Improvements in Combined Axle, Springs, and Wheels for Railway Carriages, Wagons, and Trucks.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 1891-Accepted, 25th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Combined Axle, Springs, and Wheels for Railway
Carriages, Wagons, and Trucks.
I JOHN FINDLAY, of No. 387 St. Antoine Street, in the City of Montreal,
District of Montreal, and Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Iron Founder,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED
AXLE, SPRINGS AND WHEELS, FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGGONS AND
TRUCKS," 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 reference to an improved form of combined axle springs, or
spring-bars, and wheels in which the spring-bars consist of steel bars held parallel
with the axle, being secured in a wheel or pulley placed centrally (longitudinally)
of the axle. The ends of the spring-bars engage with recesses formed in the wheels:
which wheels consist of annulets through the central opening in which the journals
of the axle project.
The object of my invention is to produce a more durable form of construction
and a better action of the springs or spring-bars.
I attain these objects by the construction illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, and :—
Figure 1, is an elevation of a construction embodying my invention.
Fig. 2, is an end elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a detail showing in section taken on line, Fig. 1, the manner of
arranging the binding bolts i, in connection with the center wheel or pulley m, and
wheels a, a'.
Fig. 4, is an elevation of a washer n, detached.
Fig. 5, is a part elevational and part sectional view of a portion of the axle,
spring-bar, and a wheel a or a¹, also pulley m, the sectional portion of the figure
being taken on line a, in Fig. 2.
Letters a, a, are the wheels which are of an annulet configuration they are also
provided with a number of recessed hubs b, to receive the ends of a corresponding
number of spring-bars c, which preferably are formed of tapered round steel bars.
The wheels a, a, are furthermore provided with any ordinary flanges d, to engage
with the rails they are to run upon.
In the present invention I provide the web e, of both wheels a, a', with enlarge-
ments f, in which recesses g, of the configuration of a frustrum or zone of a sphere
are formed in the outer side of the enlargements, and with a tapered hole h,
extending through the remainder of the thickness. These holes are, in their smallest
part, somewhat larger than the bolts i, so that the bolts may be allowed the required
motion hereinafter described.
From the above it follows that in this case the wheels a, a', have no hubs in their
centers.
The axle a³, in this case, is preferably made largest in the central portion and
tapering, as shown, to the journals k, this is done to save material and weight, also
to keep the openings 1, in the center of the wheels as small as possible for the
largest amount of deflection of the spring-bars c, without the axle touching the
wheels, but should the carriage be improperly over-loaded the touching of the axle
on the wheels will prevent the spring-bars from being subjected to too great a
strain.
On the center of the axle a³, is secured a wheel or pulley m, and in it are secured
the spring-bars c. It is also provided in its web with double the number of
enlargements f, recesses g, and tapered holes h, that each wheel a or a¹ are provided

page_text: -
with and these are spaced off at equal distances in the circle in which they are
placed.
Binding bolts are placed.in each of the recesses y, in the web of the pulley m,
alternately connecting with the wheels a, a', these are provided with semi-ball
or semi-spherical heads made to agree with the recesses g, of the wheel or
pulley in.
:
The pulley m, axle and spring-bars c, having been secured together the
wheels a, a, are placed in relation therewith by entering the ends of the spring-
bars c, into their respective recesses in the hubs b, and passing the ends of the
bolts, through the respective recesses g, then placing upon them semi-spherical
washers n, over which the ends o, of the bolts are riveted. The spring-bars e,
hold the wheels a, a', the proper distance apart and the bolts i, bind them
together.
In the construction above described the bolts i, are provided with a "ball and
socket" at each end enabling them to deflect in any direction (as indicated by the
dotted lines in Fig. 3.) with the deflection of the spring-bars.
I do not confine my invention to the exact details of construction as shown and
described because they may be changed in many ways without substantially
altering the nature of the construction.
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:
The combination of the axle and pulley, having spring-bars as described, with
annulet shaped wheels adapted to be connected to the ends of the spring-bars, and
further the said wheels a, a', and pulley m, being provided with recesses g: with
bolts i, adapted to form with the said recesses a "ball and socket" joint at the ends
of the bolts, the whole substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated 1 oth 1
A D 1001
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97, Newgate Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.