Improvements in Lubricating Devices for the Wheels and Axles of Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 2nd May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lubricating Devices for the Wheels and Axles
of Vehicles.
1, ALFRED HENRY CANNON of 32 King Street, Hammersmith, in the County
of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
:~
This invention relates to improvements in the device usually employed for
lubricating the wheels and axles of all kinds of vehicles in which the wheels
rotate loosely on a fixed axle. The device usually employed for this purpose
consists of a hollow cap screwed into the outer end of the axle box and covering
the end of the axle. The oil or other lubricating material is placed in the hollow
part of the cap, and finds its way gradually to the surfaces to be lubricated; but
heretofore, so far as I am aware, it has been necessary to unscrew the cap from the
axle box in order to place the oil therein; and as the cap is of considerable size,
and has to be screwed up very tightly in order to prevent it from becoming unscrewed
by the jar and motion of the wheel, it can only be unscrewed by the application of
considerable force applied by means of a suitable wrench. The object of my
invention is to obviate the necessity of removing the cap at all in order to supply
oil to it, and for this purpose I employ the following devices. I make a hole in
the outer end of the cap of the axle box large enough to allow of oil being
supplied through it to the hollow part or chamber of the cap by means of an
ordinary oil can or otherwise. This hole may be closed, when oil is not being
supplied, by means of a valve of any suitable kind contained within the chamber,
and pressed against the aforesaid hole by means of a spring. The valve can be
opened from outside the cap by pressing it inwards by means of the spout of an oil
can or by means of a thumb piece, a button or otherwise.
Instead of the hole in the cap being closed by a valve opening inwards it may be
closed by a valve or cover opening outwards, and kept closed, when oil is not being
inserted through the hole, by means of a spring or otherwise. Or instead of a valve
a screw or other stopper may be employed to close the hole; or a suitably shaped
tap may be applied to the hole such tap being opened when oil is to be introduced
into the chamber of the cap, and closed after its introduction.
TAILED
■Leon 108 4OMILUXY (I une lo
A. H. CANNON,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
Improvements in Lubricating Devices for the Wheels and Axles
of Vehicles.
I, ALFRED HENRY CANNON, of 32 King Street, Hammersmith, in the County
of Mi Idlesex, Confectioner, 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 device usually employed for
TD 031

page_text: .
lubricating the wheels and axles of all kinds of vehicles in which the wheels rotate
loosely on a fixed axle. The device usually employed for this purpose consists of
a hollow cap screwed into the outer end of the axle box, and covering the end of
the axle. The oil or other lubricating material is placed in the hollow part of the
cap, and finds its way gradually to the surfaces to be lubricated; but in order to
place the oil therein it has been customary to unscrew the cap from the axle box,
and as the cap is of considerable size, and has to be screwed up very tightly in
order to prevent it from becoming unscrewed by the jar and motion of the wheel,
it can only be unscrewed by the application of considerable force applied by means
of a suitable wrench. The object of my invention is to provide improved means
fer supplying oil to the cap without unscrewing it from the axle box, and for this
purpose I employ devices of the kind illustrated in the accompanying sheet of
of drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the cap of an axle box with one of my
improvements applied thereto, and Figure 2 is an elevation of same looking from
left to right in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal section of the cap of an axle box with a
modification of the arrangement shown in Figure I applied thereto, and Figure 4
is an elevation of part of Figure 3 looking from left to right in that figure.
Figure 5 is a front view of a similar cap with a further modification of the
arrangements shown in Figures 1 to 4.
Figure 6 is a partial longitudinal section of a cap with another of my improve-
ments applied thereto, and
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively a partial longitudinal section and a front view
of a cap with yet another of my improvements applied thereto.
cap,
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A represents the axle box B a valve seating
screwed from the inside of the cap into a hole C made in the front thereof.
D is
a valve pressed against the seating B so as to cover the hole E therein, by means
of springs F threaded on to pillars or studs G secured in the flange of the valve
seat B. These springs F bear at one end against arms D' connected to the valve D
and sliding on the guide pillars or studs G and at the other end against shoulders
on the ends of the said pillars or studs G.
It will now be understood that when it is desired to introduce oil into the cap A,
assuming it to have been screwed by the threaded part A' into the end of the
axle box, it is only necessary to press the valve D inwards against the action of
the springs F, by means of the spout of an oil can or other instrument, and to pour
the necessary quantity of oil in through the hole E, then on withdrawing the oil
can spout or other instrument the valve D is closed against its seating B by the
springs F, and prevents the escape of oil from the box A.
The valve seating B with the various parts attached to it may be screwed home
in the hole C by means of an ordinary screw driver applied to the nick D' made in
the back of the valve D, or by a forked screw-driver the prongs of which fit into
the holes B' in the flange of the valve seating B.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 the valve seating B is screwed into
the face of the cap A from the outside, and the valve D is pressed against its seat
by the spring F¹, one end of which bears against the valve D and the other against
a cross bar H supported by pillars I connected with the valve seating B.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 5 the valve D is secured to one end of a
spring F 2, the other end of which is fixed to a post J on the inside of the valve
seating B which latter is screwed from the inside into the front of the cap A. The
spring F 2 is adapted to press the valve D against its seat in a manner similar to
that effected by the springs F and F in Figures 1 to 4.
In the arrangement shown in Figure 6 the valve D, which in this case may be made
of leather or other suitable yielding material, is carried on the inside of a hinged
cover K, and is pressed against the valve seat B when the said cover is closed into
the position shown in the figure so as to prevent escape of oil through the
opening E. The cover K may be kept closed by a spring or catch, not shown in

page_text: the drawings, or by being turned out internally to such a size as will just spring
over and be held by the edge L of the flange of the valve seating B to which it is
hinged. When it is required to introduce oil the lid K is opened on its hinge, this
removes the valve D from the face of the seating B and exposes the opening E for
the introduction of the oil, after which the lid K is closed, and the valve D thereby
brought into contact with the seating B so as to close the opening E.
The arrangement shown in Figures 7 and 8 includes a kind of tap or slide valve.
A is the cap of the axle box as before, E is an opening through which oil can be
introduced into the cap, and M is a kind of rotatory slide valve pivotted at N. .P is
a disc of leather or other suitable yielding material fixed to the underside of the
slide M. When the latter is turned on its pivot N into the position shown by the
full lines in the figures the opening E is uncovered, and oil can be introduced, but
when the slide M is turned into the position shown by dotted lines in the figure the
said opening E is covered. It will be observed that the pivot N is formed with a
screw thread which takes into a correspondingly tapped hole in the front of the
cap A, so that as the slide M is turned in one direction, say in that of the hands of
a clock, the disc P is drawn by the said screw thread into close contact with the
face of the cap in order to make liquid-tight joints round the opening E and the
hole through which the pivot N passes, in order to prevent escape of oil there-
through. The slide M may be provided with a notch or recess Q for the insertion
of a screw-driver wherewith to turn the valve M on its pivot N. I prefer, however,
to make this notch or recess of such a width that a coin, such as a penny for
example, can be inserted edgewise into it and be used to turn the slide M on its
pivot N. This facility for the use of a coin will be found convenient, because it
often happens that an axle requires to be supplied with oil when a screw-driver or
other similar tool is not within reach, while a coin, such as a penny piece, is
generally either at hand or can be easily obtained for the purpose.
In another arrangement somewhat similar to that shown in Figures 7 and 8, the
slide M is pivoted at its centre in such a position that the opening E falls within
its circumference, and the slide M with its disc P is provided with a hole which
can be brought to coincide with the opening E by turning the slide M on its pivot,
to allow oil to be inserted; but when the slide M is screwed by its pivot tightly
against the face of the cap the said hole in the slide M is turned aside away from
the opening E, and the latter is then closed liquid-tight by a blank part of the
disc P.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. In an axle box cap A, a valve seating B, guide pillars or studs G,
valve D. and springs F, combined and arranged as described with reference to
Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings and for the purpose specified.
Second. In an axle box cap A, a valve D, a valve seating B, guide pillars I, a
cross bar H and a spring F¹, combined and arranged as described with reference
to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, and for the purpose specified.
J
Third. In an axle box cap A, a detachable valve seating B, a valve D, a post
on the detachable valve seating B, and a spring F 2, combined and arranged as
described with reference to Figure 5 of the drawings, and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. In an axle box cap A a detachable valve seating B, a cover K hinged
to the said seating, and a valve surface D of yielding material connected to the
Baid hinged cover, combined and arranged as described with reference to Figure 6
of the drawings, and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. In an axle box cap A, an opening E, a elide valve M having a screwed
pivot N, and a disc P of leather or other suitable yielding material, the said slide
valve M being provided, or not, with a notch or recess Q adapted to receive the
edge of a coin, combined and arranged as described with reference to Figures 7 and 8
of the drawings.

page_text: Sixth. The improvements in lubricating devices for the wheels and axles of
vehicles, substantially as described.
Dated thin orth dare of March 1906
A. H. CANNON,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannou Street, London, E.C., Agent.