Improvements in or relating to the Steps of Carriages for Common Roads.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th June, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL OF MICAHUN.
Improvements in or relating to the Steps of Carriages for
Common Roads.
1, ALFRED WILLIAM KNIGHT, of Cuckfield, in the County of Sussex, Iron-
monger and Smith, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improved means of attaching steps to the axles of road
carriages.
In carrying out my invention 1 make use of a ring or collar which is adapted to
fit onto a pin or pivot on the end of the axle of the vehicle the inner end of the
collar being recessed and butting against the end of the axle box the joint being
made by means of suitable packing; the step is fixed to or forms part of my collar
which is fixed to the axle by screw nuts; the outer end of the collar is formed
with a female screw thread so as to receive the ordinary oil cap. The inner end
of the collar is advantageously formed with an annular chamber for receiving
superfluous lubricant.
Dated the 4th day of September 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Steps of Carriages for
Common Roads.
I, ALFRED WILLIAM KNIGHT, of Cuckfield, in the County of Sussex, Iron-
monger and Smith, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to improved means of attaching steps to the axles of road
carriages.
In carrying out my invention I make use of a ring or collar which is adapted
to fit onto a pin or pivot on the end of the axle of the vehicle, the inner end of
the collar butting against the end of the axle box, and the joint being made by
means of suitable packing; the step is fixed to or forms part of my collar which
is fixed to the axle by screw nuts; the outer end of the collar is formed with a
female screw thread so as to receive the oil cap. The inner end of the collar is
advantageously formed with an annular chamber for receiving the lubricant from
the oil cap.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the hub of a carriage wheel having its axle
provided with a step attached thereto according to my invention.
a is the carriage axle, 6 the axle-box and c the wheel-hub. My ring or collar is
composed of two principal parts d and e; the part d is provided with an inward
extension g which fits on the pin or pivot h on the end of the axle « and is formed
with a shoulder i which butts against the axle-box ; the part d is also formed
with a recess adapted to receive the hexagon-head of the part e the inner end
of which is provided with a female screw-thread to allow of the said part being
permanently screwed over a thread m on the end of the axle-box b, the end

page_text: when the part e of the collar has been screwed home, butting against the wheel-
hub c.
is the step, the supporting strap a of which is rigid and is here shewn inserted
in a thickened portion of the part of my collar and secured by means of a
serew, but which can obviously, if required, be made integral with the said
part d. The strap, commencing from the part of the collar, is curved down-
wards as shewn in Figure 2, so that in case the stock a should he bent inwards
from collision with another vehicle or from any other cause, there would be less
risk of its catching or striking the step-strap as the wheel revolves.
and y are the nuts for fixing my collar to the axle, the said nuts for this
purpose screwing over the pin or pivot within an annular recess in the
part of the collar, the inner nut bearing against the extension g, of the said
part.
a is the female screw-thread formed in the outer end of the part d to receive
the oil cap which is formed with an internal boss a passed over a plain
extension r on the end of the pin or pivot h, thereby affording an additional bearing
or support to the step n.
is the annular chamber in the inner end of the part e of the collar for
receiving the lubricant from the oil cap which enters it through a holer. An
underent flange is provided in the interior of the chamber w to prevent the oil
from passing between the parts d and e of the collar.
In order to prevent the step and part d from rotating, the top of the plain
portion of the pin h adjoining the axle a is flattened, for both sides of the pin
inny he so flattened) and the extension g, which fits thereon, is correspondingly
shaped like an ordinary D-collet: the top of the screw-threaded portion which
receives the nut being likewise flattened to allow the said extension to be slid
over it into position. The adjustment of the collet is thus the same as in a
Collings' axle.
The parts are put together in the following manner.
The axle-box 6 having
been placed on the axle a with the wheel on the axle-box in the usual way, the
part of my collar is screwed on the end of the axle-box whereby the latter is
securely and permanently fixed to the hub e the part forming a direct lubricating
revolving oil chamber.
"
The part carrying the step n is then slid over the pin 4 until it abuts against
the axle-box. The mits and are then screwed on, a cotter-pin y is passed
through the
pin and the oil cap screwed up into its place.
Although have shewn and described the oil cap and axle adapted to assist in
supporting the weight borne by the step, it will be evident that they can if
required be made in the usual manner, that is to say, the oil cup can be made
without the boss and the axle without the plain extension r, but I do not recom-
mend the latter arrangement except when converting a Collings' axle when the
internal thread must be cut off the axle-box and the external thread m, cut thereon
to receive the collar e.
When applying my improvements to existing carriage axles I prefer to make
the step-strap n of spring metal instead of making it rigid as hereinbefore
described, the under side of the step being in this case concaved so that the
weight of a heavy person on the step will bring the concaved under side of the
step down onto the brass bond or stock.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The means for attaching steps to the axles of road carriages consisting
essentially of a ring or collar adapted to fit onto a pin or pivot on the end of tho
axle and having the step fixed thereto or formed thereon substantially as herein-
before described.
2. The combination with the axle, axle-box and wheel of a carriage for common

page_text: roads, of a collar or ring composed of the part d carrying a step, and the part e
adapted to screw onto the axle-box, substantially as set forth and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. A carriage for common roads provided with a step or steps attached to the
axle or axles in the manner and as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 3rd day of June 1891
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.