Improvement in Axle Boxes for Railway Carriages or Wagons, or for Tramcars or other Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1891.
Complete Specification Left, 11th July, 1892-Accepted, 27th Aug., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Axle Boxes for Railway Carriages or Wagons, or
for Tramcars or other Vehicles.
I, ROBERT HYDE Derbyshire House Darnall Sheffield in the County of York
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object the saving of time and labour in changing
when necessary the brasses or bearings in axle boxes and its adoption will greatly
facilitate the examination of the brasses or bearings and a lifting jack or crane will
not be required in order to make the examination. My improvements are intended
to be used in connection with axle boxes which have front lids which open and so
enable the axle end to be seen when required. The arrangement of the brass and.
box is such that the brass can be taken out at the front of the axle box when the
lid is open and the weight taken off the brass.
A packing or a combined packing and grease chamber or drawer to hold the
grease is arranged and used on the top of the brass or other similar arrangement.so
that when taken out at the front of the axle box it will allow the brass to be taken.
out also.
My axle box (or boxes) I make with an arrangement thereon to lift itself
and the load upon it by means of lever and excentric or camm or camms or by
a screw or screw and wedge I use friction rollers in connection with same or
not. I also make a similar arrangement so that the same can be secured if desired
to axle boxes of the kind now in use and they may be worked by a lever or
screw. I make my improvements in three ways, the axle or axle journal; being
the fulcrum.
My first method. Underneath the axle box (by preference) I provide a hole or
recess for a spindle to work in, which spindle may be held in position by a cap or
not, or the spindle can be placed in any suitable position on or in the axle box.
The spindle will have attached to it suitable means for moving it by a lever at one
or both ends, on the spindle will be one or more excentrics or camms formed, one
excentric or camm will work at the end of the axle box near the wheel. A link
is placed at the back end of the axle box, (the axle end passing through it) and
can be held in position by a spring or by other suitable means, it may form one
side of the sand guard groove or not or it may slide on the box end or not or it
may itself form the sand guard or not.
The excentric or camm projects into the link and when the spindle is partly
turned by the lever it will cause the excentric or camm to press on the link and
force it on the top of the axle and by continuing to force the lever it will lift
the axle box off the journal of the axle and then the packing on the brass can be
taken out which will thus leave a space sufficient for taking out the brass or
bearing the lid being open at the front, the link being in tension. The spindle
may in some cases be at the top of the axle box, then the link or its equivalent
would be in compression and when the axle box is lifted off the bearing it will be
seen that the brasses or bearings can be readily examined and this improvement
will make it practicable for a man with a suitable lever or spanner to easily
examine the bearings.
The second method includes all the first with the addition of a connection made
to the end of the axle, that is the collar, I make a clip or cap to fit on the
collar with suitable connections to go to and work in connection with a camm or
camms or screw this arrangement will give two fulcrum points on axle it will also
lift the axle box level.
My third method I make clips to work inside the axle box to take hold of axle

page_text: journal on each side and above the centre the clips are secured to connecting links
or straps which may be in one or more pieces, I use friction rollers or not in con-
nection with the clips. The clips take hold of the journal transversely, the con-
necting links or straps may be outside the axle boxes or inside the axle boxes
by making a slot on each side of the axle boxes and lugs projecting through 5
from the clips or the links may go through the bottom from inside the axle
boxes and brought into connection with an excentric or camm or screw for
raising the boxes off the journal of the axle which may be worked by a lever or
spanner, this arrangement will lift the axle boxes level.
All the portions of my improved axle boxes are intended to be made of suitable 1
strong metal or compounds of metals or of other suitable material.
Dated this 12th day of October 1891.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Axle Boxes for Railway Carriages or Wagons, or
for Tramcars or other Vehicles.
I ROBERT HYDE, Engineer, of Derbyshire House, Darnall, Sheffield in the
County of York 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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying
drawings:-
My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in axle boxes for
railway carriages or wagons or for traincars or other vehicles, and has for its
object the saving of time and labour in changing, when necessary, the brasses or
bearings in axle boxes, and its adoption will greatly facilitate the examination of the
brasses or bearings, and a lifting jack or crane will not be required to be used in
order to make the examination.
My improvements are intended to be applied and used in connection with axle
boxes which have front lids which open and so enable the axle end to be seen when
required. The arrangement of the brass and box is such that the brass can be
taken out at the front of the axle box when the lid is open and the weight taken
off the brass.
packing or a combined packing and grease chamber or drawer to hold the
grease is arranged and used on the top of the brass or other similar arrangement so
that when taken out at the front of the axle box it will allow the brass to be taken
out also.
My axle box (or boxes) I make with an arrangement thereon to lift itself and
the load upon it by means of a lever and excentric, or a cam or cams, or by a
Rcrew, or a screw and wedge. I use friction rollers in connection with same
or not.
I also make a similar arrangement so that the same can be secured, if desired,
to axle boxes of the kind now in use and they may be worked by a lever or
& screw. I make my improvements in three ways the axle or axle journal being
the fulcrum.
My first method is as follows:-Underneath the axle box (by preference) I
provide a hole or recess for a spindle to work in which spindle may be held in
position by a cap or not, or the spindle can be placed in any suitable position on or
in the axle box. The spindle will have attached to it suitable means for moving it
by a lever at one or both ends. On the spindle will be one or more excentrics or
cams formed, one excentric or cam will work at the end of the axle box near the
wheel. A link is placed at the back end of the axle box (the axle end passing
through it) and can be held in position by a spring or by other suitable means; it
may form one side of the sand guard groove or not, or it may slide on the-box end
or not, or it may itself form the sand guard or not.

page_text: The excentric or cam projects into the link and when the spindle is partly turned
by the lever it will cause the excentric or cam to press on the link and force it on
the top of the axle and by continuing to force the lever it will lift the axle box off
the journal of the axle and then the packing on the brass can he taken ont which
will thus leave a space sufficient for taking out the brass or bearing the lid being
open at the front the link being in tension.
The spindle may in some cases be at the top of the axle box then the link or its
equivalent would be in compression and when the axle box is lifted off the bearing
it will be seen that the brasses or bearings can be readily examined and this
improvement will make it practicable for a man with a suitable lever or spanner to
easily examine the bearings.
My second method includes all the first with the addition of a connection made
to the end of the axle, that is the collar. I make a cap or clip to fit on the collar
with suitable connections to go to and work in connection with a cam or cams or
screw; this arrangement will give two fulcrum points on the axle it will also lift
the axle box level.
By my third method I make clips to work inside the axle box to take hold of the
axle journal on each side and above the centre the clips are secured to connecting
links or straps which may be in one or more pieces. I use friction rollers or not in
connection with the clips. The clips take hold of the journal transversely, the
connecting links or straps may be outside the axle boxes or inside them by making
a'slot on each side of the axle boxes, and lugs projecting through from the clips, or
the links may go through the bottom from inside the axle boxes and brought into
connection with an excentric or cam, or a screw, for raising the boxes off the journal
of the axle which may be worked by a lever or spanner, this arrangement will lift
the axle boxes level.
All the portions of my improved axle boxes are intended to be made of suitable
strong metal or of compounds of metals, or of other suitable materials.
In order that my said invention, and the methods and means I prefer to adopt in
carrying it out in practice, may be more completely understood it is illustrated on
the three accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings which are marked with
figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following description,
like reference letters indicating the same parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the drawings is a longitudinal section of one arrangement
of axle box constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a half front view of the same.
Figure 3 is a half section through, x, in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a half plan of Figure 1.
Figures 5 and 6 show a suitable form of lever for manipulating my improved
axle boxes.
Figure 7, on Sheet 2, is a longitudinal section showing a modified arrangement of
axle box constituting the second part of my invention.
Figure 8, is a half section through w, w, in Figure 7.
Figure 9, is a half section through z, z, in Figure 7.
Figure 10 is a half horizontal section through y, y, in Figure 7.
Figure 11 on Sheet 3 is a longitudinal section of a further modified arrangement
of axle box constituting the third part of my invention.
Figure 12 is a section through a, a, in Figure 11; and
Figure 13 is a horizontal section through y, y, in Figure 11.
Figure 1 shows the general arrangement of axle box in section. The main
casting a, I make of improved form as shown, with a grease or lubricant chamber b.
It is kept in position by the front lid e, which extends down the front of the axle
box and slides in grooves. It can have a lug cast on at the bottom or not. The
lid c, will keep its position by gravity when it is raised. The spring d, will hold it
as required.
The screw et, is provided to prevent the front lid or cover c, from being drawn

page_text: completely out unless it is required to take out the packing the screw must then be
partly withdrawn. A spiral, or flat, spring d, can be used as shown, it will prevent
rattle and cause the packing or the combined packing and lubricant chamber to
keep its place. I also cast or make slots or grooves g, in the main casting in which
works the plate or link h, the axle end e, passing through it. The spindle i, has a
cam or excentric k, at one end which cam goes into the link h, as shown. The
spindle is provided with a suitable working recess 1, (see Figure 2) which is cast in
the main casting by preference, and is held in position by a cap m. The spindle is
also made with a hole n, at one end for the purpose of inserting the lever o, to turn
the spindle. It can be made with a square end and the lever o, made with a box
end to fit the spindle end.
To hold the link h, in position I use a spiral spring p, which is secured to the
link as shown in Figure 3. The ends of the spring p, are made to work into eyes u
(see Figure 3) secured in the link h, and the middle of the spring rests on and
across the cam or excentric k, thereby holding the link always close to the cam
or excentric, it also holds the link off the axle e, when the link is not in use for
lifting.
The link /, can be made of various forms; it can be part of the dust or sand
guard j, or not, or it can have the dust or sand guard inside it being made hollow
or not therefor.
.
In all cases the link must be made sufficiently strong to lift the weight or load
off the axle end e, to enable the lubricant chamber or packing b, to be taken out
above the brass or bearing f, and making way for the brass or bearing to be easily
taken out also and examined or renewed as required.
In using this improved axle box the lever o, will be used to turn the spindle i,
which has the cam or excentrick, projecting into the link h, arranged as shown, to
press down the link until it rests on the axle e; by continuing to turn the spindle i,
the axle box and the load upon it will be lifted which will enable the lubricant
chamber or packing b, and the bearing or brass f, to be taken out and examined or
renewed as required.
Figures 5 and 6 show the suitable form of lever o, which I use in manipulating
and examining the movable parts of my axle boxes.
According to the modified construction and arrangement of axle box shown in
Sheet 2, Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10, I make the axle box with all the improvements
contained in my firstly described construction of axle box, with the addition thereto
of providing two connections to the axle e, in place of one, this arrangement will
cause the axle boxes to be lifted level.
In addition to the link or plate h, I provide and make use of another link q
which fits easily in the grooves r, cast in the main casting a, on each side opposite
the axle collar S. The link g, is made to bear on the axle collar S, when required
for lifting by turning the spindle i, which has a cam or excentric t, between two
webs. The link 9, goes through the bottom of the box as shown and works in
connection with the cam t, as shown.
The link g, is held up by a spiral spring p', the ends are connected to the link as
shown by two small eyes u, u (see Figures 8 and 9) the spiral spring resting on
and across the cam thus holding the link g, in position. An oil tray or drawer can
be used at the bottom of the axle box or not.
Some of the axle boxes now in use can be arranged with the lifting apparatus by
securing a casting on the axle box (or underneath by preference) with a suitable
recess for the spindle; the link in which the cam works can work in the sand or
dust shield groove, or at the back end of the axle box the weight on the axle box
can be lifted as before described by the lever o, and the spindle i, with a cam or
cams on it.
As illustrated in Figures 11, 12, and 13, Sheet 3 I make my third modified
arrangement of axle box as follows:-
The main casting a, has a sliding front lid c, which holds the combined packing

page_text: and lubricant chamber b, in position as shown in Figure 11, the bearing or brass f,
is held in position by lugs cast on the main casting and the lugs on the bearing or
brass, are made to fit the same.
The arrangement for lifting the axle box and the load upon it I effect by the use
of the U shaped clip S³, which is made in one or more pieces to go through the
bottom of the axle box as shown, and working in the grooves t; the ends of the
clips S', go above the centre of the axle e, sufficiently clear to allow for the wear
of the brass or bearing f. The ends of the clip S', are made to fit the axle e.
I provide friction rollers f, r, to work in the grooves t', in connection with the
clip S; as shown in Figure 12 in section.
At the lower part of the U shaped clip S³, I apply and use a screw v, as shown
with one end having a right hand thread on it screwed into the bottom of the main
casting a, and the other end of the screw is made with a left hand thread on it
which screws into the clip S³, as shown. A square is formed on the screw for a
spanner to turn it by.
When using this lifting arrangement the axle box should be all fitted up and the
clip S, placed in position as shown in Sheet 3, before it is placed on the axle.
To take the brass or bearing f, out of the axle box when the load is upon it I
use a spanner and turn the screw u, which will cause the clip S³, to move down in.
the grooves t, until the top ends of the clip S', and S, clip the axle e, and by
turning the screw, the weight will be taken off the packing or lubricant chamber
then the front lid being removed the packing or combined packing and lubricant
chamber b, can be taken out thus making easy access to the brass or bearing f, so
that it can be examined or removed as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be or can be performed I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. The general construction, combination, and arrangement of parts together.
constituting an improved axle box for railway rolling stock or for tramcars or
other vehicles having axle boxes, the axle box being made in accordance with the
forms shown in the accompanying drawings and being so conveniently arranged
that a man with a suitable lever is enabled to lift the axle box and the weight or
load upon it the axle being the fulcrum; all being substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The improved construction of axle box with the packing or lubricant
chamber b, arranged as shown in the drawings, and used in connection or not with
the axle box lifting arrangement and the arrangement for holding the same in
position; substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated on the accom-
panying drawings.
Date : 04 1 T.-1.-- 1000
BRISTOW HUNT, R.P.A.,
Aldine Chambers, 19, High Street, Sheffield, Agent for the Applicant..