IMPROVE MENTS IN AXLES AND AXLE-BOXES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Partridge, of Stourbridge, in the County of
Worcester, Engineer and Ironfounder, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN AXLES AND AXLE-BOXES."
Sealed the 29th January 1861, and dated the 2nd August 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ebenezer Partridge at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd August 1860.
I, EBENEZER PARTRIDGE, of Stourbridge, in the County of Worcester, Engi-
neer and Ironfounder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLES AND AXLE-BOXES," to be as follows:-
My improvements in axles consist, first, in forming a screw thread on the
outer ends of axles, with one or more longitudinal slots cut in the thread, but
not extending through the thickness of the axle; in forming a nut to screw over
the thread, with tapped holes round the circumference thereof; and in the em-
ployment of a screw for passing through one or other of the holes in the nut
into one of the longitudinal slots in the thread on the outer end of the axle.
By removing the screw, the nut can be turned to tighten up the axle when
required, and it can be retained in the desired position by driving in the
screw.
My Invention also consists in' the employment of a cap, which I screw on to
the inner end of axle-boxes, to prevent-the axle, should it break at or about the

page_text: inner end of the journal or elsewhere inside the box, from getting away from
the box, whereby the axle is prevented from falling and the wheel from running
off; the cap bears against the collar on the axle.
My Invention further consists in forming the boxes in which the journals or
ends of axles of railway and common road carriages revolve of cast iron, with
a cylindrical steel centre or tube, to receive the journals or ends of the axles;
the steel centre or tube may extend the whole length of the box in a con-
tinuous line, or it may be divided with an aperture or opening between the
parts of the bearing for holding lubricating matter.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ebenezer Partridge in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the
2nd February 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EBENEZER
PARTRIDGE, of Stourbridge, in the County of Worcester, Engineer and Iron-
founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, 'the said Ebenezer Partridge, Her special licence that I, the said Ebenezer
Partridge, my executors, administrators, and. assigns, or such others as I, the
said Ebenezer Partridge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
IN AXLES AND AXLE-BOXES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Ebenezer Partridge, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next-and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ebenezer Partridge, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-

page_text: lowing statement thereof; reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:―
My improvements in axles consist, first, in forming a screw thread on the
ends of axles or in the outer ends of the journals of axles, with one or more
longitudinal slots cut in the thread, but not extending through the thickness
of the axle; in forming a nut to screw over the thread with holes round the
circumference thereof; and in the employment of a screw or pin for passing
through one or other of the holes in the nut into one of the longitudinal slots
in the said thread. By removing the pin the nut can be turned to tighten up
the axle when required, and it can be retained in the desired position by
dropping the pin into the slot through one or other of the holes round
the nut.
My Invention also consists in the employment of a cap, which I screw on
to the inner end of axle-boxes, to prevent the axle, should it break at or about
the inner end of the journal or elsewhere inside the box, from getting away
from the box, whereby the axle is prevented from falling and the wheel from
running off; the cap bears against the collar on the axle, and is secured in
its place by driving a screw pin through the box into a tapped hole in
the cap.
My Invention further consists in forming the boxes in which the journals or
ends of axles of railway and common road carriages enter, of cast iron, with a
cylindrical steel centre or tube to receive the journals or ends of the axles; the
steel centre or tube may extend the whole length of the box in a continuous
line, or it may be divided with an aperture or opening between the parts of the
bearing for holding lubricating matter.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a longitudinal section of an axle
box, part of an arm or axle and journál, constructed according to my Inven-
tion; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the axle-box; Figure 3 is an
external elevation of part of the axle and journal; Figure 4 is a section of the
outer cap; Figure 5 is a detached view of the nut and collet; and Figure 6 is
a side view of the inner cap. The same letters of reference refer to like parts
in all the Figures.
a is the journal of the axle with a screw thread at its outer end, in which
thread a longitudinal slot is cut; 6 is the axle-box; c is the nut and collet,
with holes formed round its circumference, through which the pin d is passed
into the slot in the threaded end of the journal; the nut and collet care
screwed upon the thread until the collet c¹ bears against a shoulder in the
interior of the axle-box; e is the outer cap which is passed over the nut c,
prevents the pin d from dropping out of its place, and is screwed into the axle-

page_text: box b, as shown; f is the inner cap which is screwed into the inner end of the
axle-box, and there retained by the screw pin ke; holes are formed: in the face
of this cap for the reception of.prongs on a spanner or other tool, for the pur-
pose of screwing it in and out of the axle-box, as required; 9.is.a grooved
collar on. the axle ;.h; h¹, are washers, by preference of leather, one on each
side of the collar; one of these washers h¹ abuts against a flange i formed in
the axle-box; and the inner cap fis screwed up.against the other h, as seen in
Figure 1; 1 is a reservoir for containing oil or other lubricating material; and
m, m, are lubricating channels..
And having now described 'the nature of my said Invention, and in what
'manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as my improve-
ment in axles and axle-boxes,-
First, forming a screw thread on the ends of axles or outer ends of journals
of axles and securing. axles. in, axle-boxes by means of a 'nut, collet, and pin,
substantially in manner herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, the employment of a cap screwing into the inner end of axle-boxes,
bearing against a grooved collar formed on the axle and fitted with 'washers, as
herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
And, third, forming the boxes on which the journals of railway and common
road carriages revolve of cast iron, with a cylindrical steel centre.or.tube to
receive the journals, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ebenezer Partridge, have hereunto, set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of January, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
EBENEZER PARTRIDGE. (L.S.)