Improvements in Divided Car Axles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Divided Car Axles.
I, ISAAC WRIGHT LEWIS, residing at 49, A. Street in the City of Portland, in the
County of Multnomah and State of Oregon one of the United States of America,
gentleman, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to construct a divided car axle possessing the strength
and durability of a solid axle with but a slight increase in weight, size and cost over
the usual solid axle, and embodying all the advantages of one wheel moving
independently of the other.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure, 1, is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my new axle showing a part of
each wheel.
Figures, 2, &, 3, are enlarged transverse sectional elevations taken on the line,
2, and, yy, respectively of figure, 1.
The axle will be made in two pieces, a tapering piece or spindle, A, and a shell, B.
A filling, C, of Babbit metal, zine or similar material is poured between the two
parts, A, B, to form a long bearing for the spindle as hereinafter described. The
spindle, A, should be cast the same size as the inside of the shell, B, and then turned
true and smooth from the joint to the annular projections, a, formed on the larger part
of the axle next to the wheel, D. This turning will reduce the size of the spindle
sufficient to allow the filling, C, of zinc or its equivalent to be applied inside of the
shell, which filling metal is poured in a molten state into the cavity it occupies after
the spindle, A, is placed within the shell. The filling C, adheres to the inner surface
of the shell, B, but not to the spindle, so the spindle is free to turn in the filling as in
a long bearing. Before pouring the metal composing the lining, C, I prepare the
inside of the shell, B, by treating it with acids, the same as is usually done in
galvanizing with zinc, while the spindle, A, will be smoked or otherwise treated
to prevent the lining, C, from adhering to it. When thus prepared the spindle is
placed inside the shell and both may be heated to near the melting point of the
metal composing the lining, C, which is then introduced in a molten state between
the two pieces, thus forming a smooth and perfectly fitting surface or bearing for the
spindle, A.
In casting the tapering spindle, A, there will be formed upon it an enlargement, a',
near the point where the wheel, D, is secured. Upon this enlargement will be formed
the series of ridges, a, above mentioned, extending entirely around said enlargement, a¹.
The shell, B, is cupped or enlarged as shown at, b, to enclose the enlargement, a¹,

page_text: of the spindle, A, and upon the inner wall of this cup or enlargement, b, are formed
the inwardly projecting ridges, b¹. These ridges, 61, are formed in casting the shell, B,
and they are so arranged relatively to the position of the ridges, a, as to stand
between them or break joints therewith as shown in figure, 1. After the spindle, A,
and shell, B, are put together the space between the ridges on both sides will be filled
with babbit or equivalent metal and the ridges will be embedded in the babbit metal
thus serving to hold or couple the spindle and shell together. When it is desired to
remove the spindle, from the shell this can be done by heating the enlargement, b, of
the shell to melt the babbit metal around the ridges only, thus not effecting the main
part of the lining, and when the spindle is to be replaced it is only necessary to refill
the enlargement, b, with babbit metal. The spindle, A, has the oil groove, c, formed
in it which is continued at one end to oil passages, c¹, cast in the stem of the spindle, A,
and at the other end to the centre of point of spindle connecting with the oil
passages, d, cast in the stem of shell, B. The spindle, A, is placed in the shell, B,
and the lining metal poured between them. The spindle is then withdrawn and the
oil groove on its surface cut out with a milling tool, thus making a continuous oil way.
The ends may be closed with screw plugs, and oil may be introduced at the oil hole, e,
in the stem of the shell, B, when the spindle has been finished, that part of the oil
groove crossing the annular ridges and tube under the hollow babbit should be filled
with black lead or bone ash underlaid with a piece of corkscrew wire which should
extend to outer end of stem, this filling prevents the babbit from entering the oil
channel: withdrawing the wire removes the filling stuff.
FL
In the space between the shell, B, and the hub, or wheel, D, is placed a soft
packing, f, to prevent escape of oil and this packing is held in place by several
flat coiled springs, f¹, that encircle the packing like bracelets, each spring being
little longer than the other to reach once around, and several of these springs are to
be put, one on the back of the other, so they will hold the packing snugly in place.
The mechanical effect of the union of the spindle, A, and the shell, B, as described, is
that of a long tapering splice, the whole length of the axle between the wheels. Each
piece containing but a little more metal than would be in one half of a solid axle so
distributed as to make each piece half as stiff as a solid axle, so that when the two
are put together in the form of a long taper one inside of the other, and fitting
nicely the whole length, the one cannot be bent without the other, so that the axle is
as strong, durable and reliable as a solid axle, while at the same time it possesses
the same advantages of permitting one wheel to revolve independent of the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A two-part axle consisting of a shell having projections or ridges on its inner
surface near one end, a spindle fitting in the shell and having projections or ridges
breaking joints with the projections or ridges of the shell, and a filling of soft metal,
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. A two-part axle consisting of the shell, B, provided with the enlargement, b,
having ridges, b¹, the tapering spindle, A, provided with an enlargement, a¹, having
the ridges, a, and the soft metal filling, C, substantially as shown and described.
3. The packing, F, placed between the hub, D, and the end of the shell, B, and
held in place by encircling springs, f, substantially as described.
4. The spindle, A, formed with the oil grooves, e, e¹, in combination with the
shell, B, formed with the oil groove, d, substantially as described.
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