IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AXLES AND BOXES
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANGIER
MARCH PERKINS, of Francis Street, Regent's Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, in the fourteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Angier March Perkins, my exors, adiiors, and assigns, Her
especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Angier. March Perkins, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Angier March Perkins, my exors, admñiors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AXLES AND BOXES;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Angier
March Perkins, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately

page_text: after the date of the said m part recited Letters atent, as by t
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Angier March Perkins, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention consists of obtaining a long bearing for the axle by peculiar
constructions of axletrees and boxes, which may be. done in several ways,
retaining a like principle.
First, a cylinder is made, say of the following dimensions, 5th inches in exter-
nal diameter, and 4 internal diameter, 5 feet 8 inches long. This cylinder is
lined with a compound metal, which melts at about four hundred and fifty degrees
or five hundred degrees of temperature, such as is now usually employed for
railway boxes. The lining is accomplished in the following manner:-A nearly
cylindrical bar of cast iron, of three and a half inches diameter, is prepared by
turning it very smoothly, about one eighth of an inch larger at one end than
the other. This is placed in the centre of the hollow axle by means of two
caps made to fit the outside of the axle, which leaves a space seven sixteenths
of an inch wide between the two cylinders. When this is ready it is all heated
to a temperature of five hundred or six hundred degrees, and the metal is
poured in through a hole in the cap until it flows out of another hole in the
other cap. It is then left to cool, and when it is sufficiently set the cylinder is
hoisted and allowed to fall on the smaller end of the cylinder or mandril two
or three times, when it will come out and leave a perfectly smooth and nearly
a cylindrical lining to the axle. Upon this axle the wheels may be fixed in
the usual way; then through this axle is passed a square bar of wrought iron,
with the four edges rounded off so as to leave them about one inch wide all
along the square bar; when finished this square bar will nearly fill the inside
of the axle cylinder. On the ends of the square bar with rounded edges are
placed two boxes suitable for supporting the carriage in the usual way, and at
the same time to make a close joint against the end of the hollow axle.
may be necessary to place between the boxes and axles a thin leather washer
to ensure a more perfect joint. In order to retain the oil or grease
effectually, and to prevent the entrance of dust, a leather band will be
necessary round the joint; this can be secured by a band of india rubber or
other suitable means.
It
Another method of carrying out the principle of a long bearing is to fix the