Improvements in Oil Bath Axleboxes for General Rolling Stock, and in Means for Taking Up Automatically the Wear of Bearings in same.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oil Bath Axleboxes for General Rolling Stock,
and in Means for Taking Up Automatically the Wear of Bearings
in same.
JAMES OSWALD LADDS of 36 Havelock Road, Mechanical Draughtsman, and
EDWARD SELBY Engineer of 7 Lynn Villas Washwood Heath Road, both of
Saltley, in the County of Warwick do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to means for an oil bath axlebox for the lubrication of
axles of general railway rolling stock, and for the improved combination of parts,
and newly invented method by means of which the wear of bearings is auto-
matically and effectually taken up, and the axlebox is kept concentric with axle,
under all conditions of wear.
The casing of axlebox is made of wrought iron, malleable iron, cast iron, or
steel either solid; or in top and bottom parts, held together by bolts or screws.
When made solid it has an adjustable saddle piece, with recesses to take spring,
spring buckle and hornplates; the saddle piece having on its under side a lug or
combination of lugs, passing through openings in main casing direct on to bearing,
which takes the weight of vehicle.
When made in top and bottom parts, the top part has recesses for spring and
spring buckle on its upper side; and a recess for carrying or fitting in bearing on
its under side. It has projections cast on its side, the bottom part also having
corresponding projections, through which bolts or pins are passed the said bolts
or pins being encircled by spiral springs, the bottom part or oil chamber being
carried by these springs.
The aforesaid part being carried on compressed springs gives it an upward
tendency, but this upward tendency is counteracted, or kept concentric to axle by
means of friction rollers, or any other suitable device; and the top part, sliding
in the bottom part always having a downward tendency to the extent of wear of
bearing by this means the wear of bearing is automatically taken up by the
aforesaid springs, in relation to position of bottom part to axle.
When the main casing is made solid, it slides inside the adjustable saddle piece,
the said saddle piece being connected direct on to bearing.
For carrying or keeping the main casing concentric with axle, we use a
combination of spiral or laminated springs, placed internally of main casing, either
on top or sides of bearing, we also in this case use friction rollers or any other
suitable device to run under axle; by these means, as the bearing wears, or falls
in the main casing the saddle piece also falling with it-this wear or falling is
taken up by the camber of the aforesaid springs carried on the top or sides of
bearing.
The bearing has suitable grooves, or recesses, for taking the lug, or combination
of lugs, of saddle-piece which pass through top of main casing; by means of which
any longitudinal thrust is taken.
The bearing, to provide for the easy removal of same, has in one form a packing
plate, of any suitable material, fitted to it; the packing plate having convenient
recesses for lugs of saddle piece.

page_text: At the back end of main casing where the axle enters, we provide a stuffing box
and gland either internally or externally. The said stuffing box being packed
with any suitable material either leather, rubber, asbestos, metallic packing,
(Patent No. 14389 of 1891) or preferably a pneumatic ring or rings of special
material to withstand the action of oil.
When the stuffing box is made internally it is constructed in a separate aperture
at back of main casing, the aperture being connected with a drip, or waste oil
chamber, this chamber passing under and towards front of main casing.
The aperture at back can he closed by a plate of any suitable shape and
material; the said plate to be fastened on to main casing by means of screws or
bolts. In one form this back plate is made with guide pins; either screwed in,
fixed in by rivetting, or made in one with it, for carrying a combination of spiral
or laminated springs, the aforesaid springs placed so as to press continually upon
gland of stuffing box and by these means to give automatic movement to gland and
thus take up the wear of the packing.
In another form this back plate has screws or bolts passing through it, these
screws or bolts pressing at their inner ends upon the gland, the said screws or bolts
being tightened up at the back end of main casing.
When the stuffing box is made externally of main casing it is fitted with a plain
or screwed gland shaped internally to suit the class of packing employed. The
screwed gland has on its outer edge any number of recesses for fitting in a tool or
spanner for tightening gland on to packing.
We employ on the side of main casing, a spring catch or bolt, to fall into one
of the aforesaid recesses in gland, and thus prevent same from screwing upon
packing, or slacking back, which it would have a tendency to do from the frictional
contact with collar of axle.
The waste or drip oil chamber under bottom of box previously mentioned in this
Specification may be fitted with a set screw or plug for cleaning out the waste
oil; or, preferably, we connect this chamber to main reservoir by means of a
groove or channel, the said groove or channel having mounted on its upper end,
that is in the interior of main oil chamber, a pump, of any suitable shape either
plunger or centrifugal, the aforesaid pump having an extended shaft carrying on
its outer end a friction roller, either made in one with or keyed on to the shaft, the
said shaft and roller being carried under the axle. The working power of pump is
obtained by the friction or pressure of the roller against the underside of the
rolling axle.
By this means the pump returns all waste oil back into the original or main oil
chamber, thus making the axlebox self-feeding and automatic.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1895.
JAMES OSWALD LADDS.
EDWD. SELBY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Oil Bath Axleboxes for General Rolling Stock,
and in Means for Taking Up Automatically the Wear of Bearings
in same.
JAMES OSWALD LADDS, of 36 Havelock Road, Mechanical Draughtsman, and
EDWARD SELBY, of 7 Lynn Villas, Washwood Heath Road, Engineer both of
Saltley, in the County of Warwick, 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 improvements in axleboxes for general rolling stock,
our object being to construct a simple and effective oil bath axle box, arranged for

page_text: .5
0
He ready removal of the bearing when required, and to provid
means whereby the wear of the bearing is taken up automatically in such a manne
that the casing or oil bath is kept concentric with the axle under all conditions o
service.
In order that our invention and the method of carrying the same into effect may
be the more readily understood we append hereunto two sheets of explanatory
drawings, to be hereinafter referred to."
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a sectional side elevation, and Figure 2 a part sectional
end elevation of our improved axle box.
Figures 3 and 4 are sectional side and end elevations respectively showing a
modified form of the axle box.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
In the application of our invention we construct the axle box casing which
forms the oil bath, from cast iron steel, or other metal, making it either in the
solid form or in top and bottom parts held together by bolts or screws.
When made in the solid form, we provide an adjustable or sliding saddle piece
such as A, Figures 1 and 2, with a recess or seating on its upper and lower ends to
receive the bogie bar or framing B, and also a lug or projecting piece A' to pass
through the opening in the casing on to the bearing. When made with top and
bottom parts such as C and C¹ on Sheet 2, the top part C forming the sliding
saddle piece, we connect the two parts together by means of bolts DD' with
interposed spiral springs E E', to be hereinafter referred to.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the axle box casing is supported by means of
springs such as F interposed between the packing plate G and the top of the casing
as illustrated. The packing plate is recessed on its under side to form a seating
for the bearing H, and the plate can be readily withdrawn from the box to allow
of removal or adjustment of the bearing when required.
When in service the springs F are under compression and thus tend to lift the
casing but such upward movement is prevented by means of the friction roller J at
the one end of the casing, and by the enlarged portion or neck of the axle at the
opposite end. The springs are of sufficient resistance to support the weight of the
casing and to maintain it in a stationary position concentric with the axle.
bearing is pressed on to the axle by the weight of the vehicle which is directly.
ransmitted by the saddle piece A.
The
gradually slides down, but the casing remains stationary, the resistance of the
As the bearing wears away the saddle piece
prings supporting its weight, whilst the springs themselves automatically lengthen
ut to correspond with the increasing distance between the packing plate G and
be top of the casing.
The projection A of the saddle piece A is admitted within the casing through
he stuffing box and gland A2, and we also provide a stuffing box K at the neck
nd to prevent the escape of oil, employing metallic or other suitable packing for
ch stuffing box.
We preferably form the neck end stuffing box in a separate aperture which is
nnected with the drip or waste oil chamber L as illustrated.
outh of the stuffing box is closed by the plate M, secured to the box or casing by
eans of screws or bolts.
The aperture or
x in such a manner that they press upon the ring or gland K', and thus impose
We employ spiral or other springs within the stuffing
even and constant pressure upon the packing, and give an automatic movement
the gland to take up the wear.
When employing an external stuffing box such as N, Figure 3, we fit it with
her a plain or screwed gland, shaped internally to suit the class of packing
ployed. With a screwed gland we form on the outer edge of the flange any
aber of recesses for the reception of a tool or spanner for tightening the gland
o packing, and on the side of the main casing we fix a spring catch or bolt
ngage with one of the recesses, and thus prevent same from movement during
ning of the axle.
he waste or drip oil chamber L beneath the stuffing box K is sometimes fitted

page_text: with a set screw or plug which can be readily removed for the purpose of cleaning
out the waste oil, although we preferably drain this chamber by means of a pump
such as O, carried on the friction roller shaft. The pump is thus driven by the
frictional contact of the axle with the roller J, and by this means all waste oil is
returned to the original or main oil chamber.
In the type of axle box shown at Figures 3 and 4, Sheet 2, we employ external
springs E E¹, for supporting the casing instead of the internal springs F, as in
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1. The compression of the springs may be readily adjusted
by movement of the nuts on the bolts D D', sufficient resistance being provided to
enable the springs to support the weight of the casing, and to prevent it from
falling with the wear of the bearing.
We do not limit the application of our invention to any particular type of axle
box, but adapt our improvements to varying patterns, and to suit the requirements
of special services.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The method of automatically adjusting an axle box with the wear of its
bearing substantially as herein described..
2. In axle boxes the use of springs for the purpose of supporting the casing or
oil bath and keeping the same concentric with the axle substantially as hereinbefore
described, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In axle boxes, the use of an independent sliding saddle piece, substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described, and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In axle boxes, the combination of an oil pump with a friction roller driven
by the axle, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described, and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In axle boxes the method of imposing an even pressure upon the packing in
the stuffing box by means of a ring or gland in combination with springs,
substantially as hereinbefore described, and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
6. The improved general construction and arrangement of axles boxes
substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
Dated this 1st day of October 1895.
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.