Improvements in Axle-boxes for Carriages and other Road Vehicles, and in the Manufacture of the same, and in Machinery or Apparatus to be Employed in the said Manufacture.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1888
RES
Complete Specification Left, 4th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Mar., 1889
Improvements in Axle-boxes for Carriages and other Road Vehicles,
and in the Manufacture of the same, and in Machinery or
Apparatus to be Employed in the said Manufacture.
I, JOHN SIVITER, of Halesowen, Worcestershire, Nail & Chain Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has reference to axle-boxes for carriages, cars, carts and other road
vehicles and it consists firstly in an improved weldless axle-box in which the barrel
part and the collar are forged or rolled together from a single piece of metal without
a weld or seam; secondly, in an improved process or processes of forming the said
axle-boxes by rolling or forging as hereinafter described and thirdly, in machinery
or apparatus to be employed in the said rolling or forging process or processes.
One method of forming according to my invention the said weldless axle-boxes is
as follows:-By rolling I form a round steel or iron bar of about the same diameter as
are the required axle-boxes before being turned and having at regular intervals swells or
collars corresponding in size with the collars on the required axle-boxes; the spaces
between the said collars also correspond in length to about the length of the barrel parts
of the required axle-boxes. The bar is then sawn or otherwise cut up into lengths
each of which will when bored and otherwise finished form a weldless axle-box. In
rolling the said bar I employ rolls similar to those used for rolling round bars except
that in the finishing gates or grooves in the rolls there are reduced parts correspond-
ing with those spaces between the collars on the bars which form the barrel parts of
the finished axle-boxes.
According to another method instead of rolling a solid metal bar with collars at
intervals as above described I employ a stout steel or iron tube (the former by
preference) which is drawn down by rolling in a heated state so as to form the said
collars thereon. The said tube is then cut up into lengths each of which will form a
tubular axle-box in the rough.

page_text: Or, a bar or tube long enough to form only one axle-box may be employed and
reduced from the diameter of the collar to the diameter of the barrel by being passed
end wise through rolls or segments which have in their peripheries stops or recesses
and reduced parts corresponding respectively with the collar and barrel parts of the
required axle-box; or instead of being rolled end wise the rod or tube may be drawn
down by being rolled around its axis between three rolls or between reciprocating
Burfaces.
When a feather or feathers is or are required on the outside of the axle-box recesses
corresponding therewith are formed in the rolls or roll segments so as to form such
feather or feathers by rolling at the same time as the collar and barrel parts are
formed.
According to another method of forming the said barrel and collar parts together
(and the feather or feathers also when required) without a weld or seam I take a
round bar or tube of about the same diameter outside as the diameter of the required
collar part and then by suitable swaging tools or dies operated by a steam hammer
or otherwise I draw down part of the bar or tube to correspond with the barrel
part of the required axle-box. When a feather or feathers is or are required on
the outside of the axle-box, recesses corresponding, therewith are provided in the
said swaging tools or dies so as to forge such feather or feathers and collar or
collars at the same time as the barrel part.
By the said axle-boxes being weldless as above described it is impossible for the
collar to break off the barrel part, which is a defect in such as have the collar
welded to the barrel part, and moreover the axle-box is much stronger than those
which have a longitudinal weld or seam which frequently bursts and allows the
grease to leak out when the axle-boxes are worn thin.
Dated th: 2-1 1000
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Axle-boxes for Carriages and other Road Vehicles,
and in the Manufacture of the same, and in Machinery or
Apparatus to be Employed in the said Manufacture.
I, JOHN SIVITER, of Halesowen, Worcestershire, Manufacturer, 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 :-
This invention has reference to axle-boxes for carriages, cars, carts and other road
vehicles and it consists firstly in an improved weldless axle-box in which the barrel
part and the collar are rolled together from a single piece of metal without a weld or
seam; secondly, in an improved process or processes of forming the said axle-boxes
by rolling as hereinafter described and thirdly, in machinery or apparatus to be
employed in the said rolling or forging process or processes.
By the said axle-boxes being weldless and rolled down from the size of the collar
part as herein described it is impossible for the collar to break off the barrel part,
which is a defect in such as have the collar welded to the barrel part; and moreover
the axle-box is much stronger than those which have a longitudinal weld or seam
which frequently bursts and allows the grease to leak out when the axle-boxes are
worn thin.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents in elevation, section and end view,
an ordinary axle-box for carriages and other road vehicles; Fig. 2 illustrates a
finished rolled bar or tube for forming several of the same; Figs. 3, 3x and 3×× illus-
trate a round bar or tube and two successive stages in the rolling of the same into the
bar or tube illustrated by Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a front elevation and Fig. 5 a cross
section of a pair of rolls for forming the bar or tube illustrated by Fig. 2; Fig. 6
shews on an enlarged scale a bar of about the same diameter as the required axle-box
but long enough to form only one axle-box; Fig. 7 is a front view and Fig. 8 is a
cross section of the pair of rolls for forming the same; Fig. 9 is a front view and
Fig. 10 a cross section of part of the said rolls; Figs. 11, 12 and 13 illustrato the
rolls and appliances for forming the axle-box from a tube; Figs. 14 and 15 illustrate
an arrangement of three rolls for rolling the rod or tube around its axis into an axle-
box and Fig. 16 illustrates an axle-box provided with feathers and Fig. 17 shews the
rolls for forming the same.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1 to 13 both inclusive A' A' are two
rolls geared together having gates or grooves provided with reduced parts c corre-
sponding with the spaces between the collars on the bars or tubes which spaces form
the barrel parts d' of the finished axle-boxes. The larger parts e in the gates or

page_text: grooves correspond with the required collars d on the bars or tubes. The round bar or
tube from which the axle-boxes are required to be rolled is of about the same outside
diameter as the collars d on the required axle-boxes and is made either long enough
as shewn by Fig. 3 to form several axle-boxes or as shown by Fig. 6 long enough to
form only one axle-box. When operating on a bar or tube long enough to form
several axle-boxes the said bar or tube f (Fig. 3) is passed in a heated state through the
gate or groove 61 (see Figs. 4 and 5) which partly reduces the spaces d¹ leaving
the collars d² as shewn by Fig. 3*. The bar or tube Fig. 3× is then passed through
the gate or pass 63 the reduced parts c of which are smaller in diameter and corre
spondingly longer so that the bar or tube now assumes the shape shewn by Fig. 3**.
Finally the bar or tube is finished (see Fig. 2) by being passed through the gates b
which has reduced parts c of the same size as the barrel parts of the finished axle
boxes. The bar Fig. 2 is then divided by g by sawing into separate parts each forming
a partly finished axle-box which when made from a bar is bored in the usual manner
or by special tools forming no part of this invention. The number of gates or passes
for rolling down the bar Fig. 2 may be increased or diminished according to the
proportion of the axle-box required. The reduced parts c are rounded off at one
end as shewn so as to form the rounded neck d³ in the axle-box. When operating
on abar or tube (Fig. 6) which is long enough to form only one axle-box the rolls
are by preference made with duplicate sets of recesses e and reduced parts c as shewn
so that the bar can be inserted at every half revolution and in order to enable to rolls
to be used for rolling axle-boxes of different sizes each succeeding gate is made a
little smaller than the preceeding one. As the rolls A¹ A² revolve the bar f (Fig. 6)
is fed into one of the gates against the end of the recess e (Figs. 7 and 8) just
before the recesses come together it then passes through the rolls (see Figs. 9 and
10) and is reduced in diameter at d¹ to form the barrel part of the axle-box. The
partly formed axle-box is then passed through succeeding smaller gates until the
required reduction of the barrel part d' has been obtained. It will be evident
that by this example and in that illustrated by Figs. 11, 12 and 13 that instead
of employing complete rolls segments of rolls may be used and that instead of the
rolls or segments revolving they may oscillate round their axes to and fro.
In rolling down a short piece of tube to form a single axle-box I support the
inside by a mandril H (see Figs. 11, 12 and 13) which has a swell at its front end
corresponding with the size of the bore of the required axle-box and a collar / near
the other end. The mandril is supported between the two bars which are fixed
in front of the rolls to the two brackets j¹³, fixed to the roll housings k. The
bars are so near together that the collar 2 of the mandril cannot pass between
them and the mandril is made just long enough for the swell to come between
the rolls when the collar is against the front of the bars (see Fig. 12). The short
piece of tube is rolled by being threaded on to the mandril H which is drawn
forward for that purpose the mandril and tube are then pushed forward to the
recess e between the rolls and the tube rolled off the mandril which supports the
inside while the barrel part is reduced is diameter. The mandril is then drawn
forward again and the tube threaded thereon and rolled through the next succeeding
gate and so on until the required reduction of the barrel part di has been obtained.
Or the rod or tubo instead of being rolled endwise may be drawn down by
being rolled around its axis between three rolls or between reciprocating surfaces
(see Figs. 14 and 15). The three rolls are marked respectively L L L³. The
rolls L' L' are preferably geared together through an idle wheel m so as to revolve
in the same direction and the upper roll L' is arranged to be raised or lowered
above the rolls L' L' by the housing screws n, n from the lower ends of which
the bearings of the roll L³ are carried. Each of the rolls has a groove / corre-
sponding in width and depth with the collar of the required axle-box. The short rod
or tube of about the same diameter as the collar of the required axle-box is heated
and placed between the three rolls (see Fig. 15) the upper roll L³ having been
raised for this purpose by the screws n n. The upper roll L' is then screwed down

page_text: and as the rolls revolve the bar or tube is gradually lengthened out and reduced in
diameter at the barrel part until the required size has been obtained. The upper
roll L is then raised and the axle-box removed and a fresh bar, or tube placed
between the rolls and rolled down as above described.
When a feather or feathers o is or are required on the outside of the axle-box,
for instance as in the axle-box illustrated by Fig. 16, recesses p p corresponding
therewith are formed in the rolls or roll segments (see Fig. 17) so as to form such
feather or feathers by rolling at the same time as the collar and barrel parts are
formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said, inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. The improved method of manufacturing axle-boxes for carriages and other
road vehicles which consists in passing a heated round bar or tube between rolls
which form a reduced part or parts and a collar or collars thereon corresponding
respectively with the barrel and collar parts of the required axle-boxes substantially
as hereinbefore described.
2nd. The improved method of manufacturing axle-boxes for carriages and other
road vehicles which consists in passing a heated round har or tube between two
rolls A' A provided with the reduced parts c and recesses e which form a reduced
part or parts and a collar or collars on the said bar or tube corresponding respectively
with the barrel and collar parts of the required axle-boxes substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3rd. The improved method of manufacturing axle-boxes for carriages and other
road vehicles which consists in passing a heated tube between rolls which form a
reduced part or parts and a collar or collars thereon corresponding respectively
with the barrel and collar parts of the required axle-boxes the said tube meanwhile
being supported internally by a mandril substantially as hereinbefore described.
4th. The improved method of manufacturing axle-boxes for carriages and other
road vehicles which consists in passing a heated tube between two rolls A¹ A'
provided with the reduced parts c and recesses e which form a reduced part or parts
and a collar or collars on the said tube corresponding respectively with the barrel
and collar parts of the required axle-boxes the said tube meanwhile being supported
internally by the mandril H substantially as hereinbefore described.
5th. The improved method of manufacturing axle-boxes for carriages and other
road vehicles which consists in passing a heated round bar or tube between three
rolls which cause the said bar or tube to revolve axially and form a reduced part or
parts and a collar or collars thereon corresponding respectively with the barrel and
collar parts of the required axle-boxes substantially as herein before described.
6th. The improved method of manufacturing axle-boxes for carriages and other
road vehicles which consists in passing a heated round bar or tube between rolls
which form a reduced part or parts and a projecting feather or feathers and a collar
or collars thereon corresponding respectively with the barrel feather and collar parts
of the required axle-boxes substantially as hereinbefore described.
7th. An axle-box for carriages and other road vehicles having the collar and
barrel parts formed together by rolling substantially as herein before set forth.
8th. In the manufacture of rolled axle-boxes for carriages and other road vehicles
the employment of the rolls A¹ A or roll segments geared together and having
reduced parts c and recesses e in their peripheries corresponding respectively with
the barrel and collar parts of the required axle-boxes for the purposes and substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5; Figs 7, 8, 9 and 10
and by Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.
9th. In the manufacture of rolled axle-boxes for carriages and other road vehicles
the employment of the rolls A'A' or roll segments geared together and having
reduced parts c and recesses e and p in their peripheries corresponding respectively

page_text: with the barrel collar and feather parts of the required axle-boxes for the purposes
and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Fig. 17 of the accom-
panying drawings.
10th. In the manufacture of rolled axle-boxes for carriages and other road vehicles
the three rolls L' L' L' geared together and each having a groove 1 for the purposes
and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 14 and 15 of the
accompanying drawings.