Improvements in the Manufacture of Axle-boxes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 13th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Axle-boxes.
We, THE PATENT STAMPED STEEL RAILWAY AXLE BOX COMPANY, LIMITED,
of Leadenhall Buildings, in the City of London, and JOHN DONNELLY of the
Metropolitan Works, Dockley Road, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved method of, and machinery for, manufacturing
axle boxes for railway carriages, from sheet metal plates of uniform thickness, by
successive stamping, pressing and bending operations whereby the flat metal plate is
pressed up in dies to the proper shape to form the horn plate grooves, the spring
seat, and the lid-hinge, and is then bent to the form of a box and finally completed
without planing or otherwise machining the said grooves out of the solid metal as
was commonly practised prior to the grant of former Letters Patent dated March 16th
1887, No. 3992.
The top and the four sides of the box are made of a single plate of mild steel
of uniform thickness and of oblong form. A gap is first cut in each of the two
long sides of this plate, at the middle of their length, and the plate is then by
successive reheatings and pressings between successive pairs of dies which gradually
approximate to the intended final form dished at the centre corrugated at the
proper places (without sensibly reducing its thickness) and otherwise gradually
stamped up or brought to the proper shape to form, when the box is completed,
the horn plate grooves (and dust guard' grooves, if any,) the spring seat and the
bosses for the lid hinge. The plate is now trimmed and brought to the proper
outline so that when bent to the form of a box, as next described, the edges to
be united to make a box shell will come properly together and an opening or mouth.
for the supply of grease will be left at the front part of the top of the box.
The embossed and corrugated plate is brought to the box form by bending up the
wings or projecting portions of the long edges of the plate on parallel lines and to
planes at right angles to the general plane of the plate, each of such bent up portions
being intended to form one-half of the front and rear walls of the box. The plate is
then bent transversely at two points; that is to say the end portions of the plate
having the side wings bent up at right angles, as above mentioned, are bent up at
each side of the central portion until they stand at about right angles to the original
plane of the plate and the edges of the side wings are brought together and made to
overlap at about the centre line of the front and rear walls of the box. The upper
stort edges of the wings, which constitute the rear wall of the box, abut against the
edge of the centre portion of the plate which constitutes the top of the box, whilst
those at the front are so shaped'as to leave an opening for introducing grease. These
abutting or overlapping edges are then welded together. In the rear wall of the box
an opening is then punched to receive the axle and said opening is flanged outwards
by pressing in dies and holes are punched in the top of the box to receive the bolts
by which the spring is to be secured to the box.
The shell of the box is now ready to receive the liner forming both an abutment
for the axle bearing, and a box for grease. This liner or grease box has a bottom
and three sides, and it is inserted in, and welded to, the axle box shell; made as above
described. This grease box has grooves formed in its opposite sides to receive the
spring bolts and it is also formed with a central recess in its underside to form a seat
for an axle brass or bearing. The grease box having been placed within the upper
part of the shell so that its upwardly directed side edges abut against the top of the
shell, the grease box is welded to the outer shell along the front and inclined side
edges of the mouth of the grease box and also at the upper side of the flanged
opening in the rear side of the axle box. The grease box is thus securely retained

page_text: in proper position to form an abutment for the axle brass. It is formed of a plate
of steel of oblong form with a central offset or projecting portion at one side and it is
pressed hot between successive pairs of dies whereby it is gradually buckled or
dished at the centre whilst from either side of this central buckled portion longi-
tudinal corrugations extend to the ends of the plate in positions to correspond to the
bolt holes. in the top of the shell of the box. The plate is now trimmed and is then
bent up to form three sides of a box, that is to say the two end portions which have
been longitudinally corrugated, as above described, are first bent up on parallel lines
at each side of the central dished portion until they are at right angles to the original
plane of the sheet. The offset or projecting portion is. then similarly bent up on a
line at right angles to the lines on which the end portions are bent up and the meeting
edges of the three sides thus brought together are united by welding to form the
front corners of the box. Holes for the passage of the grease are made in the bottom
of the box and the latter is introduced within the upper part of the shell of the axle
box and united thereto by welding along the front and inclined side. edges of the
opening in the top of the shell. At the rear end of this grease box is formed a
curved flange which projects into the aperture in the rear wall of the axle box and is
also welded to the upper part of the flange surrounding said aperture.
The machinery by which the above described stainping, pressing, and bending
operations are performed is worked by any suitable power and operates as follows;-
The tools by which the plates are cut to shape dished or buckled and corrugated at
the proper places to form the horn plate and other grooves are merely successive pairs
of male and female dies which progressively approximate in form to the final form to
which the plate is to be brought by the action of the said dies, so that the embossing
action of said dies may be gradual or progressive.
The apparatus by which the side wings of the plate which ultimately form the
component parts of the front and back walls of the axle box, are bent up, as above
-described, consists of a bolster containing a false. bottom or follower whose face is
grooved to receive the ridges or corrugations on-the-side-of-the box which is laid on
it and which is supported by sliding rods upon a spring beneath which tends to force
the false bottom to the mouth of the female die. In combination with the foregoing
is a male die having projections on its face to correspond to the-grooves in the plate
and grip the same firmly between itself and the yielding follower at the same time
that as the male die enters the bolster the side wings of the plate are bent up at right
angles to the part of the plate held between the male die and follower.
The apparatus by which the next operation, namely the bending of the plate
transversely at either side of the centre portion so as to bring together the edges
of-the-wing-portions.and_so_form a box, C is performed on a block or former corre-
sponding to the internal configuration of the box and-upon-which-the-central part of
the plate which is to form the top of the box is clamped by a corresponding die
carried by the press head. To each side of this top die are hinged (on centres
coinciding with the lines on which the sheet is to be bent) lateral dies grooved to
correspond to the corrugated end portions of the plate upon which they are to act.
These lateral dies are operated by bydraulic rams pivoted to the press-head so as to be
free to accommodate themselves to the angular motion of the lateral dies, which are
in turn jointed to the rams whilst the block or former on which the plate is bent is
carried by the rising table of the press. The heated plate having been placed with
its central portion on the former, the latter is raised until the plate is gripped between
it and the central top die, whereupon the lateral hinged dies are brought downwards
so as to close the end portions of the plate against the sides of the former. By this
operation the plate is brought approximately to a box form, the edges of the previously
bent up rings being caused to overlap at about the centre line of the front and back
of the box and, like the other edges. which are to be united, brought into juxtaposition
preparatory to welding which is performed by ordinary means.
The aperture for the passage of the axle is made in the rear side of the box by a
punch and die, the die block being so overhung or supported that the box can be
slipped on to it in a direction at right angles to that of the stroke of the punch. The

page_text: edges of the said aperture are then flanged by a similar pair of tools except that the
female die occupies the place of the punch and the male die is formed on the block on
which the box is placed so that the flange will be thrown outwards.
The operation of embossing the plate of metal to form the grease box is performed
in successive stages by means of successive pairs of dies of suitable configuration so
as to bring the plate progressively to the desired form; and the operation of bending
up the three sides to form a box is performed by means of a central pair of clamping
dies and lateral bending dies corresponding to the configuration of the work and
having angular motion about centres coinciding with the lines on which the metal is
to be bent and operated by hydraulic power and being in other respects substantially
similar to the apparatus used for bending the plate to form the axle box shell
itself.
The grease box lid is hinged to the hollow bosses, before referred to as being struck
up in the top of the axle box shell, by a hinge pin received in holes in said bosses
and in a knuckle piece on the lid which is held in either the open or closed position
by a spring fixed to the top of the box and pressing on flats on the knuckle piece.
The axle box is closed at bottom by a flanged plate bolted within the walls of
the box.
When the carriage spring and axle box are not to be bolted together, the bolt
holes in the top of the axle box and the grooves or corrugations in the sides of the
grease box are not required.
Dated this 15th day of November 1889.
THE PATENT STAMPED STEEL RAILWAY
AXLE BOX CO., LD.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Axle-boxes.
We, THE PATENT STAMPED STEEL RAILWAY AXLE BOX COMPANY LIMITED, of
Leadenhall Buildings in the City of London, and JOHN DONNELLY of the Metro-
politan Works, Dockley Road, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, 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 —
This invention relates to an improved method of, and machinery for, manufacturing
axle boxes for railway carriages, from sheet metal plates, by successive stamping
pressing and bending operations; one object of the invention being to avoid the
necessity of planing or otherwise machining the horn plate grooves out of the solid
metal, as was commonly practised prior to the grant of former British Letters Patent
dated March 16th 1887, No. 3992.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
forming part of this Specification; wherein Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, illustrate by
way of example a common form of axle box that can advantageously be made by the
process of this invention it being understood that the invention is not limited to the
production of this particular form, which may be varied in detail by varying the form
of the tools hereafter described.
Figure 1 is a rear elevation, Figure 2 a side elevation, and Figure 3 a plan of the
box. Figure 4 is a central longitudinal section on line 1-1 Figure 3, Figure 5 is a
horizontal section on line 2-2 Figure 2, and Figure 6 is a cross-section on line 3-3
Figure 3.
The foregoing figures are drawn to a larger scale than the following figures,
which illustrate the process of making an axle box substantially similar to that

page_text: represented in the foregoing figures although slightly differing therefrom in certain
details.
Figures 7 to 10 shew successive stages of embossing and corrugating the blank of
metal to form the said box.
Figures 8 88, Figures 9* 9° 9, and Figures 10° 10° and 10%, represent cross sectional
and face views of the pairs of dies by which the forms shewn in the correspondingly-
numbered figures are produced, the sections being taken on lines 4-4 and 5-5
respectively.
The top a, the sides b b, the front c, and the back d, of the shell of the box are
made of a single plate A of mild steel of uniform thickness (say one-fourth of an
inch and of oblong form, which is, by successive reheatings and pressings between
successive pairs of dies, dished at the centre to form the seat i for the box-lid spring v
and corrugated and embossed at the proper places to form, when the box is completed,
the horn plate grooves e (and dust-guard grooves, if any,) and the bosses f for the
lid hinge.
To describe this sequence of operations more in detail, the plate A is first cut to
the shape shewn in Figure 7, that is to say gaps gh, of the shape and proportions
shewn, are cut in its two long edges so as to remove superfluous metal, leaving
the middle part of the plate of a width corresponding to the intended length
of the box from front to back, allowing for the grease-box opening hereafter
referred to.
The plate is then heated to a bright red-and pressed between a pair of male and
female dies B C, shewn in Figures 8-8 and 8° whereby it is brought to the form shewn
in cross-section in those figures and in plan in Figure 8.
The plate is then reheated and pressed between a second pair of dies B₁ C¹, shewn
in Figures 9 9b and 9c, whereby it is brought to the form shewn in cross-section in
those figures and-in plan in Figure 9.
The plate is again reheated and pressed between a third pair of dies B² C², shewn
in Figures 10° 10° 10°; whereby it is brought to the final_form_shewn in cross-section
in those figures, and in plan in Figure 10.
It will be seen that these successive pairs of dies progressively approximate to the
final form to which the plate is to be brought before being bent up to form a box,
so that the 'embossing action of the said dies is gradual and progressive.
By these three (more or less) successive operations, the middle part of the plate,
which will form the top of the box, has been embossed with a rectangular figure a*,
as shewn in cross section in Figure 10, and in plan in Figure 10, defining the outline
of the top a of the box with bosses f for the lid-hinge, and with a cavity i to receive
the spring of the lid-hinge. The lateral portions of the plate, which will ultimately
form the sides of the box, have also been embossed-with-pairs of parallel.corrugationsk,
which, standing out from the surface of the plate, define the grooves e for the
horn plates.
By the gathering of the metal to form these corrugations, the plate is somewhat
distorted, and the next operation is to trim its edges square and enlarge the gap / so
as to bring the plate to the form shewn in Figure 11, so that, when the plate is bent
to the form of a box, by the subsequent operations hereafter described, the edges to be
welded to make a complete box will come properly together and an inclined opening
or mouth will be left at the front part of the box.
The embossed and corrugated plate, shewn in Figure 11, is brought to the-box form
by bending up the wings or projecting portions of the long edges of the plate on
parallel lines 1-1, 2-2, Figure 11, and to planes at right angles to the general
plane of the plate, the two bent up portions cx cx being intended to form together
the front wall of the box and the two portions dx dx the rear wall of the box when
their long edges are brought together and united as hereafter described.
The bending of the four side wings cx dx, which ultimately form the component
parts of the front and back walls of the box, may be effected at one stroke by means
of apparatus shewn in Figures 12 and 13 wherein D D are a pair of bolsters each
.:
I
7

page_text: containing a false bottom or pressure plate E whose face is grooved to receive the
corrugations and which is supported by a spring always tending to raise it. F F are
plungers or male dies corresponding to the bolsters D and each having projections on
its face to correspond to the hollows of the corrugations k.
The plate A being red hot is laid face downwards on the pair of bolsters, the
plungers are brought down so as to grip the plate firmly between them and
the yielding followers, the continued downward motion of the plungers past the
upstanding opposite sides of the bolster causing the side wings cx dx to be bent
up at right angles to the plane of the plate, as shewn in cross-section in Figure 12 and
plan in Figure 13.
The plate is then reheated and bent transversely, on lines 3-3, 4-4, (Figure 11)
at each side of the central portion until the portions so bent down stand at about right
angles to the original plane of the plate and the edges c¹ c¹ and d' d' of the
parts c d are brought together and made to overlap at about the centre line of the
front and rear walls of the box, respectively. The short edges d² of the wings d*,
which constitute the rear wall of the box, abut against the rear edge of the middle
portion of the plate which constitutes the top of the box. The edges c² of the other
pair of wings do not meet the top but are so shaped as to leave an opening for
introducing grease.
The apparatus, by which the transverse bending of the plate is performed, is
illustrated in Figures 14, 15, and 16, whereof Figure 14 is a front elevation and
Figures 15 and 16 are respectively a sectional plan and a cross-section on lines 1-1
and 2-2 of Figure 14.
The operation is performed on a block or "former" G carried by the rising table
of a press and corresponding to the internal configuration of the box shell and upon
which the central part of the plate which is to form the top a of the box is clamped
by a die H corresponding in form to the embossed central portion of the plate and
carried by the press-head.
To each side of this top die H are hinged (on centres coinciding with the
lines 3-3 and 4-4 Figure 11 on which the plate is to be bent) lateral dies II whose
faces are grooved to correspond to the corrugations of the portions of the plate A
on which they are to act. These lateral dies I are jointed at back to thrust rods m
which are the rams of hydraulic cylinders M jointed to the press head so as to be free
to accommodate themselves to the angular motion of the dies I.
The operation is performed as follows;-The plate, having been embossed corrugated
and bent, as before described, is brought to a red heat and placed with its central
portion a on the "former" G which is then raised until the plate is gripped between
it and the central top die H whereupon the lateral dies I are brought down so as to
close the corrugated end portions of the plate against the sides of the block G.
By this operation, the plate is brought approximately to a box form, the edges c¹ c¹
and d d¹ of the parts ex cx and dx dx being brought together and caused to overlap
at about the centre line of the front and back of the block G. The rough shell is
then removed from the block and the overlapping edges c¹ c¹ and d' d' welded together,
the edges d² d² being also welded to the rear edge of the top a, which may be
conveniently done under a pneumatic hammer after heating the parts to be welded by
means of an ordinary gas-welding apparatus.
In the rear side of the box shell a circular opening is then punched, for the passage
of the axle journal and said opening is flanged outwards.
The first of these operations is performed by means of a punch and die shewn in
part sectional elevation in Figure 17 wherein K is the punch and L the die, the die
block being so overhung or supported that the box shell can be slipped on to it in a
direction at right angles to that of the stroke of the punch, the box being shewn in
position on the block.
The edges of the aperture after being reheated are then bent outwards to form a
flange o by a similar tool, shewn in Figure 18, except that a female die N occupies the
place of the punch and a male die O is formed on the block on which the box is placed
as in the former case.

page_text: -
Holes P (Figure 3) are now drilled or punched in the top of the box, to receive
the bolts by which the carriage spring is to be secured to the box.
The shell of the box is now ready to receive a liner Q forming both an abutment
for the axle bearing and a box for grease. This liner or grease box is shewn in
position in the axle box in Figures 1, 4, and 6, and is represented separately in end 5
view, side view, and plan, in Figure 19. It has a bottom g two sides q¹ q¹ and an
end q2, and it is inserted in, and welded to, the axle box shell made as above described.
This grease box has corrugations p formed in its sides, to give passage to the holding
down bolts above referred to, and it is also formed with a central recess q³ in its bottom,
to form a seat for the axle-brass or bearing.
}
The grease box having been placed within the shell so that the edges of its upwardly-
directed side qabut against the top a of the shell, the grease box is welded to the
outer shell along the front edge q and inclined side edges q5 of the mouth of the
grease box, and the curved rear edge 2 of the grease box projects through the journal
opening in the rear of the axle box and is welded to the upper part. of the flange o, as
shewn in Figure 4.
The grease box is formed of a plate of mild steel about a quarter of an inch thick,
of the form shewn in Figure 20, and it is pressed hot between successive pairs
of dies of suitable, configuration whereby it is brought gradually to the desired form.
Figures 22 and 23 are cross-sections, and Figure 24 a face view, of the first pair
of dies by which. the-plate-is brought to the form shewn in Figures 21, 22,
and 23.
Figures 25 and 26 shew a second pair of dies by which the plate, after being
reheated, is brought to the form shewn in cross-section in those figures.
The plate is buckled or dished at q³, Figure 19, and corrugations p, extending to the
ends of the plate, are made.. The plate is then-cut to the form shewn in Figure 27
and, having been reheated, is then bent up to form three sides of a box, that is to
say the-two-end portions, which have been longitudinally corrugated as above
described, are first bent up on parallel lines 6-6, Figure 28, at each side of the
central dished portion until they are at right angles to the original plane of
the sheet.
This operation is performed by means of apparatus (similar to that before described
for bending the axle box itself) represented in elevation in Figure 28 wherein R is a
block or "former" and S a top die, both corresponding in configuration to the central
part of the plate, the block R having grooves r at the sides, as shewn in plan in
Figure 29, to receive the corrugations p of the plate.
Lateral dies T T, having ribs to fit the corrugations p, are hinged to the top die S
so as to have angular motion-about-centres-coinciding-with-the-bends-6-6. These
dies are operated by thrust rods t which form the rams of hydraulic cylinders that
are hinged to the press head, the operation being the same as previously described in
reference to Figures 14, 15, and 16. The corrugated end portions of the plate
having been thus closed against the sides of the block R, the offset or projecting
portion q² of the plate is then hammered down flat against the end of block. R. The
partly-formed box is then removed from the block, and the meeting edges of the
three sides q¹q q2, thus brought together, are united by welding, to form the front
corners of the box. Holes qx, for the passage of the grease, are made in the bottom
of the box.
The grease box lid U, Figures 3 and 4, is hinged to the hollow bosses f (struck up
in the top of the axle box shell) by a hinge pin received in holes in said bosses and
in a knuckle piece on the lid, which is held in either the open or closed position by
a spring fixed in the recess i in the top of the box and pressing on flats on the
knuckle piece. The axle box is closed at bottom by a flanged plate W bolted within
the walls of the box.
The whole of the herein described tools for embossing or stamping and bending
the plates to form the box shell and liner to their final form are preferably operated
by bydraulic pressure applied in the ordinary way, but other mechanical power may
be used,

page_text: When the carriage spring and axle box are not to be bolted together, the bolt holes in
the top of the axle box and the grooves or corrugations in the sides of the grease box
are not required.
Although it has been directed that the plate should be reheated for each of the
above mentioned stamping operations, it should be understood that, if a sufficient
number of presses be provided, two or more consecutive operations may be done at
one heating of the plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The herein described method of manufacturing the shells of axle boxes, which
consists in first subjecting a flat plate of the proper form to successive stamping
operations between successive pairs of dies whereby the horn plate grooves are formed
between pairs of corrugations and the middle of the plate is embossed, as described,
and then bending the plate on longitudinal and transverse lines, as described, so as to
bring it to a box-like shape and finally welding the edges so brought together, as
specified.
2. In the herein described method of manufacturing the shells of axle boxes, the
sequence of operations described, which consist in embossing or stamping the plate,
as described, bending the same to box form, welding the juxtaposed edges, and
finally punching and flanging the axle journal aperture in the back of the box, as
specified.
3. The herein described method of manufacturing the grease boxes or liners, for
axle box shells, consisting in first subjecting a flat plate to stamping operations in dies
whereby it is embossed and corrugated as described and then bending the plate on
longitudinal and transverse lines, as described.
4. In the manufacture of axle boxes, the combination of a shell and liner, each
constructed as described, the liner fitting within, and being welded to, the shell to
form a grease box, substantially as specified.
5. The combination of a central clamping die and "former "block, and of hinged
lateral dies and their hydraulic rams for folding the embossed corrugated and partially
hent plate about the "former" block, substantially as described and illustrated in
Figure 14 of the drawings.