Improvements in Ball-bearing Axle Boxes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 24th May, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
:
Improvements in Ball-bearing Axle Boxes.
1, ROBERT SMITH CRAWFORD, of No. 2 Surrey Avenue, Hagerstown, Washington
County, Maryland, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, 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:-
In the use of ball bearings for carriage axles it is desirable that said bearings
should not only be dust-proof but should also be proof against water under pressure,
for the reason that water, which may be forced into the bearings when the carriages
are being washed, is liable to cause the balls to rust in their bearings and thus
become stuck fast so that the bearings will not operate properly. My invention
has for its object to provide a dust-proof and water-proof ball-bearing axle-box for
carriage wheels, of simple construction, while at the same time there will be no
objectionable friction between the stationary axle and the parts moving with
the box.
In carrying my invention into effect. the axle-box is provided at its outer end
with a ball-bearing tightly closed by a screw-cap, while at its inner end it has a
ball-bearing suitably enclosed and protected from dust by a washer or washers of
felt or other yielding material. In addition to the dust-excluding washer or
washers just referred to, I provide at the inner end of my improved axle-box a
movable device which is normally (or when the carriage is running) in an idle
position but which is adapted to be changed to an operative position when the
carriage is to be washed, to form an absolutely water-proof joint at the inner end of
the axle-box, so that even if water be forced against the axle-box under pressure
it cannot get into the ball-bearings.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a sectional view illustrating one form of my invention, and
Figs. 2 and 3 show slightly modified forms thereof, all for use in wooden hubs.
Fig. 4 shows my invention intended for a wheel having a metal hub.
In the drawings A denotes the axle spindle, and A' a portion of the axle. Bis
a sleeve loosely surrounding the axle-spindle and provided' at its outer end with a
shell or cup & screwed to the said sleeve and in which shell or cup the balls 6' are
retained by a ring e fitting tightly in the bore of the cup. Closely fitted onto the
outer end of the axle spindle, but not screwed thereto, is a cone c between which
and a suitable race-way in the cup b the balla b' are placed. The cone c is held in
place by the head a of a cap-screw a', said screw having a reduced part or nib a³
which abuts against the bottom of a suitable recess at the inner end of the hole into'
which the screw a' is tapped, when the head of the said screw is in such position as
to hold the cone e in proper adjustment. When it is desired to take up wear the
screw a¹ may be removed; and the end of the nib a' filed off slightly in order that
the screw may be turned a little further in; or the hole or recess may be deepened
slightly for this purpose. The cone c is held from turning by a pin of which
engages a groove in the axle spindle, so that said cone can move slightly lengthwise
of the said spindle when adjusted to take up wear. The cup b is closed at its outer
end by a cap d which is screwed to the end of the said cup and which therefore
makes an entirely dust-proof and water-proof housing for the outer end of the
axle-box.

page_text: The enlarged inner end of the sleeve B is provided interiorly with a ring e
suitably recessed for the reception of the balls b which are held in said ring by a
metal washer or ring 2 tightly fitting the bore of the enlarged inner part of the
said sleeve. The axle-spindle A is provided with a cone e' closely fitted thereon
and secured thereto, so as to be held from turning, by a pin e²; or this might be
effected by a suitable splined. connection of the said cone with the axle spindle.
Between shoulders formed by flanges on the axle-spindle and the cone c' are inter-
posed a washer of felt or other suitable elastic material and a ring or washer f¹
of metal.
In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1. the axle-spindle is threaded to
receive a nut k which is recessed on its inner face for the reception of a ring k¹ of
leather or similar packing material which, when the carriage is to be washed, will,
by screwing up the nut, as shown, be forced tightly against. the inner end of the
sleeve B and thus make an absolutely water-proof joint; and when the carriage is
to run the nut k will be screwed back against the flange a³ on the axle.
g
In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 2 a metal ring is screwed into the
enlarged inner end of the sleeve B, said ring being provided with an inwardly
projecting flange g', between which and a nut h, screwed onto the axle-spindle, is
interposed a washer h¹ of felt or other suitable elastic material. The adjacent faces
of the nut h and ring 9 are preferably tapered, so that the former may fit within the
latter when screwed up to compress the washer 4, as shown in Fig. 2. The axle
is provided with a flange a' against which the nut is screwed when the vehicle is
running, but when it is desired to compress the elastic washer ¹, so as to make it
tightly embrace the axle-spindle, aud thus make a water proof joint, the nut h is
screwed up as shown in the drawings.
In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 3 the ring 3 which is screwed into
the enlarged inner end of the sleeve B is of slightly different form than the ring g
, shown in Fig. 2, and in this modified form of my invention, to furnish a water
excluding device which may be shifted into operative position when the carriage is
to be washed, I provide a rubber ringi which is normally carried in a grooved
flanged portion ad of the carriage axle, but which may be shifted in contact with
the ring and into the grooved portion a' of the axle when it is desired to make-
the inner end of the axle-box absolutely water-proof. When the ring is thus
shifted into its water-excluding position it will preferably have more tension than
when it is in its idle position, this being effected by making the grooved part as of
smaller diameter than the part a', and said ring i, when shifted, will thus tightly
hug the ring g³ and the portion a' of the axle, so as to make a tight water-
proof joint.
-
Fig. 4 shows my invention as applied to a metal wheel hub.. In this form of my
invention the bub or sleeve B is provided at its inner end with a nut M screwed
onto said sleeve and having an inwardly projecting flange m between which and a
flange m on the axle is interposed a packing ring or washer m2 of leather or other
suitable elastic material. The nut M has near its outer end an annular recess.
which receives a ring n of rubber which tightly hugs the portion of the sleeve or
hub B' which it encircles, and therefore serves as a packing to exclude water from
the threads joining said nut and sleeve. In this form of my invention when the
carriage is to be washed the nut M is screwed back so as to compress the packing
ring m³ between the flanges m and m', and thus make an absolutely water proof
joint. The balls are held in removable rings or races e at both ends of the hub
or sleeve B', the rings or races e being retained in place by the rings or washers e
fitting tightly in the recessed ends of the said hub or sleeve. Intérposed between
the inner ring, or washere and the flange. m on the nut M are metal rings or
washers o and washers o¹ of felt or other suitable packing material, the said
washers of serving to exclude dust and water under ordinary conditions.
It will thus be seen that I provide a carriage wheel axle-box which in its normal
working position is practically dust and water-proof, and which, by the shifting of

page_text: a part may be made absolutely water-proof when the carriage is to be washed; so
that no matter what the pressure of the water forced against the hubs of the
wheels in washing may be no particles of the water can be forced into the ball
bearings of the axle-box. This result, it will be observed, is effected, in the
several forms of my invention herein shown, by a movable part which occupies
what may be termed an idle position when the carriage is running, and which is
adjusted into its operative position at the time when the carriage is to be washed
and when it is particularly necessary to make the ball-bearings absolutely proof
against water under pressure.
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 I
claim is:-
1. The combination with an axle, of an axle-box provided with ball-bearings
at or near its opposite ends, and a movable water excluding device at the inner
end of the axle-box to be normally carried in an idle position but adapted to
be shifted into an operative position, to form an absolutely water-proof joint at
the inner end of the axle-box, when the carriage wheels are to be washed.
2. The combination with an axle spindle, of a sleeve surrounding the same, a
cup secured to the outer end of said sleeve and provided with a suitable recess,
balls in said recess to form a ball bearing, a cone having a sliding fit on the
outer end of said axle spindle, and between which and the said cup said balls
are held, and a cap-screw tapped in the outer end of the said axle-spindle and
having a head of suitable size to abut against the said cone, and having also a
nib or portion which abuts against the bottom of a recess formed in the outer
end of the said axle-spindle and a cap closing the outer end of said cup.
3. The combination with an axle spindle, of a sleeve surrounding the same,
cones on said spindle, balls interposed between said sleeve and cones, an adjustable
nut mounted at the inner end of said sleeve and a packing ring co-operating with
said nut so that when the latter is screwed toward said sleeve there will be an
absolutely water-proof joint at the inner end of the axle-box.
4. The combination with an axle spindle, of a sleeve surrounding the same,
cones on said spindle, balls interposed between said sleeve and cones, an adjustable
nut mounted at the inner end of said sleeve and a packing ring carried in the outer
face of said nut and serving, when the said nut is screwed toward the inner end of
the said sleeve, to abut against the said inner end of said sleeve and thus form an
absolutely water-proof joint at the inner end of the said axle-box, as shown in
Fig. 1 of the drawings.
5. The combination with an axle, of an axle box provided with ball bearings at
or near its opposite ends, and having its inner end screw threaded externally, and a
nut fitting the said screw-threaded inner end of the said axle-box and provided
interiorly towards its outer end with an elastic ring which tightly hugs the sleeve
or part on which the said nut is mounted so as to exclude water from the threads
of said nut and sleeve.
6. The combination with an axle having a flange, of an axle-box provided with
ball-bearings at or near its opposite ends, and having its inner end screw threaded
exteriorly, and a nut fitting the said screw threaded inner end of the said axle-box
and provided interiorly towards its outer end with an elastic ring which tightly
hugs the sleeve or part on which the said nut is mounted, said nut being provided
with an inwardly projecting flange between which and said flange on the axle is
interposed a washer of leather or other suitable packing material, so that when the
said nut is turned back to compress said packing material there will be an
absolutely water tight joint at the inner end of the axle-box.
7. The combination with the axle A' and its spindle A, of the hub or sleeve Bi
loosely surrounding the said spindle, ball-bearings interposed between the said hub
or sleeve and the said spindle, the nut M carried at the inner end of the said hub

page_text: or sleeve and having an inwardly projecting. flange m, and felt and metal washers
interposed between the ball bearings at the inner end of the said hub and the said
flange m.
Dated this 16th day of April 1895.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.