IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR COMMON ROAD VEHICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AXLES FOR COMMON ROAD VEHICLES." A communication from abroad by
Charles Wesley Ball and Thomas Davis, both of Macon, in the County of
Macon. State of Illinois, United States of America.
Sealed the 2nd April 1880, and dated the 28th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th October 1879.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR COMMON ROAD
VEHICLES." [A communication from abroad by Charles Wesley Ball and Thomas
Davis, both of Macon, in the County of Macon, State of Illinois, United States of
America.]
This Invention relates to improvements in axles for carriages, waggons, and other
vehicles, and has for its object to more uniformly and efficiently lubricate the
spindles. The Invention consists in lubricating the spindle by placing the lubricant
in a recess or chamber in the spindle or in a recess in the axle adjacent to the
spindle; it also consists of a metal axle provided with recesses for the reception of
the lubricant, and with seats for the springs. The axle tree and spindles may be
made of a single homogeneous piece of metal, or they may be made separately and
then welded or bolted together, as may be necessary or desirable. On the upper
sides of the axle tree, near the spindles, are recesses or seats forming beds for the
springs, and between the seats and the collars are recesses provided with covers
which form boxes for the packing and the lubricant. In the cover is a hole through
which to introduce the lubricant to the box or recess. The bottoms of the recesses
in the spindles have openings through them, either in the form of a narrow slit or
perforations, and these recesses are divided from the lubricant boxes by partitions
with one or more perforations through them for the passage of the lubricant through
to the recesses in the spindles. The recesses in the spindles are to be filled with
packing and any suitable grease, tallow, tar, or other lubricant, and the boxes are
filled with packing and supplied with oil passed through the openings in their
covers. The lubricant flows from the boxes through the openings in the partitions,

page_text: and thence into the recesses in the spindles, from whence it passes out to the surface
of the spindles. A simple and economical axle is thus formed in which the
lubricating arrangements are more simple and efficient than those now in use.
The axle above described is more especially intended for light road waggons using
springs, but it can also be used for farm waggons by substituting hounds for springs
in the seats. For common road waggons the centre of the axle would be made
hollow and recesses provided for the hounds and the reach of the waggon, but other-
wise the axles would be made the same as that first described. The separate oil
recesses or boxes may however be dispensed with, and the spindle provided with a
chamber for the reception of the packing and lubricant which are passed through
an opening in the spindle. The lubricant passes from the chamber through openings
to the surface of the spindle. An oblique hole also leads from the outside of the
collar to the chamber for introducing oil thereto without removing the wheel. The
end of the recess or chamber is tapped for the reception of the nut that holds the
wheel on the spindle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by,
the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
April 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR COMMON ROAD
VEHICLES." A communication from abroad by Charles Wesley Ball and Thomas
Davis, both of Macon, in the County of Macon, State of Illinois, United States of
America.
This Invention relates to improvements in axles for carriages, waggons, and other
vehicles, and has for its object to more uniformly and efficiently lubricate the
spindles. The Invention consists in lubricating the spindles by placing the lubricant
in a recess or chamber in the spindles, or in a recess in the axle adjacent to the
spindles; it also consists of a metal axle provided with recesses for the reception of
the lubricant, and with seats for the springs.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side sectional elevation of the
improved axle; Figure 2 is a top view of the same; Figures 3, 4, and 5 represent
modified arrangements of the axle. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts.
A is the axle tree and B, B, are the spindles. The axle tree and spindles may be
made of a single homogeneous piece of metal, or they may be made separately and
then welded or bolted together, as may be necessary or desirable. On the upper
sides of the axle tree A, near the spindles, are recesses or seats a, a, forming beds
for the springs, and between the seats a and the collars b are recesses c provided
with covers c which form boxes for the packing and the lubricant. In the cover
c¹ is a hole d for pouring the lubricant through into the box or recess c. In the
spindles B are recesses e, the bottoms of which have openings through them either in
the form of a narrow slit for perforations g, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. These
recesses e are divided from the lubricant boxes c by partitions h with one or more
perforations h¹ through them for the passage of the lubricant through to the recesses
e in the spindles. The recesses e are to be filled with packing and any suitable
grease, tallow, tar, or other lubricant, and the recesses c are filled with packing and
supplied with oil passed through the openings d. The lubricant flows from recesses
c through the openings h', and thence into the recesses e in the spindles, from whence
it passes out to the surface of the spindles. A simple and economical axle is thus
formed in which the lubricating arrangements are more simple and efficient than
those now in use.
The axle shown in Figures 1 and 2 is more especially intended for light road
waggons using springs, but it can also be used for farm waggons by substituting
hounds for springs in seats a. For common road waggons it is proposed to use the
form shown in Figures 3 and 4, wherein the centre of the axle is made hollow, and
recesses are provided for the hounds and the reach of the waggon; the axle is in
other respects made the same as that first described.
In Figure 5 another form is shown wherein the separate oil recesses or boxes are
dispensed with, and the spindle B is provided with a chamber j for the reception of
the packing and lubricant which are passed through the opening k. The lubricant
passes from chamber j through openings to the surface of the spindle. An oblique
hole m also leads from the outside of the collar to recess j, and oil can be passed
through said hole to recess; without removing the wheel. It is also intended that
the end n of recess ; shall be tapped for the reception of the nut that holds the
wheel on the spindle.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. As an improvement in axles for common road vehicles, the spindles B

page_text: provided with a recess or chamber for the reception of the lubricant, and openings
for the passage of the lubricant to the surface of the spindle, substantially as
described.
2nd. In combination with recesses e in the spindles, the oil chambers or boxes c,
substantially as described.
3rd. An axle for common road vehicles provided with oil reservoirs c between
spring seats a, and the collars b and spindles B bottom slitted and having recesses e
separated by apertured partitions h from reservoirs c, as and for the purpose
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
A MCT ADIZ