Improvements in Axles, Axle-boxes, and Wheels for Railway and like Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 9th Mar., 1895.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. .
Improvements in Axles, Axle-boxes, and Wheels for Railway and
like Vehicles.
We, IRVING BARKER, JOHN WILLIAMS BLACK and JAMES LAMB COOK, all
Manufacturers of Mine Cars and citizens of the United States, residing at
Springfield, Sangamon County, State of Illinois, United States of America, 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 :-
Our invention is especially designed to be applied to mine cars or other similar
vehicles employed to convey heavy loads in situations where the axles of the car
are subject to unusual and severe wear by reason of the dirt and grit in which
they work, though it may obviously be applied with advantage to other vehicles.
In practice it is found to be difficult if not impractical to keep the axles of such
vehicles properly' lubricated for the reason that the users are often negligent in
keeping the boxes supplied with oil, furthermore it is found that the dirt and
grit accumulates in the boxes and soon cuts out the boxes and the axles so that the
wheels have to be discarded. It is also found that the cost of oil for lubrication is
a very considerable item of expense in the operation of such wheels.
.
The purposes of our invention are to provide a box so constructed as to exclude
dirt and grit from entering between the wearing parts; to provide an axle of novel
and improved construction adapted to be used with said box; to provide an
improved system of rollers and rollettes adapted to reduce to the minimum the
friction between the parts; to provide novel and improved means for connecting
the box with the axle in such a manner as to prevent longitudinal movement and at
the same time to permit free rotation of the wheel on the axle; to provide a box
and axle having hardened bearing surfaces which will not cut and will not require
the use of lubricants.
With these ends in view our invention consists of certain novel features of
construction and combinations of parts shown in the annexed drawings and herein-
after fully described and specifically claimed.
In the drawings to which reference is hereby made :-
:-
Fig. is a side elevation of a car wheel in position on a mine car.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the box and the axle on the line 2
of Fig. 1, one of the rollers and one of the rollettes being removed so as to more
clearly illustrate the internal structure of the hub and the cap.
Fig. 3 is a partial vertical transverse section through the box and axle on the
line 3 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a partial vertical transverse section through the box and axle on the
line 4 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating an alternative form of construction wherein
the box is stationary and the axle revolves.
Similar letters indicate like parts in all the views.
In the drawings we have shown only one end of the axle; it is unnecessary to
show all of the axle and both of the boxes, as both of the boxes and both ends of
the axle are identical in construction and each end of the shaft is adapted to fit in
its respective box.
We will now describe the mechanism in its preferable form, viz. :-that form in
which the axle is stationary and the wheel and box revolve on the axle.

page_text: The body of the wheel A is of the usual well known form and need not be
particularly described. The hub or box A' is integral with the body A.
Within
the hub is a central bore a of a diameter sufficient to accommodate the axle B and
the rollers surrounding the axle in longitudinal contact with each other. The
hub A also has an integral internal annulus a'. The annulus a' is co-axial with
the axle B.
In the outer end of the hub A' is an internal circumferential groove a³ the cross
section of which is approximately a quarter circle.
Adjacent to tlie groove a is an internal circumferential ledge a against which
the inner flange of the cap abuts when the cap is in place. In the inner end of the
hub is a short bore a adapted to receive the collar b. The collar which is,
shrunk on or otherwise secured to the axle B fits in the bore a³, the annulus a
abuts against the collar and the collar serves as a sand band to exclude dirt and
grit from the box, and also serves to prevent inward longitudinal movement of the
hub on the axle.
The entire box or interior of the hub is chilled or otherwise suitably hardened
and the axle is also hardened to prevent abrasion. The axle has near its outer end
a circumferential channel adapted to accommodate the enlarged portions of the
rollettes D.
The cap E is circular in form and has an internal recess e equal in diameter to
the bore a. On the inner face of the cap is an integral annular flange e¹ which fits
in the outer end of the hub and abuts against the ledge a*. In the flange is a
circumferential chamfer e² which is in cross section approximately a quarter circle.
The chamfer e² and the groove a³ form together a channel or way adapted to receive
the enlarged globular parts of the rollettes D.
On the cap E are lugs pierced by holes et which accommodate bolts F which
serve to connect the cap with the hub.
The rollers are cylindrical and fit in the bore a and when the wheel is in position
on the axle the rollers entirely surround the axle and are in contact with the axle,
with each other and with the inner surface of the bore, as clearly shown in
Fig. 4.
The rollettes D are cylindrical for a part of their length and have an enlarged
portion which is bulbous in form. The bulbous portions of the rollettes D fit in
the channel formed by the junction of the chamfer e2, and the groove 3, and also
fit in the channel in the axle B, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.
The cylindrical parts of the rollettes surround that end of the axle which is in
the recess in the cap. When the cap is in position on the hub and secured by the
bolts F and the rollers and the rollettes are in position as described, it is obvious
that the rollettes being in the channels in both the hub and the axle serve to
prevent longitudinal movement of the wheel on the axle, they also serve to receive
the end thrust of the wheel on the axle and as they turn freely in the channels they
also serve to reduce to the minimum the friction resulting from such end thrust, the
rollers and the rollettes also serve to reduce to the minimum the friction resulting
from the rotation of the wheel on the axle.
The alternative form of construction is shown in Fig. 5, the box A' is secured in
any suitable manner to the underside of the car sill G and the cap E constructed as
already described is suitably connected with the box. The axle B is supported
and turns in the box A¹.
The wheel A may be secured to the axle by pins or other suitable means, but in
practice we prefer to bore the wheel true and fit it snugly on the axle so that
normally the revolution of the wheel will rotate the axle but under unusual pressure
as in turning a short curve the wheel will turn on the axle in order to obviate the
sliding of the wheel on the rail.
We are aware that rollers in the hub or box of a wheel have heretofore been
used to reduce friction between the wheel and its axle, we therefore do not broadly
claim that feature but restrict ourselves to the novel features of construction set forth
and specifically claimed.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that.
what we claim is :-
1. In a box and axle for vehicles, the means adapted to prevent longitudinal
movement of the wheel on the axle, also adapted to receive the end thrust of the
wheel on the axle, to wit:-the rollettes having a cylindrical part and an enlarged
bulbous part adapted to turn in a channel; in combination with an axle having a
channel adapted to accommodate the bulbous part of said rollettes the body of the
wheel hub on said wheel having in its outer end a circumferential groove and a cap
attachable to said hub and having an annular flange provided with a chamfer,
said chamfer and circumferential groove together forming a channel adapted t
accommodate the bulbous parts of said rollettes, said cap also having a recess
adapted to accommodate the cylindrical part of said rollettes between said axle an
said cap, as set forth.
2. In a box and axle for vehicles, the combination of the body of the wheel, the
hub integral with said body and having a bore adapted to accommodate rollers, the
annulus within said hub, the circumferential groove and the ledge in said hub,
the cap attachable to said hub and having a chamfered flange abutting against said
ledge, the axle fitting in said channels and having near its outer end a circum-
ferential channel, the collar on the axle against which said annulus abuts, the
rollers within the bore of the hub and surrounding the axle, and the rollettes
surrounding axle and turning in the channel thereof, as set forth and for the
purposes stated.
3. A box for vehicle wheels consisting of a hub connected with the wheel and
having at its end a circumferential groove a3 and a circumferential ledge a
adjacent thereto, a cap attachable to said hub and having an internal Hange
abutting against said ledge, said flange having a circumferential chamfer forming
in conjunction with said circumferential groove a channel adapted to accommodate
rollettes, as set forth.
4. A rotatable shaft having near its end a circumferential groove adapted to
accommodate rollettes, in combination with a wheel connected with said shaft, a
stationary box having a bore adapted to accommodate rollers on which said axle
turns and having a channel adapted to accommodate rollettes fitting in the groove
in said axle, rollers within said bore, and rollettes in said channels and groove,
substantially as set forth.
.5. A box attachable to a suitable support, said box having a bore adapted to
accommodate rollers surrounding & shaft revolving in said box, having an internal
circumferential channel adapted to accommodate rollettes and having a circum-
ferential flange adapted to exclude dirt or grit, in combination with a rotatable
shaft having a groove adapted to accommodate rollettes, rollers within the bore of
said box and rollettes in said grooves and channel, as set forth.
6. A box having a bore adapted to accommodate rollers surrounding a rotatable
shaft turning on said rollers, said box having a ledge and having a circumferential
chamfer, said box also having a cap detachably connected with the body of said
box, said cap having a circumferential chamfer and having a flange adapted to abut
against the ledge in the body of the box, as set forth in combination with a
rotatable shaft having a groove adapted to accommodate rollettes, rollers within
the bore of the box on which said shaft turns, and rollettes fitting in the groove in
said shaft, and in the channel formed by the chamfers in the cap and the body of
the box as set forth.
7. The combination of the grooved rotatable axle, the box provided with a cap,
said box having a bore adapted to accommodate rollers and having a channel
adapted to accommodate rollettes, and the rollers and rollettes within said box,
substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of the stationary box provided with a recessed cap the body
of said box having a bore adapted to accommodate rollers also having a flange

page_text: adapted to exclude dirt, also having a circumferential ledge and a circumferential
chamfer, said cap having a flange adapted to abut against the ledge in the body of
said box, and having a chamfer forming in conjunction with the chamfer in the
body of the box a channel adapted to accommodate balls, means for connecting said
cap with the body of the box, rollers and balls within said box, a rotatable grooved
shaft turning on said rollers and balls secured to and adapted to rotate said shaft,
all co-operating as set forth.
Dated this 24th day of January 1895.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Bridge Street, Westminster, London, S. W.,
Agent for the said. Applicants.