IMPROVEMENTS IN INDEPENDENT CAR-WHEELS AND JOURNAL BEARINGS."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Allison of 41 Southampton Buildings,
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent for an Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN INDEPENDENT CAR-WHEELS AND JOURNAL BEARINGS."
A communication to him from abroad by Gibson W. Fairman, William'
H. Gray and William R. Austin, all of the City and State of New York, United
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Allison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th September 1882.
"
HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 41 Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, "IMPROVEMENTS IN INDEPENDENT CAR WHEELS AND
JOURNAL BEARINGS a communication to me from abroad by Gibson. W. Fairman,
William H. Gray and William R. Austin, all of the City and State of New York,
United States of America,
- K
This invention has for its object the construction of car wheels and their axles..
in such manner that the wheels may rotate around the axles, so as to allow either'
wheel to turn independently of the other, thus obviating the sliding friction on the
rails that is now incident to railway traffic, where the wheels are fixed to the axle,
as they commonly are, thus compelling, one wheel or the other to slide on the
track while rounding curves, thereby greatly increasing, the expenditure of loco-
motive power, and at the same time causing unnecessary wear and abrasion both
to the periphery of the wheels and to the tread of the rails, and also greatly
increasing the axles liability to breakage by torsion.
The wheels and the axles are similar to those in common use on railways, except
as to the devices for assembling these two parts together, and forming the journal
bearings.
These improvements consist in the improved construction of both the wheel and
the axle, as hereinafter more fully explained, and in the bushings interposed
between the axle and the wheel and forming a part of the bearing. The bushing
is made in two parts, each part of which is semi-cylindrical in formation. The
>

page_text: lining pieces are formed of Babbitt Metal, or any suitable journal bearing material,
and are fitted or formed in recesses properly prepared in the bushing pieces to
receive them.
The periphery of the bearing surface of the journal of the car axle is surrounded
by a continued series of annular grooves and ridges or bands, preferably of
V shaped formation or section. These grooves and ridges, alternating as they do,
like the threads of a screw, except that each groove and ridge is perfect and
complete in itself and is formed perpendicularly to the axis of the axle, constitute
the entire bearing surface of the journal, and take up all the longitudinal thrusts,
and prevent any lateral motion of the axle in the bushing.
A longitudinal groove cut in the periphery of the journal, bearing, admits a
lubricant to the whole length of the journal bearing, right through or between the
grooves and ridges of the bearing. This groove should be cut a little deeper
than the bottoms of the grooves of the journal, so as to secure a clear lubricating
channel.
A cavity in the end of the bushing covered by a cap piece constitutes a magazine
or receptacle for the lubricant. There may be an annular chamber at the other
end of the journal, to also serve as a magazine for the lubricant. These arrange-
ments for introducing the lubricant to the bearing, however, are mere matters of
detail which will readily suggest themselves to any expert mechanic.
The nut or cap piece is secured onto the outer end of the bushing, and not only
serves to cover completely from the dust the journal bearing, but also acts as a
stop and guard against the outside of the car wheel against which it is screwed.
The exterior surface of the bushing is slightly conical in form. The larger end
of the bushing is at the rear or inner end, and terminates against an annular flange,
which forms a stop and guide for the inner side of the wheel to rest against.
$
The hub of the wheel is bored out so as to allow the bushing to fit tightly
within it, when the said bushing is forced home into the wheel, so that the flange
rests against the inside of the wheel.
The nut then being screwed into place, holds the bushing and. the wheel firmly
together, and allows the wheel and its bushing to turn on the axle, thus permitting
each wheel of a pair of wheels to turn independently of the other, and thereby
causing the entire elimination of sliding friction on the rails.
The nut contains and partly forms the magazine above alluded to, and this oil
or lubricating magazine is to be filled through an aperture extending through the
metal of the nut, the said aperture being guarded or stopped by an inwardly
opening check valve, which permits the lubricant flowing into the said magazine
but prevents its outflow. This inlet aperture for the lubricating magazine is
formed through an outwardly projecting nipple, which is capped exteriorally by a
cap piece, which is screwed on by a simple thumb and finger movement, so that
the said cap piece may easily be unscrewed to allow filling the oil magazine from
an oil can, or screwed on again after the said oil magazine shall have been filled..
An ordinary spring bottom oil can can be used to inject the oil into the magazine
and open the valve in doing so.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert John Allison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd March 1883.
"
HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 41 Southampton Buildings, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, "IMPROVEMENTS IN INDEPENDENT CAR WHEELS AND
JOURNAL BEARINGS a communication to me from abroad by Gibson W. Fairman,
William H. Gray and William R. Austin, all of the City and State of New York,
United States of America
This invention has for its object the construction of car wheels and their axles
in such manner that the wheels may rotate around the axle, so as to allow either
wheel to turn independently of the other, thus obviating the sliding friction on
the rails that is now incidental to railway traffic, where the wheels are fixed to the
axle, as they commonly are, thus compelling one wheel or the other to slide on the
track while rounding curves, thereby greatly increasing the expenditure of loco-
motive power, and at the same time causing unnecessary wear and abrasion both
to the periphery of the wheels and to the tread of the rails, and also greatly
increasing the liability to breakage of the axles by torsion.
The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, of which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one of the improved bearings
as applied to a railway car wheel and axle. Fig 2 is a side elevation of a car wheel
fitted with the improved bearings. Figs 3 and 4 are detailed elevations of one end
of a car axle provided with the improved bearings. Figs 5 and 6 are detailed
views of the bushings which form parts of these improved bearings.
semi-
The wheels A and the axles B are similar to those in common use on railways,
except as to the devices for assembling these two parts together, and forming the
journal bearings. These improvements consist in the improved construction of both
the wheel and the axle, as hereinafter more fully explained, and in the bushings
D'D', interposed between the axle and the wheel and forming a part of the bearing.
The bushing is made in two parts, D and D', each part of which
cylindrical in formation, as shown in detail, Fig 6, which represents the two parts
or sections of the said bushing separated slightly from each other, so as to show
clearly the two-part construction. The said Fig 6 shows the bushing pieces in
section, the section being taken on the dotted line x x of Fig 5, thereby showing
clearly the lining d d, which forms the wearing surface of the said bushing. These
lining pieces d, d', I form of Babbitt metal or any suitable journal-bearing
material, and fit or form them in recesses properly prepared in the bushing pieces
to receive them.
The periphery of the bearing surface of the journal of the car axle B is
surrounded by a continued series of annular grooves and ridges or bands, b,
preferably of V-shaped formation or section, as is clearly shown in the drawings.
These grooves and ridges, alternating, as they do, like the threads of a screw,
except that each groove and ridge is perfect and complete in itself, and is formed
perpendicularly to the axis of the axle, constitute the entire bearing surface of the
journal, and take up all the longitudinal thrusts, and prevent any lateral motion
of the axle in the bushing.
A longitudinal groove, 61, cut in the periphery of the journal bearing, as shown
in Figs 3 and 4, admits a lubricant to the whole length of the journal bearing;
right through or between the grooves and ridges of the bearing. This groove
should be cut a little deeper than the bottoms of the grooves of the journal, so as
to secure a clear lubricating channel.

page_text: The cavity in the end of the bushing covered by the cap piece D³ constitutes a
magazine or receptacle for the lubricant. There may be an annular chamber (not
shown) at the other end of the journal, to also serve as a magazine for the lubricant.
These arrangements for introducing the lubricant to the bearing, however, are
mere matters of detail, which will readily suggest themselves to any expert
mechanic. The nut or cap piece D2 is secured on to the outer end of the bushing,
and not only serves to cover completely from the dust the journal bearing, but
also acts as a stop and guard against the outside of the car wheel against which it
is screwed.
The exterior surface of the bushing D, D' is slightly conical or tapering in form,
and is clearly shown in Figs 1 and 5. The larger end of the bushing is at the rear
or inner end and terminates against the annular flange da, which forms a stop and
'guide for the inner side of the wheel to rest against. The hub of the wheel is
"bored out so as to allow the bushing D, D¹ to fit tightly within it when the said
bushing is forced home into the wheel, so that the flange d³ rests against the
inside of the wheel.
The nut D2 then being screwed into place, holds the bushing and the wheel
firmly together and allows the wheel and its bushing to turn on the axle, thus
permitting each wheel of a pair of wheels to turn independently of the other wheel,
and thereby causing the entire elimination of sliding friction on the rails.
For new work I prefer the form of axle shown in Figs 1 and 3, but to adapt
these improvements to car axles and wheels now in use, I employ the form of
construction shown in Fig 4, in which the old journal bearing is shown outside of
the wheel, so that it may be carried in and support the old form of pedestal, but
where the work is all new, the pedestal (not shown) is to be inside of the wheels.
In neither case is the axle required to rotate, the wheel rotating about the axle.
The nut or cap D2 contains and partly forms the magazine d', above alluded to,
and this oil or lubricating magazine is to be filled through an aperture extending
through the metal of the nut, the said aperture being guarded or stopped by an
inwardly-opening check valve, d³, which permits the lubricant flowing into the
said magazine, but prevents its outflow. This inlet aperture for the lubricating
magazine is formed through an outwardly projecting nipple, de, which is capped
exteriorly by the cap piece, d', which is screwed on by a simple thumb and finger
movement, so that the said cap piece, d', may easily be unscrewed to allow filling
the oil magazine from an oil can, or screwed on again after the said oil magazine
shall have been filled. An ordinary spring bottom oil can can be used to inject
the oil into the magazine and open the valve d³ in doing so.
Although the foregoing description alludes only to the use of the circum-
ferentially grooved axle, and its correspondingly grooved bushing, for car wheels, it
is obvious that the said grooved axle and bushing may be used for carriage or
wagon wheels, bearings for revolving axles or journals of any description, and for
any similar purpose, though no especial mention of such use is herein made.
Having described my invention, I claim,
1. A car wheel bearing formed of tapering semi-annular bushing pieces fitted
tightly into the hub of the wheel, and having their concave journal bearing
surfaces grooved to fit corresponding V-shaped circumferential grooves and ridges on
the periphery of the axle journal, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In combination with a suitably apertured wheel and grooved axle, the
herein described semi-annular tapering bushing and journal bearing, provided
with internal V-shaped grooves and ridges, and formed with a flange at its widest
or inner end and suitable screw thread at its outer end, a nut or cap internally
recessed to form an oil magazine, and having suitable capped oil inlet and a
retaining valve and adapted to be applied to said outer end, substantially as
described.
3. In combination with a suitably apertured wheel and grooved axle, the herein
described semi-annular tapering bushing and journal bearing, provided with
internal bevel-edged or sloping grooves and ridges, and formed with a flange at its

page_text: widest or inner end and suitable screw thread at its outer end, and a nut or cap
adapted to be screwed thereon, substantially as set forth.
4. The lubricating magazine d' in the outside securing nut, D2, provided with an
inwardly opening check valve, d³, in combination with the journal bearing B D D',
substantially as described.
5. The longitudinal lubricating groove b' in combination with the circumferential
grooves and bands or ridges of a journal or wheel bearing, substantially as described
and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Allison, have hereunto set my
.hand and seal, this twenty-first day of March, in the year of.our. Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
TEDDEDA T ATTYSON