shewn in Figure 15
at F and Figures 26 and 27 or closed by a spring lid as ordinarily done.
The back of the axle box casing has to be closed against the entrance of dust &c.
and may be formed with a cover N as shewn in Figures 8 and 15 or it may be left
open at the bottom as shewn in Figure 9 at 0.
Figure 38 is a section of a plate dust guard. Figure 39 is a front view of the
same; it is provided with side springs P₁ Por in lieu thereof spiral springs may be
used held in recesses for the same purpose of pressing the plate shield to the face
against which it should bear. This form of dust shield which I have previously
described in the specification of my patent 15014/1885 may be used with the addition
of the U plate P; it is pressed against the axle, which passes through the hole · P³
Figures 40 and 41, by the flat spring P' or spiral springs in lieu thereof. The
U piece P³ may be held by guide rivets or by the surrounding parts so as to secure
vertical motion.
Figure 42 is the cross section of a dust guard consisting of a bush R which is
provided with oil or lubrication holes R' or it may be made with grooves R' as in
Figure 45. This bush bears against the face of the wheel at R³. The back of the axle
box casing is shown in Figure 42 at S it is formed of the shape to prevent water,
rain and dirt from getting on to the boss R³ of wheel. At the bottom of the main
casing Figure 42 the lip S¹ is formed, by it the drippings of oil from the axle U are.
conveyed on to the bush R which is thus lubricated.
The bush R may be held by the main casing of the axle box upon a curved seating
shown at $2 in Figure 42, and also by Figure 53, or it may be made as shewn in
Figure 54.
The bush R may be arranged as shewn in cross section at Figure 44 to work in
conjunction with the plate S³ resting against the face of axle box casing and
surrounding the axle: In this form the bush is always concentric with the axle.
The bush R is also shewn in Figure 43; it is made with side lugs R, R', which
hold flat springs R, R, or spiral springs may be used; or a spiral spring surrounding
the bush may be used for the purpose of pressing the bush against the boss of
wheel.

page_text: The bush may be made with oil holes at R¹ Figure 42, or with grooves for oil as
shown at R Figure 45 or it may be chamfered as at R8 Figure 46.
The boss of the wheel may be grooved or formed with oil holes as at R³ Figures 47
and 48.
Figure 49 is a section of a bush formed partly of metal at Q and with an inner
lining of asbestos or similar substance at Qt.
Figures 50, 51 are sections of ribbed bushes.
Figure 52 is a section of a bush with a ring of flexible material V forming a dust
tight joint; this may be used without the necessity of machining the bush or the back
of axle box.
Figure 55 shews a bush with a leather joint X which allows the bush to be removed
from its place without taking the axle box from the axle.
Figure 56 is another form of bush held together by bolts or set pins or rivets Y.
Figures 57 and 58 represent a bush with a pin joint X¹ and secured on the other
side by pins as before described.
The bushes and the back part of the axle boxes may be galvanized or coated with
zinc or tin to prevent rusting.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In an axle box, the combination of casing, bearing, hinged or plain lid, lip for
keeping the oil close to the journal dust shield, groove and oil lip closed by a lid or
screw substantially as described.
2. Securing the axle box lid by means of eye bolts, adjustable handle and set pin,
or headed bolt substantially as described.
3. In an axle box a plain surface wrought or cast iron packing plate and bearing
substantially as described.
4. In an axle box casing with oil chamber, a bearing with side pieces, lubricator
box, lubricator, oil feed screw and lip on the front lid and dust guard groove
substantially as described.
5. In an axle box, a front lid with .corrugated or dished face substantially as
described.
6. In an axle box a bearing with centre or end thrust piece, handle and outer squaro
end substantially as described.
7. In an axle box, a bearing composed of―

page_text: 14. In an axle box, a bush dust guard resting at its inner surface on a plane or
curved face and pressed by flat or spiral springs against the boss of the wheel
substantially as described.
15. In an axle box an oil lip for conveying oil to the bush substantially as
described.
16. In an axle box, a shroud or dust and water guard cast on the top of the axle
box substantially as described.
17. In an axle box, a bush and a loose seating for the bush securing concentricity
with the axle substantially as described.
18. In an axle box, a bush, with grooved or chamfered bearing surfaces and grooved
seatings upon the wheel boss substantially as described.
19. In an axle box a combined metal and asbestos or felt bush substantially as
described.
20. In an axle box a ribbed metal bush substantially as described.
21. In an axle box a bush with an intervening flexible ring joint substantially as
described.
22. In an axle box, a bush in two or more parts fitted together with flexible
joints or with rivet and pin joints or bolt joints and so secured round the circular
axle box seating substantially as described.
Dated this 19th day of February 1889.