IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR CARRIAGES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Watkins, of Balsall Heath, in the County of
Worcester, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR
CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 4th April 1868, and dated the 31st October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Watkins at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1867.
I, JOHN WATKINS, of Balsall Heath, in the County of Worcester, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AXLES FOR CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of axles
for carriages in the manner herein-after described whereby great simplicity
of construction, economy of manufacture, and efficiency in action are secured.
In making an axle for carriages according to my Invention I make the bed
of the axle without the usual fixed solid back collar, the enlarged part of the
arm called the cone being joined directly upon the bed of the axle. Upon the
cone of the arm of the axle I place a loose collar capable of turning freely
upon the said cone, the inner face of the said collar bearing against the
shoulder formed by the junction of the cone with the bed of the axle. The
said loose collar has a screw thread cut on its outer end, which end is of less
diameter than the inner end. The said loose collar is secured in its place

page_text: cone.
by means of a screw nut or screw collar which takes on to a screw on the
The said loose collar is thus held between the bed of the axle and
the said screw collar or screw nut. The large or inner end of the box of
the axle is screwed on to the screw on the loose collar. A washer of leather
is placed between the end of the axle box and the loose collar, and another
washer of leather is placed between the loose collar and the screw nut or
screw collar. A washer of leather is also placed in the large end of the
axle box, against the shoulder of which the screw nut or screw collar bears.
When the axle box is screwed on the loose collar the last described washer
is situated between the front of the screw nut or screw collar and the shoulder
of the axle box. By constructing axles for carriages in the manner de-
scribed the expense of making the ordinary fixed solid back collar is avoided.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Watkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
April 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WATKINS, of Balsall Heath, in the County of Worcester, Machinist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord-
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Watkins, Her special licence that I, the said John Watkins,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Watkins, my 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 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
FOR CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Watkins, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, 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 was
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Watkins, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statenient
thereof, that is to say
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of axles for
carriages in the manner herein-after described whereby great simplicity of
construction, economy of manufacture, and efficiency in action are secured.
+
In making an axle for carriages according to my Invention I make the
bed of the axle without the usual fixed solid collar, the enlarged part of the
arm called the cone being joined directly upon the bed of the axle. Upon
the cone of the arm of the axle I place a loose collar which I call the revolver
capable of turning freely upon the said cone, the inner face of the said collar
or revolver bearing against the shoulder formed by the junction of the cone with
the bed of the axle. The said loose collar or revolver has a screw thread cut
on its outer end, which end is of less diameter than the inner end. The said loose
collar is secured in its place by means of a screw lock nut or screw collar which
takes on to a screw on the cone; the said loose collar is thus held between the
bed of the axle and the said screw collar or screw lock nut. The large or
inner end of the box of the axle is screwed on to the screw on the loose collar,
the said axle box being without the usual reservoir in the head. A washer is
placed between the end of the axle box and the loose collar, and another
washer of leather is placed between the loose collar and the screw lock nut or
screw collar. A washer of leather is also placed in the large end of the axle box
against the shoulder of which the screw nut or screw collar bears. When the axle.
box is screwed on the loose collar the last described washer is situated between
the front of the screw nut or screw collar and the shoulder of the axle box. By.
constructing axles for carriages in the manner described the expense of making
the ordinary fixed solid collar is avoided and the axle box is made. without the
usual reservoir in the head which is required in all ordinary axle boxes..
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed-to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in which the same is
to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side and end elevation the arm and portion of the
bed of a carriage axle constructed according to my Invention, the said bed
being without the usual fixed solid collar; Figure 2 is a longitudinal
section of the axle to which an axle box is connected according to my In-
vention; Figures 3 and 4 are parts of the same as herein-after described.
a is the bed, and 6 the arm of the axle, c is the cone of the arm, and d the
houlder formed at the junction of the said cone with the said bed. Upon the

page_text: cone c is a loose collar or revolver e capable of turning freely thereon, the
inner face of the said collar e bearing against the shoulder d. The loose
collar or revolver e is shown separately in side elevation and section in
Figure 3. The outer end of the loose collar or revolver e is of less diameter
than the other end, and has a screw e cut upon it for the purpose herein-after
explained. On the end of the cone c of the arm of the axle a screw c³ is cut
on to which a screw lock nut or screw collar f takes, as illustrated in Figure 2.
The screw lock nut or screw collar f is represented separately in front elevation,
side elevation, and section in Figure 4. By means of the screw lock nut
or screw. collar f the loose collar or revolver e is secured in its place while
permitting it to have freedom of motion upon the cone c, the said loose collar
in its rotation bearing against the shoulder d on the bed a and against the
flange of the screw nut or screw collar f. A leather washer g is placed
between the shoulder d and the loose collar e, and another washer h is placed
between the said loose collar and the screw nut or screw collar. f. i, 2, is the
axle box having a screw is made in its large or inner end the said axle box
being without the usual reservoir in the head. By screwing the said screw
of the axle box on to the screw e2 of the loose collar or revolver e; the said
axle box is secured to the said loose collar or revolver, and on the rotation of
the wheel in which the axle box is fitted the said loose collar is carried with it,
turning freely.on the cone c of the axle and bearing against the shoulder d
and screw nut or collar f. On the rotation of. the axle box the shoulder at i
of the said axle box bears against the outer face of the screw nut or screw
collar f, a leather washer & being placed in the said axle box and between the
Jubbing surfaces. A leather washer m is also placed between the end of the
axle box and loose collar e. The outer end of the axle box is covered by the
ordinary screw cap l.
The parts are arranged upon the arm of the axle in the following manner
First the loose collar e is passed on to the cone c, next the screw nut or screw
collar fis screwed on the screw c², and the loose collar e thus held between the
bed of the axle and the screw nut or screw collar. The axle box i, 13, is next
screwed on to the loose collar e, and finally the cap is screwed on the end of
the axle box, when the axle is complete.
Although I find it convenient to effect the connection of the axle box to the
loose collar or revolver by means of a screw, as described and represented, yet
the connection of the said parts may be effected means of a cross pin or
pins or in any other convenient way. The lock nut or screw collar may also
be similarly fixed.
:
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in

page_text: which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not
limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the
same may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but
I claim as my Invention the improvements in axles for carriages herein-before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say,
making the bed of the axle without the usual fixed solid collar, and the axle
box without the usual reservoir in its head, and connecting the axle box to
a loose collar or revolver on the cone of the arm, the said loose collar or
revolver being secured in its place upon the cone by means of a screw lock
nut or screw collar, the said loose collar or revolver and screw lock nut, or
screw collar, being constructed and arranged or combined substantially as
herein-before described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Watkins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
JOHN WATKINS. (L.S.)