IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Harrison, of 4, Little Goodwin Street, Hull,
in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES
FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 12th August 1856, and dated the 16th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Harrison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
February 1856.
I, 'GEORGE 'HARRISON, of 4, Little Goodwin Street, Hull, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN 'AXLES FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as follows:--
This Invention consists in forming divided or compound railway axles in the
following manner, that is to say :-I form the inner ends of each separate axle
with a collar, that when these two collars are brought together, and the axles
in a line with each other, they are held in that position by wrought-iron caps
and steps, each formed in two parts, the steps corresponding in shape to that
part of the axle which they are intended to embrace and surround, so that when
the aforesaid caps and steps are screwed together, each axle shall be at liberty
to rotate independently of the other one, and still the two shall be connected
together firmly.
Another mode of making railway axles according to this Invention is to
connect the ends of the axles together by a he & she joint, and instead of

page_text: employing two caps screwed together, I form a solid wrought-iron box, made
round, and bored and fitted up, to receive the inner boxes or steps of brass or
iron which are connected to the outer box by two screws to each step.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Harrison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HARRISON, of 4, Little Goodwin Street, Hull, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Harrison, Her special licence that I, the said George Harrison,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Harrison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AXLES FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Harrison, my executors or administrators, by
an instru-
ment 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 George Harrison, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
My Invention consists in forming divided or compound railway axles in the
following manner, that is to say :-I form the inner ends of each separate axle
with a collar, and when these two collars are brought together, and the axles
placed in a line with each other, they are held in that position by wrought-iron
caps and steps, each formed in two parts, the steps corresponding in shape to.

page_text: that part of the axle which they are inteded to embrace and surround, so that
when the aforesaid caps and steps are screwed together, each axle shall be at
liberty to rotate independently of the other one, and still the two shall be con-
nected together firmly.
Another mode of making railway axles according to my said Invention is
to connect the ends of the axles together by a "he" and "she "joint, and
instead of employing two caps screwed together, as before stated, I form a
solid wrought-iron box, made round, and bored and fitted up to receive inner
boxes or steps of brass or iron, which are connected to the outer box by two
screws to each step.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an elevation, shewn partly in section, of one of my improved
compound railway axles; Figure 2 is an elevation of the above axle complete ;
Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections through the line A, B, at Figure 2;
Figure 5 is an elevation, shewn partly in section, of another of my improved
compound railway axles; Figure 6 is a detached portion, hereafter referred to;
Figure 7 is a longitudinal and vertical section of this last-mentioned axle,
shewing the construction thereof; Figure 8 is a detached part, hereafter
referred to. At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of
reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear or can
be seen at each of the said Figures respectively.
At Figures 1 and 2, A, A', mark a compound wrought or cast iron railway
axle formed with journals in the usual way. The part A of the axle has a pin
a formed thereon, which fits into a corresponding shaped hole in the part A' of
the said axle; B, B, are half round pieces of iron, brass, gun metal, or other
suitable material, the inner surface of which fits, as near as may be, round the
small part of the axle, and the outer surface of said pieces fits in a wrought-
iron cap or socket C, to which said pieces are securely conuected by screws b, b.
It will be seen, upon referring to Figure 1, that the axle at the points of junc-
tion is formed with collars c, c, so that when the pieces B, B, are screwed in
their proper position, the divided parts A, A, of the axle are by these means
firmly and securely held together. x is a screw, fitting into a hole in the
socket C, said hole being employed for admitting oil to those parts of the axle

page_text: where the socket 'C is situate. The-grooves y, y, at Figure 4, allow the oil to
pass readily to the rubbing parts of the axle. If necessary the pieces B, B,
may also have grooves formed therein to assist in conducting the oil to the
axle. When it is desired to afford additional security to the axle, in the event
of its becoming broken, I then construct the axle in the manner exhibited at
Figures 6, 7, and 8, where it will be seen that the compound axle, instead of
being formed solid, as before mentioned, is in this 'instance formed hollow, to
receive a wrought-iron tie rod D, shown detaclied at Figure 8, which is passed
through the same and securely connected thereto by a screw nut d, or other
suitable means, so that in the event of the axle breaking, the tensile strain
upon the rod D will prevent the wheels from falling, and thus offer additional
security to the axle.
Having now described the 'nature and object of my said Invention of "ini-
provements in axles for railway carriages," together with the best means I
am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark,
in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention the constructing of a compound
railway axle in the manner above stated, and substantially as set forth and
represented by the Drawing hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Harrison, lave 'hereunto 'set
'my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
'Witness,
ANTHONY BANNISTER,
Mayor of Hull.
GEORGE HARRISON. (L.S.)