IMPROVEMENTS IN JOURNAL OR AXLE-BOXES FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN JOURNAL OR AXLE-BOXES FOR RAILWAY
VEHICLES" 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 journal boxes for the axles of railway or similar
vehicles.
In the use of ordinary journal boxes great expense is incurred from the rapid
wearing of the upper brass or composition bearings; and where such bearings are
adopted the journals are lubricated with oil supplied through cotton waste, or the
like, placed beneath the journals in the lower chamber of the box, which material
in a short time becomes so gummy and sticky as not to operate practically for the
purpose intended, and it has to be removed and thrown aside, and its place supplied
with new cotton-waste or like material.
'
The object of the said Invention is to utilize the aforesaid gummy and, sticky
waste material for forming the upper bearings for axle journals; this is
accomplished by constructing the journal boxes in the novel manner hereinafter
described, and by preparing the said waste material for use in the said boxes, in a
very simple manner.
i
In preparing the waste material I take old gummy waste packing, or other
analogous material mixed with black lead and oil, and pack the same in the upper
chamber of the journal box above the axle journal, so that the latter is in part
embedded into channelled, corrugated or roughened surfaces of the journal box, and
made to abut against the inner end-plate or board which is employed for keeping
the box dust-proof; and which plate or board, being fitted upon the journal or axle
and in continuous grooves in flanges of the box, allows of the journal box being,

page_text: raised for the purpose of applying the packing material, without the necessity of
separating the plate or board from the box and axle.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of the improved axle journal box with upper
waste packing bearing, and lower waste packing or oil supplying material applied
therein.
'
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a solid brass or composition bearing, which
may be substituted, when circumstances require, for the upper waste packing
bearing shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the improved journal box, with
lower packing applied therein, while the upper packing is removed.
Figure 4 is an under side view in horizontal section of the improved journal
box; and
Figure 5 is an elevation of the inner end of the journal box.
A indicates an axle journal box, similar in many respects to the boxes now in
common use on railway wagons. The inner end of this box is made with an
opening extending entirely from top to bottom, and on each side of this opening a
grooved flange a is provided, and in the grooved flanges a dust excluding plate or
board B, with a circular opening b through it for admitting the car axle, is fitted to
slide up and down freely. The lower end of the plate or board B can descend
below the box, while the upper end extends above the top of the same as shown.
This arrangement allows the box to be "jäcked up or raised independently of
the plate or board, and without a removal of said plate or board, when the packing
is to be applied above the axle journal C.
33"
Near the outer end of the journal box a steel thrust plate D is fitted in a groove c
of the box, and against this plate the collar d of the axle journal may bear during
the movement of the journal. The cover or cap E' of the box A may be of cast
metal and hinged in the ordinary manner to the box proper. It is cheaper however
and more convenient to make this cap of galvanized iron or sheet metal, and fit the
same to slide up and down over the opening of the box; when the cover or cap is
thus constructed its edges are formed with hooked bevelled flanges e e and these
flanges enter bevelled grooves of the box as shown in Figure 4.
Below the cap E the journal box is made open down to its bottom plate A¹, and
this opening is closed by means of a sliding galvanized iron drawer or trough F
which rests upon this bottom plate.
This trough or drawer F is of rectangular form, having vertical sides ff- and
vertical front and rear end portions f¹f as shown. The end.fl should nearly touch
the plate or board B, but allow the said board to move clear of it. On the end f
a handle f, by which to move the drawer or trough in and out of the journal box,
is provided. The drawer or trough is intended to serve for holding the oil or
lubricating fluid and the lower packing or conducting cotton waste, or other
material, during its use beneath the journal as shown; also to form a portion of the
outer end of the box; also as a means for readily withdrawing the lower gummy
packing-waste and oil; and as a convenient mixing and handling chamber wherein
the gummed packing-waste, oil, and black lead, or black lead and asbestos for
formning the upper bearing can be mixed and handled. When the drawer or trough
is in position, the sliding cap extends down in front of it, and serves to keep it in
position; and when the drawer is to be withdrawn, this sliding cap is moved
upward sufficiently far to have the drawer in its outward movement clear it. The
journal box having preferably the features of construction above described, is
further provided with a series of inclined corrugations, channels, ribs or projections g,
which extend from each of the side walls of the box A to the horizontal under
surface of the top of said box, as illustrated in Figures 1, 3, and 4.
These channels corrugations, ribs or projections, run transversely to the length
of the journal, either at-right angles thereto, or at any other suitable angle, and

page_text: they serve to receive the packing material H which is formed of a mixture of old
gummy waste, oil, and black lead, or black lead and asbestos; they also act as
stops against any displacement or bunching of this packing material during the
movements of the journal within the box. The horizontal portion of the underside
of the top of the box A is made plain, or without corrugations, channels, ribs or
projections, and in its centre, or thereabout, a rectangular depression m is formed
as shown. The horizontal plain surface with the depression is designed to avoid a
possible injury which corrugations, ribs or projections would cause to the axle in
the event of the packing incidentally becoming worn down to the metal surface of
the box; the said depression also aids in holding the packing in position; and the
depression and two of the channels can be used (when a bearing H of the gummy
waste oil and black lead, or black lead and asbestos is not preferred) for receiving
the rectangular projection m¹ and the inclined corrugations or ribs g¹ of the
ordinary brass, or composition bearing shown in Figure 2. The box is then adapted
for use with either the suitably prepared old gummy waste packing bearing, or the
brass or composition metal bearing.
The construction of the journal box is such, that the upper bearing of old gummy
waste has an end abutment against the dust proof plate B, and a support from the
side and top walls of the box, and is kept from moving with the axle toward or
from the inner or outer end of the box.
To apply this old gummy waste for forming the upper bearing H, the axle
journal box is "jacked up" or raised off the journal, and the mixture is taken from
the mixing trough or drawer F, and rammed or packed between the under surface
of the top of the box and the upper half of the circumference of the journal; this
done the box is lowered, and by its weight, and that of the truck or load, a further
compression of the packing forming the bearing will take place, and the material
will be crowded into the channels g, into the rectangular recess m, and against the
inner surface of the dust proof plate or board B and side walls of the journal box.
These upper bearings H formed of old gummy waste, thus applied, will be very
enduring, and are comparatively inexpensive, as the bulk of the material of which
they are made is such as is thrown aside as almost useless. It will be seen that
this Invention is specially applicable to the axle journals of a railway vehicle
which with its load rests with a bearing contact of its bearing H, upon the upper
halves or nearly so of the circumferences of the axle journals, while the lower
balves of the said journals run loosely or lightly against packing waste H¹, formed
of cotton or other analogous material adapted for feeding oil to journals from the
lower parts of the journal boxes.
It will be understood that the corrugated, ribbed, or channelled surface may be
modified by making divided projections like knobs, and still serve for holding the
upper bearing, formed of old gummy fibrous material, in position; or the said
surface may present a checkered appearance the channels being cut to cross one
another.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. A journal box for the axles of railway or other vehicles, having its inner
and outer ends cast open and the under surface of its top plate channelled or
corrugated; and provided with a drawer and cap plate for closing its outer end,
and a board or plate for closing its inner end and excluding dust, substantially as
described.
Second. A journal box provided with corrugations, channels, ribs or projections,
which are transverse of and above the axle journal, and with an upper bearing for
a journal, formed of suitably prepared old gummy fibrous material, substantially
as, and for the purpose, described.
Third. A journal box provided with corrugations, channels, ribs, or projections g,

page_text: it
a plain surface and a depression m, whereby it is adapted for use with suitably
prepared old guminy fibrous material to form the upper journal bearing, or with
the ordinary, brass or composition upper journal bearing, substantially as described.
Fourth. A journal box provided with corrugations, channels, ribs or projections
which are transverse of and above the axle journal, substantially as, and for the
purpose, described.
罩