IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AXLES OF RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY. CARRIAGES, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN COMBINATION THERE WITH
Year: 1870

page_text: -
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Garrett Tongue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th November 1870.-A communication from abroad by Henry
Graham Thompson, of New York, United States of America.
I, JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue & Birkbeck,
Patent Agents and Engineers, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AXLES OF RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY.
CARRIAGES, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN COMBINATION THERE WITH,'
to be as follows:-
"
It is well known that the axles and bearings of railway and tramway
carriages are liable to become heated by friction. Under ordinary
circumstances the heat generated causes an increase in the consumption
of lubricating material in proportion to the heat generated, and at times
such heat increases to a dangerous point when serious accidents may
occur.
Now this Invention has for its object to abstract the heat from the

page_text: accident.
In order to abstract the heat from the said axles and bearings, those
parts of the axles which are subject to friction are formed with a passage
longitudinally of the axle. A transverse passage is formed in the axle
communicating with the longitudinal passage, and so arranged that the
revolution of the axle and the movement of the carriage causes a current
of air to pass through that part of the axle exposed to friction and escape
from the axle at a point beyond the bearing. This current of air acts
to carry off the heat generated by friction and keep the axle and bearing
cool.
According to this Invention the passages through the axle journals
are arranged so as to communicate at the ends of the axles with tubes
or passages passing through the journal boxes so as to prevent dust from
entering into the chamber containing lubricating material and the
current of air is increased by a funnel or elbow pipe applied to the
end of the tube outside the axle box, and so arranged that it can be
reversed and act in either direction in which the car may be moving.
A screen of wirework is applied to the entrance to the funnel to prevent
sand or foreign substances passing into the tube.
According to one part of this Invention in place of the funnel above-
named a box or air chamber is attached to or formed with the front of
the axle box, such air chamber being provided with openings at its
forward and hinder ends to allow air to enter into such air chamber and
into the hollow journal, such air passing by the tube or passage from
the air chamber through the axle box and into the longitudinal passage
in the journal. The openings into the air chamber are provided with
valves or hinged flaps. When the carriage is in motion the force of the
air raises one of the flaps and the air passes freely into the chamber at
the same time closing the flap at the other end of the air chamber.
The air is thus gathered into the air chamber by the movement of the
carriage and escapes through the hollow journal and the transverse
aperture or apertures in the axle, and the apparatus adjusts itself accord-
ing to the direction in which the carriage is moving. When desirable
the transverse apertures through which the air escapes after passing
through the hollow journal may be provided with tubes or otherwise
prolonged to increase the centrifugal action upon the escaping air. A

page_text: perforated or wire screen is provided within the air chamber to prevent
sand or other foreign substances entering the air passages. This screen
may be fitted with slides so as to be readily removed for cleaning. The
air chamber is provided with movable covers and doors to facilitate the
removal of dust and dirt.