IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE AND WAGON AXLES AND BUSHES AND THEIR FITTINGS PROAL
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Dakers of the Town and County of Aberdeen,
North Britain Coach-Builder for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARRIAGE AND WAGON AXLES AND BUSHES AND THEIR FITTINGS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Dakers at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th December 1882.
JAMES DAKERS of the Town and County of Aberdeen, North Britain, Coach-
builder, "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE AND WAGON AXLES AND BUSHES AND
THEIR FITTINGS,"
This Invention relates to certain improvements in carriage and wagon axles
and bushes and in fittings for the same, which are designed to render such more
simple in construction more durable, and more easily repaired than as hitherto
constructed and fitted.
In carrying this Invention into practice the arm of the axle is formed without
the bearing collar. which is usually welded or screwed on to the same and in the
place thereof there is formed in one piece with the arm of the axle, a long bearing
surface running to the rear end. of the said arm of the axle. This bearing surface
has rotating around it a bush or box extending backwards to the extreme end of
the same and by this increased bearing surface the weak parts of the axle are
strengthened and the risk of breakage is minimized. At the shoulder formed at
the outer end of the bearing surface there is provided a leather washer against
which the bush of the wheel bears, this washer may be formed of brass, gun-metal,
or steel or of any other equivalent material, and when of metal formed with a conical
face. For the lubrication of the bearing surface,. in the outer end of the same, I
form an oil groove in the box or bush which is immediately at the back of the
leather washer herein before mentioned, and at the rear end of the box, I cut a
groove and insert into the same a leather washer which bears tightly upon the arm
of the axle; thus preventing the escape of oil.
In place of the two nuts usually provided upon the outer end of the arm of the
axle for the purposes of tightening up the bearing surfaces when worn by forcing

page_text: the sliding bearing collar along the same, and preventing the bush or box from
coming off, there is provided a nut with a correspondingly formed cap fitting over
the same and which cap is formed at its outer end with a square opening fitting
over a corresponding square formed on the outer end of the arm of the axle, thus
preventing the nut from turning round and slackening the bearings. On the
outside of this cap, I provide an ordinary split-lynch-pin passed through the arm of
the axle. There is also provided an ordinary oil cap for the lubrication of the axle
bearing which is screwed into the end of the bush or box, and over the nut and
cap hereinbefore mentioned.
.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Dakers in the Great Seal Patent Office' on the 9th June
1883.
JAMES DAKERS of the Town and County of Aberdeen, Coachbuilder IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARRIAGE AND WAGON AXLES AND BUSHES AND THEIR FITTINGS.
This invention relates to certain improvements in carriage and wagon axles and
bushes and in fittings for the same which are designed to render such more simple
in construction, more durable, and more easily repaired than as hitherto constructed
and fitted.
In the specification of a Patent granted to me bearing date the twenty fifth day
of September AD 1880 and numbered 3895 I have described and shown an axle
arm for strengthening purposes and an addition to bush for supporting the said
arm; and the form of bush forming part of this present invention, as also the form
of axle, is an improvement on my former patent aforesaid, inasmuch as I am
enabled to make the bush and axle arm support in one piece instead of screwing
on a separate cap to the bush for this purpose, and also to dispense with the
screwed on bearing collar mentioned in the specification of the patent aforesaid
And having practically tested the principle of supporting the axle arm by the
bush in the manner described in the specification of my patent aforesaid since date
thereof I have ascertained that very beneficial results accrue by lengthening the
axle arm and very firmly supporting such length behind the shoulder of the
journal.
This present invention is designed to further improve upon this part of my
previous patent by simplifying its application, as well as the general construction
of axles and their bushes.
To enable my invention to be better understood I will now proceed to explain
the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which is a longitudinal
section.
A is the bush proper, A¹, increased length for supporting the axle arm B, along
nearly its whole length as shown; the mouth of A¹ is made stronger than other part
by addition of metal thereto as shown. C is journal of axle of ordinary construction,

page_text: D, is leather or other washier let into a groove or suitable receptacle in inner end of
bush through which the arm of axle passes, round which it fits closely, E, is groove
for oil or other lubricant for lubricating arm B; F is leather wasber on journal for
shoulder a to bear against inner bearing G of bush, the shoulder a is formed by
the journal being of less diameter than the arm B as will be readily seen by
reference to the drawing the.journal beginning directly at outer termination of arm
It is well known to coachbuilders and axle makers that axles as now constructed
and fitted usually break from a sudden jerk. or lateral strain at the shoulder a, and
to prevent this it has been proposed to form the axle, with as it were two arms and
to support the larger arm with an additional bush placed over the ordinary one
extending back, and form the shoulder at outer end of larger arm and over smaller
arm, and forming the bush correspondingly, but so as not to offer any support to.
the smaller arm; this arrangement is practically valueless as the outer bush is
necessarily of such form and diameter as to seriously weaken the nave of a wheel
when let in, besides this grave fault, such construction of bush does not give the
necessary firm support the arm requires to prevent strain to the shoulder.
I have found by experiments that the shoulder a must pass a considerable'
distance into the bush, farther than has hitherto been proposed, and also that the
extra length I give to the axle arm requires to be very firmly supported along nearly
its whole length, or it will soon cease to run smooth and begin to wear the bush and
rattle in it, important details, which no one so far as I have been able to ascertain
has ever proposed with reference to carriage and wagon axles, while at the same
time, the exterior of the bush must not be so much enlarged as to weaken the nave
of the wheel; and I consider that by my construction of bush and axle I have
effectually overcome these difficulties and am enabled to give such an increased
amount of support to the axle arm without making the bush so large as to weaken
the nave of the wheel when let in, as to render a breakage of the axle at the
shoulder almost impossible, as by no means can any lateral strain or jerk be brought
to bear upon this part.
:
I prefer to use a leather washer F on journal for the shoulder a to bear against
the inner bearing G in bush; but in place of a leather washer I may employ a
metal bearing collar preferably made of gun metal, the bearing face of which I
prefer to make conical, the seat in bush being made to correspond, but when using
à leather washer the bearing must be nearly or even quite straight.
To assist the lubrication of this part as well as the bearing surface of axle arm
that enters the bush, I form within, the bush an oil groove E slightly behind the
shoulder a and to prevent escape of oil from inner end of bush, and the entrance
of dirt into bush, I form another groove, or suitable receptacle within the part A'
near the mouth in which I place a leather or other suitable washer or packing D,
which closely encircles the axle arm similar to packing round the piston rod of a
steam engine. The whole length of arm B that enters bush is made a bearing
surface and supported along its length by part A¹ of bush
The bush is kept on journal by suitable bearing collar I on outer end of journal
retained by screw nut and to prevent this nut unscrewing I prefer to form the
outside of a square, or other suitable shape and to square the end of journal
and over both to fit a cap corresponding with the form of exterior of nut the top
or crown of which cap having a square opening for the square end of the journal to
come through, and this cap is prevented coming off by an ordinary split lynch pin
passed through extreme end of journal and the whole covered in by suitable
oil cap.
Since filing my Provisional Specification I have ascertained that the above
described arrangement for securing the nut has been substantially proposed prior
to the date of this patent, consequently I make no claim to the same, or show full
details of application in the drawing and I merely mention it as the means I prefer
to employ being in my opinion better than the usual plan of passing a pin through
the nut and journal or using a second nut.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention for Improvements in

page_text: carriage and wagon axles and bushes and their fittings I wish it to be understood that
I make no claim to simply enlarging the axle arm to strengthen the shoulder of an
axle, and giving the arm a slight or partial support, as the same has heretofore been
proposed, as has also, forming the shoulder at termination of an enlarged arm over
as it were a second arm or enlarged part of journal, such enlargement of journal
necessitating an enlargement of bush which seriously interferes with the nave of
the wheel, but what I do claim as my invention and consider novel is
The improved form of axle and bush and fittings of same bereinbefore described
and shown; that is to say.
(a) Forming the axle arm long and of larger diameter than the journal part
such larger diameter being made suitable to act as a bearing surface
(b) Forming the shoulder a directly at outer end of arm and beginning of
journal by making the journal of smaller diameter than the arm and in one piece
with same as shown, and using a metal, leather, or other suitable washer F
'between shoulder a and inner bearing G in bush.
(c) A bush formed with a supporting part A¹ which revolves round and supports
the axle arm B.
(d) Forming a groove or receptacle in inner end of bush and placing in such.
groove or receptacle, a suitable washer or packing D encircling the axle arm to
prevent escape of oil and entrance of dirt; and
(c) Forming in part A' of bush a groove or receptacle E for oil behind shoulder
all substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth
In witness whereof I the said James Dakers have hereunto set my hand and
seal this eighteenth day of May in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
JAMES DAKERS (L.S.)