IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BEARINGS FOR AXLES AND SHAFTS, IN ORDER TO LUBRICATE AND EXCLUDE DUST FROM SUCH BEARINGS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Rheinauer, of Offenburg, Grand Duchy of
Baden, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BEARINGS FOR AXLES
AND SHAFTS, IN ORDER TO LUBRICATE AND EXCLUDE DUST FROM SUCH BEARINGS."
-A communication.
Sealed the 5th October 1858, and dated the 14th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Rheinauer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
July 1858.
I, JOSEPH RHEINAUER, of Offenburg, Grand Duchy of Baden, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BEARINGS FOR
AXLES AND SHAFTS, IN ORDER TO LUBRICATE AND EXCLUDE DUST FROM SUCH
BEARINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
bearings for axles and shafts, and consists in the application thereto of
apparatus herein-after described, for lubricating and excluding dust from such
bearings. The lubricating apparatus consists of a piece of wood or lubricating
block contained in an oil vessel under the axle or shaft within the bearing,
and the upper surface of the lubricating block is caused to press lightly
against the axle or shaft by springs. Over the lubricating block, which is
grooved to receive it, a wick of felt or other suitable fabric is laid, and its
two ends descend into the oil in the oil vessel, and the oil is sucked up by
the wick, and applied to the axle or shaft; the bottom of the groove in the
lubricating block is furrowed to assist the transmission of the oil to every
[Price 8d.]

page_text: part of the wick. When this lubricating apparatus is applied to a railway
axle the lubricating block runs parallel to the axle from end to end of the
bearing, and is prevented from moving laterally by pins passing up into it
from the bottom of the oil vessel. Sometimes when the lubricating block is
long, supplemental wicks are employed, which pass up through the block into
the groove formed in it at points intermediate of its two ends, so that the
longitudinal wick rests at intervals on these secondary wicks, which replenish
it with oil. In order to prevent escape of oil, the joint between the upper
and lower parts of the box or bearing is made in an inclined direction. In
applying lubricating apparatus constructed according to this Invention to the
bearings of mill shafting, the lower brass of the bearing has a hole formed in
it through which the lubricating block passes; and the wick, in place of
passing along the lubricating block in a direction parallel to the shaft, passes
over the block in a direction at right angles to the shaft. The oil which
escapes from the bearing is caused to run back into the oil vessel after it has
first passed through a filtering cloth. In some cases the oil vessels, with the
lubricating block and parts in connection therewith, are so constructed that
they may be removed from the bearing to facilitate the cleaning and renewing
of the parts. There is a small passage formed through the upper brass, by
which oil may be supplied immediately if from neglect the bearing should
have become dry.
The apparatus for the exclusion of dust is more particularly applicable to
the bearings of railway carriages, and consists of a ring of felt or other suit-
able fabric, enclosed between the metal rings or discs of slightly larger interior
diameter than the ring of felt; this arrangement is attached to the end of the
bearing or box, and the axle passes through the rings so that the interior edge
of the ring of felt or other fabric fits closely on to the axle and entirely
excludes dust.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Rheinauer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
RHEINAUER, of Offenburg, Grand Duchy of Baden, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousandeight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Herreign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the

page_text: said Joseph Rheinauer, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Rheinauer
iny executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Rheinauer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time aud at all times thereafter 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, aud Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BEARINGS
FOR AXLES AND SHAFTS, IN ORDER TO LUBRICATE AND EXCLUDE DUST FROM SUCH
BEARINGS," a communication, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Joseph Rheinauer, my executors or administrators, 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 Joseph Rheinauer, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of
bearings for axles and shafts, and consists in the application thereto of
apparatus herein-after described for lubricating and excluding dust from such
bearings. The lubricating apparatus consists of a piece of wood or lubricating
block contained in an oil vessel under the axle or shaft within the bearing,
and the upper surface of the lubricating block is caused to press lightly against
the axle or shaft by springs. Over the lubricating block, which is grooved to
receive it, a wick of felt or other suitable fabric is laid, and its two ends
descend into the oil in the oil vessel, and the oil is sucked up by the wick and
applied to the axle or shaft; the bottom of the groove in the lubricating block
is furrowed to assist the transmission of the oil to every part of the wick.
When this lubricating apparatus is applied to a railway axle, the lubricating
block runs parallel to the axle from end to end of the bearing, and is prevented
from moving laterally by pins passing up into it from the bottom of the oil
vessel; sometimes, when the lubricating block is long, supplemental wicks are
employed, which pass up through the block into the groove formed in it at
points intermediate of its two ends, so that the longitudinal wick rests at
intervals on these secondary wicks, which replenish it with oil. In order to
prevent escape of oil, the joint between the upper and lower parts of the box
or bearing is made in an inclined direction.

page_text: In applying lubricating apparatus constructed according to this Invention
to the bearings of mill shafting, the lower brass of the bearing has a hole
formed in it through which the lubricating block passes, and the wick in place
of passing along the lubricating block in a direction parallel to the shaft passes
over the block in a direction at right angles to the shaft. The oil which
escapes from the bearing is caused to run back into the oil vessel after it has
first passed through a filtering cloth. In some cases the oil vessels with the
lubricating block and parts in connection therewith are so constructed that
they may be removed from the bearing to facilitate the cleaning and renewing
of the parts. There is a small passage formed through the upper brass, by
which oil may be supplied immediately, if from neglect the bearing should have
become dry. The apparatus for the exclusion of dust is more particularly
applicable to the bearings of railway carriages, and consists of a ring of felt or
other suitable fabric enclosed between two metal rings or discs ofslightlylarger
interior diameter than the ring of felt; this arrangement is attached to the end
of the bearing or box, and the axle passes through the rings, so that the
interior edge of the ring of felt or other fabric fits closely on to the axle
and entirely exclude dust.
And in order that the said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
'annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a railway axle bearing arranged
according to the Invention; Figure 2 is a transverse section; and Figure 3 is
a plan of the lower portion of the same. a is the axle; 6 is a brass resting on it;
and c is the upper portion of the box into which the brass b fits; d is the lower
portion of the box secured to the upper portion by the bolts e, e; at f, f, are
shown the inclined joints formed between the upper and lower parts of the
box; g is a space within the part d of the box to receive oil, which is supplied
through the opening h; i, i, are pins fixed within the oil space; ; is the
lubricating block, which is supported on the upper ends of the pins i, as is
shown, and is pressed up towards the axle by the spiral springs k. Over the
block ja wick passes in a groove formed for it, the bottom of which groove
is furrowed for the purpose before-mentioned; the ends of the wick dip into
the oil within the oil space. In order to exclude dust from the bearing, the
guard m is employed; this guard is kept in its place by V-formed guides n, n,
formed in the top and bottom of the box. The guard consists of a ring of felt
shut in between two metal rings, as is shown by the front view of the guard,

page_text: Figure 4. Where the lubricating block is long, it is made in the manner
shown by the plan view, Figure 5, with openings through it for transverse
wicks. Figure 6 is a side view; Figure 7 is a longitudinal section and
Figure 8 is a transverse section of a stationary bearing for shafting. a is a
block in which the upper and lower brasses b and c fit; is the tcp strap
secured by screws e, e, to the block a. In the lower part of the block a, a
recess is formed to receive an oil vessel f,shown separatelyin front view, plan,
and side view at Figures 9, 10, and 11 respectively. Through the top of the oil
vessel, the lubricating block g passes, and it projects up through a hole in the
lower brass c, as is shewn at Figure 12, which is a plan of the block a,
together with the brass c, and lubricating block g. This block g is kept up
to and against the shaft by the spiral spring h, and is furnished with a wick
in the manner already described. Any oil which may escape at the sides of
the brasses flows back by the passage i on to the top of the oil vessel, and
passes by the holes i, j, to the interior thereof. k is a spout, by which the
oil vessel is filled, and is a glass guage, by which the quantity of oil in the
vessel may be readily observed; m is a cover, which is closed after the oil
vessel has been introduced into its place, and n is a spring catch for retaining
the cover.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Rheinauer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JOSEPH RHEINAUER. (L.S.)
Witness,
FRIEDRICH BLATZ, Professor.
MATHIAS KNAPP.
Für die Richtigkeit vorstehender Unterschriften
Offenburg am Siebenten December, Eintausend
acht hundert acht und fünfzig.
Taxe, 15 Kr.
D: W 964.
(L.S)
FRIEDRICH. KATZ,
Notar.