Improvements in Car Wheels and Axles.
Year: 1892

page_text: United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 2nd July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Wheels and Axles.
We, WALLACE RANSON KIRK, Machinist, residing at corner of 15th Street and
Richmont Avenue, Kansas City, Jackson County, State of Missouri, U.S.A., 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 the wheels and axles of railway cars and other railway-
vehicles generally, that is to say, such as are propelled either by steam, electricity,
cables, animal or manual power, or by any other motive power, and its objects are to
produce combined wheels and axles which shall be simple, durable, and inexpensive
in construction, capable of application to all types of railway-vehicles without
material alteration in the journal boxes or bearings or other structural parts of
the vehicles proper, and which shall furthermore permit of independent rotation
of the two wheels of each axle when the vehicle is rounding curves, thus pre-
venting the slip and drag and tendencies toward rail spreading and climbing, as
well as derailment, which are liable to occur with wheels and axles which are
compelled to always rotate in unison.
A further object of my invention is to produce a combined axle and wheels
which, in addition to the advantages above set forth, shall be capable of perfect
and economical lubrication, and which shall also be entirely dust and dirt or cinder
proof. A. still further object of our invention is to produce a combined axle and
wheels which shall be so constructed as to enable previous wheels and axles to
be readily transformed and utilized, so as to conform structurally to our invention,
and in which the weight and strains of the vehicle shall be borne by a single
integral axle-section.
In addition to the above purposes my invention consists in certain peculiar
and novel features of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and
claimed.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will proceed to describe it
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a pair of wheels and a corresponding
longitudinal section of an axle constructed in accordance with our invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the axle on the line 2-2 of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but embodying certain modified features
of construction and arrangement.
Figure 4 is an irregular transverse vertical section of the same on the line 4-t
of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section of the same ou the line 5-5 of
Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a detached perspective view of the tubular or sleeve section of
the axle.

page_text: Figure 7 is a detached perspective view of the ring which is shrunk upon
the axle.
Figure 8 is a detached perspective view of one of the bearing sleeves.
Referring first to the construction shown. in. Figures 1, 2, 6, 7, and 8. 1 designates
the main solid axle-section, said section being of such length as will accord with
the gauge" of the particular road which is to be supplied.
::
designates the outer or bearing ends of the said member or section, the said
ends 2 being of less diameter than that of the body-portion of said member at
its points of union with the reduced portions 2, and the outer, ends 3..of said
portions being preferably (although not necessarily) of greater diameter than said
reduced portions 2, in order to fit into the usual axle-boxes in customary manner.
This solid axle section or member is shown as of the least diameter at its middle 4
and as gradually increasing in diameter in opposite directions from said middle
point toward the point of union of its body portion with the reduced portions 2
of said member or section 1. The purpose of this form of the body portion of
the member or section 1 will be hereinafter explained.
5 designates one of the wheels, this wheel being of the usual or any preferred
type and being also forced, shrunk or otherwise secured directly upon one end of
the solid axle inember or section 1 at one end thereof. As shown, this wheel is so
mounted upon the right-hand end of the axle-section 1; but it will be obvious
from the ensuing description that said wheel may be so secured upon the opposite
end of said axle member. In any event it is essential to the spirit of my invention
that the wheel 5 shall turn with the axle member 1.
6 designates the outer or tubular member of the axle, the said member being of
such length as to extend from the inner side of the hub of the wheel 5 to and
through the hub of the opposite wheel 7, the corresponding end of the tubular
axle-section 6 terminating flush with the outer side of the hub of said wheel 7.
The bore of the axle-section 6 extends entirely throughout the length of said
section and is shown as of uniform diameter. That end of the tubular member
which abuts against the inner side of the hub of the wheel 5 is preferably formed
with an annular shoulder 9, which is of greater diameter than the adjacent part
of the member. The said tubular member is also formed at its opposite end
with an external annular shoulder 10, which is of greater diameter than the
corresponding extremity of the member 6, said member 6 preferably gradually
increasing in external diameter from the end which is provided with the shoulder 9
to the shoulder 10. The wheel 7 is also of the usual or any preferred type of
construction and may differ from the companion wheel 5 only in having its hub of
greater internal diameter than that of said wheel 5. As shown, this wheel 7 has
a cavity or chamber 11 surrounding its hub, and said cavity or chamber is also
shown as communicating with a number of oblique channels 12, which extend
outwardly through the web of the wheel. It will be obvious, however. from the
ensuing description that the cavity 11 and channels 12 may be dispensed with in
the construction and that the web of the wheel may be entirely solid.
event the hub of the wheel is forced, shrunk, or otherwise secured upon the end of
the tubular section 6 in such manner that said tubular.member must rotate with the
wheel 7. The corresponding outer end portion of the inner solid axle member 1 is
formed with a ring or annular flange 13, which is in this instance forged solidly
and integrally upon the axle member 1 and which lies immediately adjacent to the
outer end of the hub of wheel 7, but which does not prevent nor interfere in any
manner with the free and independent rotation of the wheel 7 relatively to the axle
member 1. It is to be understood that the ring or aunular shoulder 13 is to be
made as narrow as possible consistent with its required strength, so as to prevent
all necessity of altering the distance between the two opposite axle-boxes of the car
or other vehicle.
In any
14 designates an annular tubular oil-receptacle, which surrounds the tubular
axle-section 6 midway of the length of the same, as shown, and the interior of
which communicates with the interior or bore of the tubular axle through a number

page_text: of channels 16, which are formed radially in the tubular axle member. Externally
the oil-reservoir 14 is formed with a number of openings, each of which is normally
closed by a removable screw-plug 15 or an equivalent device. Thus it will be seen
that the oil is poured into the receptacle 14 through one or another of the plugged
openings and flows thence through the channels 16, and thus into the bore of the
tubular axle member. The oil thus fills said bore and is fed between the contacting
surfaces of the solid axle member 1 and of the tubular axle member 6. Owing to
the described tapered form of the solid axle member, the oil-space within the
tubular axle member, is of greater transverse area at its middle, and thus the oil
will have a tendency to flow toward such part of the bore, and all liability of
leakage of oil at the ends of the sleeve is prevented.
In order to reduce even the slight frictional wear of the contacting surfaces to
the minimum, a sleeve 17 is inserted into each end of the tubular axle member.
These sleeves are of brass Babbitt metal or any other suitable material, and are
retained against rotation independent of the tubular member by a suitable number
of dowel-pins 18, each of which passes radially through the end of the tubular
member and into the sleeve. The dowel-pins at the left-hand end of the tubular
member are retained against all possibility of being thrown out of position by the
inner surface of the hub of wheel-7.
In order to prevent the entrance of dust, dirt, cinders, etc., into as well as to
prevent escape of oil from the axle, I have provided shields or guards 19 and 20.
Each of these shields is of disc form, so as to surround the end of the tubular axle
member, and each of the guards or shields is preferably of metal, and is further-
more riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the corresponding wheel immediately
adjacent to the hub of the same. The shield or guard 19 is secured to the inner
side of the web of the wheel 5 and its inner margin is bent inwardly at right angles,
so as to embrace the shoulder 9 of the tubular axle member, and thus forin a closed
joint. The shield or guard 20 is secured to the outer side of the web of the
wheel 7 and extends outward over the outer side of the collar 13, thus also forming
a closed joint.
The construction shown in Figures 3, 4, and embodies the same essential
features of general construction as have been previously explained, and like parts
are designated by the same numerals of reference. In this instance, however,
certain modifications of construction have been adopted which I now proceed to
describe. First, the left-hand end of the solid axle member 1 is formed with a
frusto-conical portion 22, the periphery of which extends obliquely inward, as
shown. Upon this frusto-conical portion 22 is shrunk or otherwise forced a ring
or collar 21, corresponding in all respects--such as dimensions, location, etc.,
(excepting its mauner of attachment)-with the collar 13 before described, the
guard or shield 20 embracing the outer surface of this ring or collar 21, as it
does the ring or collar 13. The arrangement is such that the inner side of the
collar 21 impinges upon the outer end of the hub of the wheel 7, so as to prevent
any possibility of dislocation of said wheel, and at the same time so as to in no
way interfere with the free rotation of said wheel. In this instance, also, the solid
axle member 1 is of uniform diameter throughout, while the bore of the tubular
member is of greater diameter at its middle and gradually decreases in diameter
oppositely toward the ends of said tubular member. The chamber 11 of the
wheel 7 is in this instance used as an oil-chamber, the said wheel being preferably.
of the usual type which is provided with a hollow web. The usual channels or
openings 12, which communicate with the cavity 11, are in this instance formed in
the outer side of the web of the wheel and the outer ends of said channels or
openings are closed by removable screw-plugs 22". A number (three or more) of
channels 23 are formed through the inner wall of the web of wheel 7, and into
each of these openings is inserted the outer end of a longitudinal oil-duct 24,
the said ducts extending inwardly to the middle of the tubular axle-section 6-
and having their inter-diids inserted into radial openings 25, which communicate "
"

page_text: with the middle of the bore of said tubular member. It will thus be seen that
in whatever position the vehicle may stop one of the ducts 24 will always be
above and another below the longitudinal center of the axle, and consequently
there will be a flow of oil toward the middle of the axle, and thus all possibility
of waste of the oil is entirely avoided. It is to be further remarked that the
shoulders 9 and 10, before described, prevent all possibility of the wheels being
forced inward upon the axle-sections by the end-thrust to which the wheels are
subjected.
In order to facilitate the feed of the oil from the cavity of the wheel 7, a
number of cups or deflectors 26 are formed upon the inner surface of the rear
wall of the cavity 11, each of said deflectors being located immediately adjacent
to one of the openings 23.
It is to be understood that it is usually only when the car is travelling on a
curve that the two wheels 5 and 7 rotate independently of each other, the said
wheels usually rotating in unison upon straight stretches of track, and from the
above description it will be seen that I have produced a combined car axle and
wheels which involves the utmost simplicity, durability, and inexpensiveness of
construction, and which avoids all increased draft and liability of slipping or
climbing of the rails and also spreading of the same.
It is to be observed that in order to entirely avoid any slight tendency to side
draft, due to the arrangement of parts above described, the axles are preferably
to be mounted in the trucks so that the wheel 5 of one axle shall be on the
same side of the truck as the wheel 7 of the next succeeding axle, this alternate
arrangement being continued through the entire series of axles. It is also to be
observed that the construction and the arrangements of the parts above described
are such that the axles can be applied to any of the present types of cars without
involving any change in the position or construction either of the trucks or
axle-boxes now in use. It will be further seen that in the event of wearing out
of either member of the axles such members can be readily removed and a new
one substituted without affecting the other member. I desire finally to call
attention to the fact that the tapered solid member 1, (shown in Figure 1) may
be combined with the tapered-bore tubular section 6 (shown in Figure 3) without
departing from the essential spirit of my invention, the capacity of the oil-space
or reservoir within the axle being thus materially increased, and that in both of
the arrangements above described the weight of the car or other vehicle is borne
wholly upon the ends of the solid axle member or section, the outer tubular
section being entirely relieved of all such weight, and the friction between said
parts being thus materially lessened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A combined car axle and wheel comprising a tubular outer axle member
having one end inserted into the hub of one of the wheels, an inner solid axle
member extending longitudinally through the tubular member, and a ring or
annular shoulder carried by one end of the solid axle inember and abutting
against that end of the tubular member which passes through the wheel-hub and
also against the outer end of said wheel-hub, substantially as set forth.
2. A combined car axle and wheel comprising a wheel having an oil-cavity in
its center, an outer tubular axle member inserted at one end into the hub of the
wheel and having a longitudinal bore or chaunel, and a number of oil-conduit
tubes connected each at its inner end communicating with the bore of said axle
member, substantially as set forth.
3. A combined car axle and wheel comprising a wheel, a tubular outer axle
member having one end inserted into the hub of the wheel, and an inner solid
member extending longitudinally within the tubular member and provided at its

page_text: outer end with a frusto-conical portion, and a ring or collar surrounding said
portion and abutting against the outer end of the hub of the adjacent wheel,
substantially as set forth.
4. A combined car axle and wheels comprising a tubular outer axle-section
having an external oil-reservoir and an internal bore or channel and provided
with a number of radial channels communicating with the bore of the tubular
section and with said reservoir, substantially as set forth.
5. A combined car axle and wheels comprising a solid axle section and an outer
tubular axle-section, the inner solid section being of such length as to extend
through the hubs of both wheels, and dust guards secured to the webs of said
wheels and surrounding the ends of the solid and tubular axle-sections, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Dated this 30th day of June 1892.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.