Improvements in Divided Axles for Railway and Tramway Wheels.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Divided Axles for Railway and Tramway Wheels.
I, RAYNES LAUDER MCLAREN, of No. 32 Wemyss Road, Blackheath, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to divided axles for railway and tramway wheels, that is to
Bay, axles consisting of two separate parts, each of which is connected rigidly to one
of the wheels and which two parts are so connected to each other that each part
with its wheel can revolve independently of the other part.
According to my invention I construct such axles as follows. I make the one
part of the axle partly tubular, and within this fits the second part, the interior of
the tubular part being suitably bored to fit the turned cylindrical surface of the
second part along the whole length of junction,, thus reducing the pressure and
consequently the wear of these surfaces to a minimum. The inner part has a circular
groove formed by preference at or near tlie middle of its length, and when it is
inserted into the tubular part, one or more screws are screwed through the latter so
as to project with their inner ends into the said groove leaving a certain amount of
play, and thus, while leaving the two parts free to rotate upon each other, to keep
them together in a longitudinal direction.
The tubular part extends to near the inner flat face of the boss of the wheel of
the inner part and in the end face of the tubular part is formed a deep circular
groove. Into this groove is fitted a metal ring which is pressed outwards by springs
placed behind it in the groove, so as to cause the outer end of the ring to bear
against the inner face of the nave of the wheel, and thus to effectually close the
end of the tubular axle against the entrance of dust and grit between it and the
inner part of the axle. The working face of this circular ring of metal may be
lubricated if necessary, by means of holes drilled through the boss of the wheel to
the central passage of the axle. The solid end of the tubular shaft, has a central
longitudinal passage through it, as has also the inner part of the shaft, and small
radial or oblique channels are formed through the latter so as to establish a com-
munication between the central passage and the contact surfaces of the 'two parts of
the shaft, so that lubricant being introduced at one end of the said passage, will
find its way between the said surfaces.
For supplying the lubricant to the central passage, a lubricator or small
vessel with a spring and piston or equivalent device may be fixed into the end
opening of the passage, so as to supply lubricant continuously and automatically to
the latter.
The Baid central passage may be formed only through the inner part of the
shaft.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Divided Axles for Railway and Tramway Wheels.
I, RAYNES LAUDER MCLAREN of No. 32 Wemyss Road, Blackheath in the
County of Kent, Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to divided axles for railway and tramway wheels, that is to

page_text: Bay, axles consisting of two separate parts, ench of which is connected rigidly t
one of the wheels and which two parts are so connected to each other that eac
part with its wheel can revolve independently of the other part.
According to my invention I construct such axles as follows. I make the on
part of the axle partly tubular and within this fits the second part, the interior o
the tubular part being suitably bored to fit the turned cylindrical surface of the
second part along the whole length of junction, thus reducing the pressure and
consequently the wear of these surfaces to a minimum. The inner part has
circular groove formed by preference at or near the middle of its length, and wher
it is inserted into the tubular part two or more screws are screwed through the
latter so as to project with their inner ends into the said groove, and thus, while
leaving the two parts free to rotate upon each other, to keep them together in a
longitudinal direction.
The tubular part extends to near the inner flat face of the boss of the wheel of
the inner part and in the end face of the tubular part is formed a deep circular
groove. Into this groove is fitted a metal ring which is pressed outwards by
springs placed behind it in the groove, so as to cause the outer end of the ring to
bear against the inner face of the nave of the wheel, and thus to effectually close
the end of the tubular axle against the entrance of dust and grit between it and the
inner part of the axle. The working face of this circular ring of metal may be
lubricated if necessary, by means of holes drilled through the boss of tlie wheel to
the central passage of the axle. The solid end of the tubular shaft, has a central
longitudinal passage through it, as has also the inner part of the shaft, and small
radial' or oblique channels are formed through the latter 'so as to establish a com
munication between the central passage and the contact surfaces of the two parts
of the shaft so that lubricant being introduced at both ends of the said passage will
find its way between the said surfaces.
For supplying the lubricant to the central passage, a lubricator or small
vessel with a spring and piston or equivalent device may be fixed into the end
openings of the passage, so as to supply lubricant continuously and automatically
to the latter.
The said central passage may be formed only through the inner part of the
shaft.
On the accompanying drawing is shewn a divided axle constructed according to
my above described invention.
Fig. 1 shews a longitudinal section and Fig. 2 shews a cross section at A B, and
Fig. 3 a cross section at CD.
The axle is composed of the tubular part a having the wheel & fixed thereon, and
the part fitting into the part a and having the wheel d fixed thereon. The
tubular part a is accurately bored out to near the end of its larger bore, and the
part e is turned so as to fit accurately into such bored part, leaving a chamber e at
the end of the latter, which forms a reservoir for lubricant and with which com-
municates a central passage f formed right through the inner part c, which is closed
at the outer end by any suitable known construction of lubricator.
By this construction it will be seen that any transvorse strains to which the
divided axle is subject are distributed along the whole length of the bearing surfaces
of the two parts thus greatly reducing any wear thereof. On the cylindrical
eurface of the inner part of c is formed a helical channel y, and the central passage f
communicates at various points with such channel by means of radial channels h so
that the lubricant.is by this means effectually supplied to the entire bearing surfaces
of a and c.
At about the middle of the part c is formed a circular groove i, and into this
project three or more screws ; screwed through the part a so as to hold the two
parts securely together while allowing them freedom to rotate independently of
each other.
The open end of the tubular part of a is formed with an enlargement a' against
which fits the shoulder of the part c and which has a circular groove into which is

page_text: fitted a metal packing ring ; this is pressed outward by springs n so as to bear
with its outer face against the inner turned face of the boss of the wheel'd fixed
on c. By this means any access of grit to the joint between the parts a and c is
prevented.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
olaim is :-
:-
1. A divided axlo consisting of the combination of a tubular part a with a part c
fitting into the part a with turned cylindrical bearing surfaces, the enlarged end
of the part a which is made to bear against a shoulder on the part.e being provided
with an annular groove in which is fitted a packing ring m that is pressed by springs
against the inner face of the boss of the wheel fixed on the part c, substantially as
described.
i
2. In combination with a divided axle constructed as described in the preceding
claim, a circular groove on the inner part c into which project screws ; screwed
through the part a 80 as to secure the two parts together while allowing them to
revolve independently of each other, substantially as described.
3. In a divided axle constructed as described in the preceding claims, the com-
bination of a central passage f formed through the part c with radial passages h
and a helical channel g on the cylindrical surface of c for the supply of lubricating
material between the cylindrical surfaces of the parts a and c substantially as
described.
Dated this 31st day of March 1892
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.