IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR CARRIAGES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Wright, of Smethwick, in the County of
Stafford, Coach Smith, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES FOR
CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 20th October 1865, and dated the 4th July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Wright at the
. Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the 4th
July 1865.
I, STEPHEN WRIGHT, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Coach Smith,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AXLES FOR CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of axles for
carriages in the manner herein-after explained.
My improvements are especially applicable for use with carriage wheels
having metallic hubs, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to me dated the Eleventh of April 1865, No. 1024, and I will
describe my present Invention in connection with such carriage wheels, but
my improvements may also be applied to carriage axles to be used with wheels
of the ordinary kind.
In constructing an axle for carriages according to my Invention I make on
the arm of the axle against which the back end or head of the axle box bears
a flange, the face of which is of a conical figure. Around the base of the said
cone is a. tubular or hollow cylindrical shoulder. Upon the conical face

page_text: described a washer of leather or india-rubber is placed. The said conical
face constitutes the bearing or rubbing surface against which the end or head
of the axle box works. I make the said end or head of the axle box of a size
proper to engage within the tubular shoulder at the base of the conical face of
the flange, and the front or head of the axle box is made of a hollow conical
figure and fits accurately upon the said conical face. In front of the conical
face on the arm of the axle an annular groove is made, into which oil for
lubricating the conical and other rubbing surfaces of the axle and box is
supplied through a hole in the axle box. The said hole is closed by a screw
pin. The arm of the axle is connected to the axle box by means of the
metallic hub of the wheel in the following manner :-The axle box is made
taper and the metallic hub of the wheel is fixed thereto by driving the said
hub forcibly thereon, as described in the Specification of the Patent before
.referred to. Behind the flange on the arm from which the conical bearing face
is made a loose disc of metal is situated, and between the back of the said flange
and disc an india-rubber washer is interposed. Screw pins pass through the
said disc and screw into the metallic hub of the wheel and thus connect the
arm of the axle to the axle box. In addition to the connection described of
the arm to the axle box a second connexion may be made by passing a pin
through the axle box and making its end work in the annular groove already
described in the arm of the axle. The outer end of the axle carries a screw
nut the inner face of which is conical and takes a bearing against a conical
recess in the end of the axle box. By making the parts of the axle and axle
box in the manner described the rubbing surfaces are reduced, and by making
the rubbing surfaces on the flange of the axle and axle box conical the said
axle box works with great freedom on the axle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stephen Wright in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL. COME, I, STEPHEN
WRIGHT, of Smethwick, in the County of Stafford, Coach Smith, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year, of. Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant: unto me,

page_text: the said Stephen Wright, Her special licence that I, the said Stephen Wright,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Stephen Wright, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AXLES FOR CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Stephen Wright, 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 performed; 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 1, the said Stephen Wright, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of axles for
carriages in the manner herein-after explained.
My improvements are especially applicable for use with carriage wheels
having metallic hubs, as described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to me, dated the Eleventh of April 1865, No. 1024, and I will
describe the nature of my present Invention in connection with such carriage
wheels, but my improvements may also be applied to carriage axles to be used
with wheels of the ordinary kind.
In constructing an axle for carriages according to my Invention I make on
the arm of the axle against which the back end or head of the axle box bears a
flange, the face of which is of a conical figure. Around the base of the said cone
is a tubular or hollow cylindrical shoulder. Upon the conical face described a
washer of leather or india-rubber is placed. The said conical face constitutes
the bearing or rubbing surface against which the end of the head of the axle
box works. I make the said end or head of the axle box of a size proper to
engage within the tubular shoulder at the base of the conical face of the
flange, and the front or head of the axle box is made of a hollow conical
figure and fits accurately upon the said conical face. In front of the conical
face on the arm of the axle an annular groove is made into which oil for
lubricating the conical and other rubbing surfaces of the axle and box is
supplied through a hole in the axle box. The said hole is closed by a screw

page_text: pin. The arm of the axle is connected to the axle box by means of the
metallic hub of the wheel in the following manner:-The axle box is made
taper, and the metallic hub of the wheel is fixed thereto by keys or by driving
the said hub forcibly thereon, as described in the Specification of the Patent
before referred to. Behind the flange on the arm from which the conical
bearing face is made a loose disc of metal is situated, and between the back of
the said flange and disc an india-rubber or leather washer is interposed.
Screw pins pass.through the said disc and screw into the metallic hub of the
wheel, and thus connect the arm of the axle to the axle box. In addition
to the connection described of the arm to the axle box a second connection
may be made by passing a pin through the axle box and making its end
work in the annular groove already described in the arm of the axle. The
outer end of the axle carries a screw nut the inner face of which is
conical and takes a bearing against a conical recess in the end of the axle
box. By making the axle and axle box in the manner described the rubbing
surfaces are reduced, and by making the rubbing surfaces on the flange of the
axle and axle box conical the said axle box works with great freedom and
steadiness on the axle.
Having explained the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in which the same s
is to be performed, both as applied to an axle for a carriage wheel having a
metallic hub, and to an axle for a carriage wheel of the ordinary kind.
Figure 1 represents in elevation the arm of an axle, and Figure 2 repre-
sents in longitudinal section the box of the said axle constructed according to
my Invention; Figure 3 represents in longitudinal section the axle and box
fitted together. The axle, Figures 1, 2, and 3 is adapted for use with a carriage
wheel having a metallic hub. The same letters of reference indicate the
same parts in each Figure of the Drawing.
:
a is the arm of the axle, and b is the axle box. On the said arm of the
axle is a flange c, against which the back end or bead of the axle box b bears.
The face of the said flange c is of a conical figure marked d, with or without a
washer of leather or india-rubber e. Around the base of the said cone d is a
tubular or hollow cylindrical shoulder f. The end or head 63 of the axle box b
is made of a hollow conical figure, and fits accurately upon the conical face d
of the flange c on the arm of the axle, the said end or head 62 of the axle box
being made of a size proper to engage within the tubular shoulder f at the
base of the conical face d. The manner in which the head or end of the axle
box bears against the conical face or rubbing surface of the flange, and fits
within the annular shoulder of the said flange, will be readily understood by an

page_text: examination of Figure 3. In the arm a and in front of the conical face dis
an annular groove g into which oil for lubricating the conical and other
rubbing surfaces of the axle and box is supplied through a hole in the said
axle box, the said hole being closed by a screw pin h. The arm of the axle
is connected to the metallic hub of the wheel fixed on the axle-box b by means
of the loose metallic disc i placed behind the flange c, a disc of india-rubber
or leather being interposed between the said metallic, disc i and flange c, as
represented in Figure 3. The metallic disc i.is shown separately in Figure 4.
Screw pins pass through the said dises i and k and screw into the metallic
hub of the wheel fixed on the axle box b, and thus connect the arm of the
axle to the axle box. The end of the arm of the axle may carry a screw nut
or collar, the inner face of which is conical and takes a bearing against a
conical shoulder on the end of the axle box, as represented in connection with
the axle next described.
י
Figure 5 represents in elevation another arm of an axle constructed
according to my Invention, and Figure 6. represents.in. section the box of the
same, the said axle and box being suited for use with an ordinary carriage
wheel; Figure 7 represents the axle and box fitted together.
In this case I make the conical rubbing or bearing surface d of the flange c
much larger than in the arrangement first described, the hollow conical
shoulder of the axle box 6 having a corresponding figure. I connect the
arm a of the axle to the axle box 6 at one end by means of a screw pin p
passed through the axle box and engaging in an annular groove 9 made in
the axle, as represented in Figures 5 and 7; the said groove 9 also serves to
contain the oil for lubricating the axle. The other end of the arm of the axle
has a conical nut or collar r screwed upon it, which conical nut bears against
the conical shoulders on the end of the box. The collar r is fixed in its
place by the lock nut and split pin at t, and the end of the axle is covered by
the screw cap u. By making the rubbing or bearing surfaces on the flange of
the axle and axle box conical in the manner described and represented the
axle box works with great freedom and steadiness on the axle.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated
in the Drawing, as the same may be varied without departing from
the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention the improve-
ments in axles for carriages herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making the face of the flange on the
arm of the axle against which the back end or head of the axle box bears of

page_text: a conical figure, and making the back end or head of the axle box of a hollow
conical figure, the said hollow conical end or head of the axle box engaging
within a tubular or hollow cylindrical shoulder at the base of the conical face of
the flange and fitting against the said conical face, substantially in the manner
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Wright, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw,
Birmingham.
STEPHEN WRIGHT. (L.S.)