IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING RAILWAY AXLES AND OTHER BEARINGS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING RAILWAY AXLES AND OTHER BEARINGS."
-A communication.
Sealed the 17th December 1858, and dated the 21st October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1858.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING RAILWAY AXLES AND OTHER
BEARINGS," a communication from abroad, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the application and use of a lubricating apparatus
to and in the bearings of railway carriage axles and of machinery generally,
whereby a considerable economy of lubricating material is effected, inasmuch
as the bitherto great loss arising from waste or escape of the oil employed is
prevented.
According to this Invention it is proposed to use, in connection with any
convenient or suitable lubricating apparatus or oil clevators, a capilliary pad
or cushion, composed of wool, cotton, or other suitable material, and combined

page_text: with a metallic conducting spout, which is pressed by one or more springs
against the under side of the enlargement or shoulder of the journal of the
axle or shaft. This pad soaks up the excess of oil which always collects at
that point, and causes it to return either to the elevator or reservoir, so that
there will be no waste of oil beyond a few occasional drops. A small piece of
wood or leather is fixed in the middle of the spout and bears or rubs against
the shoulder of the axle or other journal for the purpose of taking off a por-
tion of the friction from the capilliary pad, which would otherwise become
rapidly worn out. This pad should always be placed above the level of the
oil in the reservoir, so that it will remain in a comparatively dry state.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Пer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR LUBRICATING RAILWAY AXLES
AND OTHER BEARINGS," a communication from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within sx calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:―
The said Invention relates to the application and use of a lubricating appa-
ratus to and in the bearings of railway carriage axles and of machinery
generally, whereby a considerable economy of lubricating material is effected,
inasmuch as the hitherto great loss arising from waste or escape of the oil
employed is prevented.
According to this Invention it is proposed to use, in connection with any
convenient or suitable lubricating apparatus or oil elevator, a capilliary pad or
cushion, composed of wool, cotton, or other suitable material, and combined
with a metallic conducting spout, which is pressed by one or more springs
against the under side of the enlargement or shoulder of the journal of the
axle or shaft. This pad soaks up the excess of oil which always collects at
that point, and causes it to return either to the elevator or to the reservoir, so
that there will be no waste of oil beyond a few occasional drops. A small
piece of wood or leather is fixed in the middle of the spout and bears or rubs
against the shoulder of the axle or other journal for the purpose of taking off
a portion of the friction from the capilliary pad, which would otherwise
become rapidly worn out. This pad should always be placed above the level
of the oil in the reservoir, so that it will remain in a comparitively dry state.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same; and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, tho
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a full sized side elevation of an oil
elevator fitted with the pad and spout for removing the oil from the shoulder
of the journal and conveying it back into the oil reservoir. Figure 2 is a corre-
sponding plan of the same. Figure 3 is an end view of the elevator. The appli-
cation of the elevator to an axle journal is shewn at Figure 4. On referring
to these Figures it will be seen that the oil elevator consists of a leather frame-
work A destined to receive the pad B which lubricates the journal C against
which it is pressed. The frame A rests upon a plate attached to a spring D,
which bears upon the bottom of the oil reservoir, and thus maintains the pad
against the axle journal. The oil is introduced to the pad B by the cotton

page_text: wicks or elevators 6, 61, which dip into the oil reservoir. During the rapid
rotation of the journals of axles or shafting, the oil employed for lubrication
tends to escape at the shoulders of the journal; but by the use of tho
additional pad or brush T which constantly rubs against the shoulder of tho
journal the oil is collected therefrom, and is directed by a spout back into the
oil reservoir again.
The pad T is fixed upon a piece of leather t connected by the two blade
springs S with the main part A of the lubricator. At the end of these springs
S is formed the spout s which receives the oil for the purpose of conveying it
back again into the reservoir or axle box.
A small leather pad is fixed to the spout so as to rub against the shoulder
of the journal and dry it, as shewn in Figure 4. A section of the pad T
taken along the line 1-2, in Figure 1, is shown at Figure 5, whilst Figure 6
represents a section of the spout and pad taken along the line 3-4, in
Figure 1, and shewing the interior of the spout s.
Although the pad T has been represented in the Figures referred to as
being applied to an oil elevator it may be used quite independantly, and may
be adapted to the axle itself and fixed to the upper portion of the axle box
which contains the bearing brass. The pad may also be fixed next to the
bearing, in which case it is important that it be composed of hard metal, such
as bronze, for example, and that it be free to play or vibrate on the pin which
connects it with the spout.
In certain cases, and according as the quantity of oil required to be re-
directed into the oil reservoir is more or less considerable, the capilliary pad
may be dispensed with. Thus, when there is a considerable collection of oil
at the shoulder of the journal the capilliary pad should be used in combination
with a metal-rubbing surface of bronze or other hard metal which will act as
a "doctor" in removing and collecting the oil from the shoulder of the
journal; but when such collection of oil is not very extensive, and if two such
metal-rubbing surfaces or "doctors" be used, the capilliary pad may be
altogether dispensed with. Figures 7 to 11 inclusive, represent these modified
modes of carrying out this Invention. Figure 7 represents a spring collar
surrounding the axle or shaft and fitted at each extremity with a spout & and
an oscillating metal-rubbing surface or "doctor." Figures 8 and 9 represent
in front and side elevation an upper bearing brass, the end of which, next the
shoulder of the journal, is fitted with two moveable metal rubbing surfaces or
"doctors" fixed to the ends of the springs . Figures 10 and 11 are
details or a capilliary pad with the spout fitted with a bronze rubbing surface

page_text: In these two last mentioned Figures s represents the spout and the bronze
rubbing surface which bears upon the shoulder of the journal. The rubber
is mounted on a wire q, which is fixed to the spout s.
7
It is obvious, on referring to the Drawings herein-before described, that the
action is the same in all the modifications, namely, the oil which collects at
the shoulder of the journal is removed by the capilliary pad, or by the metal
rubber or "doctor," and reconveyed by the aid of a spout for that purpose
back again to the oil reservoir in the axle box or bearing, to be again raised
by the elevators, or otherwise applied on to the journal.
Ilaving now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom without deviating
from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what I con-
sidor to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
First, the general constructions, arrangements, and combinations of appa-
ratus for lubricating railway axles and other journals, whereby the waste of
oil is prevented, as herein-beforo described.
Second, the combination of the capilliary pad or metallic rubber or "doctor"
and directing spout for preventing waste of oil in the lubrication of the
journals of railway axles and shafting generally, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-nine.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)