Improvements in Axle Boxes and Axle Bearings for the Wheels of Carriages and other Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Axle Boxes and Axle Bearings for the Wheels of
Carriages and other Vehicles.
1, EDUARD BRESLAUER, of 7, Goethestrasse, Leipzig, in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
In axle boxes used for strect railway and other similar vehicles which are
prevented from being laterally displaced by means of a ball bearing which encircles
or grasps the axle or bearing, a great objection lies in the fact that in taking out
the axle the balls fall down from out of their normal position.
Likewise in putting on the wheel or the wheel box or nave the replacing of
the balls is troublesome. According to this invention when the axle is drawn
out the balls are held and kept from falling down by means of a spring ring,
this being effected with the assistance of a fastening or closing nut which
presses the balls in the ball race against the axle journal.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings illustrate a longitudinal section through
an axle or nave adapted for roller bearings, Figure 1 shewing the box or nave W
secured on to the axle by means of the ball bearing.
Figure 2 represents the same but with the axle released and shews the
compensating action of spiral spring F.
Figure 3 illustrates a modification of the above.
In all the above described illustrations the wheel is shown seated on the axle-
journal with the assistance of rollers, but the bearing could equally well be of the
usual kind. In the roller bearing illustrated by way of example, the rollers can be
The ring
held in their bearing on the periphery of the box in the following way.
or collar R is screwed from the front into the box or nave against the rollers, so that
the rollers with their ends run free in the hollow of the box or nave as well as of the
ring R. In the front or outer end of the axle A a ball race is formed. The two
nuts M¹ Me which are screwed into the box or nave W, in order to form the necessary
connection between the wheel and axle secure the balls in position which latter
serve as the retaining device.
If the wheel or nave be pushed sufficiently far on to the axle, so that the
balls stand over the ball race and the nuts M¹ M² be screwed up, the latter
will press the balls into the ball race by means of their front ends and the
fixing of the wheel on to the axle is correspondingly accomplished (Fig. 1).
Without unscrewing the nuts, the axle cannot possibly be drawn far out of the
wheel, and the lateral oscillations of the wheel in the direction of the axle are
taken up by the ball bearing consequently there will be less resistance to the
motion of the carriage due to the rolling friction on the balls.
In Figure 3 a somewhat modified form is shewn, in this case the fastening is
effected exclusively by means of the nut M¹ with the assistance of the ball-bearing,
the nut being restricted in its movement by means of screws S or in any other

page_text: similar way, so that it can only be partially screwed out of the box. The nut M2
serves as lubricating screw and for making the bearing accessible for the purpose of
cleaning.
In order that, in ball-bearings of the kind described the balls may not fall down
when the axle journal is drawn out, the balls are held and kept in position by
means of a spring ring C. The spring F which actuates the ring C bears against
the closing or fastening nut M².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the saine is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Axle boxes for carriages and other vehicles, which are secured on to the axle
journal by means of a ball-bearing encircling the latter, comprising and
characterised by a closing or fastening nus acting to close or open the closing-
contrivance and a movable ring C controlled by a spring F in conjunction with the
closing nut preventing the falling down or displacement of the balls, which latter
are automatically lifted out of the ball-race upon the withdrawal of the axle-box
when the nut is partly unscrewed.