IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF LUBRICATING THE AXLES OF RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK AND OTHER RIMILAR AXLES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Samuel Laycock, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Manufacturer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD
OF LUBRICATING THE AXLES OF RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK AND OTHER
RIMILAR AXLES"
$6
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Samuel Laycock
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th November 1880.
WILLIAM SAMUEL LAYCOCK, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Manufacturer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF LUBRICATING THE AXLES OF RAILWAY
ROLLING STOCK AND OTHER SIMILAR AXLES."
This Invention relates to improvements in lubricating with oil or its equivalent
the journals or necks of railway and other similar axles, and it consists chiefly in
the method of supporting and applying the pads which are charged with the
lubricant to the parts desired to be lubricated.
The method in most general use for this purpose is to support the pad against
the underside of the neck of the axle by means of spiral or similar springs, but
this arrangement is open to various objections.
1
Now according to my Invention I prefer to use two pads, and to apply them to
the sides of the neck instead of underneath, by means of a peculiar shaped spring
or springs, which I prefer to attach to the bottom of the axlebox..
I construct this spring of flat spring steel or other elastic metal, having a bow
and two arms, to the ends of which I attach the pads, which are so arranged that
they may be easily removed or changed without disturbing the spring. The pads
have the usual depending threads or fringe for the purpose of drawing up the oil,
and are pressed by the action of the spring against the opposite sides of the axle
neck.
The spring may be made in halves where only one pad is desirable, or more than
one similarly shaped spring may be used if preferred, but I consider the complete,
spring, as above described, to be the best adapted for the purpose specified.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Samuel Laycock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th May 1881.
WILLIAM SAMUEL LAYCOCK, of Sheffield, in the County of York. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF LUBRICATING THE AXLES OF RAILWAY ROLLING
STOCK AND OTHER SIMILAR AXLES."
My Invention relates to improvements in the method of lubricating the journals
of railway carriage and wagon axles, and other similar axles, and in the appliances
used for that purpose, and it consists chiefly in the construction of the. spring
supports for carrying the lubricating pads, and in the method of their application
to the sides. of the journal. of the railway or other similar axle intended to be
lubricated.
The objects of my Invention are economy in the first cost, simplicity of action,
and efficiency.
In carrying out my Invention I construct the spring holders or supports of thin
sheet steel, or other suitable elastic material, bent or curved so. as to somewhat
resemble the letter U, one or more of which I secure in a vertical position to a
base plate or stand by rivets or screws, or other equivalents, so that it may stand
on the bottom of the interior of an axle box, and in such a position that the arms
of the spring support shall clasp or press against both sides of the journal. . Each
arm is provided with a lubricating pad corresponding to the length of the journal
or thereabouts, made of woollen or other suitable material, and having a pendent
fringe or threads immersed in the oil or other lubricant which will be drawn up
to and saturate the pad by the force of capillary attraction. The pads being
pressed against the sides of the journal by the action of the spring supports, the
rotary action of the journal will take off sufficient oil for the desired purposo.
The pads may be either secured. to the spring supports direct or be removeable
pad.holders or slides, in which case the pads may be withdrawn without taking out
the whole apparatus.
In some cases I dispense with the base plate or stand, and construct the support
so that it shall support itself by the action of the pads clasping the journal above
the centre of its diameter; it will be prevented revolving with the journal. by the
brass bearing or step of the journal.
The spring support may be made to carry only one pad so as to apply the
lubricant to one side of the journal or neck of the axle, or two supports may be
arranged to carry one pad, such modifications being included in my Invention.
And in order that this my Invention may be more fully understood; I shall now
proceed to more particularly describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the various Figures thereon, the same letters
of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation in section, and Figure 2 a cross section of
an axle box, with the journal or neck of the axle, and the lubricating apparatus
with the pads and baseplate. A is the axlebox; B is the journal or neck of the
axle; 'C are the spring supports secured to the baseplate D; E is.the padholder or
slide, to which the pad F is secured; the fringe or threads G dropping into the oil
at H, the brass bearing being shown at L
Figure 3 represents an arrangement of lubricator in which the padholders E, E,
are made to slide on dovetailed strips K, so that they may be removed without
disturbing the apparatus.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modification of the above described arrange-
ment of padholder, which may be described as being attached to the supports by a
binge joint, and is released by the withdrawal of the joint pin L; in this arrange-
ment the pads can adjust themselves to the journal.

page_text: Figure 5 represents a side and end view of a spring support made from a con-
tinuous piece of sheet steel, but the same shape may be attained by other means;
the lubricating pad may be secured by means of wire or its equivalent.
Figure 6 represents a cross-section view of an axle box showing a spring clip
with the lubricating pads F, neither standing on a baseplate nor secured to any
part of the axle box, but supported by gripping the journal of the axle B above its
centre, and it is obvious that the brass bearing I will prevent any rotary movement
of the pads whichever way the axle may be revolving.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same may be used or carried into effect, I
wish to observe that I am well aware that the journals of axles have been lubri-
cated by means of pads held against the underside of such journals by springs, and
that other devices for holding lubricating pads have been used, but what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The use of one or more spring supports or clips for holding lubricating
pads to the sides of the journals of railway axles and other similar axles, such
spring supports or clips not requiring to be actuated from any portion of the axle
box or bearing brass, substantially as described and illustrated, or any mere
modification thereof.
Second. The use of. spring supports or clips having removeable pad plates to
enable the pads to be withdrawn from the axle box without taking out the whole
of the apparatus, substantially as described and illustrated, or any mere modification
thereof.
Third. The use of spring clips with fast or removeable pads for the purpose of
lubricating axles, as hereinbefore described and illustrated, or any mere modification
thereof, whether the same are or are not secured to the axle box or to the bearing
brass.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Samuel Laycock, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
WILLIAM SAMUEL LAYCOCK. (L.S.)