US2094235A - Journal box - Google Patents

Description

Sept 28, 1937- H. R. GlBBoNs r-:T A1. 2,094,235

' JOURNAL Box Filed June 20, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet `1 /NVENTOQSZ- OTTO W. YOU/VG HAROLD e.,G/BBo/v5,

N THE/Q Am Y Sept. 28, 1937. H. R. GIBBoNs Er Al. 2,094,235

JOURNAL BOX Fil'd June 20, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 SePt'281937- A H. R. GIBBoNs ETAL 2,094,235 v v` JOURNAL BOX Filed June 20, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 HG if /58 /40 FIG- l 754 /53 /42 /NVENTOQSA OTTO VV., YOUNG HAQOLD e. @BBQ/v5,

l m THE/@ATTORNEY Q Patented Sept. 28, 1937 PATENT vOFFICE JOURNAL BOX narnia n. Gibbons, Chatham, ana one w. Young, East Orange, N. J., assgnorsV to Gener` al Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application Juneau, 1933, serial No. 676,662

Y s claims.v (01. sos- 79) This invention relates to journal boxes and comprises vall of -vthe features of novelty herein disclosed. An object of the invention is to provide a journal box which will utilize to the full all wearing surfaces and have long life. Another -object is to provide a journal box capable of reversal end for end and/or inversion up and down. Another object is to provide a journal box with means for holding a. seat plate selectively upon thrust surfaces of a journal box. Yet another.

object is to provide improved cushioning means for transmitting load to a journal box especially without unduly raising the point of vload application. l

To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of this character, the invention conhardened surface I2 in the bore of an axle box sists in the variousmatters hereinafter described and claimed. In its broader aspects,vthe invention is not necessarily limited .to the specific construction selected for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawings in which-- Fig. 1 is alvertical longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 2is one half an end view and one half a cross section of Fig. '1.

Fig. 3 is one half side View and one half vertical section of the box body.

Fig. 4 is an end view of one half of the box body.

Fig. 5 is one haii pian view and one half hori-l zontal section ofthe box body.

Fig. 6 is a, sectional view at a corner on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Fig. 7 is a partial plan view.

, Fig. 8 is a side view of the' end cap.

Fig. 9 is an inside elevation of one half of th end cap. 'i

Fig. 10 is a plan view ofl a modified form of seat plate and adjacent parts of the box. f

Fig.v 11 is a longitudinal sectional 'vie'w of th seat plate and associated parts.

Fig. l2 is one half a cross section and one half an end view of Fig. 11. f K

The numeral 2 indicates a shaft or axle carrying a raceway sleeve 4 for antifriction bearings.

entering channels in a cagel having end rings Ill.

The rollers run on a carburized or otherwise I4. 'I'he box is symmetrical about two hintersecting axes so that it can be inverted upand down .or reversed end for end. The inversion utilizes the bearing surfaces at both top and bottom where the maximum load will occur and the reversal end for end utilizes bothsets of pedestal flanges to take outward thrust shocks. The hardened surface l2 is desirably peripherally continuous but can be considered as comprising' a bearingsurface at both top and bottom.

,As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the bearing surface I2 at both its upper and lower portions extends unbroken to flat end walls I 6 which form the inner walls of lrecesses or cavities I8 at the corners of the box. Each upper and each lower pair of corner recesses join at the center as indicated'I at 20 where the recesses are shallow radially. Each recess widens outwardly to the box corner, as along the line 22, and then narrows again to the point 24, and between such adjacent points 24, the bearing surface is unbroken except at a terminal chamfer. Longitudinal passages 26 through all corners' of the box connectA the opposite recesses and such passages and recesses (or whichever ones are at the bottom) form connected`4 lubricant receptacles. The passages 26 are widest at the ends but become somewhat narrower medially as at 21 -where the corners of the box are slabbed oil? on an incline.

Both ends of the box have a series of symmetrically located openings 28 which are' tapped to receive eighny the threads of fastening bolts for end closures. Such bolts 30 at the rear or inner end of the box are or may be all alike and extend through a gasket 32 and afiange 34 held by lock Washers and nuts 36. The ilange is part of an end closure or sealing ring 38 which has a generally annular extension 40 projecting into the box where its fiat terminal face 42 is hardened and guides the adjacent cage ring I0. Exterv *nally the projection 40 has a relief groove 43 to receive surplus oil from the surface I2. Internally the ring 38 has a groove 44 to receive oil thrown from a. rib 46 on the axle. As shown more in detail kin patent to Brittain, 1,984,822 granted December .18, 1934, the upper part of the internal groove 44 is continuously arch-shape in cross section but its lower portion has drain walls 48 extending to the upper edges of exit openings 50 which are located at the sides. Oppositely inclinedbottom walls 52 lead from a point die rectly under the axle to the openings 50 and'drain oil to the openings. dam'or obstruction 54 which prevents oil being splashed from the box to the low point oi the This construction leaves a the others and traverses a circular reinforcing" wall or sleeve 84 in an enlargement 86 of the end cap, such enlargement lforming a lubricant reservoir 88 lled at the plug 90 and supplementing and open to the box and its reservoir. A Wick 92 to lubricate the end of the axle has its lower end bifurcated to form legs 94 straddling the sleeve 84. 'I'he wick extends upwardly through a vertical slot 95 in a projection of the end cap, such cap having also a substantially annular projection 96 which enters the box and has a 'hardened fiat terminal face 98 to guide the adjacent cage ring I0. The projection also has an external relief groove |00 to receive excess oil working axially from the roller bearings. At the top of the projection, there is also an inclined passage |02 to conduct some of such excess lubricant tov a polygonal recess |04 containing a thrust block` |06. The thrust block has atop-recess or pas-` sage |08 receiving the oil from the passage |02 and draining it to an inclined passage H0 leading to a center recess ||2 above the wick and opposite the end of the axle. This oil thus aids the wick in lubricating the thrust faces of the axle and thrust block.v The thrust block is backed up by spacing plates |4 engaging a circular face or pad ||6 on the end cap. A clamping bolt H8' `has a head |20 embedded in the thrust block and a clamping nut |22 outside the .end cap to engage a washer |24.

The box has pairs of pedestal flanges |30 equally spaced from the center of the box and flaring as indicated at |32; The inner faces of the flanges are hardened fortheir full height and the sides of `the box are also hardened .at top and' bottom as indicated at |34. The corners of the box are slabbed off on inclines as indicated at |36 to provide clearance for the usual equalizer bars. The top of the box (and also the bottom) is provided with a polygonal recess or seat for an equalizer seat plate. The recess has spaced end walls |38 extending across the box and pairs of side walls |40 extending lengthwise of the box but discontinuous where the box is slabbed off at |36. The confining walls meet at the corners on a short radius and the recess has a finished annular seating face or pad |42 to engage a similar nished face on a seat plate |44. The seat plate is preferably square except for short bevels at the corners` Aand is'of a size to readily enter the recess where it is confined bythe side walls against any substantial bodily shifting. The seat `plate has flanges |46 to straddle an equalizer bar, a central rounded rib |48 to enter the usual recess in such Y bar, and seating surfaces |50 at the sides of the rib. The seating surfaces |50 are convexly crowned both longitudinally of the box and trans- |44 is placed in the opposite recess. When the inner'pair of pedestal flanges |30 becomes Worn, the box can be reversed end for end and, since the seat plate and its seating recess are symmetrical with respect to the center of the box, the

pointof application of the load on the bearings is not changed. The sealing r-ing and the end cap are then interchanged, together with their fastenings.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12, a modified form of seat plate is shown. The seating recesses in the axle box are or may be the same as before. An annular cushion |52 having a center hole |54 is supported on the annular face |42 and enters a circular recess |56 in the bottom of a square seat plate |58, the peripheral wall |60 of the recess tapering or enlarging downwardly. This wall approaches quite closely to the straight sides and ends of the seat, plateat the center lines of the,

seat plate but becomes more and more remote therefrom as the corners are approached. This' extra thickness at the corners furnishes desirable rigidity and strength while allowing the cushion to enter the seat plate centrally. Hence the inserted cushion does not unduly elevate the seat plate. The cushion absorbs shock and reduces noise while also facilitating easier alignment or lcompensatory angular shifting of the seat plate when the load is not exactly central. The cushion, being of circular form, will facilitate rocking or alignment of thebox in operation because'the cross section in any vertical plane decreases towards the periphery and the cushion will thus deect or compressl more easily at its periphery than near the center. t

. We claim:

1. In a device of the character indicated, a

'circumferentially continuous journal box having an internal bearing surface at topand bottom, a shaft journalled in the box, and the box having internal passages for lubricant extending longitudinally through the circumferential continuous portion of the box at top and bottom outside.

of the bearing surfaces, Land the box having end recesses at top and bottom to'afford communication between the lubricant passages and the ends of the bearing surfaces whereby lubricant can be supplied from a lubricant passage to a bearing surface in two opposite or inverted positions of the box selectively; substantially as described.

'2. In a device of the characterl indicated, a circumferentially continuous journal box having an internal bearing surface at top and bottom, a. shaft journalled in the box, the box being invertible Eup and down and having external load transferring means applicable to top or bottom, and the box also having internal passages for lubricantv extending longitudinally through the box outside of the bearing surfaces at both top and bottom, and. each passage communicating with one of the bearing surfaces to effect lubrication of the box in either of two inverted positions thereof; substantially as described.

3. In al device of the character indicated, a

Ajournal box having an internal bearing surface at top and bottom, a shaft journalled in the box,

the box having internal recesses for lubricant at lubricant receptacle constructed and accesses arranged to communicate with the lower one of the longitudinally extending lubricant recesses, and means for securing the cap to the box in two opposite positions selectively; substantially as described. I

4. In a device. of the character indicated, a journal box circumferentially continuous and unbroken and having an internal bearing surface at top and bottom, a shaft journalled in the box, the box having internal recesses for lubricant above and below the shaft and outside of the bearing surfaces, said lubricant recesses extending longitudinally throughout the box and communicating at the ends with the bearing surfaces whereby lubricant can be supplied to a bearing surface in two inverted positions of the box, and an end closure adapted to t either end of the box in either of the inverted positions thereof; substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box having an internal bearing surface at both top and bottom to selectively receive the load, an axle journalled in the box, and lubricant passages extending through the box at top and bottom outside of the bearing surfaces and each passage communicating with the ends of one bearing surface whereby lubricant has access from a lubricant passage to the end of a bearing surface in two opposite or inverted positions of the box selectively; substantially as described.

6. In a device of the character indicated, a journal box having an internal bearing surface at both top and bottom to selectively receive the load, an axle journalled in the box, lubricant passages extending through the box at top and bottom outside of the bearing surfaces and each passage communicating with the ends of one bearing surface whereby lubricant has access from a lubricant passage to the end of a bearing surface in two opposite or inverted positions of the box selectively, and detachable means for closing the ends of the box and adapte-d to t the box Yin two opposite or inverted positions thereof selectively, said detachable means having a lubricant receptacle in its lower portion to supplement the lowermost lubricant passage; substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character indicated, an

I invertible journal box having internal bearing surfaces in its upper and lower portions, an axle journalled in the box, lubricant holding passages extending longitudinally through the box outside of the bearing surfaces, one such passage being near the top and the other near the bottom of the box, and recesses in the box at the ends of the bearing surfaces and extending outwardly therefrom to aord communication between the ends of the bearing surfaces and said passages in two opposite orinverted positions of the box; substantially as described.

8. In a device of the character described, a journal box adapted for inversion up and down and comprising a circumferentially continuous body with a longitudinal bore therein, an axle extending into the box, antifrction bearings between the axle and the bore, the box having lubricant holding passages extending lengthwise through the body thereof outside of the bore and both above and below the axle for selective use, the passages having communication with the bearings to eect lubrication thereof in either of the inverted positions of the box,` an end cap adapted to be secured to the box in either of the inverted positions, and the lower portion of the cap having a lubricant receptacle adapted to communicate with whichever one of said lubricant passages is selected to lie .at the bottom; substantially as described. l

HAROLD R. GIBBONS. OTTO W. YOUNG.

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