Lubricating Car Axles, Shafting, or the like.
Year: 1886

page_text: Lubricating Car Axles, Shafting, or the like.
I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been com- .
municated to me from abroad by Theodore Safford Peck and Frederick George
Brownell of Burlington in the State of Vermont United States of America and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The Invention relates to devices which are designed more particularly for lubri-
cating the axles of locomotive engines and tenders, and railway and other cars, but
which may be used also for lubricating shafting etcetera, and it has more particular
reference to that species of such devices in which a lubricating roller is held in.
contact with, and rotated by the axle or journal which it is intended to lubricate.
We have devised a convenient compact and efficient arrangement of devices for the
purpose above named; and we have also provided a simple cheap and effective
guard for preventing dirt and dust from getting access to the interior of the box
and thus clogging the lubricating device.
These improvements however can best be explained and understood by reference
to the accompanying drawings-in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical central section of an axle housing box with
the axle in elevation the bearing removed and the lubricating roller represented in
elevation in the position it would stand in relation to the axle.
Figure 2 represents the housing box and axle in cross section, with the lubri-
cating device in elevation.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lubricating device detached.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the device.
In these drawings A is the housing box, B the axle and C the brass bearing—all
of ordinary or suitable construction. With a view to exclude dust from the box,
there is inserted between the rear or inner face of the housing box and the
adjoining hub M of the wheel a loose collar or dust guard N which fits and slides
I

page_text: on the axle, being connected thereto by a longitudinal feather or spline and groove
connection a, so that it shall rotate with. the axle. And between the hub of the
wheel and the collar is interposed a spiral spring O which fits upon the hub b of
the collar and presses the latter up against the housing box so as to close the
opening in the latter through which the axle extends. A spring pressed dust guard
for a housing box is not new broadly considered, it is believed however that the
arrangement just described has never before been devised, it is simple readily
applied and used, and entirely effective.
The supporting frame of the lubricator is shown at D; it is in this instance a
plate adapted to be applied and secured to the side of the axle box in vertical
position as seen in Figure 3-thus removing the frame and working parts of the
lubricator from the bottom of the housing box. From the upper edge of the plate
extends upwardly two bearings which form part of the plate or are rigidly fastened
thereto, and are intended to receive the cross pin F that forms the axle or pivot of
the two arms E which are hung thereon and at their lower ends have bearings to
receive the axle or journals of the lubricating roller G. The journals are centered
in their bearings as indicated in Figure 3. The roller may however be mounted
on an axle or may be otherwise supported to revolve in its bearings.
.
This roller, as seen in Figures 1 and 3, is cut away in the centre with the cut
away portion inclining or sloping towards the periphery of each of the two portions
of the roller between which it is located; and the periphery of the roller itself is
grooved in a manner similar to screw threading--that one on the one side being a
right hand thread, and that on the other being a left hand thread. By this right
and left screw threaded arrangement the lubricant is taken and distributed
uniformly and certainly, and at the same time the friction between the roll and the
axle is materially reduced. Upon the central cut away portion of the roller is an
endless chain H or its equivalent which dips down into the lubricant and conveys
the same up to the central portion of the roller whence it passes to the grooved
peripheral portions of said roller as will be understood without further explanation.
The chain in fact not only conveys the oil to the roller but at times actually
throws it upon the axle. The central portion of the roller may be provided if
desired with any customary projections or other devices employed to compel the
revolution of the chain when the roller revolvės.
The right and left screw threaded lubricating roller, is pressed outwardly and
held with yielding pressure against the car axle, by means of any suitable spring
or springs.
The preferred arrangement is shown in the drawing consisting of two springs I
one at each end of the roller, which bear at their free ends against pins or studs Ķ
projecting laterally from the arms E said pins being in fact in this instance the
heads of the centering screws of the roller; at their other ends the springs are coiled
around hubs laterally projecting from plate D and are then held in place or
fastened by having their ends inserted into sockets in the frame or in any other
Buitable way.
With a view to assure the proper lubrication of the journals and bearings of the
roller, the latter has a hole or holes or openings bored in it as seen to better allow
the oil to pass on to the bearings.
The supporting frame D is made in two parts, the part D¹ being a lateral
extension which contains the hole through which passes the bolt for securing the
frame to the housing box, and is jointed to the part D by a hinge a which permits
the two parts to be folded up. Ordinarily lubricating attachments are difficult to
put in and take out of housing boxes; but by the construction of the frame just
described, the latter can be folded up so as to be easily inserted in place, and can then
be as readily unfolded; with the same end in view we make use of a hook 6 (shown
in Figure 4) of which one end is hooked in the eye of the cotter key c which forms
the pintle of hinge a; the roller is then pressed down towards the frame until the
other end of the hook can pass or catch over the end of the adjoining roller entering
pin or shaft. In this way the roller can be held close against the frame during the

page_text: operation of inserting the lubricator into the housing box; and after the lubricator
is in proper place the hook can be removed, thus allowing the roller to move out-
wardly until it brings up against the axle which it is to lubricate.
It may be found desirable at times to form a horizontal flange or base on the
lower end of frame D to rest on the floor or bottom of the housing box and to aid
in supporting or holding up the frame in proper place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The combination of the right and loft screw threaded or grooved lubri.
cating roller, the chains or conveyor and the axle or journal, as and for the purposes
set forth.
Second. The combination of the axle, the housing box, the lubricator frame
applied to the side of the same, the lubricating roller and its pivoted supporting
arms or bracket, the chain or conveyor, and the springs, arranged and operating as
set forth.
Third. The jointed or folding lubricator frame D. D¹ in combination with the
lubricating roller its pivoted supporting bracket or arms, and the springs, substan-
tially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
Fourth. The lubricating roller formed and adapted to receive the supply of
lubricant at a point intermediate between the two ends, and right and left screw
threaded or grooved respectively from that point towards its ends as and for the
purposes set forth.
.
Fifth. The combination of the housing box, the axle D and wheel M, the sliding
collar N encircling the axle and held thereon by a feather or spline and grooved
connection, and the spiral spring O encircling the axle and confined between the
wheel and the housing box all constructed and arranged as herein set forth.
Dated this 1st day of June 1886
J. HENRY JOHNSON.