IMPROVEMENTS IN DIVIDED CAR-AXLES
Year: 1886

page_text: I, GEORGE WASHINGTON BEDBURY, of San Francisco, in the County of San
Francisco, and State of California, United States of America, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIVIDED
CAR-AXLES," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to Divided Axles for Railway Cars and has for its object
the provision of a simple, cheap and effective device for this purpose.
My invention contemplates improvements in this class of devices whereby I am
enabled to provide an adjustable packing for the joint; a means whereby the wear
of said packing may be taken up without removing the cap of the box; a con-
struction by which an automatic oil supply or feed is produced; and a means for
refilling or supplying the oil chamber without going under the car. My con-
struction also enables me to avoid the strain upon the center portion of the axle,
by having a double fulcrum or two bearing points to receive the upward strain on
the center of the axle.
My construction also provides effectually against the escape of oil, and against
the ingress of dust.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.
Fig. 1-is an elevation of a divided axle.
Fig. 2 an elevation of the outside of a wheel.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of box having the sleeve packing.
Figures 4 and 5-are detail views of the V-shaped packing.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of box with V-shaped packing.
Fig. 7-is a transverse section of box.
Fig. 8-is a detail view of the sleeve packing.
A is one part of the axle and A¹ is the other. B is the coupling box or chamber
which has an annular hollow space or receptacle b in its walls to act as an oil or
other lubricant reservoir. This coupling box or chamber is shrunk or otherwise
fastened upon the inner end of part A of the axle.
To render the union of box B and axle A less liable to injury and severance, the
bore of the box is of two different sizes, the smaller portion encircling the end of

page_text: part A and leaving a shoulder 6* formed in the metal of the box. This con-
struction gives an enlarged portion of the bore for the reception of the end of the
other portion A¹ of the axle and allows a space for the packing.
The end of part of axle A¹ is provided with a ring or band a* shrunk or
otherwise fixed on it, which fits snugly in the bore of the box.
The enlarged portion of the bore in box B is provided with longitudinal cuts or
depressions be in the sides. A ring or band ab set snugly over the end of part A¹
of axle but movable thereon has projections or studs a° which fit in the cuts or
depressions be and cause said band or ring to turn with the box B. The fixed
ring a lies at the bottom or inner end, and the ring ab near the open end of the
box B and form the fulcrums or bearing points which give strength to the divided
axle. The strain upon the center of an axle of a railway car is upward owing to
the weight of the car resting thereupon outside of the wheels, and where there is
one single sleeve or collar held inside of the coupling box this pressure will soon
cause the same to become loose and give a movement to the axle in lateral direc-
tions, vertically or horizontally which is fatal to its utility and dangerous to the
train. I avoid this by having the two rings just described.
In box B between the rings a* and ab is placed the packing C consisting of semi
circles or half rings c¹, c², of packing metal, such as babbitt or any suitable soft,
smooth wearing metal, of V-shape in cross section and formed, alternately with
the point of the V inside and outside; or I may employ semi circular wedge-
shaped packing pieces c³, c, with the thin edges of the wedges overlapping and
bearing upon each other. The parts c¹, c², c³, & c', have the spines or projections c*
upon them which lie in the cuts or ways b*, and prevent the said parts from
turning circularly. .
One of these sets or pieces c² or c³ forms the wearing surface and the others c¹,
&c, form the tightening wedges.
It is apparent that with either of these forms of packing longitudinal com-
pression will give a circumferential tightening or closer hug of the said packing
upon the axle end. I provide means for producing this longitudinal compression
from the exterior of the box B, consisting essentially of a gland D fitting over the
part A of the axle and into the mouth of the box B, and bolts E secured upon the
end of box B and passing through the flange D' of the gland into the mouth of
the box. The inner face of the gland D bears against ring ab and the ring ab
bears upon the packing.
Hence it will be seen that by tightening nuts e the packing will be compressed
upon the axle.
If the packing rings should become so much worn as to sink beyond the reach of
the gland additional rings can be inserted.
The inner exterior corner of the gland is cut away as shown at d to receive an
oil and fibrous packing to prevent the escape of oil or other lubricant; and the
outer interior corner is cut away as shown at d¹ to receive a similar packing to
seal the joint at this point and prevent the escape of oil, and at the same time to
prevent the entrance of dust and grit. These packings at d and d render the
device oil and dust tight. The packing at d is held between the gland D, the
walls of the bore in box B and the ring ab. The packing at d is held between
the gland, the axle and a plate or plates F which fit snugly round the axle and are
provided with openings to set over the bolts E to be held by nuts c and moved
with the gland.
In fitting the parts together care should be taken to so adjust the length of the
axle sections A and A¹ as that the end of part A¹ with its ring or flange a* will
not quite touch the end of part A and the shoulder in the bore of box B. By
leaving a small space between these ends a great amount of friction is avoided.
Oil holes as shown at a** bored between the flange or ring a" and end of
part A¹ connect this small space at end of axle sections with the packing chamber
and permit the oil to pass between them.

page_text: Lubricant is admitted to the metal packing chamber through openings 6* from
the reservoir b in the box B.
These openings 62 register with the spaces ca between the ends or edges of the
packing pieces. This construction also makes the lubricator chamber or reservoir
automatic, and causes it to continue to supply lubricant until it is entirely
emptied. This action is as follows:-At each revolution of the axle the openings ba
are brought once immediately underneath the same, which will cause the said
lubricant to flow in through the openings b² and rise to a height on the inside of
the box level with the lubricant line in the reservoir.
The reservoir b is refilled when necessary through the openings in the outer shell
of the box B closed by screw plugs 63; or if desired said reservoir may be formed
with removable caps or covers as shown at G in Fig. 6. in which case the same
will be held in place by letting the plugs 63 extend through the reservoir b and
engage the metal forming the inner shell of the box. I have devised a construction
however for filling the reservoir from the side of the car. This is shown in Fig. 1,
where metallic tubes H connect said reservoir with the web of the car wheel and
pass through it with screw caps upon their ends which may be removed and the
lubricant introduced through said channels or tubes H to the reservoir b without
getting under the car. Three or more of such tubes may be provided, as may be
found necessary or convenient in filling the reservoir.
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;
1. A divided car axle having adjustable packing rings or sleeves divided as
described and held circularly immovable and means substantially as described for
tightening or compressing them longitudinally as set forth.
2. A divided car axle having adjustable rings or sleeves divided as described
and held circularly immovable and a gland resting directly or indirectly upon the
packing and means substantially as described for adjusting said gland.
3. In a divided car axle the combination with the coupling box having the
longitudinal slits or ways described and the ring or sleeve packing having
the projections for lying in said ways.
4. In a divided car axle the combination with the coupling box and parts of
the axle, of the solid hard metal rings or bands described and divided packing
rings or sleeves between said hard metal rings or bands and means substantially as
described for adjusting said packing longitudinally.
5. The combination in a divided car axle of the divided V-shaped rings each
alternate ring being set in reverse direction, so that one set of said rings shall
form the wearing surface for the axle and the other the tightening wedges, said
rings being held circularly immovable, and means substantially as described for
adjusting said packing longitudinally.
6. In a divided car axle the combination of the two parts of the axle, the
coupling box having the oil reservoir, the semi circular packing rings or pieces and
an opening or openings connecting the oil reservoir with the space or spaces
between the ends of the packing rings or pieces.
7. In a divided car axle a coupling box having a continuous annular lubricant
chamber surrounding the entire axle and an opening or openings from said
chamber into the packing chamber whereby said chamber is given an automatic
feed as set forth.
8. In a divided car axle the combination with the coupling box and parts of
the axle, of the packing rings or pieces, and the gland having the packing at d as
shown and set forth.
9. In a divided car axle the combination with the two parts of the axle, the
coupling box metallic packing and gland, of the packing at d¹ and securing plate
or plates F substantially as set forth.

page_text: 10. In a divided car axle the combination with the coupling box having a
packing space around the axle in the gland or outer face and a plate or plates as
described for holding and compressing the packing in said space.
11. In a divided car axle the combination with the coupling box having the
lubricator chamber, of the channels or tubes for filling said chamber passing out
through the wheel of the car and having suitable covers thereon, as set forth.
12. The combination of the journal or end of axle portion and casting or box B
having a space between its inner wall and the journal for receiving the packing.
Dated thie 9th day of February 1886
ALLISON BROS,
Agents for the Applicant.