IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLETREE BOXES AND MUFFLES FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES, FOR TRANSMITTING SHAFTS AND ALL PARTS OF MACHINERY HAVING A ROTARY MOTION, AND IN THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTION THEREOF.
Year: 1873

page_text: :
LETTERS PATENT to Pierre François Michaud, Builder, of No. 35, Rue
des Martyrs, Paris, France, at present of Lyons, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLETREE BOXES AND MUFFLES FOR CARRIAGES AND
OTHER VEHICLES, FOR TRANSMITTING SHAFTS AND ALL PARTS OF MACHINERY
HAVING A ROTARY MOTION, AND IN THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTION THEREOF.'
"
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Pierre François Michaud
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 20th February 1873, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
FRANÇOIS MICHAUD, Builder, of No. 35, Rue des Martyrs, Paris,
France, at present of Lyons, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AXLETREE BOXES AND MUFFLES FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES, FOR TRANS-
MITTING SHAFTS AND ALL PARTS OF MACHINERY HAVING A ROTARY MOTION, AND IN
THE MODE OF CONSTRUCTION THEREOF," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I
am the true and first Inventor thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Pierre François Michaud, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the
following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say: -
This Invention consists of the two principal features, as follow: →
1st. The manufacture by welding either by rammer or steam hammer
in a matrice of any desired form, and by means of a mandrel, ordinary
boxes open at both ends or one end, conical, cylindrical, or polygonal,
for carriage axles or any kind of muffles destined to support any rotary
mechanical organ.
2nd. The manufacture when desired of the said boxes and muffles in
two parts united by welding or otherwise and making the necessary
spaces for the reception of the oil, grease, or lubricant.
These two points of my Invention may be applied conjointly or
independently, that is to say, my new process of manufacture is not
absolutely confined to the manufacture of the boxes in two parts and
reciprocally.
By aid of the accompanying Drawings I will now describe each of the
distinct characteristics of my system.
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are three specimens of iron plates, steel or other
metal a, a, a, being of the thickness and length requisite for the size and
strength of box desired. The two ends of the plate a are hammered thin
for welding at m, n. The rolling of the plate is effected by means of a
flatting mill or other suitable process. To this rolled plate the two ears
or ribs o, o, are welded; the box is then heated to white welding heat; it
is borne in the matrice b, Fig. 4, which is of the desired form and
dimensions. The mandrel or punch c, shown in detail, Fig. 5, is inserted
and gradually beaten in by a vertical steam hammer or a flatting hammer
until it is considered that the welding is perfectly effected by this
lateral pressure.
The removal of the mandrel or punch is effected by a lever traversing
the body of the matrice or mold through the hole d, and in this manner
the box is completed, as shown Fig. 6.
In the same way by aid of molds of different forms any description of

page_text: end. The crown or shoulder e which surmounts this box is a rundle or
ring of rolled iron (see the dotted lines, Fig. 6) and hammered by steam
or otherwise. The mold 6 is of cast or wrought iron in a single piece or
in several pieces resting on the anvil stock or frame. If in the manu-
facture of boxes open at both ends, or at one end, the mold is in two
parts, whether fixed or movable, an iron collar serves to unite these two
parts 9, 9, Fig. 7, and a key h effects the locking. On molds of a
single piece and movable I also apply a collar to facilitate its removal.
The welding instead of being effected vertically may be produced
horizontally by aid of a mold in two parts, one fixed, and the other
movable, receiving the blows of the hammer. This movable part may be.
keyed to the hammer and allowed to fall directly on the heated part to
be welded. Instead of forcing out the punch from below, the box may
be beaten whilst hot from below, the mold being then reversed.
When the plate is rolled many times round, as shown, Fig. 3, the
whole is welded together and forms a solid box.
Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 represent the improvements I have intro-
duced in boxes or muffles manufactured according to my process.
Figs. 8 and 9 are a longitudinal section and a transverse section"
following the line 1, 2, of a box made in two pieces J, J¹, united by
screws, welding, or otherwise by means of a thickness of additional
metal disposed the whole or part of the length of the inner piece J'.
The annexes K, K, attached to the piece J¹, or forged with it thus leave
between them a triple groove or trench which is pierced with a variable
number of holes 1, 1, 1, in suchwise that they constitute when the two
parts J and J' are consolidated, three cavities or reservoirs r,r, r, in which
the oil or other lubricant introduces itself or is introduced spreading
itself on the axle or other organ through the orifices in a gentle and
regular manner. One of the ends of the piece J¹ terminates in a hoop
or ring screwed or welded to the piece J, whilst the other end of the
same piece is closed by a rundle p, either screwed or welded to it or
retained by screws, the object being to prevent the escape of the grease
contained in the cavities r, T. The piece or muffle J' may be of any
other metal than iron, that is to say, bronze or otherwise, and connected
to the box J by screwing, spurs, fixing it bayonet fashion, or any other
suitable manner.

page_text: Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of a closed box arranged to be bolted,
not on the boss or nave of the wheel but on a rundle s placed behind the
shoulder of the axle which avoids the use of large bolts, which traverse
the whole length of the axle. The square headed screw closes the
aperture or orifice of introduction of the lubricating substance.
the whole length of the axle. The square headed screw closes the
aperture or orifice of introduction of the lubricating substance.
Fig. 11 is a transverse section of the same box, and taken following
the line 3,
4.
Finally my invention rests,-
1st. In the special construction of axle boxes or muffles of organs
having a rotary motion, by means of plates or sheets of metal rolled 1
and welded in a mold ad hoc by means of a mandrel or punch of suitable
form and dimensions.
2nd. In the improvements introduced in the manufacture of the boxes
and muffles, in making them in two parts, boxing one within the other,
and connecting them together by screwing, welding, tenons, or a bayonet
connection, or other mode, and making two or more cavities acting as
reservoirs for oil, grease, or other lubricant to allow of its spreading
itself uniformly on the revolving organ through orifices made in the
inner piece. These two special features of my Invention may be
employed conjointly or independently.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre François Michaud have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.