AN IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE AXLES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Smalley, of Bishopgate, in the Parish
of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Accountant, and Wash-
ington Smirk, of Ince, in the Parish and County aforesaid, Smith,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE
AXLES."
Sealed the 27th February 1854, and dated the 5th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Smalley and
Washington Smirk at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th September 1853.
We, JOHN SMALLEY, of Bishopgate, in the Parish of Wigan, in the
County of Lancaster, Accountant, & WASHINGTON SMIRK, of Ince,
in the Parish & County aforesaid, Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY CAR-
RIAGE AXLES" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in forming the axles of the wheels of railway
carriages and wagons so that while the wheels are fixed to the axles
and revolve therewith, as under the present mode of construction, the
axles are so formed and mounted in their bearings that the wheels can
rotate independantly of each other.

page_text: The wheels and axles are fixed together in the usual way, so that
both wheel and axle revolve; but, instead of there being one axle to a
pair of wheels, the axle being in one piece, and extending from side to
side under the carriage through both wheels, similar to the mode of con-
struction now generally adopted, the axle in this Invention is divided,
each wheel being mounted upon a separate short axle which runs in a
double bearing at each side of the wheel, an extra bearing being pro-
vided under the carriage on the inuer side of each wheel, thus forming
seperate and independant bearings for each axle, so that each wheel
can rotate independantly of the other. These bearings are of the
ordinary construction, and are held secure at the required distances
apart, so as to keep the wheels at all times in their proper guage by
means of struts and tie rods made fast to the bearings or their guides
or guard irons. The guard irons may be fixed fixed either on the
outer faces of the bearings at the end of the journals of the axles, or on
the inner face of the bearings next to the wheels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Smalley and Washington Smirk in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, 2
JOHN SMALLEY, of Bishopgate, in the Parish of Wigan, in the County
of Lancaster, Accountant, and WASHINGTON SMIRK, of Ince, in tho
Parish and County aforesaid, Smith, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of September, in the year of 2
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John Smalley and Washington Smirk, Her special
licence that we, the said John Smalley and Washington Smirk, our exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John g
Smalley and Washington Smirk, or our 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

page_text: lawfully might makc, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Chaunel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE
AXLES,"
upon the condition, amongst others, that we, the said John
Smalley and Washington Smirk, by an instrument in writing under our
hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
formed, 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.
per-
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Smalley and Washington
Smirk, do hereby declare that the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, an in and by the
Drawings accompanying this Specification, together with the explanation
thereof herein contained, that is to say:
Our Invention consists of an improvement in railway carriage axles.
By this Invention we obtain a separate and independent rolling or
rotary motion in each wheel, so that the wheels on one side of the
carriage may rotate faster or slower than the corresponding wheels on
the opposite side of the carriage; in other words, that the motion of the
near side wheels is independent of the off side wheels, while the wheels
are cach mounted separately upon their respective axles, so that the
wheel and axle both rotate together.
In the present ordinary mode of constructing railway carriages the
near side wheel and corresponding off side wheel are both keyed on to
one and the same axle, which axle passes under the carriage and through
both wheels; and as the two wheels are fixed upon one and the same
shaft or axle, it follows that the near side whcel must always make turn
for turn, or rotate with the same speed, as the off side wheel, and vice
versa, whatever may be the difference in the length of their respective
paths. In our Invention, in place of having one axle, as above described,
to each pair of wheels (extending from side to side). we have a double
axle or separate axle for each wheel; these axles, however, do not ex-

page_text: tend from side to side of the carriage, but are short axles which run in
a double bearing, an extra bearing being provided behind each wheel
to receive the inner journal of the said axle. These axles have
strengthening bosses on each side of the wheel (as hereafter de-
scribed), against which the faces of the nave of the wheel abut. The
wheels are keyed on to the axles in the usual way.
The guage or proper distance between the tire flanges of the wheels
is maintained as follows:-The journals of the axles run in a double
axle box in the sides of an oblong iron plate or frame in which the wheel
runs. These iron plates or frames connect both axle boxes of one wheel
together, and thus constitute what we denominate a double axle box,
which is fitted with slots and guard irons on the outside of each wheel.
In order to allow sufficient play at the ends of the axles we fit a moveable
plate of steel at the end of the inside journal; this steel plate abuts against
a plate of iron or other metal in front and inside of the axle box; the
last-mentioned plate is also moveable, when required, and is held in
its place by means of a screw through an ornamental boss in front and
outside of the axle box, which box receives additional strength there-
from. Should the axle in the course of time get too much play, these
plates, as well as the steel plates on the ends of the journals, can be
taken out and replaced with new ones, when the axles and axle boxes
can be again fixed as at first. The strengthening bosses before men-
tioned consist of enlargements in the axle in the front and back of the
wheel; the back boss is forged with the axle, and is solid therewith;.
the front boss consists of a collar or ring, which is put on to the axle in
front of the wheel red hot after the wheel is keyed on. These bosses
not only increase the strength of the axles, but, at the same time, by
forming butting flanges to the naves, give greater strength and rigidity
to the wheels, and assist 'both wheel and axle to resist a strain when
carrying a heavy load.
On the top of the iron plate in which the axle boxes are fixed a
strong oak frame is bolted; upon this frame the springs of the carriage
or body that carries the load are placed. We mount the springs
upon this frame, instead of mounting them directly upon the axle.

page_text: boxes; by this plan the play of the springs does not interfere with the
gauge of the wheels; all that the springs have to do is to carry the
load.
The timber frames may be dispensed with, and metal ones substituted,
and the springs placed directly upon the axle boxes, if required; by the.
timber framed axle boxes, however, the stroke of the wheels when
going over crossings (the springs resting on timber) is very much.
reduced.
The slots and guard irons of the double axle box may be placed at
the outside of the axle boxes at the ends of the journals or on the inside.
noxt the bosses.
For the lubrication of the axles we provide channels from the
grease boxes, which communicate with apertures in the centres of the
bearing brasses, and allow the grease to get to the centres of the
journals.
The details of construction of the axle, &c. above stated are deli-
neated on the accompanying Drawing, numbered 2043, and entitled:
"An Improvement in Railway Carriage Axles," to which Drawings the'.
following explanation applies.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawings accompanying this Specification are laid down to a
scale of one inch and a half to a foot, with the exception of Fig. 6,
which is laid down to a scale of three inches to a foot.
Fig. 1, is a plan of the axle, as forged, showing the solid boss at the.
back of the wheel,
Fig. 2, the collar or ring, which is put on after the wheel, and forms
a boss at the front.
..
Fig. 3, shows the axle, with the wheel and bosses fixed.
Fig. 4, is a plan, of the under side of the iron plate and double
axle box with the under caps.removed to show the bearing brasses.,
Fig. 5, is a plan of the upper side of ditto, and shows the position of
the wheel and the seat of the timber frame; the red lines thereon show
the timber frames themselves; the blue lines within the red ones show.
the seats of the springs.
..

page_text: Fig. 6, is an enlarged vertical section through the centre of one of
the axles; this section shows the double axle box and moveable plate
at the end of the journal.
Fig. 7, is an end view of an under frame of a carriage, showing the
manner in which the frame and axle box plates are bolted together.
For convenience of reference similar letters are used in each Fig.;
and wherever the same letter or number occurs in the respective
Figures or illustrations it still applies to the same part, which is shown
in a different position for the better description thereof; therefore the
following alphabetical reference applies to each illustration on the
Drawings wherein the respective letters occur.
REFERENCE.
A, the improved axle. B, the boss, forged on the axle, and against
which the face of the ave of the wheel abuts. C, the loose boss, which
is put on after the wheel. D, the journals of the axle. E, the journal
plate; this plate is of steel, and can be taken out and replaced when
necessary; it is held in its position by the pins at the back, as shown
in the Drawing. F, the butting plates in the axle boxes, against which
the steel plate E, on the inside, and the axle end outside, revolve; these
plates can also be taken out and replaced when necessary; they are 2
held in their positions by a flange on the bottom of the face plate of
the axle box, and by a screw through the ornamental boss in front of
the axle box face plate. G, the flange that carries the butting plate.
II, the screw which secures the butting plate. I, the iron plate or
frame by which the axle boxes are coupled, and by which the double g
axle box or plate is connected together. J, the timber frame. K, the
double axle box. I, the brasses. M, the slots for the guard irons.
N, the guard irons. Q, the grease boxes, in which are the channels
Q, for conveying unguent matter to the centre of the journal. R, the
carriage wheel. S, the springs. T, the sole pieces or principal frames 8
of the carriage floor.
We have now to the best of our ability described and ascertained the
nature of this our said Invention for an improvement in railway car-
riage axles, and in what manner the same is to be performed; but it

page_text: must be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the preciso
form and dimensions herein described or shown upon the Drawings, as
the same may be varied without departing from the principle of our
Invention; we therefore include all such modifications in form and
dimensions as may be, so long as the principle of our said Invention is
maintained; and we claim the improvement in railway carriage axles
as shown upon the accompanying Drawings and herein <lescribed.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Smalley and Washington
Smirk, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this First
day of March, in the year of our Lord 1854.
JOHN
(L.B.) SMALLEY.
WASHINGTON (L.S.) SMIRK.
JOHN
(L.B.) SMALLEY.
WASHINGTON (L.S.) SMIRK.