IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HARRY KENNETH AUSTIN of Carn Brea Villa Washwood Heath Road Saltley
in the County of Warwick Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES " to be as follows:—
This Invention has for its object improvements in axle boxes and relates
especially to axle boxes lubricated with oil and in which the oil is applied to the
axle by lateral pads which are themselves fed by wicks dipping down into an oil
reservoir or chamber beneath.
The weight of the vehicle is transmitted to the journal or neck of the axle by
a brass or bearing having channels on its back and sides and there are passages in
the axle box which lead the oil poured in at the filling aperture to the channels on
the back and sides of the bearing and from these the oil passes on to the lubricating
pads before descending into the oil reservoir or chamber.
I provide the oil reservoir or chamber with a removable sheet metal cover which
extends horizontally from end to end of the box. At the ends it fits the box
closely but at the sides apertures are left by which for the wicks to pass freely ;
the oil is thus confined in the oil chamber so that it cannot be thrown up out
by the oscillation of the carriage but can only be raised by the capillary action
of the wicks.
A cup is provided in the centre of the cover or partition, it serves two purposes
as a receptacle for impurities and as a socket or holder to receive a coiled spring
by which the lubricating pads are pressed up to the axle.
The pads which as heretofore are of felt are attached to the inner side of a
semi-cylindrical holder of sheet metal. There are slits in the sides of the holder
through which the feeding wicks are passed. A hollow conical stud is fixed to the
under side of the pad holder, it enters within the coiled spring and it serves to
keep the holder in place, the spring itself being held by the socket which receives
it. The oil receiver is made to project from the end of the axle box and here an
aperture closed by a screw plug is provided. By removing the plug it is
ascertain if the box is sufficiently supplied with oil.
easy to

page_text: To exclude dust from the box I provide a dust shield; it is inserted into a
groove in the outer box-this shield consists of plates of carbonised fibre, bard
wood or other suitable material. It is made in two parts which close together and
embrace the axle between them.
One part is composed of two outer plates of a U form superposed but kept
apart by a middle thickness inserted between them at the bottom. The other
part has a central portion of U form but inverted and to this there are fixed on
either side blocks similar to the middle thickness of the first part. These parts fit
together and enclose a circular space by which the axle passes between them.
A spring tends to close the parts together and it keeps the axle lightly nipped.
Dated this 18th day of August 1885.

page_text: I, HARRY KENNETH AUSTIN of Carn Brea Villa Washwood Heath Road Saltley
in the County of Warwick Civil 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:-
This invention has for its object improvements in axle boxes and relates
especially to axle boxes lubricated with oil and in which the oil is applied to the
axle by lateral pads which are themselves fed by wicks dipping down into an oil
reservoir or chamber beneath.
The weight of the vehicle is transmitted to the journal or neck of the axle by
a brass or bearing having channels on its back and sides and there are passages in
the axle box which lead the oil poured in at the filling aperture to the channels on
the back and sides of the bearing and from these the oil passes on to the lubricating
pads before descending into the oil reservoir or chamber.
I provide the oil reservoir or chamber with a removable sheet metal cover which
extends horizontally from end to end of the box. At the ends it fits the box
closely but at the sides apertures are left for the wicks to pass freely; the oil is
thus confined in the oil chamber so that it cannot be thrown up out by the
oscillation of the carriage but can only be raised by the capillary action of the
wicks.
A cup is provided in the centre of the cover or partition, it serves two purposes
as a receptacle for impurities and as a socket or holder to receive a coiled spring by
which the lubricating pads are pressed up to the axle.
The pads which as heretofore are of felt are attached to the inner side of a semi-
cylindrical holder of sheet metal. There are slits in the sides of the holder through
which the feeding wicks are passed. A hollow conical stud is fixed to the under
side of the pad holder, it enters within the coiled spring and it serves to keep the
holder in place, the spring itself being held by the socket which receives it. The
oil receiver is made to project from the end of the axle box and here an aperturė
closed by a screw plug is provided. By removing the plug it is easy to ascertain
if the box is sufficiently supplied with oil.
To exclude dust from the box I provide a dust shield; it is inserted into a
groove in the outer box-this shield consists of plates of carbonised fibre, hard
wood or other suitable material. It is made in two parts which close together and
embrace the axle between. them.
One part is composed of two outer plates of a U form-superposed but kept
apart by a middle thickness inserted between them at the bottom. The other part
has a central portion of U form but inverted and to this there are fixed on either
side blocks similar to the middle thickness of the first part. These parts fit
together and enclose a circular space by which the axle passes between them.
A spring tends to close the parts together and it keeps the axle lightly nipped.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my invention I will proceed more fully to
describe the manner of performing the same.
Figure 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed shews the longitudinal section of a
railway axle box as above described.
Figure 2 is a portion of the cover of the oil chamber which I also call the "baffle
plate" made in a modified form in one piece with screw for holding plate down
when required.
.
Figure 3 is a part section and end view of axle box.
Figure 4 is a plan view of bearing.
Figures 5, 6, are elevation and section of dust shield made up with U plates and
nctuated by spring.
Figures 7, 8, are plan views of spring and support for actuating the dust
shield plates.
Figure 9 is a plan view of axle box and cover.
Figures 10, 11 are section and plan views of chamfered, tapered and hollow
studs for holding lubricator spring in position.
Figures 12, 13, 14 are longitudinal and cross section, and plan views of rolling
bearing having oil channels in back and sides.
In these figures A is the axle, B is the bearing and C the top of the axle box.
BB are the oil channels in the back and sides of the bearing and axle box.
N¹ is a screwed plug and washer; it is removed when it is desired to supply oil
and the oil poured in by the aperture passes direct to the journal and lubri-
cating pads.
D is the lower casing containing the oil and D' is the removable dished baffle
plate running from end to end of the axle box: The baffle plate is held at the four
corners of the oil chamber by the supports E¹ E. The baffle plate may also be
kept down by pins D and if necessary by a screw E³ (Figure 2) but I prefer to
make it so that it may be easily removable from the interior of axle box. The
projecting piece N on the lower oil chamber is provided, so that the amount of oil
in axle box may be ascertained upon removal of a screwed plug with washer, like
the plug which closes the channel in the top cover of the axle box.
I attach a cup D' to the centre of the baffle plate and a stud fixed in the centre
of the cup keeps the spring in position. The cup also serves as a receiver to
contain any impurities or abraded portions of metal which descend on to the
surface of the dished baffle plate. This arrangement is necessary to keep the oil
in lower chamber from becoming charged with impurities which would otherwiso
stop up the fine capillaries of the wicks F1 and F. The oil which drops from the
journal after having lubricated it, deposits sediment on the baffle plate and over-
flows the sides through ways made opposite the wicks F¹ F
The lubricator F is made up with a frame of sheet metal with pads and wicks.
The frame has holes in it by means of which the wicks pass through to the journal
and which allow for attachment of pads of plush or felt FS, F, to the inner
surface of the frame so as to press upon the sides of the journal but not directly
underneath it.
The lubrication of journal is effected by means of the capillary wicks F1 and F³
which fall into the lower oil chamber D previously described and passing through
or between the pads rest against the journal A. The wicks are attached to the
body of plush or felt which distributes the oil over the surface of the journal A
and maintains an even skin of oil on the same.
The lubricator is supported against the journal by a spring G. I attach a hollow
conical stud F5 chamfered on its edge to the underside of frame, this stud is also
shewn by Figures 10 and 11. The stud serves to hold the spring in place and it is
received into the recess or cup D. Figures 1 and 3 shew the groove I for receiving
the dust shield K which is provided to keep the dust out of the axle box and to
keep the oil from escaping.
"

page_text: The dust shields as shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, are made up of U plates of
carbonised fibre hard wood or other material. The lower part K¹ consists of two
U plates extending completely from bottom to top of the shield and these are
separated by a block at the lower part. The upper part K³ consists of one U plate
(entering between the two U plates of the lower part) and blocks fixed upon it on
either side. A cross bar received into notches provided for it carries a spring K
which presses K² down to K¹.
This shield may be applied to crank axles or inside bearing axles, as they are
made so that the upper portions K' are entirely removable. The lower portion of
the dust shield K¹ is first put into place in axle box the upper piece K³ is then slid
in between the lower plates and the ends of springs K' are adjusted so that they
act upon the parts tending to close them together and keep the axle lightly
nipped.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) In an axle box for the lubrication of axles, the bearing having channels on
its back and sides for distribution of oil communicating with other channels in the
axle box connected with the filling aperture substantially as described.
(2.) In an axle box the combination consisting of the lower oil chamber closed
with a screw plug and provided with a projecting piece to ascertain the quantity
of oil in the axle box, the baffle plate, the lubricator and the spring resting on the
baffle plate and supporting the lubricator substantially as described.
(3.) In an axle box the removeable dished baffle plate or cover over the sides of
which the oil returns through ways to the main chamber and on to lubricating
wicks and its centre cup holding the lubricator spring and collecting impurities
substantially as described.
(4.) In an axle box the lubricator consisting of a perforated frame of sheet metal
carrying pads of plush or felt through which wicks dipping at the lower end into
the oil chamber pass to the journal the whole supported by a spring held in place
by studs and guided by the journal substantially as described.
(5.) In an axle box the dust shield formed of superposed U plates and side
blocks held together by a spring pressing against the plate edges substantially as
described.