Iм- PROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Matthias Neuhaus, of Surrey Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of “Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES."-A communication from abroad by
Edward Adolph Hermann Beuther, of Achen, in the Empire of
Germany.
Sealed the 19th September 1871, and dated the 24th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Matthias Neuhaus at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th March 1871.
I, MATTHIAS NEUHAUS, of Surrey Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AXLE BOXES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus to be
fitted in, or attached to, those axle boxes known as "Beuther's" and
patented by him on the 6th day of February 1866, No. 362.
The apparatus consists of improved forms of cushion bearers or oil
suckers, by means of which they are enabled to lodge themselves against

page_text: the axle journal at all times, notwithstanding the wear of the pads with
which they are lined.
According to one form they are made of segments of circles on their
inner faces and have lugs on their backs, so that they can be pinned or
hinged to other lugs or to plates which slide in grooves made in the
side walls of the box; by this means they can slide down the grooves and
adjust themselves to the form of the axles under all conditions of action.
The backs of the holes through which the capillary wicks pass have
rounded projections on them, so that the abrasion of the crease or fold
of the wick at that part is obviated. The upper parts of the rounded
faces have grooves or plates in or on them for the reception of strips of
leather or other material, which bear upon the axle and tend to throw
the lower parts towards the same and ensure the touch at all parts.
According to other forms the cushions are suspended by wires, cords,
springs, or other appliances, from the upper parts of the box, or from
the cover, or from the bearings; or they are supported upon rods or
plates of springy material, or not, as desired, so as to press them in
contact with the journals; if rigid rods are used other springs may be
employed to press them in. In some cases the lower ends can be drawn
towards one another by spiral or other springs.
The bearers are formed with cups or reservoirs for holding oil or other
lubricant, and these are in connection with each other by a passage;
other holes lead the oil down to the journal.
The next improvement refers to the discs, which are employed to
prevont the entrance of dust and dirt into the box. These discs (or one
of them) have projecting rings or sockets for retaining leather or other
washers in place. The sockets may be on the inside or on the outside,
as found convenient, and the washers may bear against each other or
against flat surfaces. The washers may be " cupped" or otherwise
formed, and may have other material between them. The discs are kept
to the axle by a spring, which is fastened on one of
ends caused to act upon or against the other. The discs can be of
any material or a combination of materials.
them, and the free

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Matthias Neuhaus in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHIAS
NEUHAUS, of Surrey Street, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Matthias Neuhaus, Her special licence
that I, the said Matthias Neuhaus, my exccutors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Matthias Neuhaus, my executors,
administrators, and 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
AXLE BOXES," (communicated to me from abroad by Edward Adolph
Hermann Beuther, of Achen, in the Empire of Germany), upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Matthias Neuhaus, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Matthias Neuhaus, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is.to say :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus to be
fitted in or attached to those axle boxes known as "Beuther's" and
patented by him on the Sixth day of February One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six, No. 362.

page_text: The apparatus consists of improved forms of cushion bearers or ou
suckers, by means of which they are enabled to lodge themselves against
the axle journal at all times notwithstanding the wear of the pads with
which they are lined.
According to one form they are made of segment of circles on their
inner faces and have lugs on their backs, so that they can be pinned or
hinged to other lugs or to plates which slide in grooves made in the
side walls of the box. By this means they can slide down the grooves
and adjust themselves to the position of the axles under all conditions
of action. The backs of the holes through which the capillary wicks
pass have rounded projections on them, so that the abrasion of the crease
or fold of the wick at that part is obviated. The upper parts of the
rounded faces have grooves or plates in or on them for the reception of
strips of leather or other material, which bear upon the axle and tend
to throw the lower parts towards the same and ensure the touch at all
parts.
According to others forms, the cushions are suspended by wires, cords,
springs, or other appliances from the upper parts of the box or from
the cover, or from the bearings; or they are supported upon rods or
plates of springy material, or not, as desired, so as to press them in
contact with the journals; if rigid rods are used other springs may be
employed to press them in. In some cases the lower ends can be drawn.
towards one another by spiral or other springs.
The bearers are formed with cups or reservoirs for holding oil or other
lubricant, and these are in connection with each other by a passage;
other holes lead the oil down to the journal.
The next improvement refers to the discs which are employed to
prevent the entrance of dust and dirt into the box. These dises (or one
of them) have projecting rings or sockets for retaining leather or other
washers in place. The sockets may be on the inside or on the outside,
as found convenient, and the washers may bear against each other or
against flat surfaces. The washers may be " cupped" or otherwise
formed and may have other material between them.
The discs are kept
to the axle by a spring, which is fastened on one of them, and the free
ends caused to act upon or against the other. The discs can be of any
material or a combination of materials.

page_text: The Invention will be well understood by reference to the annexed
Drawings, in which the axle box known as "Beuther's Patent" is
represented, but with the improvements herein-before referred to applied.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an axle box A upon an axle B;
the box is composed of two parts, A and C, the lower part A being
formed with the bottom a, the side and front walls b, c, and with the
back wall d, with the aperture in it through which the axle B is passed
to fit the box. thereon. The tops of the walls b, c, and d are arranged
with lugs e, e, for the bolts f,f, to pass through, as well as through
other lugs g, g, of the cover or cap D, which rests upon the top edges
of the walls in the manner shewn to secure it in place. The cap D has
a feather or rib h on its under face to drop into the box a slight distance,
and also a semi-spherical projection to engage into a corresponding
recess in the top of the bearing brass i to enable the brass to adjust
itself to the face of the axle journal. under all conditions of wear or
action; the ends of the brass i touching or nearly touching the shoulders
j and of the axle to hold it in endwise and to prevent it becoming
detached or shifted from its proper place from concussion or other causes
during the travel of the carriage to which such axle box is fitted. The
brass is formed with two oil reservoirs l, m, in communication with each
other by a passage n, and with two slanting passages o, p, by which the
oil from the reservoirs is permitted to flow on to the top surface of the
journal to lubricate the same should the suction or capillary attraction
through the side wicks q, q, not be completely established. This lubri-
cation is found to be only necessary after the carriage has been standing
for some time, and when the oil from the side wicks has drained itself
into the box reservoir ". The passages o, 1, may be provided with wicks
to check the outflow and also to form the means of spreading the oil
more evenly than would be the case if no wicks were used. The inner
faces of the side walls have inclined lugs 8, 8, for carrying and guiding
the plates t, t, with the cushion plates u, u, on them down towards the
journal in order to press the felt which is upon the plate u, u, in contact
therewith. The plates t, t, have horns at their ends to bear upon the
lugs 8, 8, and pins v, v, which pass through the lugs, prevent the
cushions dropping too far or becoming detached upon the removal of
the box from the axle B from any cause. The backs of the cushion
plates u, u, are provided with rounded projections w, w, for supporting
the hanging portions of the wicks q, q, in an easy manner and to
prevent a crease being formed at that part which would interfere with

page_text: the proper draw up of the oil from the box reservoir when the carriage
is travelling at a great speed; it also prevents the abrasion of tho wicks
at the crease, which abrasion is caused by the jostling motion given to
the box or to the axle when running.
The arrangement of the parts just referred to will be more clearly
seen in Figure 2, which is a transverse section of the box shewn in
Figure 1. The neck of the axle is embraced by discs x, x, which are
free to rise and fall in a recess y and adjust themselves to the varying
positions of the axle; these discs are of rectangular form and are bound
with iron, one of which has projecting lips, 2, to retain a leather strip
or washer E in place, which strip acts as a friction piece between the
discs. The discs have annular holes in them, which just fit the axle
neck, and as they become worn they are pressed to the neck by a bow
spring G, which is fastened to the bottom of one disc and bears against
the bottom edge of the other disc; thus they are always kept true to
their work upon the axle, and not only prevent the entrance of dust and
dirt into the box but also prevent the escape of the oil from the box.
The discs are shewn in position in the recess in Figures 3 and 4, and in
the detached face and edge views Figure 5.
Figure 6 is a detached view of the brass with the reservoirs l, m, and
the passage n, which connects them; and Figure 7 is a detached view
of one of the cushion plates u and the plate t pinned or hinged to it to
give it freedom of action, as before mentioned. The upper portions of
the cushion bearers have strips of leather attached to them to bear
against the journal B and to throw the lower ends inward to cause the 2
cushions to touch at all parts.
Figure 8 represents a modified form of projection won the cushion
plate u for supporting the wick or wicks q, which projection may be cast
in a piece with the plate u or secured to it as desired.
Figures 9 and 10 are sectional views of axle boxes constructed in a
similar manner to the one before described, with the exception of the
lugs upon the inner faces of the side walls.
3
In Figure 9 the cushion plates u are kept against the journal by
springs I, I, the lower ends of which are secured to the partition J,
which divides the axle chamber A. from the main oil reservoir 7, thus 3
dispensing with the lugs and lug plates as in the previously described.
box.

page_text: Another mode of retaining the cushions in contact with the journal
is represented in Figure 10, here the cushions are suspended by small
chains K, and they are kept in contact by the lower ends being attached
to either end of a helical spring L; the wicks q, q, from both these
last-mentioned cushions dip into the main oil reservoir r after passing
through the slits in the partition J, as in "Beuther Patent" axle box
before recited. The cushions are mentioned as being supported by
springs or suspended by chains, but they can be kept in contact with
the journal in many other ways, all or any of which I reserve to myself
under my Letters Patent.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
Firstly, the several improvements herein-before described and shewn
in or to the axle box known as "Beuther's Patent," No. 362 of the
year One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Secondly, I claim the improved forms of cushion bearers, and the
parts connected with them, as herein-before described and represented in
the Drawings.
Thirdly, I claim the modifications in such cushion bearers as well as
the methods of keeping them in contact when employed in the manner
and for the purposes set forth.
Fourthly, I claim the construction and employment of bearing brasses
for such axle boxes when made with a passage for connecting the oil
reservoirs formed therein.
And, fifthly, I claim the improved form of disc, as herein-before
described, in or to which rings or sockets are employed for retaining
leather strips or washers in place.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthias Neuhaus, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of September One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
MATTHIAS NEUHAUS. (L.S.)