IMPROVE- MENTS IN BEARINGS FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN WILLIS of 70 Osgathorpe Road Sheffield in the County of York, Steel
manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BEARINGS FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY VEHICLES,
to be as follows:-
:-
This invention consists in the combination with the axle and axle box or pedestal
of locomotive engines railway and tramway vehicles and corve wheels, of a series
or set of rollers or balls to reduce friction.
In carrying this invention into effect the upper part of the inside of the axle box
or pedestal is grooved, cored or recessed to receive and retain the rollers or balls,
or, as a modification, a packing or step is fitted into the top of the axle box or
pedestal with chilled or hardened face to resist wear.
The rollers or balls can be fitted into the packing or step or directly into the
upper part of the axle box so as to bear on the top only, or on the upper half of
the axle the balls and rollers are retained in position by a cap, or plate, fitted
into the side of the axle box and secured thereto by a pin or pins, bolts, slots or
similar contrivance.
The rollers may be in one length or shorter sections;-may be a combination of
rollers and balls, or balls only.
I prefer to make these rollers or balls of soft centre steel, hardened on the
surface or similar strong wear-resisting material.
The said recesses being of a depth sufficient to contain them and admit of
their projecting slightly beyond, the recesses and so form a rotating bearing for
the axle.
The rollers or balls will be secured in the ends of the bush by collars or plates
fixed or fitted to or forming part of the axle, or fixed or fitted to the said bush
By preference the bush is made of cast steel instead of cast iron as now ordinarily
made.
When a set of balls or rollers are used in the centre of the bush they will by
preference be entered into the grooves in the bush from the outside thereof through
an opening which is closed by a plug or underside with flanges or equivalent
appliance.
The above contains matter withdrawn from Specification No 4401 dated
4th March 1884.

page_text: I JOHN WILLIS of 70 Osgathorpe Road Sheffield in the County of York Steel
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN BEARINGS FOR LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES RAILWAY & TRAMWAY VEHICLES and in
what manner the sume is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
The object of my Invention is to reduce the friction between between the Axle
box and Axle of Locomotive Engines Railway Vehicles and Tramway Cars and
between the Pedestals or Bosses of Tramway Corve Wheels and their Axles.
This is done by applying the Roller or Ball bearing principle to and adapting the
Axle box of Locomotive Engines, Railway Vehicles and Tramway Cars and the
Pedestal or the Boss of Tramway Corve Wheels in substitution for the ordinary
rubbing surfaces and the ordinary axle boxes Pedestals and bosses now used.
In carrying this Invention into effect the upper part of the inside of the Axle
box, Pedestal or Boss is grooved cored or recessed to receive and retain the Rollers
or Balls.
With regard to the Pedestals and the Bosses of Tramway Corve wheels this
recess may be made continuous.
Axle boxes and Pedestals may be further adapted by fitting into the upper part
of the same a packing or step with a chilled or hardened face to resist wear which
is also grooved cored or recessed.
The Rollers or Balls can be fitted into the Recess of the Packing or Step or
directly into the Recess in the upper part of the Axle box or Pedestal so as to bear
on the top only or on the upper half of the axle or the Rollers or balls may be
fitted into a continuous recess of a Pedestal or Boss so as to encircle the axle and
bear all round the same.
The said recesses are to be of a depth sufficient to contain the Rollers or Balls
and admit of their projecting slightly beyond the recesses and so form a rotating
bearing for the Axle.
The Rollers or Balls are retained in position by the side flanges created by the
recessing above mentioned or by fitting caps or plates on the sides of the axle box
Pedestal or Boss where the Rollers or Balls have been inserted and are secured
by a Pin or Pins, Bolts Slots or similar contrivance An axle having a collar or
shoulder may dispense with a flange on one side of an axle box, Pedestal or Boss
and thus serve as an alternative method for retaining the said Rollers or Balls
in position.
The Rollers may be in one length or shorter sections; may be a combination of
Rollers and Balls, or Balls only.
I prefer to make these Rollers or Balls of Soft centre steel hardened on the
surface or similar strong wear resisting material.
At the sides of the lower end of the Axle box and underneath the axle a metal
dish for oil is bolted or otherwise fastened in which a small roller revolves on a
spindle fixed on each side of the sainc.
This Roller revolves in contact with the lower side of the axle and thereby keeps
the same and also the Rollers or Balls lubricated.
Through the upper part of the Pedestal a small hole is drilled, above which is
fixed a tube to contain oil. The top of the tube is closed by a screw cap. The oil
drips from the tube through the small hole in the upper part of the Pedestal and
thus feeds the Rollers or Balls.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings the bearing of Rollers has only been illustrated;
the bearing of Balls being precisely the same and therefore has not been given.
Sheet I shews the Roller bearing principle as applied to Locomotive Engines
Railway Vehicles and Tramway Cars.
Figures I (end view) and II (side view) shew the application to Locomotive
Engines and Railway Vehicles, A is the axle. B is the axle box. C is the
packing or step grooved cored or recessed within; and containing the Rollers D-
E is the metal dish to contain oil. F is the Roller with the Spindle in the centre
and conveys the oil to the axle which afterwards feeds the Rollers.
Figs. III IV and V shew the application of the bearing to Tramway Cars and
are instances where the upper part of the axle box has a separate groove for
each roller. The same letters of reference apply to these figures as to figures I
and II.
Figure IV gives a side longitudinal view of the Roller D.
Figure V gives a view of the Rollers D from underneath.
Sheet II shews the Roller bearing principle as applied to Tramway Corves.
Figures I II III IV and V shew the application to the Bosses of Tramway
Corve wheels. A is the Axle B is the Boss C the Rollers.
Figures III IV and V have additional letters of reference and these are D
shewing the flanges created by the Recesses E.
Fig IV has an additional letter of reference and this is F which shews a collar
forming part of an axle which keeps the rollers in position.
Figure V has an additional letter of reference and this is F which shows an axlo
reduced in diameter thereby enlarging the space for Rollers of a larger size.
Figures VI VII VIII IX X XI and XII shew the application to the Pedestals
of Tramway Corves.
Figure VI gives an end view of a Pedestal fitted to a Corve wheel.
Figure VII gives a side view.
Figs VIII IX and X give end views of Pedestals with varying numbers of
Rollers.
Fig XI gives a side view of Figure X.
Throughout the figs VI to XI inclusive A is the Axle B the Pedestal and C the
Rollers.
Fig XII gives a Pedestal with the addition of the Lubricating. Tube which is
marked D. The drilled hole through the top of the Pedestal is E.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim are
1. The application of the Roller and Ball bearing principle to Locomotive
Engines Railway and Tramway Vehicles in substitution for the present
mode of long frictional bearing axle boxes, and to Pedestals, Bosses of
Tramway Corve Wheels and Axles.
2. The method substantially as hereinbefore described of recessing the axle box
of Locomotive Engines, Railway Vehicles and Tramway Cars and the
Pedestals and Bosses of Tramway Corve Wheels.
Dated this 4th day of December 1884.