IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES FOR THE ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES FOR THE
ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS."-A communication from abroad by
Maximilian Schmid von Schmidsfelden, of Odessa, in the Empire of
Russia, Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 5th September 1868, and dated the 5th May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th May 1868.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE
BOXES FOR THE ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to an improved construction of axle
boxes in which oil is used as the lubricating medium. For this purpose
the axle box is constructed of two separate parts, the one part being
arranged as a cover and secured to the lower part by means of bolts

page_text: passing through lugs at the sides, which bolts at the same time serve
to secure the spring to the axle box when required. The lower part
of the axle box is divided into an upper and a lower chamber, into
the first of which the axle passes. The axle runs in a bearing brass
resting on its upper part and supporting the axle box by a spherically-
formed surface fitting in a corresponding seating formed in the cover
of the axle box. The part of the bearing brass in contact with the
axle is by preference lined with an alloy of 80 parts of zinc, 14-5 parts
of tin, and 5.5 parts of copper. The lower chamber constitutes the
reservoir of oil, which is introduced through a front aperture closed by
a screw plug, a second aperture also closed by a screw plug being formed
in the bottom surface of the chamber for allowing it to be emptied
when required. This reservoir communicates with the upper chamber
by means of an oblong opening beneath the axle, into which opening
is fitted a hollow wooden block through which a flat wick placed
between two flat pieces of felt passes from the oil reservoir up to the
under side of the axle, the wick and pieces of felt being kept in contact
with the axle by means of two springs pressed against the under side.
of the wooden block. The block has furthermore a cylindrical wick
drawn over its outer surface, and grooves are cut in the same where it
passes through the before-mentioned opening in order to allow the oil
that is drawn up into the upper chamber by the wick to pass back again
into the reservoir. At the back surface of the axle box through which
the axle passes two circular grooves are formed, into which are fitted
two felt discs made to fit closely round the axle so as to enclose the
inner space of the axle box as much as possible. The cover of the axle
box is also provided with an aperture closed by a screw plug.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of May, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her special licence that I, the
said Charles Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES
FOR THE ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS," a communication to me from abroad
by Maximiliam Schmid von Schmidsfelden, of Odessa, in the Empire
of Russia, Civil Engineer, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument 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 Charles Denton Abel, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
This Invention has reference to an improved construction of those
axle boxes in which oil is used as the lubricating medium, and whereby
the axles may be allowed to be in constant wear for many months
without requiring to be replenished with lubricating material, while
they are at the same time lubricated and preserved from grit or dirt in
the most perfect manner.
The said improved construction of axle boxes is shown on the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a front
view of the axle box; Figure 2 shows a back view thereof; Figure 3
shows a plan; Figure 4 shows a plan of the under side of the bearing
brass; Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section through the axle box;
Figure 6 shows a transverse section thereof; and Figure 7 shows a plan

page_text: to an enlarged scale. Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts
in each of the Figures.
The axle box is composed of two separate parts A and B, of which B
is arranged as a cover to A, and is secured thereto by the screw bolts C, C,
passing through lugs A', A', B', 'B', at the sides, which bolts at the same
time serve to secure the spring to the axle box when desired. The part
A of the axle box is divided internally by a partition a into an upper
chamber a and lower chamber a³, of which a' serves to receive the
axle O, while a constitutes a reservoir for containing the lubricating
oil. Upon the axle O rests a bearing brass D fitting in a seat 6 prepared
for it in the part B of the axle box, the meeting surfaces of the brass
and the seat being formed as part of a sphere, as shown, in order to
insure that the bearing surface of D shall fit perfectly true upon the
axle. The brass D is provided with a lining d where it is in contact
with the axle, made by preference of an alloy of 80 parts of zinc, 14.5
part of tin, and 5.5 parts of copper. The brass may however be made
entirely of an alloy of about 86 per cent. of copper and 14
per cent. of
tin. It has a diagonal groove d' on its bearing surface, as shown at
Figure 4, in which a certain quantity of oil is taken up as the axle
revolves, thus forming a small reservoir. In the partition a is formed
an aperture, as shown, by which the chamber a' communicates with the
oil reservoir a³, which is otherwise entirely closed. In this aperture is
fitted the block of wood E hollowed out in the manner shown to receive
the lubricating pad. This is composed of discs of felt F, F¹, between
which is placed a flat wick G, which together with the felt reaches up
to the under side of the axle O, while the wick G alone passes down
to the bottom of the reservoir. The pad is kept in contact with the axle
by means of springs H, H, pressing against the under side of the wooden
block E. This has grooves e, e, cut in its side surfaces, through which
the superfluous oil flows back from the chamber a¹ into the reservoir a³.
It has furthermore a tubular wick I drawn over its outer surface. The
oil is filled into the reservoir a through the aperture J, in front closed
by a screw plug K and placed at such a height that the reservoir cannot
be filled beyond the required level. A second aperture closed by a
screw plug L is formed in the bottom of the reservoir for emptying out
the oil when requisite. Access may also be gained to the chamber a¹
through the aperture M closed in like manner by a screw plug, as

page_text: shown. Two grooves N, N, are formed in the back open end of the
axle box into which two discs of felt P are fitted; these discs in being
made to fit closely round the axle which passes through them effectually
prevent the entrance of grit and dirt into the axle box.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, what I claim is,—
First. The before-described construction of axle box composed of the
two parts A and B, of which A is divided by the partition a into the
chamber a and oil reservoir a², arranged and operating substantially as
herein-before set forth.
Second. The before-described construction of lubricating cushion
G, F, F', with wood block E and springs H.
Third. The before-described construction of bearing brass D with
spherical bearing surface.
Fourth. Closing the back end of the axle box by felt discs, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein-before set forth.
Fifth. I claim in combination the general arrangement of axle boxes,
herein-before described with reference to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.