US2261124A - Dust guard - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 4, 1941.

J. .1. MCBRIDE DUST GUARD Filed March 22, 1939 BY M m ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 4, 1941 DUST GUARD John J. McBride, Bayonne, N. J., assignor to American Car and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 22, 1939, Serial No. 263,339

3 Claims.

This invention relates to, an improvement in dust guards in general and in particular to such a guard for use in connection with railway journal boxes and axles.

In the past the major portion of the journal boxes have had the inner end sealed by means of a piece of wood slipped into the slot of the journal boxes and formed with an opening to receive the car axle. It is necessary in railway service for a certain amount of play to exist between the axle and the journal box and the necessity of providing such play makes it exceedingly hard to design a dust guard which will function efficiently throughout the life of the journal box and axle. Since the journal box is in most cases a rough casting, the wooden dust guard can not move readily with respect thereto with the result that the opening through which the axle passes soon becomes oblong, permitting the entrance of water, dust and other foreign material into the journal box. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a dust guard which may closely fit the axle throughout its life and which may move with the axle without occasioning wear between the guard and journal box.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a two-part dust guard having a relatively fixed first portion forming a seal with the rough surfaces of the cast journal box and a second portion movable with the axle over the smooth surfaces of the first portion.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a two-part dust guard, the first part of which may remain relatively immovable with respect to the journal box, while the second part may move with the axle to accommodate small movements thereof without occasioning undue wear between the parts.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a journal box and axle with the improved dust guard in position;

through the use of customary brasses and wedges C. In this manner the axle A is rotatable within the journal box which it supports and since the brasses and wedges permit of a certain amount of movement between the axle and journal box, which movement is necessary to relieve excessive strains on the journal box, then the dust guard must be capable of accommodating such movement. In order to accommodate the necessary relative movement between the axle and journal box, the dust guard D is formed in two parts with a main or relatively fixed seal member 2 and an auxiliary or relatively movable seal member 4. The relatively fixed seal member ispreferably formed as a pressing with the main body 6 thereof located in a single plane from which flanges 8 are directed laterally thereof and of sufiicient depth to occupy the major portion of the journal box dust guard slot S. The main body of the relatively fixed sealing member is provided with an enlarged opening or elongated slot H] of suflioient size as to be spaced from the car axle at all times, while the flanges 8 are provided with a plurality of spaced angle shaped clips 12 adapted to be spot welded or otherwise secured to the flanges of the sealing member in such a manner that one leg 14 of the clip is spaced outwardly of but in parallel relation to the main body of the fixed sealing member. A comparatively soft sealing gasket I6 is secured to the inner face of the main body portion of Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view and showing one side of the journal box;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the main or relatively fixed sealing member;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the auxiliary or movable seal member;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing a modified form of construction of the main sealing member, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but showing a further modification.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the conventional axle A suppOrts the more or less conventional journal box B the fixed sealing member and is adapted to surround the opening lll cut therein and is of such a thickness that it, together with the flanges 8, will make thetotal width of the main or relatively fixed sealing member slightly greater than the width of the journal box slot S. With the relatively fixed sealing member formed in this manner, it may be forced into the journal box slot compressing the slightly resilient sealing gasket l 6. The compression of the sealing gasket in the slot will, together with the rough cast surfaces thereof, prevent any movement between the main sealing member and the journal box, and will also prevent the entrance of water, sand or. other foreign matter into journal box B. The resilient sealing gasket I6 may be secured to the relatively fixed sealing member in any suitable manner, but in the present instance it is secured by means of rivets I8.

The auxiliary or movable seal member is formed from a single sheet or metal 20 cut to a contour as shown in Fig. 4 and of an extent slightly greater than the opening cut in the main sealing member. This plate has cut therein a circular opening 22.0f such a size as to surround the axle in spaced relation thereto. one surface of the auxiliary or movable sealing member plate has secured thereto adjacent the periphery a resilient gasket 24. This gasket may be secured in place by any suitable means, such as rivets 26. The edges of the circular opening 22 have secured thereto a slightly resilient gasket 28 which is secured to the plate 20 by any suitable means, such as rivets 30. The combined thickness of the plate 20 and gasket 24 is such that a slight compression of the gasket 24 is obtained when the auxiliary or movable sealing member is pushed into position between the angle clips l2 and the main body of the main or relatively fixed sealing member. The slightly resiliently gasket 28 is, of course, of the proper diameter as to closely engage the dust guard collar portion 32 of the axle and prevent entrance of dirt or escape of oil along the axle.

In some cases it may be easier to form the main or relatively fixed seal member of plate metal with the necessary flanges formed by securing strips of metal 40 thereto by any suitable means such as welding as at 42 (Fig. 5). In other cases it may be desirable to oifset the main body portion of the fixed sealing member as at 44 (Fig. 6) in order to accommodate the leg 46 of an angle-shaped member 48 which is secured to the main body portion by any suitable means, such as spot welding. In each of the forms, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the main or relatively fixed sealing member is intended to fit the slot in the journal box in exactly the same manner as that previously described in connection with Figures 1 to 4, namely, the gasket I6 is intended to be compressed sufliciently to normally hold the entire sealing member fixed relative to the journal box, and to prevent entrance of water, sand or other foreign matter into journal box B.

The dust guard is assembledv by pushing the auxiliary or movable sealing member into position between the body 6 and legs [4 of the angle clips, after which the entire dustguard assembly is pushed into the dust guard slots S, permitting the journal box to be slid over the axle for support upon the brasses which are inserted in the usual manner. During use of the dust guard any relative movements between the axle and journal box will be accommodated by the sliding of the movable sealing member gasket 24 along the smooth surface of the body portion of the relatively fixed sealing member. The relatively fixed or main slot sealing member is, of course, held in position by the compression of the gasket 16 thereof. It will be obvious that slight movements of the axle relative to the journal box will be accommodated by the slight flexing of the gasket 28 and gasket 24 without requiring movement of the latter gasket on the main body portion of the relatively fixed or slot sealing member. By permitting relative movement of the auxiliary or axle sealing member there can be no enlargement of the opening surrounding the axle and the gasket 28 will remain in relatively close contact to the axle throughout the life of the assembly.

While the improved dust guard has been de-- scribed more or less in detail and with specific reference to certain drawings, it is obvious that various modifications and rearrangements of parts may be made by persons skilled in the art after a study of the preceding description, but all such modifications and rearrangements of parts are contemplated as will come within the scope of the following claims:

What is claimed is:

1. A dust guard unit for railway journal boxes adapted to be supported on an axle and being formed with a dust guard slot adjacent the inner edge thereof, said dust guard unit comprising, a main member engageable within said dust guard slot and formed with flanges extending laterally from one side thereof, a first gasket compressible between said main member and one side of the dust guard slot, said gasket and flanges cooperating to hold said main member substantially stationary relative to the journal box, an auxiliary member having an axle clearance opening, an axle engaging gasket secured to said auxiliary member adjacent the axle clearance opening and adapted to closely engage said axle, an additional gasket secured to one of said members and compressible between said member and the other of said members, means carried by one of said members and positively limiting the compression of said additional gasket to a.

predetermined amount and of lesser degree than the compression of said first gasket whereby said auxiliary member may be easily slidable relative to said main member to accommodate relative axle and journal box movements without causing movement of said first gasket relative to the journal box or to the main member.

2. A dust guard unit for railway journal boxes adapted to be supported on an axle and being formed with a dust guard slot adjacent the inner edge thereof, said dust guard unit comprising, a main memberengageable within said dust guard slot and formed with flanges extending laterally from one side thereof, a first gasket compressible between said main member and one side of the dust guard slot, said gasket and flanges cooperating to hold said main member substantially stationary relative to the journal box, an auxiliary member having an axle clearance opening, an axle engaging gasket secured to said auxiliary member adjacent the axle clearance opening and adapted to closely engage said axle, angular shaped clips rigidly secured to said flanges of the main member and defining a space for reception of said auxiliary member, an additional gasket secured to one of said members and compressible between said members to a predetermined amount by said angular shaped clips, said additional gasket being compressed to a lesser degree than said first gasket whereby any relative motion between said dust guard and journal box will be absorbed by relative movement between said main and auxiliary members.

3. A dust guard unit for journal boxes comprising a main member formed with a main part having an elongated slot and spaced marginal flanges, said flanges projecting laterally from said member and forming at their marginal edge portions wall engaging faces, angular elements each including a first leg fixed to the inner face of each of said marginal flanges, said legs termihatin flush with the marginal edge of said flanges to provide additional wall engaging portions, additional legs on said angular members extending laterally from said first legs and spaced inwardly of said marginal edge to form with the main part confining wall portions, an axle sealing member adjustably arranged between said confining wall portions, said axle sealing member including an axle engaging gasket and a marginal gasket, said marginal gasket being compressedbetween said confining wall portions to retain the same and seal said parts, and a gasket extending along the upper edge of said main member to gngage and seal the adjacent wall of said journal JOHN J. McBRIDE.

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