Improvements in the Axles of Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 27th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Axles of Railway Vehicles.
We, PACIFIC CAR EQUIPMENT COMPANY, of 906, Broadway, Oakland, County of
Alameda, State of California, U.S.A., a Corporation duly organized and existing
inder and by virtue of the laws of the State of California, and ALEXANDER CARSON
RUMBLE, of the same address, Engineer, 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 relates to improvements in the journals of car axles. It con-
sists essentially of supplemental steel sleeves adapted to be pressed or shrunk
upon the ends of the iron axle, and to form removable wearing surfaces integral
therewith.
It also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained
by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a sectional view shewing our device and its application to a rail-
way car axle. Figure 2 shows the axle sleeve with flanges at both ends. Figure 3
is an end view of the journal bearing shewn in Fig. 1. Figure 4 is a separate
view of the sleeve.
The object of this invention is to provide a removable sleeve which is secured
by pressure upon the end of the axle, and its periphery forms the journal
which turns in the box.
A is an axle of the ordinary construction for railway cars having the enlarge-
ment at B upon which the wheel C is forced by hydraulic pressure in the usual
manner.
Exterior to this part, the axle is turned smaller as shown at D); and at the
junction between the inner end of this reduced portion and the enlarged part B,
is preferably formed a curved fillet which forms the junction between the two
and by thus not presenting any sharp angle the tendency to break at this point
is reduced.
E is the sleeve which forms the journal bearing. This sleeve has an exterior
diameter equal to the standard adopted for the boxes, and fits in the usual box
which is constructed as shown at F, having the "bearing-brass," as it is termed, G.
The ends D of the axle are turned to a suitable diameter, and the interior of
the sleeves E is correspondingly formed to fit thereon, the inner ends being also
curved to coincide with the fillets d, and the inner ends abut closely against the
shoulders formed by the enlarged part B so that the journals are, in appearance,
a part of the axle, and the peripheral flanges are of a diameter not greater than
the part B of the axle upon which wheels are fitted. This allows the wheels to
be removed or replaced without disturbing or interfering with the journals.
The journal sleeves if of a length equal to the original axle bearing, may be left
open at the outer ends which may be flush with the ends of the axle, but when
the journals are to be longer than the original length or project beyond the axle
ends, they may have closed outer ends. In this construction a tapered counter-
sunk hole is made in the centre of the end of the cap and a screw bolt H enters
a correspondingly threaded hole in the axle end. The conical head of this bolt

page_text: fits the countersink of the cap and lies flush with its outer end. When the
wheels are to be ground, or the axles are to be placed in a lathe, the bolts are
removed and the conical countersunk openings serve as centres upon which
the axles many turn.
Where the axles are made without a flange at the outer end of the journal, as
shown in Fig. 1, the wedge I which fits above the brass G, has a plate I¹ attached
to the outer end which projects down over the end of the sleeve E and thus
retains the parts in proper place.
These sleeves may be forced upon the axle ends by hydraulic pressure, or they
may be expanded by heat and shrunk on.
In either case they become practically an integral part of the axle, with all
the advantages of the superior wearing surface and the less danger of crystal-
lization which the iron axle ensures.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is-
1st. Car axles having reduced ends with shoulder exterior to the enlarged
portions upon which the wheels are fixed, in combination with sleeves or caps
having an interior adapted to bind and be locked by circumferential pressure
upon the correspondingly shaped axle ends, cylindrical outer surfaces to fit the
bearings, and flanges or collars formed on the inner ends and abutting against
the axle shoulders, and flush therewith.
2nd. A. car axle having the ends which are coincident with the journal boxes
only, made smaller than said journal-boxes, with shoulders and curved fillets at
the inner ends of the reduced portion, wheels fixed to the enlarged parts of the
axle adiacent to the shoulders, in combination with sleeves or caps having the
interior formed to fit the axle end, and continuous curves to fit and abut against
the fillets and shoulders of the axle, a cylindrical exterior fitting the interior
of the journal boxes, and collars formed on the inner ends fitting between the
inner ends of the journal-boxes and the axle shoulders.
3rd. The combination in car axles of an essentially non-crystallisable body por-
tion having a part upon which the wheels are fixed, exterior reduced ends having
shoulders outside of the wheels and sleeves with hardened wearing surfaces fitted
to journal boxes, the interior of said sleeves removably fitted and secured to, the
reduced axle ends by circumferential pressure.
4th. A car axle with removable journal ends secured thereto by circumferen-
tial pressure, and having countersunk centres made in the outer ends thereof.
Dated this 17th day of March 1800
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agents.
GEDGE & FEENY,
60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agents.