IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS FOR RAILWAY AXLES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS
FOR RAILWAY AXLES."-A communication from abroad by Charles
Mettam, of the City and State of New York, and John Sexton
Sanson, of Morrisania, also in the State of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th January 1872.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRI-
CATORS FOR RAILWAY AXLES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to revolving lubricators composed of a
wheel arranged to bear up against.the journal of the axle, and serving

page_text: as it is rotated by frictional contact therewith to convey lubricating
material to the journal; and this part of the Invention consists in a
novel construction of said lubricator, including a pivotted suspension of
the wheel by means of a hanger to the rod or arm by which it is carried,
said rod being also pivotted or hinged, and controlled by a spring, like-
wise being properly steadied or directed, to insure the wheel when in its
place being borne up against the journal and held in proper relation
therewith to convey the lubricating material contained within the axle
box, and into which the wheel dips to the journal. By this construction
every facility is afforded for insertion and removal of the lubricator
within and from the box as ordinarily constructod, and when the axle
is in its place, so that the lubricator may be applied to railway carriage
axle-boxes now in use as well as to new ones, and a perfect action

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 5th July 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATORS FOR RAILWAY AXLES," being a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Charles Mettam, of the City and State of
New York, and John Sexton Sanson, of Morrisania, also in the State of
New York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-

page_text: wheel arranged to bear up against the journal of the axle, and serving
as it is rotated by frictional contact therewith, to convey lubricating
material to the journal; and this part of the Invention consists in a
novel construction of said lubricator, including a pivotted suspension of
the wheel by means of a hanger to the rod or arm by which it is carried,
said rod being also pivotted or hinged, and controlled by a spring, like-
wise being properly steadied or directed to insure the wheel when in its
place being borne up against the journal, and held in proper relation
therewith to convey the lubricating material contained within the axle
box and into which the wheel dips to the journal. By this construction
every facility is afforded for insertion and removal of the lubricator
within and from the box as ordinarily constructed, and when the axle
is in its place, so that the lubricator may be applied to railway carriage
axle boxes now in use, as well as to new ones, and a perfect action
generally will be obtained.
The Invention also consists in a combined pad and wiper of novel
construction for preventing the working of the lubricating material
along the axle beyond the journal and out of the box, thereby con-
tributing to the economy and efficiency of the lubricator.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents a vertical section.
in direction of the length of the axle of a railway carriage axle box,
showing the one end of the axle in full and with the Invention applied
thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same taken at the line x, x,
in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section at the line y, y, with the
axle removed. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts 1
throughout the several Figures of the Drawing.
A represents the axle box of ordinary construction provided with the
usual outside or front end lid 6 and upper brass c; B is the axle, and d
its journal within the box A; C is the lubricating wheel arranged within
the box A beneath the journal and serving as it is rotated by frictional
contact with the latter to convey oil placed in the bottom of the box to
the journal. This wheel is carried by a hanger D pivotted beyond or
above its centre on opposite sides as at e, e, to the forked end of a main
carrying arm or rod E, the pivots e, e, occupying a transverse relation
with the axis of the wheel and that of the carriage axle, and preferably a
dropping loosely into bearings,, in the forked end of the rod or arm E.
The outer end of this rod or arm is pivotted or hinged in proximity to
the front end of the box A by means of a cross pivot or pivots g fitted

page_text: to work in a socket or recess h formed in a clasp plate F to provide for
the adjustment of the wheel C up to or against the journal. A spring G
arranged around a pin or projection H attached to the clasp plate F
serves by its pressure against the under side of the arm E to thus adjust
or force the wheel up against the journal, and said pin or projection H
by its passage through a slot i in the rod or arm E further serves to
steady and direct said arm with its attached wheel. By this construction
and more especially by the pivotted suspension of the wheel through its
hanger as at e, e, which admits of the wheel being swung so that its
face is on a level or thereabouts with the axial line of the joint or pivots g
of the arm E, every facility is afforded for the entry and attachment of
the lubricator within the box when the axle is in its place, likewise of
its removal therefrom through the opening covered by the lid b, even
though the space between the outer collar of the axle and front end of
the box be as contracted as it usually is. Thus the lubricator may be
applied to axle boxes now in use, and without disturbing them or their
axles, and when in place its action is perfect.
To prevent waste of the oil consequent upon its washing or being
carried out of the box along the axle beyond the journal by the lateral
motion of the carriages, there is arranged within the box at its back
end a combined pad or wiper I, which bears against the lower portion
of the body of the axle in proximity to its journal. This wiper is com-
posed in part of a backing plate k, and a piece or pieces of felting 1, or
other suitable material, the same serving to wipe off the oil after it has
passed from the journal and preventing it from running along the axle,
also returning it to the bottom of the box. To facilitate the entry of
this pad or wiper and the proper adjustment and retention of the same,
the plate has pivotted to it a wire bow or handle m, whereby the
device may be readily projected through the openings covered by the
lid b, and by the fit of the bowed end of the handle m under the clasp
plate F said pad or wiper is securely held to its place, also every facility
is afforded for its removal when required. By means of this pad or
wiper the usual waste by leakage of oil, as herein-before referred to, is
avoided, and but a small quantity of oil in the box will suffice to keep
the lubricator fully supplied, thereby doing away with many evils
consequent upon the lubricator running short of oil.
In the modification shewn in Figures 4 and 5, of which Fig. 4 is
side view of nart of the main carrving arm E and plate E. and Fiœ. 5.

page_text: a top view of the same, the guide pin H is dispensed with, and the
spring G instead of being applied upon such a pin is applied in the form
of a coil around the pivot g. This arrangement of the spring is in some
respects preferable to that first described.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements 5
in Lubricators for Railway Axles," as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, I claim,—
First. The suspension of the lubricating wheel-0, in a hanger D, 1
pivotted to the hinged rod or arm E, and supported by a spring, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein specified.
Second. The combination of the pivotted or swinging rod E, the clasp
plate F, the spring G, the pivotted swinging hammer D, and the wheel C,
the whole being arranged for operation essentially as and for the 1
purposes herein set forth.
Third. The pad or wiper I, composed of a plate % and felting in
combination with the hinged or pivotted bowed handle m for operation
within the box A, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have 20
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.