Improvements in or appertaining to Axles and Wheels for Railway Rolling Stock.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Axles and Wheels for Railway
Rolling Stock.
A communication by ALBIN HALMAY, of Ozd-Bánszáltás, Hungary, in the
Empire of Austria, Mining Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both
in the County of Lancaster aud 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil 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 :-
This invention has for its object to provide a pair of railway wheels, without any
spring and by the use of which the possibility of de-railing, that is of the wheels
leaving their rails is reduced to a minimum.
On the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 shows this pair of wheels, part in elevation and part in section.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same in section.
Figure 3 is section showing a view of one bearing or bush, whilst
Figure 4 shows a modification of the bearing in section.
Figure 1 shows the pair of wheels completely put together and mounted.
a is a sheath or circular casing which holds the axle and which terminates in
bearings or bushes b b. c is the axle which is merely passed through the centre of
one wheel, whilst it is fixed by means of the pin or wedge d in such a way that
this wheel revolves with the axle, the other wheel being quite independent of such
revolution. In consequence of this, the pair of wheels can freely move round the
curves of the track without any great difficulty and without slipping.
The most noteworthy and important part of the pair of wheels is formed by the
bearings or bushings, the usual construction of which is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The upper part of these bearings or bushes have solid lugs e by means of which
they are attached to the bottom of the car. The interior of these bearings or
bushes is wider than the axle, and is mounted between the projecting ridges ff of
an antifriction ring 9, the use and shape of which is clearly seen in Figure 2. The
lower part of the bearings or bushes remains empty so that the play of the axle in
a vertical direction is thereby assured.
By means of this arrangement, the de-railing of the vehicle is almost entirely
prevented as the wheels can adjust themselves to any possible unevenness of track
and the wheels, in consequence of their own weight, always remain on the rails.
The side of the bearings or bushes facing the wheel ends in a straight plate / on
both sides of which dove-tailed grooves ii are provided. Between these grooves a
quadrangular slide k k which closes the bearing may move up and down and at the
same time prevents the escape of the lubricant contained in the sheath, after it bas
thoroughly lubricated the face of the bearing. In the middle of the slide there is
a hole corresponding to the diameter of the axle, and this hole is expanded into the
form of a funnel towards the bearings or bushes, particularly however in an upward
and downward direction, and for this reason, that the slide may come in contact
with as small a surface of the axle as possible, and in case of need may not impede
the same even when it assumes an oblique position.
In the centre of the sheath at an opening is visible which is closed by means
of a screw which serves for pouring in the lubricant. Where the lubricant is very
liquid, the slide which closes the bearing or bushes must fit very exactly for which
reason it is pressed against the face plate by means of springs.
r

page_text: Figure 4 shows the arrangement of such a bearing where the slide is pressed
against the bearing by means of a spiral spring m. In this latter case, the slide is
not made of metal but of a plate of wood n and felt o. Instead of the steel spring m,
any other suitable elastic material such for instance as an india rubber ring may of
course be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is-
The improvements in or appertaining to axles and wheels for railway rolling
stock, consisting in a pair of wheels independent of one another, being mounted on
an axle provided with a casing or sheath a, which has bearings or bushes b,
admitting of the vertical movement of the axle, and with a slide k to prevent the
escape of the lubricant, the bearing being either with or without a plate attached
to its face all substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 9th day of May 1893.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.