IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATING THE AXLES OF Loco- MOTIVE ENGINES AND OF CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Joseph Curtis, of 1, Sebbon Street, Islington,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATING THE AXLES OF Loco-
MOTIVE ENGINES AND OF CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 7th October 1856, and dated the 8th April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Joseph Curtis
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th April 1856.
I, WILLIAM JOSEPH CURTIS, of 1, Sebbon Street, Islington, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LUBRICATING THE
AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND OF CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lubricating the axles of
locomotive engines and of carriages on railways; and the improvements
consist of causing the lubricating fluid to be raised from below the axles by
centrifugal action, which is most conveniently accomplished by applying a
disc or projection to each of the axles, the periphery of which rotates in a
vessel below the axle, and by centrifugal action constantly raises the lubricating
fluid above the axle, and throws or projects it against a suitable surface and
receptacle for conducting the fluid down on to the upper surface of the axle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Joseph Curtis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOSEPH CURTIS, of 1, Sebbon Street, Islington, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Joseph Curtis, Her special licence that I, the said William Joseph
Curtis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Joseph Curtis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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
LUBRICATING THE AXLES OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES AND OF CARRIAGES ON RAILWAYS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Joseph Curtis
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.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said William Joseph Curtis, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in lubricating the axles of
locomotive engines and of carriages on railways; and the improvements
consist of causing the lubricating fluid to be raised from below the axles by
centrifugal action, which is most conveniently accomplished by applying a
disc or projection to each of the axles, the periphery of which rotates in a
vessel below the axle, and by centrifugal action constantly raises the lubricating
fluid above the axle, and throws or projects it against a suitable surface and
receptacle for conducting the fluid down on to the upper surface of the axle.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, I will proceed more fully to
describe the manner of performing the same.

page_text: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, Figure 2 a top view, Figure 3 a cross
section, drawn upon a half scale; the letters referring to corresponding parts in
each Drawing.
A is the axle box case; B, the axle; C, the upper bearing or brass; D, the
disc, fastened to the end of the axle by the screw E, and prevented from turning
by the stud f; d, d, d, d, d, d, are projections on the disc D; g, is the discharge
hole and screw in the bottom of the case to blow out the oil or lubricating
medium when it may be necessary to cleanse the axle box; h, the feed hole
and screw to feed or charge the apparatus; I is the front plate, held in its
place by the screws, which is kept fluid-tight by a good joint; k, k, k, are three
receptacles for the lubricating fluid, communicating with the side channel n;
1, 1, 1, are three receptacles communicating with the side channel m; O is the
lubricating fluid in the lower part of the axle box; p is the spring upon the
top of the axle box; Q, the guard irons; R, R, are set screws acting upon
the side brasses or bearings s, s; T, T, are stop nuts, which prevent the screws
losing their adjustment; U is a circular brush, made of similar materials to a
hat brush, which is kept against the back side of the box to keep out the dust;
v, the stock of the brush, which fits upon the axle between the bearing and boss
of the wheel; this is adjusted by the screw w, so that as the brush wears it
may be moved towards the axle box; X is the upper part of the box casing;
Z is the boss of the wheel. The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The
lubricating medium I prefer is soft soap with water; or I can use oil or other
lubricating fluid, which is supplied to the apparatus through the feed hole, kept
closed by the screw h. When the axle is at rest the lubricating medium sinks
to the bottom of the box, as at O, but when the wheel turns round it is thrown
by means of the disc and projections by centrifugal action to the upper part of
the casing X, whence it descends into the side channels n and m, and thence
flows to the upper receptacles k, l, from which it descends to the axle through
the central holes, 1, &c., and the lateral holes 2, 2, 2, and 3, 3, 3. The object
of this arrangement is to cause the lubricating medium to descend upon the
rising side of the axle as well as upon the centre and to descend in a stream,
and not drop by drop, or by capillary action, as in ordinary bearings. The
currents or streams are shewn by the arrows. By means of the disc the
lubricating medium is thrown to the upper side of the box, and bearing much
more rapidly than it descends, so that, although the level of the lubricating
medium in the lower part of the box when the axle is at rest is within a small
space of the under side of the hole in the back of the box, as soon as the

page_text: wheel rotates the lubricating fluid is thrown into the space above the axle;
thus by no possible chance can the lubricating medium overflow or escape, and
the back of the box is sealed against dust by means of the circular brush U, the
stock of which fits and slides upon the end of the shaft between the boss of the
wheel Z and the back of the axle box; the hair of the brush being, as in
the case of a hat brush, very flexible, adjusts itself to any oscillation of the box
and wheel, and by centrifugal action, when in motion, the hairs of the brush are
thrown outwards, and press with a slight pressure against the flange or ring y
of the axle box, and thus effectually exclude dust, whilst no appreciable friction
is produced, and by means of the set screw W the brush may be adjusted as
the hairs wear away.
The front of the axle box is moveable, and screwed by screws to the box,
so that the state of the axle may be readily examined. Through the blow hole
g any sediment or other matter may be blown out by hot water being poured
into the feed hole h, and thus the apparatus be easily and readily cleaned.
Three brasses or bearings arc shewn; the upper one C to bear the load, and
the lateral s, s, to resist the horizontal action of the engine, which latter are
adjustable by means of the set screws R, R, so that both the box and axles may
be always kept in trim or adjustment; and sometimes I employ bearings, the
surfaces of which are tangents to the axle, and not curves fitting the axle. In
this case the bearings should be made of hard metal.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to
form of apparatus, as other forms of discs or projections may be used, and the
form of the channels for receiving and conducting the lubricating fluid to the
top and side of the axle may be varied; but what I claim is, the combined
apparatus herein described for lubricating the axles of locomotive, engines and
railway carriages.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Joseph Curtis, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
W. J. CURTIS. (L.S.)