Year: 1887

page_text: I, WILLIAM SEBASTIAN GROFF BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at
Baltimore City, in the State of Maryland, U.S.A., Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the samo is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the accompanying drawings→
Figure 1 is a view of so much of a car axle box in section and of a wheel and axle
as necessary to illustrate my invention applied to use.
Figure 2 is a detached view of a sleeve and spring cushion around it.
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3, 3, of Fig. 1.
The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple, durable, and effective
dust guard for car axle boxes; and my invention consists in the organizations or
combinations of parts hereinafter described and succinctly stated in my appended
claims.
Referring to the letters upon the drawings, A indicates a car axle ; B a section
of a car-wheel; and C a car-axle box, which parts may be of any ordinary con-
struction. Around that part D of the axle known as the dust collar I place a metallic
sleeve E, preferably formed with a feather F on its inner side, which fits in a
longitudinal groove or key-way G in the dust collar of the axle, so that the sleeve,
while keyed to the axle so as to revolve with it, is free to move longitudinally upon it.
Any other method of connecting the sleeve and axle so that the sleeve will rotate with
the axle and at the same time have longitudinal movement upon it may be adopted.
The face of the sleeve, next to the axle box, is provided with an annular projection
H having lugs II, for the purpose of securing a suitable washer K, which may be of
vulcanized fibre, or other suitable material, in place and causing it to revolve with the
axle and sleeve. This is the method I prefer of connecting the sleeve and washer,
although any other ordinary method of connecting the parts together may be
adopted.
L indicates a coiled spring around the outside of the sleeve E, bearing at one end
upon a ledge or projection M, which is a part of the sleeve, and at the other end
against the car-wheel. This spring forms a cushion between the sleeve E and the

page_text: car-wheel, and causes the sleeve to press against the washer K and cause. it to
bear upon the end of the axle-box, so as to make a tight joint and exclude dust
from the box, and prevent the oil from escaping. Instead of a ledge M I might
have lugs or projections, or any other ordinary stops, or abutments, so that one end
of the spring cushion would bear against or operate upon the sleeve.
I may prefer sometimes to employ a suitable stationary liner N fixed to the box to
form a bearing for the sleeve E, but this is not essential to the operation of my
invention.
In addition to the mere formal changes above mentioned, there are still others that
might be made without departing from the substance of my invention; as, for a
single example, there might be two or more coiled springs to form a spring cushion,
although I prefer a single spring coiled around the sleeve.
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. The combination with a wheel, an axle, and an axle-box, of a sleeve E fixed to
the dust collar D, a spring cushion L coiled around the sleeve and between it and the
car-wheel, and a washer K between the sleeve and the axle-box, substantially as
set forth.
2. The combination with a wheel, an axle, and an axle-box, of a sleeve E, a spring
cushion around the sleeve and between it and the car-wheel, a ledge or bearing for
the spring cushion upon the sleeve, the annular projection H, and a washer K secured
to the same, substantially as set forth.