IMPROVEMENTS IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH AXLE BOXES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Swinburn at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 20th June 1879.
JOHN SWINBURN, of Wombwell, in the County of York, Mechanical Engineer.
“IMPROVEMENTS IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH AXLE BOXES."
The object of this Invention in or in connection with axle boxes, and the several
advantages thereof, are as follows:-
In the first place, it alleviates the amount of labour and expense incurred in the
present system of wagon lifting, whereas in accordance with the ordinary present
style or make of axle boxes and the mode of lifting wagons for repairs if a single
brass needs renewing the labour it entails is as follows:-
First. The removing of both axle guard stays, consisting of four nuts and bolts,
then the raising up of one end of the wagon to the height of 20 inches or two feet
as the length of the guard plates may be; then both springs have to be removed
from the top of the axle boxes before the wheels can be run out sufficiently to allow
the axle boxes to be taken out to be examined or change the brass. It will be seen
that this one brass replacing entails as much labour as if the wagon required two
new boxes and brasses. Taking into consideration the amount of time expended
in lifting one end of the wagon and setting it down again, replacing springs and
guard stays, make the changing of one brass a very expensive item, even if two
new brasses were put in at the same time, but it is a very rare case that you find
both brasses in the same state of deterioration, so that in many cases when both
brasses are changed that one of the two might have done many miles service were
it not for the amount of labour entailed in lifting the same wagon again, perhaps &
month after.
By my Invention the labour and expense entailed in lifting wagons is reduced to
a minimum, and, for instance, instead of having the wagon to lift about two feet
and guard stays to remove, also springs and boxes to take out, this box is so
arranged that nothing more than an ordinary four or five ton jack is required to be
placed under the axle box bottom, and by lifting the box alone to the height of
about one and a half inches, and removing the slide in the front of the box, the
brass can be taken out and examined or replaced with ease, and in a very few
minutes.
The front of the box is fitted with a dovetail slide, large enough to allow of the
brass to be taken out This slide cannot ha

page_text: the grease chamber, which is fitted with a spring to keep it down. The grease
chamber is so arranged as to be entirely separate from the dovetail slide, so that
when the slide is in its position it forms a double thickness of metal at that
part.
Another advantage is, that at any time when a wagon is even standing in the
middle of a train and hot the box can be lifted and the brass changed, and the train
Bent away about its business in considerably less time than it takes to detach and
shunt the wagon or carriago.
This improved axle box differs very little in shape and appearance from the
ordinary axle box now in use, and can be applied to any wagon or carriage without
the slightest alteration to the truck or carriage in any part whatever.