Improvements in Railway Axle Boxes and their Lubricators.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by GEORGE TROTTER EVANS, of Cleveland Street,
Redfern, near Sydney, New S. Wales, Railway Superintendent, and JOHN GOFF,
of Mays Hill, Parramatta, New S. Wales, Engineer.]
Improvements in Railway Axle Boxes and their Lubricators.
I OLIVER IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature.
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a construction and arrangement of axle boxes for railway
rolling stock and of their lubricators in such a manner as to give ready access for
cleansing or repair, to provide against access of grit or dirt and to secure economy of
lubricant. The axle box is made in two parts, the upper part fitted to slide on the
horn plates and the lower part jointed to it by eye bolts at one side and by eye bolts
entering slots on the other side so that on loosening the nuts of the latter bolts they
can be moved aside out of the slots, allowing the lower part of the axle box to be
turned down to give access to the lubricating appliances which it contains. The upper
part of the box has in front of it a sliding cover held by a set screw, which cover can
be slid aside giving access to the brass on the upper side of the axle. The upper part
of the box has also in a groove at its back the upper part of the dust guard which
fits over the collar of the axle, the lower part of the guard being held in a groove
of the lower part of the box and pressed up against the collar of the axle by a blade
spring. The dust guards are made of compressed leather, vulcanite or such like
material and have tongue and groove junctions. The interior of the lower part
of the box is divided by a horizontal partition with two compartments.
The lower compartiment forms the oil reservoir which can be supplied through
a front opening provided with a plug. In the upper compartment, at a little distance
above the partition, is a perforated plate, the perforations of which are made by
punching holes so as to present burrs on the upper face of the plate. These burrs
prevent heavy particles of metal or grit from descending to the oil reservoir whilst
oil can return to it through the holes of the plate and through a hole in the partition
in which there is a roll of worsted or like material acting as a filter. Through the
middle of the partition and plate passes a vertical tube which contains an oil wick and
which carries a plate holding a lubricating pad or cushion of plush or like material.
The plate is guided to slide vertically on guide pins and is pressed upwards by springs
so that the pad is made to press against the axle, brushing it and delivering to it
lubricant which ascends the wick in the tube by capillary attraction.
In order to give additional supply of lubricant when required, the upper part of
the axle box is provided with an oil cup and wick.
ABEL & IMRAY,
28, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Axle Boxes and their Lubricators.
I, OLIVER IMRAY of No. 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents 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 reference to axle boxes and axle lubricators for railway rolling

page_text: stock and it has been specially devised in order to effect a greater saving of lubricant
to keep such lubricant cleaner and freer from grit or foreign substances and to provide
means by which the interior fittings &c. of the axle box can be more expeditiously
examined or renewed than has hitherto been possible.
These improvements in axle boxes and axle lubricators for railway rolling stock
consist in a special construction of feeder or lubricating pad in a special construction
of pad holder and means of supporting same in the combination with the inner end
of the axle box of back plates or inner washers manufactured. of peculiar material
especially suitable for the purpose; in the special construction of the lower part of
the axle box so as to form à covered oil or lubricant holder in the special combination
and arrangement with said holder of filtering or cleaning trays and orifices; and
in the particular construction of axle box in upper and lower pieces with means of
fastening same together; as hereinafter more particularly described and set out in
the claims hereto.
My improved lubricating pad consists of cushions of woolen plush or other similar
material woven on a woollen cotton or other warp with woollen or cotton wicks for
feeding the oil to the bearings by capillary attraction while at the same time it acts
as a brush for cleansing the axle and sweeping the resultant refuse into a tray
beneath. The pad holder to which the pad is secured preferably by copper wire is
preferably constructed of soft hammered brass and is supported on spiral springs or
other elastic bearings so as to keep the pad to the axle with a gentle pressure it is
guided and held in position by means of metal rods and terminates in a tube enclosing
a feeding wick. The improved dust guard or washer is constructed of compressed
leather, hardwood, vulcanite or other similar material and is divided in two portions
jointed together by tongues and grooves thus forming a packing contained in a
groove in the rear end of the axle box. The lower portion of the dust guard rests
on and is secured to a spring for the purpose of taking up the wear and keeping the
opening at rear end of axle box perfectly closed round the axle thereby preventing
the egress of oil and ingress of dust or other substances.
The oil chamber is enclosed in the lower portion of the axle box and has two openings
only one for the tube of the pad holder, and another at the front end of the box to
return the oil drawn up by the wicks of the pad to the oil chamber cleansed and free
from all extraneous substances by passing through a roll of worsted or similar material
which closes said opening. These openings have flanges or raised edges around them
on the upper side. Above the oil chamber or holder a rimmed tray of sheet iron,
sheet brass or other suitable material acting as a sieve or filter rests on ledges under
the axle and fits neatly to the inside of the box. The holes in this tray are perforated
by punching or otherwise in such a way as to leave a rim to each hole for the purpose
of retaining any particles of metal given off by the axle or bearing; while the
lubricating material can overflow (after depositing any foreign matter) on to the roof
of the oil chamber and thence through the worsted filter into the lower oil chamber.
An extra oil cup on top of the box is provided with a dust tight sliding lid fastened by
a thumb screw to prevent its loss. This oil cup is provided with a wick threaded on
to copper wire to feed the lubricating material through a hole drilled through the
metal of the box to the centre of the bearing. This oil cup is intended to be used in
case of emergency or when a vehicle first commences to run with a new axle or new
bearings.
The axle box is made in two portions which are securely fastened or connected
together in such a manner that the interior fittings and apparatus can be expeditiously
examined and renewed. On the upper portion of the box lugs forming hinges are
cast and are provided with eyebolts swinging on steel or iron-pins; the eyebolts
fitting into corresponding grooved lugs cast on to the lower portion of the axle box.
These eyebolts are fitted with double nuts or nut and pin and rivetted over at the
ends so that the nuts cannot be lost.
To get at the interior fittings of the axle box it is only necessary with this arrange-
ment to slightly loosen the nuts and swing the eyebolts outwards when the lower
portion of the box is free to handle as required. The joint between the two portions

page_text: of the axle box is made perfectly tight by inserting in grooves any suitable packing
material.
All parts of the apparatus at all likely to get out of order are in the lower portion
of the box and therefore easily accessible.
The horn plate grooves and lugs are on the upper portion of the box which is
kept well down for that purpose. The aperture in the axle box necessary for the
inspection renewal or removal of the brass bearings is closed by means of a sliding
door cast of the same material as the hox fitted to planed bevelled grooves and
fastened in position by means of a thumbscrew screwed into the top of the box.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood I will now refer to the
accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal section of the axle
box with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a half front elevation of the
same. Fig. 3 is a half transverse section of the same. Fig. 4 is a back elevation
Fig. 5 a plan. Fig. 6 a half plan of lower portion of axle box. Fig. 7 a half
sectional plan of the upper part of the axle box. Fig. 8 represents a side view of
the axle box. Fig. 9 the dust guard and Fig. 10 a view of the pad holder.
A A represents the journal of the axle, B B the brass bearing. CC the fixed
upper portion of the axle box. DD the lower or moveable portion containing the
lubricating and filtering apparatus and the oil chamber. E E is the lubricating pad.
FF is the pad holder and ff the tube of the same for enclosing the feeding wick.
GG are the metal rods that guide the pad holder and keep it in position, g g are
the spiral springs which support the pad holder and. keep the pad gently pressed to
the journal. H H show the dust guard and h shows the steel spring for taking up
the wear caused by the friction of the axle; L L is the oil chamber is the opening
in the oil chamber for the tube which encloses the feeding wick and is the opening
at the front end of the box which is closed up with a roll of worsted K K. Figs. 1
and 3 shew the rimmed tray which acts as a filter or sieve for the oil after use, before
it returns to the oil chamber. J is the oil cup on the top of the box and jis the
thumbscrew for fastening the lid. M M are eyebolts used for connecting the two
portions of the axle box. mm are the lugs cast on the upper portion of the box
which carry the eyebolts, the eyebolts being secured to said lugs by means of cottered
pins on which they swing. N N are the grooved lugs cast on the lower portion of the
axle box and Ŏ are lugs for the horn plates (where such are required for the axle
boxes) and these lugs are cast on the upper portion of the axle box only, thus
facilitating the removal of the lower portion. P P.represents the sliding door giving
access to the brass bearing and Q Q is the thumbscrew for securing the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
claim is
1. An improved lubricating pad consisting essentially of a cushion or cushions of
woollen plush or similar material woven on a woollen cotton or other warp and
having a wick or wicks for feeding the oil thereto substantially as herein described
and explained.
2. The combination and arrangement with a lubricating pad of a pad holder held
upon guide rods and supported by springs or other elastic medium substantially as
herein described and explained.
3. The peculiar dust guards or back plates constructed of compressed leather
vulcanite or similar materials having tongue and grooved junctions, substantially as
herein described and explained.
4. The construction of axle box with a covered oil well or lubricant holder having
an exit for the lubricant to the axle and a filtering entrance for the same after it has
been upon said axle substantially as herein described and explained.
5. The combination and arrangement with the covered oil well or lubricant holder
of the perforated tray for receiving the surplus lubricant from the axle and straining.
same before its return to said well substantially as herein described and explained.

page_text: 6. The particular combination and arrangement with a horizontally divided axle
box of the hinged bolts M and slotted lug N and of the sliding door P and set screw, Q
substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in the drawing.
Dated this 6th day of June 1889.
ABEL & IMRAY,
.
• Agents for the Applicant.