IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AXLE BOXES FOR LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER VEHICLES USED ON RAIL AND TRAMWAYS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Bottomley, Mechanical Engineer with the Firm of
Sharp, Stewart, & Co., Limited, Atlas Works, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF AXLE BOXES FOR LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER VEHICLES USED ON RAIL AND
TRAMWAYS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jolin Bottomley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th June 1881.
JOHN BOTTOMLEY, Mechanical Engineer with the Firm of Sharp, Stewart, & Co.,
Limited, Atlas Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AXLE BOXES FOR LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER VEHICLES
USED ON RAIL AND TRAMWAYS."
This Invention consists of a combination and arrangement, namely, of an
improved radial axle box intended for locomotive engines and other vehicles, so
constructed as to insure its assuming a correctly radial position on any curve with
a minimum of friction, and also its return to a central position when leaving the
curve.
The axle box combines in one piece the two bearings; it has no guides, but is
furnished with a radius bar or bars, which pivot on a centre pin attached to the
frame. The bearing springs rest on the axle box over the bearings by means of
spring pillars; the axle box is therefore free to move laterally, but the degree of
motion is controlled by springs so placed that the axle box meets with their full
resistance on leaving the central position, and its movement is limited by stops..
The advantages claimed for the Invention are the increased flexibility afforded,
coupled with sufficient control of lateral movement and the utmost simplicity of
parts, and the saving of weight, adapting the axle box for use on locomotive and
tramway engines and other vehicles which may have to work on curves of short
radius.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Bottomley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th November
1881.
JOHN BOTTOMLEY, Mechanical Engineer with the Firm of Sharp, Stewart, and
Co. (Limited), Atlas Works, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF AXLE BOXES FOR LOCOMOTIVES AND OTHER
VEHICLES USED ON RAIL AND TRAMWAYS."
This Invention consists of a combination, and arrangement, and modifications
of the same, namely, of an improved radial axle box intended for locomotive
engines and other vehicles, so constructed as to insure its assuming a correctly
radial position on any curvo with a minimum of friction, and also its return to a
central position when leaving the curve.
The axle box combines in one piece the two bearings, it has no guides, but is
furnished with a radius bar or bars, which pivot on a centre pin attached to the
frame.
The bearing springs rest on the axle box over the bearings by means of spring
pillars; the axle box is therefore free to move laterally, but the degree of motion
is controlled by springs so placed that the axle box meets with their full resistance
on leaving the central position, and its movement at either extreme is limited
by stops.
In the above described combination the spring pillars rest upon discs which
slide upon the upper side of the axle box, but in a modification of it the spring
pillars are each jointed to a segment of a wheel, and and in both these modifications
springs for the lateral movement are arranged to act directly upon the axle box
to bring it back to the central position.
By another modification the spring pillars are each jointed to an arm by a
double joint, so that each pillar rests upon both joints of the arm when the axle
box is in its central position, but when it moves to either side then the weight is
all carried upon one or the other of the two joints, and the weight on the spring
pillars thus acts through the joints and inclinations of the arins to bring back the
radial axle box to its central position, and in this arrangement the direct acting
lateral springs are dispensed with, as they are also in another modification where
the spring pillars rest upon double inclines upon a plate, which bears upon
corresponding inclines upon the upper side of the axle box.
The advantages claimed for the Invention are the increased flexibility afforded,
coupled with sufficient control of lateral movement and the utmost simplicity
of parts, and the saving of weight, adapting the the axle box for use on locomotive
and tramway engines and other vehicles which may have to work on curves of
short radius.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional clevation of parts of a locomotive engine;
Fig. 2 is a cross sectional elevation through the radial axle box; Fig. 3 a cross
sectional elevation in front of the radial axle box; and Fig. 4 is a plan section.
These Figures show so much of the parts of a locomotive as will be sufficient to
illustrate the application of one modification of my Invention to locomotives and
other vehicles for rail and tramways.
a, ordinary side frames of a locomotive, or they represent the side frames of other
rail or tramway vehicles; b, ordinary driving and carrying wheels of a locomotive
or the carrying wheels of other railway vehicles.
For carriages there may be one or two ordinary pairs of wheels on ordinary.
axles, and one pair of wheels con a radial axle c in front and another pair of
wheels on a radial axle in the rear of these ordinary carrying wheels, both radial
axles with their centres of radiation between the radial and ordinary carrying
axles.

page_text: In the locomotive which is illustrated there are supposed to be two pairs of
ordinary carrying and driving wheels b, and one pair of carrying wheels o on a
radial axle c¹ in front of the driving and carrying wheels.
It will be seen from the illustration that the axle box & for both bearings is
formed in one piece by preference, though it may be in parts connected together,
and that each end of the box is prepared to receive the journal brasses which are
kept in their places as shown, see Figs. 2 and 4.
At each end and at the upper side of the axle box d there is a recess formed for
discs e to slide upon, which discs have holes to receive the lower ends of the
pillars e connected with the carrying springs, which pillars pass through guides in
the side frames in the usual manner, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
The recesses for the discs e² are or may be covered by a plate having a slot for
the pillar (e) to pass through, and there is or may be a disc on the pillar (e) to
cover the slot to keep out dust from the recesses which are kept supplied with
lubricant. The axle box is attached to one or two radial bars d' which are jointed
on a pin d² in the middle of the framing on a cross stay a¹ between the side frames,
as shown. On the front of the axle box two projections & are formed, one on
each side, which will act as stops to limit the lateral movement of the axle box
(d) by coming against one or the other bracket a², secured one on each sido frame
a at either extreme of radial movement, and these brackets a come under the said
projections or stops d³ if the framing should in any case lift too high, on the
radial wheels o descend too low, or be unsupported at any time.
Between the side frames a and connected with the brackets a there is a cross
beam as which carries a central bracket a', having a hole through it for a spindle d'
to freely pass through, and the hole is slotted to permit movement in the framing
upon the carrying springs.
This spindle has two springs fupon it compressed to any desired extent, and
one end of each spring abuts against a washer fl on the spindle d which comes
against a shoulder upon it, and also against the central bracket at when the axle
box is in its middle position, and the other end of each spring abuts against a
bracket ³ secured to the axle box, and the end of each spindle passes through a hole
in each bracket and is secured by a screw nut, as shown. When the axle box d
moves to one side, as shown in Fig. 4, one spring f is withdrawn from the central
bracket a, and the other spring (f) is compressed and is acting to bring the axle
box to its central position when the curve of the rail or tramway perinits.
Fig. 5 is a partial side sectional elevation, Fig. 6 a cross sectional elevation, and
Fig. 7 a plan illustrating another modification of my Invention, which is similar to
that illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, except in the mode in which the spring
pillars (e) are carried on the axle box, which is shown detached on an enlarged
scale by Fig. 8, a side sectional elevation, and Fig. 9 a front sectional elevation.
An arm or segment of a wheel is jointed at es to the pillar e, the circular
segmental surface rests upon and in a recess in the axle box d, as shown, the axis
of the joints of the segments e³ are arranged in the radial line drawn from the
pivot d² of the axle box d, as shown best in the plan view, Fig. 7.
This arrangement permits the radial axle box d to oscillate to the limit fixed
upon with but little friction.
Fig. 10 is a side elevation, Fig. 11 a cross sectional elevation, and Fig. 12 a plan
section of another modification in which the springs (f) for lateral action are
dispensed with.
In this case each spring pillar e is jointed by two pins e to an arm or lever e³,
the end of which rests in a cavity in the top of the axle box d, as shown detached
on an enlarged scale by Fig. 13, a side sectional elevation, and Fig. 14, an edge
sectional elevation.
The holes in the pillars e for the joint pins et are slotted to permit lateral
movement in the arm e on one pin or the other as the axle box radiates.
When the axle box d is in the central position the weight on the spring pillars e
is on both joint pins e of each pillar; but when the axle box moves to one sido

page_text: the weight is thrown upon one of the joints pins e of each pillar, and this lateral
movement is resisted by the weight, and when the curve of the railway permits
the axle box is thus brought back to the central position.
The centre line between the two joint pins e is arranged in a radial line drawn
from the pivot d' of the axle box, as shown in Fig. 12.
Figs. 15, 16, and 17 are views corresponding respectively to Figs. 10, 11, and 12,
illustrating another modification in which the direct lateral acting springs fare
dispensed with.
Each spring pillar e in this case rests in a hole in a plate c", having on its under
surface a double reversed incline which rests on corresponding inclines formed upon
the upper side of the axle box d.
The weight on the inclines resists lateral movement in the axle box when
departing from the central position, and brings it back when permitted to tho
central position.
I have now particularly described the nature of my said Invention, and the
modes of carrying the same into effect, and claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. The combination of a radial axle box having a radius bar or bars
jointed to the framing, with the spring pillars resting upon the axle box,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of
the Drawings.
Secondly. The combination of a radial axle box in one piece having a radius bar
or bars jointed to the framing, the spring pillars resting on the axle box and with
lateral springs, substantially as hercin before described and illustrated by Figs. 1
to 4 inclusive of the Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination of an arm or segment of a wheel with each spring
pillar to rest on a radial axle box, having a radius bar or bars jointed to the framing,
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive of
the Drawings.
Fourthly. The combination of double jointed arins or their equivalents with the
spring pillars and radial axle box, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive of the Drawings.
Fifthly. The combination of double reversed inclines and with spring pillars and
radial axle having a radius bar or bars, substantially as hercinbefore described and
illustrated by Figs. 15 to 17 inclusive of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Bottomley, have hereunto set iny hand
and seal, this Twenty fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty onc.
JOHN BOTTOMLEY
(LS)