Improvements in Axle-boxes and Lubricating Apparatus, and in mprov Dust Packings or Guards for same.
Year: 1889

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Axle-boxes and Lubricating Apparatus, and in
mprov
Dust Packings or Guards for same.
I, HARRY KENNETH AUSTIN, Civil Engineer, of Lyndhurst Washwood Heath,
Birmingham do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a new form of axle box or improved method of
lubricating journals of fixed or moveable machinery by means of the particular parts
hereinafter described and applicable to any bearing surfaces requiring lubrication.
. In the case of an ordinary railway axle I enclose the journal with a casing or box
which is made to contain the lubricant (which may be water grease oil or other
suitable compound,) the bearing is made so as to fit on to the axle and has on
its surface a series of grids or ribs and openings through which the lubricant is forced
by pressure varying in its intensity according to the load the lubricant or material
thus supplied under pressure to the surfaces previously in contact is thus forced as a
film between them and reduces the frictional resistance. The bearing is made so that
the sides and end guide pieces or slides enclose the journal and a suitable keep is
fixed through them to hold the casing or bearing in place. The pressure may be applied
from a single independent position and the parts are so arranged as to collect the
material used and filter same by means of suitable pads or trays, or the pressure may
be secured from the revolving shaft itself or by frictional contact with same.
pressure may be applied from any position at the sides or top or bottom or at a
tangential position with the shaft, and the bearing may be plain on its surface with
suitable side angles to keep same in place. The front of the casing may have a hinged
or other lid with supports at top or sides and the back is closed with a ring enclosing
a bottom and side felt packing and held up in place by springs and all held in
position by main casing. The top of casing may be suitably arranged for tubular
guides and connections passing through spiral springs or at the sides of same, the
tubes being packed so as to allow of movement to the parts affected by same.
The
The gland is packed with a ring enclosing the tube and moving on same or may be
packed in the ordinary methods generally adopted.
The casing can be made in one or more parts or bolted together for adjustment
and may be provided with a top oil chamber and valve or hole and bottom lubricator
for use in case of emergency. The axle may be packed to secure immunity from dust
by means of plates of metal holding between them felt packing bent round so as to
enclose the axle and held in position by side springs. The bottom may also be provided
with aroller lubricator made with a revolving spindle or revolving disc, when the latter
is used a couple of cotters hold same in position and pass through recesses to hold it
in place the whole being supported ou a frame covered with suitable padding and
wicks and forced up by springs and bearings held in suitable guides and so guarded
as to be protected from displacement. The casing may be made of wrought or cast
iron or steel and the bearings and other parts of any material suitable for the work.
The application of the lubricant may be made as heretofore described by direct
pressure or by a direct application of suction or vacuum force applied from a single
position or from a number of positions or may be made by any present existing sources
of pressure or vacuum.
The system is applicable to all varieties of machinery with revolving bearings or
axles, and is also applicable to reciprocating parts of machines, the improvement con-
sisting of the maintenance of a film of oil or other substance between the surfaces
usually in partial contact..
Dated this 28th day of September 1889.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Axle-boxes and Lubricating Apparatus, and in
Dust Packings or Guards for same.
I, HARRY KENNETH AUSTIN, Civil Engineer, of Lyndhurst Washwood Heath,
Birmingham, 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 has for its object improvements in axle boxes and lubricatingapparatus
and in dust packings or guards for same.
Figures 1 to 5 shew the general arrangement of the axle box, the remaining
Figures 6 to 36 shewing details and general application of the invention.
In Figure 1, A is the journal of axle, A¹ is the casing, A2 is the bearing which
fits on to the journal. A³ is the front of casing which has a hinged door held by
adjustable supports or bolts at the top A' or these may be placed at the side of the
casing instead. The top of the casing A5 is arranged so as to take the bearing
spring A' the sides of the casing A' (Figure 5) providing the usual necessary guides
for vertical motion and suitable connections for additional guidance are provided
which may pass as bars or pins through the centre AS (Figure 1) or at the sides of
The tubes or containers A° are packed with circular packings A1 which allow
for a vertical movement.
same.
The casing may be bolted together as shewn in Figure 6 where A" is the joint
and A2 the bolt passing through same. A¹ is the entrance to top oil chamber closed
by screw A" (and shewn in detail) the bottom oil chamber being closed by a similar
screw A10 Figure 6.
The casing may be made of stamped, wrought or cast iron or steel.
The bearing which rests upon the journal of axle may be of the various forms
shewn in Figures 1 and 4 A2 and shewn in plan and further detail in Figures 13
to 22.
2
Figure 13 shews the detail plan of the same bearing as shewn in Figures 1 and 4
The inclined and end surfaces B¹, take the thrust and provide the necessary fitting
surfaces. The end projections B33, + are provided so that the bearing can be removed
from the before mentioned casing when necessary.
Figure 14 is a side view shewing the various side projections.
Figures 17 and 18 shew similar arrangements but with the thrust piece B' at the
ends only. When necessary the sides of the bearing are extended as shewn at
Figures 15, 16 (B) so that the journal may be kept in position.
In Figure 8 BS is shewn a flexible or other supply pipe which conveys the lubricant
when forced into the axle box from a suitable source, through the bearing B° by this
method a film of lubricant is forced between the journal A and the bearing surface;
from thence it falls upon a tray or filter B10 which is provided with suitable perforations,
or felt, or other material to filter same before it passes into the bottom oil chamber
from whence it is pumped or drained through the flexible or other pipe B".
Figures 19, 20, 21, 22, shew various forms in plau of grids B12 or openings B¹³
which are placed in communication with the source of pressed lubricant any of the
particular longitudinal openings (B13 Figure 19) diagonal openings (B Figure 20)
compound operings with central bearing grid (B15 Figure 21) or spiral openings
(B16 Figure 22) may be used.
Figure 29 is a side elevation and
Figure 30 is a section of a frictional gear which could be placed on main shaft C
for the purpose of driving the subsidiary pump or pressure shaft C' which would be
then used to supply the lubricant under pressure, any suitable or well known adjustable
gear being used for connections.
Figure 26 is a section of one form of protecting the interior of axlebox from dust,
the back end of axlebox D is closed by a ring or packing. D' which as .it, wears is
screwed up to its place by the screws D2, 3 which pass through the main casing.
Figure 27 is a similar application of the compressed packing.

page_text: In Figure 28 the packing E is backed by hard metal or other frame Es which is
pressed into its place by the springs E2. 3. Another method of protecting the axlebox
from dust is shewn at E, Figures 1 and 3. E is a metal plate with E a pliable
packing which bends or curves over and fits on to the collar of axle F. A covering
plate is held to the other parts by the rivets E7.8 (Figure 3). The flat side
springs G keep the whole tight against the inner face of casing H (Figure 1).
The bottom of axle may also be provided with a roller or other lubricator hereinafter
described so that should the axle box be required for use when the necessary supply
of pressure lubricant" is not procurable then the journal may be lubricated.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the lubricator, where L is the bearing part of
same against the journal the arms L' are either made as shewn as a frame or are made
as a web, the central spindle Le revolves in bearings L³ which are guided by the
sides (or by projections on the sides) of the main casing as shown at 1, Figures 2
and 4. The roller lubricator is held up by springs Le, Figure 4, and additional pin
guides L, Figure 2, may be secured to the main casing to provide for suitable guides.
The whole apparatus inay rest upon the bottom of main casing as shewn in Figure 2
or upon a tray L³, Figure 4, or upon a frame Lº Figures 24, 25 the frame 1. having
on its surface suitable tables L1011 for supporting the lubricator used, the holders L12,13,
being provided to hold the spiral springs.
Instead of the central part of roller lubricator being fixed to the spindle, it may be
made as shewn in Figure 23 where M is the loose disc with Ma groove around it
the cotters M2 3. pass through holes in spindle M' and suitable washers M. bear
against the side of same.
Figures 31 and 32 is a combined form of lubricator where N are pads, N³" are
wicks, N is a roller bearing against journal N³ the whole being supported by sp ral
springs No. 7 and trough frame N' which holds the bearings in which the roller Nu is
held the side supports NC, hold the springs and are fixed to the trough frame N'.
A detail of the method of holding spiral spring is shewn in Figure 33, 0¹ being the
holder and O the spring. A simpler form of spring lubricator is shewn at Figure 34.
P is a tray to which are fixed P 2 springs. The springs P. 2 are shewn in detail
at Figure 35 and have attached to each of them a lubricator guide piece P. The
lubricator is similar to the one hereinbefore described with pads P5 and wicks P°, 7
which are held in a trough frame being attached thoreto by wire passing through it
in the usual way. At the sides of the trough frame (Figure 36) is a suitable curved
or other shaped bracket P which (when the whole thing is in place) rest upon the
tops of the springs P 2 Figure 31-the handle is provided of leather or other
material to remove the lubricator from place when required.
Various methods of fixing the front lid of main casing are shown in Figures 9
to 12.
The front lid R' (in section) Figure 9 is held down by an adjustable nut having
arms R23 (Figure 10) in addition to the usual facets. The same kind of adjust-
ment is shewn in Figures 11 and 12 the head or nut in this case having a roughened
or milled edge S
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a railway axle box the application of lubricant under pressure or vacuum to
bearing surfaces substantially as described herein.
2. In an axle box the combination of a perforated bearing, supply pipes filter tray
and exhaust or drain pipe substantially as described.
3. An axle box with an adjustable hinged front door held at top or side by fastenings
substantially as described.
4. An axle box top with spring case packed with ring substantially as described.
5. The combination of pressure lubrication appliances with a solid axle box or an
axle box in two parts bolted together substantially as described.

page_text: 6. An axle box bearing with oil channels on surfaces and thrust pieces substantially
as described.
7. An axle box with a flexible or other supply pipe and similar exhaust lubricator
pipe substantially as described.
8. An axle box with a tray for filtering fitted with perforations and felt substantially
as described.
9. A frictional gear by means of which the necessary power can be conveyed to the
apparatus used for supplying lubricant substantially as described.
10. An axle box with an adjustable dust ring or packing substantially as described.
11. An axle box with a metal plate dust shield with pliable packing and side springs
substantially as described.
12. An axle box with a roller lubricator in combination with arms, guides and
springs substantially as described.
13. Au axle box with a frame with suitable tables for supporting lubricator
(Figures 24, 25) substantially as described.
14. An axle box with a roller lubricator with loose disc substantially as described
15. In an axle box the combination of roller lubricator, trough frame pads and wicks
and side supports substantially as described.
16. An axle box with simple lubricator in combination with guide pieces attached
to springs, tray; with trough frame, pads and wicks and handle attached thereto sub-
stantially as described.
17. An axle box with lubricator having curved side supporting brackets substantially
as described.
Dated this 24th day of July 1890.