improvements in or Connected with the Wheels and Axles of Road Vehicles.
Year: 1886

page_text: improvements in or Connected with the Wheels and Axles of
Road Vehicles.
I, CHARLES ORANDALL of 32 Pelham Street, Newport, Rhode Island, in the
United States of America, an Inventor, 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:-
My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in axles for wheel
vehicles and has for its object to secure the wheel to the axle in such manner as to
avoid the necessity of its removal in oiling the axle, and in forming an oil chamber
within the box of the hub so as to enable the axle spindle and box to be lubricated
by the oil being readily drawn the length of the box in such quantities as shall be
required for a considerable period of time without replenishing the oil chamber and
it consists in a certain peculiarity of construction as hereinafter described, and
shown, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.
Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced in keeping the axle spindle in a
moderate state of lubrication for any considerable length of time, owing to the
tendency of the oil to escape by the side of the nut or packings of the wheel as
soon as it became heated, when the vehicle is in motion and the consequent dryness
of the spindle and wear and injury to the same before it is discovered that
additional oil is required.
In the drawing Fig. 1 represents a sectional view of my invention.
Fig. 2 represents an outer end view of the hub of the wheel with the screw cap
removed from the extended end of the wheel box, and shown in dotted lines.
Fig. 3 is a view of the outer end of the hub of the wheel with the screw cap,
screw stopper and disc removed exposing to view the perforated partition on the
inner end of the oil chamber.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inner end of the hub of the wheel showing
the axle nut screwed into wheel box holding the wheel on the axle spindle.
Fig. 5 is a view of the hinged nut removed from the axle illustrating its means
of application.
Fig. 6 is a modified form of the oil chamber on the extended end of the
wheel box.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures..
A represents a wheel box in the hub of a wheel with its outer end B extended
beyond the hub proper, and reduced in diameter to form an oil chamber J entirely

page_text: within the extended portion with an external screw thread on the reduced portion
for the reception of a screw cap, and an internal screw thread at or near the outer
end of the chamber for a screw stopper. At a point in the wheel box A adjacent
to the extended reduced portion B is formed integral with the box a perforated
partition E, and within the oil-chamber J a disc F of felt, or other porous material
is placed against the partition to enable the oil gradually to ooze or percolate
through from the oil-chamber J into the box, and thus surround and gradually
extend its entire length to lubricate the axle-spindle H.
A screw-stopper I is filled into the outer end of the oil-chamber forming a tight
joint to retain the oil within the chamber when desired, and is so constructed as to
be unscrewed by means of a screw-driver, or other suitable tool inserted in its
outer recess i when it is desired to remove the sediment from and clean the oil-
chamber.
Upon the inner end of the stopper there is fastened a coiled or spiral-spring
wire O which extends the length of the chamber, and its inner end made to rest
against the felt disc F to hold it in place when the vehicle is in motion. In place
of fastening the coiled-wire to the stopper it may be made slightly less in diameter
than the oil-chamber, and of the same length, and be placed therein against the
disc, and the stopper then inserted to hold it in place.
In the upper side of the oil-chamber a small screw hole D is inserted through
the external screw-threads on the reduced portion of the box into the chamber
through which the oil is poured in filling the chamber. A screw-cap C is made to
fit over the entire extended reduced portion B constituting the oil-chamber, and in
adjusting the screw-cap to its seat, the filling hole D is securely closed preventing
the escape of oil from chamber and of dust or other foreign substances from getting
into the oil-chamber, and thereby supplying a gritty substance in the oil that soon
has a tendency to injure the wheel-box and axle-spindle by wearing so that they
become loose and it is found necessary to replace them by new ones.
While I prefer the screw-cap C so as to cover the entire oil-chamber and filling-
hole and prevent the accidental working out of the screw-stopper I this form of
covering may be dispensed with by removing the screw cap and inserting a screw K
in the screw-hole D which will serve to prevent the outward escape of oil from the
chamber. When it is desired to use the screw in place of the cap the external
screw-thread may be omitted from the oil-chamber as clearly shown in the modified
form represented in Fig. 6.
With an oil-chamber constructed as above described adapted at all times to
supply the wheel-box and axle-spindle with necessary amount of lubricating
substance, it is found more desirable to provide means on the inner end of the
axle, and for this purpose the enlarged portion L of the wheel-box on the inner end
of the wheel is made to project over the flange M of the axle-spindle to an extent
sufficient for the reception of a suitable packing or washer and nut on its inner
surface.
The inner surface of the enlarged projecting portion of the wheel-box is screw-
threaded and after the wheel is placed on the spindle a suitable packing or washer N
is placed against the inner side of the flange M of the spindle within the enlarged
portion of the wheel-box.
I construct a nut G in two parts QQ hinged together at 9 upon one side so
that when the parts are placed together they will form a ring. On the inner
margin of the nut a flange g¹ is formed, which at the opposite side from the hinge
on each part is made to project towards the periphery of the nut at g³ to form
bearings for a screw g³ for securing the two parts rigidly together.
The periphery of this nut is screw-threaded, and when placed over the axle and
its two parts secured together by the screw git is held securely by means of a
tongs, or other suitable tool applied to or in the holes g of the flange g¹ while the
wheel is turned until the nut and wheel are tightly screwed together and both
revolve upon the axle over the bearing-flange M of the spindle that holds the
wheel on the axle,

page_text: The nut G may be made in the form of a solid ring and placed on the axle in
the process of manufacture before the axle is welded, though I prefer the hinged
nut above described.
By this construction the removal of the wheel from the axle is avoided in oiling
the axle-spindle, as it is only necessary to unscrew the cap from off the oil-chamber
or remove the screw from the filling-hole to enable the oil-chamber to be refilled
from time to time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: -
1. A vehicle-wheel secured to the axle at the inner end of the hub, and having
its box extended beyond the hub at the outer end to form an oil-chamber entirely
within the extended portion which is adapted to be filled without removal of the
wheel from the axle-spindle as set forth..
2. A wheel-box for vehicles extended beyond the outer end of the hub to form
an oil-chamber, and reduced in diameter having external screw-threads thereon to
receive and hold a screw-cap and internal screw-threads within its outer end to
receive and hold a screw-stopper said cap being adapted to close the filling orifice
in the upper side of the box and hold the screw-stopper in its seat when placed on
the oil-chamber substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. An oil-chamber for axles formed entirely within that portion of the wheel-box
extended beyond the hub and having a perforated partition near its inner end, said
box being reduced in diameter and adapted to receive a screw-cap to cover its
end and close the filling orifice in its upper side as set forth.
4. In combination with an oil-chamber for axles formed within that portion of
the wheel-box extended beyond the hub and having a perforated partition at its
inner end covered by a disc of porous material and a screw-stopper within its outer
end of a coiler or spiral-spring in the chamber with its ends resting against the
stopper and disc substantially as set forth.
5. A wheel-box extended beyond the outer end of the hub forming an oil-
chamber and having an internal perforated partition at or near the inner end of
the chamber with a disc of porous material in the chamber over the perforated
partition the oil-chamber having a screw-stopper in its outer end and a filling-
orifice and means for closing the same substantially as described and for the
purpose set forth.
6. In combination with a vehicle-wheel secured to an axle at the inner end of
the hub by a flanged screw-nut in two parts hinged together and having means on
its flange for applying a holding tool, said uut being scrow-threaded on its periphery
and adapted to be applied around the axle after the wheel is placed thereon and to
work into the enlarged part of the box of the wheel, of the wheel-box extended
beyond the outer end of the hub to form an oil-chamber within the extended
portion adapted to be filled without removal of the wheel from the axle as set
forth.