IM- PROVEMENTS IN. AXLE-BOXES AND BEARINGS FOR THE JOURNALS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Wise, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the
City of Westminster, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN. AXLE-BOXES AND BEARINGS FOR THE JOURNALS OF RAILWAY
CARRIAGES,"
Sealed the 6th November 1866, and dated the 8th May 1866..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Wise at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th May
1866.
I, FRANCIS WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the City of West-
5minster, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE-BOXES AND BEARINGS FOR THE JOURNALS
OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in axle-boxes and bearings
for the journals of railway carriages, and consists in forming the bearing
surfaces in contact with such journals of wood (placed by preference with its
grain endwise towards the revolving surfaces), or with vulcanite, or vulcanite
in combination with wood, paper, or other fibrous or non-metallic material or
materials combined or united under pressure or otherwise, and forming the
boxes in such manner as to contain water, whereby the bearing surfaces may
be continually wetted and kept cool.
In constructing axle-boxes for the purposes of my Invention I prefer to
form the lower parts of the boxes as reservoirs for containing the water, and

page_text: to place therein rollers covered with felt or similar material, and pressed or
held continually against and to be revolved by the journals, their under sides
dipping or being partially immersed in the water contained in the boxes, and
thus keeping the surfaces of the journals and bearings continually moist and
cool. In some cases it may be found desirable to dispense with the rollers
described, and to employ instead any convenient form of wick, whereby the
water in the boxes may be absorbed and presented to the journals; or the
journals themselves may be partially immersed in the water, which will thus
be carried round therewith and conveyed to the bearings, the surfaces of which
may be grooved or formed at intervals with spaces or channels, whereby water
may be supplied continually to the surfaces of the bearings. In some cases
also it may be found desirable to connect the axle-boxes of the several car-
riages of a train together by means of india-rubber or other tubes, so that the
whole or a part of the axle-boxes at each side of the train may be in com-
munication with each other, and that a current of water may be forced or
otherwise passed continually through them, and either allowed to pass away
or made to return by similar tubes to the reservoir from whence it was
originally drawn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Wise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th :
November 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Adelphi, in the City of Westminster, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eight day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Francis Wise, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Wise,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Francis Wise, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AXLE-BOXES AND BEARINGS FOR THE JOURNALS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES,"

page_text: upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francis Wise, 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 per-
formed, 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 Francis Wise, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say) :-
==
This Invention has for its object improvements in axle-boxes and bearings
for the journals of railway carriages, and consists in forming the bearing
surfaces in contact with such journals of wood (placed by preference with its
grain endwise, or nearly so, towards the revolving surfaces), or with vulcanite,
or vulcanite in combination with wood, paper, or other fibrous or non-metallic
material or materials combined or united under pressure or otherwise, and
forming the boxes in such manner as to contain water or aqueous fluid,
whereby the bearing surfaces may be continually wetted and kept cool.
In constructing axle-boxes for the purposes of my Invention I prefer to
form the lower parts of the boxes as reservoirs for containing the water or
aqueous fluid, and to place therein rollers covered with felt or similar
material, and pressed or held continually against and to be revolved by the
journals, their under sides dipping or being partially immersed in the water
or aqueous fluid contained in the boxes, and thus keeping the surfaces of the
journals and bearings continually moist and cool. In some cases it may be
found desirable to dispense with the rollers described, and to employ instead
any convenient form of wick, whereby the water in the boxes may be absorbed
and presented to the journals; or the journals themselves may be partially
immersed in the water, which will thus be carried round therewith and con-
veyed to the bearings, the surfaces of which may be grooved or formed at
intervals with spaces or channels, whereby water may be supplied continually
to the surfaces of the bearings. In some cases also it may be found desirable
to connect the axle-boxes of the several carriages of a train together by means
of india-rubber or other tubes, so that the whole or a part of the axle-boxes
at each side of the train may be in communication with each other, and that
a current of water or aqueous fluid may be forced or otherwise, passed con-
tinually through them, and either allowed to pass away, or made to return by
similar tubes to the reservoir from whence it was originally drawn.
.

page_text: Fig. 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings represents a vertical
section of an axle-box taken in the direction of the length of the journal, and
constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section through
the line A, B, of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 an under side view of the bearing as it
would appear when detached from the box.
The box a is formed with its lower part beneath the journal 6 of con-
siderable depth, and contains the two hollow felt-covered rollers c and d,
having pins and d¹ projecting from their respective ends, and working in
vertical slots.e formed in standards or brackets e¹ attached to the box, and which
allow the free revolution and vertical movement of the rollers, while at the
same time confining them laterally in such manner as that on rising the upper
roller c may be brought into contact with the under side of the journal. The
bearing surface f resting upon the journal is formed of slips of lignum vitse
fitting into a metallic holder g, into which they are securely driven, and which
in this case is surmounted by a withdrawable plate h, as used in the form of
axle-box known as the Lightner box, but which in itself forms no part of
my Invention, in connection with which any other arrangement which permits
the ready withdrawal of the bearing surface may be used. Behind the journal
I fix upon the body of the axle a collar i, which revolves therewith, and is
wholly or partially surrounded by a guard plate or cover j attached to the box.
In use water or aqueous fluid is poured into the box until the lower roller is,
by preference, entirely immersed, when its tendency to float forces the upper
roller upward into contact with the journal, the revolution of which causes
the rollers to revolve and water or aqueous fluid to be conveyed by contact from
the upper roller to the journal, and by it to the bearing surface, which in order
to allow free passage for the water or aqueous fluid is grooved or channelled,
as shewn at f, or otherwise as convenient. Any water or aqueous fluid
which may pass from the journal in the direction of the body of the axle is
arrested by the collar i, and is thrown or falls off from its circumference,
so as to fall or be returned again into the box. It is evident that the
hard wood or other non-metallic substance or combination of non-metallic
substances constituting the bearing surface may be attached to the
metallic holder in various ways, and so as either to form a continuous
surface, or otherwise as found desirable, as, for example, the pieces or
slips instead of being placed in contact with each other, as shown at Fig. 2,
may be placed at intervals so as to allow spaces between them, as shewn at
Fig. 4. Or otherwise the bearing surface may consist of only one piece of
the hard wood or other non-metallic material employed, and may be either
cut or sprung to the required curve. The mode also of conveying water or

page_text: other lubricating fluid (which in cold weather may be mixed with treacle
salt, glycerine, or other suitable ingredient to prevent freezing) upward from
the lower part of the box to the journal may be variously modified, either by
the use of a wick pressed upward against the journal by a spring or otherwise.
The box also is not necessarily of the precise form shewn, but may be con-
structed in two parts; dividing horizontally or otherwise, as convenient.
I do not therefore confine or limit myself to the precise forms or details
represented; but I claim in connection or combination with the axle-boxes
of railway carriages the use or employment of wood or other non-metallic
substances in constructing the bearings for the journals of railway carriage
axles, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Wise, have bercunto set my
hand and seal, this Eight day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
W. LLOYD WISE,
Office for Patents,
Chandos Chambers, W.C.
FRANCIS WISE. (L.S.)