IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES, SHAFTS, AND AXLE-BOXES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James George Stidder and Robert Morris, both of
Palace Road, in the County of Surrey, Engineers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES, SHAFTS, AND AXLE-BOXES."
Sealed the 30th August 1867, and dated the 1st March 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James George Stidder and
Robert Morris at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 1st March 1867.
We, JAMES GEORGE STIDDER and ROBERT MORRIS, both of Palace Road,
in the County of Surrey, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES, SHAFTS, AND AXLE-BOXES," to be as
follows:-
These improvements relate to the construction of hollow axles, shafts, and
axle-boxes used in mechanism, which axles and shafts we prefer to make of
punched hollow steel (Bessemer steel, for instance); these axles or shafts we
make hollow throughout their entire length, open at both ends, and we
provide such axles or shafts with apertures so as to allow of the free
circulation of air, water, or other cooling fluid through the same, and over
such apertures we can, when desired, use coverings or bonnets which do not
however close the said apertures, but leave free entrance and exit for the air,
water, or cooling fluids; by these means we are enabled to keep the centre of
the axle or shaft cool even when running at high rates of speed. If necessary
[Price 8d.

page_text: we divide the shaft in the centre into two distinct air passages by forcing in
at the end an india-rubber ball or a block and allowing it to remain at such
position in the passage as may be thought desirable. Axle-boxes to be used
with our hollow axles we makewith air water or fluid wassages communicating
we divide the shaft in the centre into two distinct air passages by forcing in
at the end an india-rubber ball or a block and allowing it to remain at such
position in the passage as may be thought desirable. Axle-boxes to be used
with our hollow axles we make with air water or fluid passages communicating
or not communicating with the passage through the axle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James George Stidder and Robert Morris in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 31st August, 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
GEORGE STIDDER and ROBERT MORRIS, both of Palace Road, in the County of
Surrey, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the
year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said James George Stidder and Robert Morris, Her special licence that we,
the said James George Stidder and Robert Morris, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James George Stidder and
Robert Morris, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should in any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES, SHAFTS,
AND AXLE-BOXES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, t the said James
George Stidder-and Robert Morris, our executors or administrators, by au
instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said James George Stidder and Robert
Morris, do hereby declare 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 :-
These improvements relate to the construction of hollow axles, shafts, and
axle-boxes used in mechanism, which we make of iron, or of steel, or other

page_text: suitable material, and punched hollow metal (Bessemer steel, for instance,)
we have found well suited to the purpose; and we make the same hollow
throughout their entire length and open at both ends (except in cases similar
to the case of railway axles, when we place caps or bonnets at the ends);
and we provide such axles or shafts with apertures so as to allow of the free
circulation of air, water, or other cooling fluid through the same, and over
these apertures we can when desired use coverings or bonnets, which do not,
however, close the said apertures but leave free entrance and exit for the air,
water, or cooling fluids; by these means we are enabled to keep the centre of
the axle or shaft cool even when running at high rates of speed. If necessary
we divide the shaft in the centre into two distinct air passages by forcing in
at the end an india-rubber ball or a block and allowing it to remain at such
position in the passage as may be thought desirable. Axle-boxes to be used
with our hollow axles or with other axles we make with air, water, or fluid
passages communicating or not communicating with the passage through the
axle.
In order to facilitate the full understanding of the nature of our said
Invention, and with the view to particularly describe and ascertain in what
manner the same is to be performed or carried into practical effect, we have
annexed to these Presents a Sheet of Drawings which we will now describe.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a railway axle and axle-box complete;
Fig. 2, a cross section taken at A, B, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan of axle-box;
Fig. 4, a plan of cap or bonnet arrangement for the end of the axle; Fig. 5,
a sectional view, shewing one of the air apertures in the axle provided with a
cap or bonnet.
In these Figures C denotes the solid portion of the axle, and D the interior
passage through the same; this axle it will be observed is swaged down or
decreased in diameter at the part near to the axle box in order to receive the
wheel, and is further swaged down or decreased at the part' passing through
the axle-box, which axle-box is marked E; F denotes the apertures for
facilitating the circulation of the air or cooling fluid, these apertures, as shewn
in the Drawings (except Fig. 5), not being provided with any bonnets or
coverings. The said axlo-box E is similar in construction to the axle-boxes
usually adopted, except as to the following particulars, namely, that in the
bottom part of the said axle-box there is an oil box or receiver marked G, G,
in which the waste oil from the axle is collected in order that it may be
economised by being used over again after undergoing a restorative process;

page_text: this oil box or receiver is provided with upright side pieces marked H (Fig. 2),
the tops of which support the bearing (usually of cast iron, but which might
be made of any suitable material,) marked I, whereby in case of the breakage
of the bearing the same is still maintained in position. The said bearing (I)
has the usual channel between it and the axle, and is also provided with oil
channels K which proceed from the oil box to the top of the axle ; this
bearing is made with rims L which act as steadying pins to the bearing,
which, as will be seen by the Drawings, is provided with internal rims. M. to
convey the oil or grease directly on to the top of the axle, the advantage of
so doing being that the oil or grease is passed immediately on to the axle in
order that no oil or grease may get between the back of the bearing or the
seat of the inside of the axle box. N is a screw cap by unscrewing which the
waste oil collected in the receiver G may be removed therefrom; O is a
channel to admit of the oil passing down the leather washer into the chamber
or receiver G, so that the leather washer may be well lubricated and work
freely; P shews the ordinary leather flanges and collar situate on the axle;
Q is a moveable air bonnet or cowl placed at the end of the hollow shaft with
a feathered part passing around the outside so as to move back wards and
forwards according as the current of air acts upon the same; this bonnet or
cowl is secured in its place by two studs or pivots, whereby it is attached to
an annular frame (see R, Fig. 4), which frame is secured to the end of the
axle-box by means of screws passing through the lugs of the said frame and
into the end of the axle-box, as shewn. At the end of the axle-box there is
a hole to admit of the insertion of a leather washer S of peculiar form, one
end being inserted in the end of the axle, and the other being tightly clipped
between the anuular frame R and the end of the axle-box to admit a free
current of air to pass through the shaft, but to prevent dust and dirt from
entering the axle-box and getting into the bearing. T is the india-rubber
bale or the block which divides the air passage, but this may be dispensed
with if desired; U (Fig. 5) shews a section of the shaft and one of the air
apertures thereof covered by the cap or bonnet herein-before referred to.
Although we have shewn this Invention as applied to a railway axle yet it
may be applied to other descriptions of axles, as, for instance, axles of blast
fans, or axles for other purposes, in most of which cases the axle-box
arrangements shewn in the Drawings will not be needed, as the ordinary
bearings will suffice, but in general the air apertures in the axle should be
covered by caps or bonnets, as shewn at Fig. 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that

page_text: ve claim the Invention of the hollow axle herein described, also the axle-box
erein described, such axle-box being also capable of being usefully adopted
or solid axles, it being understood that we do not claim the use of the
onstituent parts of the mechanism herein described when taken per se and
part from the purposes of our said Invention as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said James George Stidder and Robert
Morris, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirtieth of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-seven.