IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Illius Augustus Timmis, of No. 17, Parliament Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Illius Augustus Timmis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th April 1880.
ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS, of No. 17, Parliament Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY ROLLING
STOCK."
The objects of this Invention are to lessen the friction and vibration in running
caused by the present system of construction; to facilitate the fixing of radial
boxes and radial systems; also brakes and brake gearing; also springs to railway
vehicles.
The first part of this Invention consists in making the wheels of railway
vehicles to revolve on their axles, so that in going round curves the wheels can
travel at the different speeds necessary to cover the different lengths of rail.
Many Patents have been taken out over a long series of years (and several of
them have expired) for making the wheels of railway vehicles to revolve on one
or both axles, and also for making the axles in two parts, the one part revolving
independently of the other, all taken out with the intention of providing for the
different speeds necessary for the two wheels on one axle to cover the different
lengths of rail they have to travel on in going round curves.
These Inventions have not succeeded owing to the necessity of using lubricants,
and these Patents have generally bad special arrangements for lubricating the
working parts.
The enormous leverage (and consequent tendency to wear) on the wearing parts
of railway wheels revolving on their axles, and on the other wearing parts, and
the tendency for dust and grit to get between the wearing surfaces makes it
impossible to keep the various parts in practical working order for sufficient length
of time without renewal of parts for the Invention to succeed if lubricants are
used. This difficulty 1 do away with by making the boss of the wheel of a great
thickness from side to side, and the inner face of the hole in the wheel boss may be
of any kind of hard or suitable metal.

page_text: I fit into this hole a bush with a collar on its inner end to fit against the shoulder
of the axle (or a washer may be fixed against the shoulder of the axle), and the
bush may be in one or more parts, or I fit into the hole in the boss of the wheel
two bushes, by preference with collars, and these bushes need not extend all
through the wheel boss, but may have a hollow space between them. The end of
the axle passing through the wheel may be of any hard or suitable metal, and on
this end may be a sleeve in one or more parts of any hard or suitable metal, and it
may be keyed or otherwise fastened on the axle or not.
By preference, and this is the main feature and claim of my Invention, I make
wearing parts or surfaces of hard or suitable metal and line or plug them, any or
--all-of-thew,_with_metaline, carbon, or other metal or composition, which shall
enable the wearing parts to be used in regular wear-without any lubricants being
used. Of course the system of bushes, collars, sleeves, and washers, I have herein-
before described may be varied in almost any number of ways.
The second part of my Invention consists in making the axles of railway
vehicles between the wheels (where the axles do not revolve) of any desirable shape
or section as may be most convenient, in order to fix to the radial or flexible
wheel base systems, also brake gearing, also bearing or other springs, all or either
of them. If the axle of a railway vehicle is made in more than one part, and ono
or more wheels keyed or otherwise made fast to the axle, my systein and Invention
of using such metals as I have herein before described and for the purposes described
is equally applicable. Another part of my Invention consists in having the axle
-boxes-of-railway_vehicles_fitted with bushes, washers, sleeves, and collars, any or
all of them, and having all the wearing surfaces-made-of-hard-or-suitable_metal,
and as herein before described, I line or plug these wearing surfaces with metaline
carbon or other suitable metal or composition which shall enable the wearing parts
to be used in regular wear without any lubricants being used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Illius Augustus Timmis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th
October 1880.
ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS, of 17, Parliament Street, Westminster, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY ROLLING
STOCK."
The objects of the first part of this Invention are to lessen the friction between
wheels, axles, and axle boxes, and other similar wearing parts of railway carriages
and other rolling stock, and to dispense altogether, or so far as is possible, with the
use of lubricants; other objects of the Invention are to facilitate the application of
radial boxes and radial systems, as well as brake gearing and springs to milway
vehicles.
The first part of the Invention is especially applicable to wheels of railway
vehicles which revolve on their axles, so that in going round curves the wheels
can travel at the different speeds necessary to cover the different lengths of
rail, the object of the improvements being to dispense with the use of lubricants.
Many systems have hitherto been devised and tried in which the wheels revolve
on one or both axles, or in which the axles are made in two parts, the one part
revolving independently of the other, but have not succeeded owing to the necessity
of using lubricants generally necessitating special arrangements for lubricating the
working parts. The enormus leverage (and consequent tendency to wear) on the
wearing parts of railway wheels revolving on their axles and on the axles, and the
tendency of dust and grit getting between the wearing surfaces makes it impossible
to keep the various parts in practical working order for a length of time without
renewal of parts if lubricants are used. This difficulty I do away with according
to this part of my Invention by making the boss 1 of the wheel considerably
thicker from side to side than is usual, see Figure 1, and I prefer to make the inner
part of the hole in the boss of chilled or of any suitable hard metal. Within the
hole I fit a bush 2 having a collar 3 which fits against the shoulder 4 of the axle 5
(or a washer may be used in lieu of the collar) the bush being made in one or more
parts, or I fit within the hole of the boss two similar bushes 2, 6, which need not
extend all through the boss, but may have a space between them, as shewn in
Figure 1. The end of the axle passing through the wheel may be made of any
suitable hard metal, and may be fitted with a sleeve 7 made in one or more parts
of any suitable hard metal, and be keyed or otherwise fastened on the axle, or be
loose thereon.
The characteristic feature of this part of my Invention consists in making the
above referred to wearing surfaces and parts of any suitable and usual hard
metal, and lining or plugging them (as shown in Figure 2 or otherwise) with
metaline carbon or other equivalent metal or composition which will enable
the wearing surfaces to be constantly and regularly used without requiring any
lubricants.
I do not limit myself to the above described system of bushes, collars, washers,
and sleeves, as they may be varied in many ways without departing from the
above referred to principle of this part of my Invention.
If the axle of a railway vehicle is made in more than one part, and one or more
wheels are keyed or otherwise fastened thereto, my improved system of applying
and using the above referred to metals or compositions which do not require
lubricants is equally applicable, the same being also applicable to ordinary wheel
or axle bearings in axle boxes.
Dust, grit, or water are prevented obtaining access to the wearing parts by thin
metallic screens 10 which are screwed to the boss 1, as shewn, and fit in a groove
in the axle box 11 or about the axle, as shewn in Figure 1.

page_text: The second part of the Invention consists in making the axles of railway vehicles
between the wheels (where the axles do not revolve) of any desirable shape in order
to fix to them radial or flexible wheel base systems, brake gearing, and bearing and
other springs of the usual or well known kinds, and where revolving axles are
used, or axles which are free to revolve whether made in one part or not. I fix
the brake gearing and flexible wheel base system to the axles by means of an
additional framework 8 and bearings 9, in lieu of to the body of the vehicle as at
present, and (as hereinbefore described) I line or plug all the wearing surface with
metaline, carbon, or other of the above referred to metals or compositions having
equivalent characteristics, so far as their non-requirement of lubricants is concerned,
for the purposes herein before described, but in this part of the Invention I do not
-restrict myself_to_do_without_lubricants; and by means of this improvement the
body of the carriage or truck and the springs attached thereto are relieved from¯
great strain.
Having now described the nature and objects of my said Invention together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,―
First. The application and use of metaline, carbon, or other equivalent metal or
composition of the nature herein before referred to, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
Secondly. The improved method of fixing brakes and brake gearing and bearing
and other springs to the axles of railway vehicles, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof,-I-the-said-Illius-Augustus-Timmis, have hereunto_set_
my hand and seal, this Second day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.