1848,1 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



369 



AXLE-BOXES AND JOURNALS. 



William John Normanvjlle, of Park Village, Middlesex, 

 gentleman, for " certain iinpmtiements in railway or other carriages, 

 partly consisting of new modes of constructing the ajcle-boxes and jour- 

 nals of wheels ; also an improved method of lubricating the said Jour- 

 nals or other portions of machinery, by the introduction of aqueous, 

 alkaline, oleaginous, or saponaceous solutions." — Granted May 2 ; 

 Enrolled November 2, 1848. 



The claims of the patentee do not correspond in length with 

 that of the title of the invention, as they are simply for a peculiar 

 combination of various elastic and other materials with the axle- 

 box and journal, for the purpose of rendering the lubrication of 

 the journals of railway-wheels and other moving parts of ma- 

 chinery more perfect ; and, secondly, for arrangements for enclos- 

 ing the lubricator within a vessel, which shall contain it and ex- 

 clude the dirt. In carrying into effect the first part of the 

 invention, as regards the axle-boxes of railway-carriages, a shield 

 or collar of vulcanised india-rubber, or other suitable elastic sub- 

 stance, is made of the form shown in the engraving, marked A, A, 

 and attached to the axle-box at its outer edge. This shield is per- 

 forated in its centre ; such perforation being cut to a perfectly 

 smooth surface, to allow the passage of the journal through it. 

 The perforation is made of less diameter than the diameter of the 

 journal, and by the tendency of the material of which the shield 

 is made to collapse, it presses so closely to the journal, that an 

 air-tight joint is maintained. 



1 



The diameter of the perforation in the shield for a four-inch 

 axle should be three inches and five-eighths, the outer diameter of 

 the shield should be one-eighth of an inch less than the disc of the 

 axle-box into which it is to fit, and it will then be found to com- 

 pletely fill it. After having been stretched over the axle, the 

 shield tapers from its centre to its outer edge. For the protection 

 of the elastic shield, and behind it, is placed a thin cast-iron or 

 other metal shield B (secured to the axle-box by four bolts) which 

 being more or less tightened, presses upon the outer periphery of 

 the elastic shield and occasions pressure as required to maintain 

 the joint upon the axle. In adjusting this box upon the journal, 

 no more compression should be put upon the outer diameter of 

 the elastic shield than is necessary to make an air-tight joint, 

 otherwise there would be considerable risk of the shield firing, 

 before it could become properly lubricated. When by continued 

 wear the air-tight joint can be no longer maintained, a loose ring 

 of india-rubber, of the same diameter as the axle, and about a 

 quarter of an inch in thickness, may be placed upon the axle. 

 The original shield, whose orifice has become enlarged by wear, 

 is then stretched upon this ring, and by its contractile force clasps 

 it so tightly, that a perfect joint is maintained between the two 

 surfaces of the india-rubber, while the axle revolves within the 

 inner or loose ring ; and the operation of tightening by the means 

 of the four bolts is repeated as required. Or by anotlier modifi- 

 cation of this arrangement, a metal ring is introduced in contact 

 with the axle, using the contractile force of the india-rubber 

 shield to keep the i-ing in close contact with the polished axle. 

 These axle-bo.\es should be filled with a saponaceous grease in a 

 semi-fluid state, so that it may flow towards the shield, and lubri- 

 cate it without delay. The top of the axle is of a circular form, 

 with a lid furnished with a small air-hole screwed thereon, and 

 effectually closing the box. The grease is introduced through the 

 aperture whenever required. 



MANUFACTURE OF WHEELS. 



John Ashbury, of Openshaw, near Manchester, for ^'certain im- 

 provements in the construction and manufacture of wheels for use upon 

 railways and common roads, and in the methods of preparing and 

 constructing the tyres used thereon." — Granted March, 11 ; Enrolled 

 September 11, 1848. 



Fig. 1, in the annexed woodcuts is a side elevation and a lon- 

 gitudinal section, showing the first part of the patentee's inven-r 

 tion. 



Fig. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



The nave a is made of cast-iron, and presents the same appear- 

 ance on each side of the wheel, having six projecting-arms a', a', 

 with sufficient space between them transversely to admit of the 

 insertion of the wooden pieces b, b . They are also divided in the 

 same direction by the radial plates a-, a-, wliile the circumferen- 

 tial portions «■', n', are of equal breadth and extend transversely 

 between them in the recess thus formed. On each side of the 

 radial plates a , a'-, are placed one of the wooden pieces b, b, one 

 side of each of wliicli is prepared so as to abut upon the radial 

 plates a', a', and being furnished with a notch, by which the pro- 

 jections of the circumferential plates a-', a\ are cleared, they im- 

 pinge upon each other radially, till they re.ach the periphery of the 

 wheel ; all lateral action being prevented by dowels, inserted be- 

 tween them. The opposite sides of the pieces 6, b, diverge slightly 

 from tlie radial line ; and between tliem tlie wooden wedges d, rf, 

 which are prepared to a corresponding angle, are inserted, and 

 driven on towards the nave. The pieces b, b, are brought firmly 

 into contact witli the radial plates a", a'\ their escape outwardly 

 being prevented by the plates a\ a-'. When these wedges are 

 driven up, tliey are secured to the nave by the bolts d', d', passing 

 through tliem transversely, any lateral motion between them and 

 the pieces b, b, being prevented by metal tongues. The wheel 

 then appears like a disc of wood with an iron nave ; and in this 

 state it is placed in a lathe, and the periphery trimmed and turned 

 to the required diameter. A wheel thus constructed, although 

 without a tyre, could suffer no dismemberment until the removal 

 of the bolts. The methods which the patentee employs for se- 

 curing the tyres to the wheel, form the third and fourth series of 

 improvements. The tyre /' upon tliis wlieel is slightly convex 

 upon its inner circumference, and wlien it lias been put upon the 

 wheel in a heated state, and allowed to contract in cooling, this 

 convexity enables it to assume and retain a more eti'ectual hold 

 upon the wooden portion of the peripher)', than if its inner cir- 

 cumference were a flat surface of the ordinary kind. The tyre is 

 secui-ed to the nave a by means of the bolts g, g. 



Fig. 2, is a front elevation and longitudinal section, illustrating 

 the method of constructing the wheel according to another im- 

 provement, p is the tyre, furnished with two inner flanges /)', p-, 

 the space between which is equal to the thickness of the spokes 

 r, r, transversely : this tyre, it must be undei'stood, is laid down 

 cold, and the spokes are then arranged in order witliin it, their 

 motion laterally t)eing prevented by flanges at a sliort distance 

 from the point of abutment of the spokes. Upon the nave s they 

 converge on each side in lines radiating to the centre of the wheel, 

 or to some centre determined by practice as the most suitable, 

 but in either case sufficiently to admit of the insertion of the 

 wedges t, t, between tliem. These wedges are driven up by a 

 tapering mandril and by other mandrils of increasing diameter 

 successively until the eft'ectual contact of the spokes with the 

 inner circumference of the tyre and with the wedges is effected. 

 The %vheel is then placed in a lathe, and the ends of the spokes 

 and wedges prepared for the reception of the nave, wliich may be 

 of cast or wrought-iron. The nave is made in two equal parts, 

 consisting of as many arms *', s\ as there are wooden spokes to 



48 



