IMPROVEMENTS IN. ALEO
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Southwood Stocker, of 11, Poultry, in the
City of London, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
ALEO"
Sealed the 26th September 1854, and dated the 14th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Southwood
Stocker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 14th July 1854.
I, ALEXANDER SOUTHWOOD STOCKER, of 11, Poultry, in the City of London,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the, said Invention for " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN AXLES" to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in the combination of a tube with an external
series of smaller tubes or rods surrounding it, to form a strong and light axle;
as also in the combination of a hollow core for such similar purpose, stayed
and strengthened by a surrounding tube of larger diameter fitting accurately
thereupon, and with suitably formed ends or journals, either hollow or solid,
secured in any suitable manner; as also in the combination of a tube with
a core or strengthening piece running longitudinally through the tube, such
core or strengthening piece being of a cruciform, tri-lateral, or other section;
as also in the construction of a series of tubes surrounding a solid core,
with the ends or journals hollow or solid, secured thereto in any suitable
manner.
Hitherto axles for railway carriages, waggons, &c. have either been formed
by rolling and hammering a solid bar of iron into the required shape and size,
during which process the iron is subjected to frequent reheating and cooling,

page_text: or they have been formed by a single tube of iron, with solid ends and journals
welded therein and thereto.
Or, more recently, they have been formed by welding a series of segmental
bars together, first at their ends to form a hollow and bundle-like core or axle
cylinder of a large diameter and greater thickness than the axle required, which
is heated in a furnace to a "welding heat," and passed through a series of
grooved rollers, having a fixed mandril or centre corc upon which the axles are
formed hollow and soundly, the journals, &c. being afterwards formed by re-
heating and swaging down to the size and shape required.
Now my Invention differs from cach and all of these plans, inasmuch as I
avoid the frequent reheating of the axle during the process of manufacture,
and prevent the injury consequent thereupon; moreover, I am enabled to
arrange the materials of the various parts in a manner best suited to the
purpose as giving the greatest amount of strength with the least weight of
material.
By my arrangements I also. prevent the liability of railway and other axles
to become fractured at the shoulder of the journal or bearing, as also by the
application of a steel collar on the outer diameter, and a steel plug or hollow
steel core in the inner diameter of an axle. And to prevent vibration in the
parts of hollow axles I propose to fill them in with sand, or some other such
material or semi-fluid body.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Southwood Stocker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
SOUTHWOOD STOCKER, of 11, Poultry, in the City of London, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Southwood Stocker, Her special licence that I, the said Alex-
ander Southwood Stocker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alexander Southwood Stocker, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to s
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom

page_text: of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alexander Southwood Stocker, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Southwood Stocker, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the application of manufactured tubes to the making
of railway and other axles, such tubes being used either alone or in combi-
nation with a solid core of any suitable section, the external parts being shrunk
the core or ends, or otherwise secured.
upon
In illustration of my Invention I propose the combination of a tube with
an external series of smaller tubes or rods surrounding it, to form a strong and
light axle. As also the combination of a hollow core for such similar purpose,
stayed and strengthened by a surrounding tube of a larger diameter, shrunk,
contracted, or formed thereupon, with suitably formed ends or journals, hollow.
or solid, secured in any suitable manner. As also in the combination of a
tube with a core or strengthening piece running longitudinally through the
tube, such core or strengthening piece being of a cruciform, tri-lateral, or other
such section or form. As also in the combination of a series of tubes sur-
rounding a solid core, with the ends or journals hollow or solid.
In the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed the longitudinal views represent
one half the full length of a railway axle, and the scale to which the several
Figures are drawn is about th of the full size.
Fig. 1 is a side view of an axle, the construction of which is better scen in
section at Fig. 2, Fig. 3 being an end view.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of an axle, as Fig. 1, composed entirely of
tubes, the smaller tube a being the foundation or core; b, a tube surrounding
a, at each end of axle, and shrunk thereon to form the journals of axle; c, a
tube formed upon or shrunk on to the tube b, and extending between the
bearings of axle boxes, and together with the collar tube c* forming the
shoulders of journals; d, a collar shrunk on to the core a, and turned to form
the outer shoulder of axle journal, and may be further secured by opening the

page_text: end of core tube with a mandril and bell-mouthing, or otherwise; the boss of
wheel being bored out is fitted on to the tube collar, and secured thereto by
key, pin, or otherwise, there being a shoulder against which the boss, of the
wheel may be driven; f, a collar, of which there may be, two or three shrunk
on to the core tube a, to preserve the form of the tube c throughout its length,
and between the ends of the pieces b, b. Fig. 3 is an end view of Figs. 1
and 2.
2.
Fig. 4 is a side view, and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of another arrange-
ment of tubes. a is a core.tube running throughout the whole length of axle;
the ends are shewn as lipped up or expanded to form one shoulder of the
journal; is a collar securely shrunk on to a recessed at one end with an
annular grove; and turned hollow at the other end to form the inner shoulder
of journal; upon this collar the boss of wheel, which has been previously
bored and prepared, is fitted; c, c, c, a series of small tubes surrounding the
core tube a (better shewn in section at Fig. 6), the ends of which are placed
and securely held in the annular recess of socket piece b, at each end of the
axle. Previously to the journals being turned and finished I recommend
that the axle be galvanized, by which means the small tubes will be firmly
secured and the whole massed together.
:
Fig. 6 is a cross section of Figs. 4 and 5, shewing the arrangement of the
various parts; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section; Fig. 8 is a side view; Fig. 9
being an end view in section of Figs: 7 and 8. The arrangement is as fol-
lowsa, à single tube of proper thickness and strength for the core, or
there may be two or more thicknesses of tubes, "triblet drawn," or "drawn
one over the over;" b, one of two end pieces, which may be rolled or forged
hollow or otherwise, and when bored shrunk on to the tube or tubes a, and
may be dipped into the galvanizing bath, and afterwards pinned, keyed, or
otherwise secured.
Fig. 10 is a side view, partly in section, of an axle formed with solid journals
a, and a tri-lateral sectioned bar b, extending between them, upon which is
formed a tube or series of tubes c, forming the shoulders and bearings, upon
which or against which the bosses of wheels are fitted. Fig. 11 is a cross
section thereof.
Fig. 12 is a longitudinal view, partly in section, of an axle having the ends
or journals a hollow, which may afterwards be plugged with a core of steel to
givo additional strength thereto; and extending between the journals, and
'welded thereto or otherwise fastened, is a bar of. cruciform section, sur-
rounding which is a tube c, of sufficient strength; or what is preferred and is
shewn is; a series of laps or layers of galvanized or other sheet iron turned

page_text: around the core, and afterwards galvanized or otherwise massed together when
complete. Fig. 13 is an end view of Fig. 12.
I have described, as above, various arrangements of tubes alone for the
making of axles, as also of tubes in conjunction with solid bars of various
sections for the same purpose, but there are also other combinations of tubes
which may be made, but are not shewn in the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed.
By my Invention I avoid the frequent reheating and welding of the materials
of the axle during the process of manufacture as at present practised, and thus
prevent the injury consequent therefrom. I also insure the use of materials
of a more uniform good quality, and I am enabled to arrange the materials of
the various parts in a manner best suited to the particular purpose as giving
the greatest amount of strength with the least weight. Moreover, I prevent
the liability of railway axles to become fractured at the shoulder of the journal
or bearing.
I claim, first, the making of axles as above described, in which one tube is
shrunk on to, or formed or drawn over another.
Secondly, the combination of a tube or tubes with the tri-lateral, cruciform,
or other similar sectioned core.
Thirdly, the making of axles with a series of tubes, as described, whether
the tubes be made in the ordinary methods at present in use for making tubes
or by any other plan; as also whether they are first manufactured and shrunk
on or otherwise applied, or are formed on or upon the core or journals.
Fourthly, 1 claim the making of hollow axles in manner above described
without the necessity of repeatedly welding and reheating the various parts to
such a temperature as may injure the materials.
Fifthly, I claim the galvanizing of tubular axles, by which perfect solidity
is given to the parts thereof, and by which they are protected from oxydation.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Alexander Southwood Stocker, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
AAR SOUTHWOOD STOCKER. L.B.)