US2984525A

US2984525A - Railway journal boxes

Info

Publication number: US2984525A
Application number: US781825A
Authority: US
Inventors: George M Egart
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-12-11
Filing date: 1958-12-11
Publication date: 1961-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-16

Description

May 16, 1961 G. M. EGART RAILWAY JOURNAL BOXES Filed Dec. ll, 1958 T/UZZW Gee?" e 772,5y a,

United States Patent l(")ce ="2`,984,52f Patented May 16, 1961 2,984,525 RAILWAY JOURNAL BOXES GeorgefM. Egal-t, 202 N. Merrill Ave., Park Ridge, Ill. Filed Dec. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 781,825 5 Claims. (Cl. 308-79) This invention relates to railway journal boxes and particularly `to the protection and conservation of the lubricant used in such journal boxes.

With the development and use of journal box lubricators, `considerable attention `has been given to the loss of lubricant from journal boxes, and efforts to minimize such loss have centered about the development of more eflicient sealing means for the journal box. Thus considerable eiort has been given to improved sealing of the journal box lid and to improvements or changes in dust guards. Despite `the cost and refinement of such improved sealing devices the loss of oil from journal boxes has persisted, and in most instances has been increased.

.It -is therefore the primary object of the present inyention to substantially reduce or eliminate such oil loss; to accomplish this by 'eliminating `primary `cause of such oil loss; 4and to ,effect `the `saving of lubricant in such `a way as to materially .reduce the contamination of lubri- .cantain journal boxes.

=In accomplishing the foregoing objectives the present invention provides means for eliminating and counteracting those `positive forces which have heretofore caused discharge of oil from the journal box. Thus, I have discovered that in the normal operation of railway equip ment the oil fed to the bearing surfaces of the journal has necessarily accumulated to some extent on ,the dust guard seat or at `the juncture of the dust guard seat with the fillet ofthe journal, and in this position has been subject to displacement along the dust guard seat toward `the wheel so fas to `escape from the ljournal box. I `have further discovered thatsuch oil accumulated on or near the `dust guard seat is actually subject to substantial and repetitive displacing forces provided by rapidly movingair that is in effect pumped or forced out of thejournal box about the Idust guard seat and through the `opening of `the dust guard. This air-pumping yresults from the lateral orrendwise displacement of journal in and with respect to the ljournal box, because, in `such endwise movement of the `journalinwardly and -thenoutwardly of the journal box, "the journal :acts `as a `pump piston to first compress 1the :airin the `journal box and `expell some of the .'air, `and `then :to `.reduce the air `pressure in the bQX so as to cause inflow `of air. A limited amount of such lateral movement is always Ypresent 'in such a railway wheelrlmount, and :this lateral `increases with the progressive Wear of the journal bearing and lthe iillet of the journal.

The undesired discharge of oil from the journal box due -to `the `above described pumping action `of the journal is accentuated by any physicallor operational condition whichincreases the speedof `movement of the pumped airtinto and out of the `journal box. Thus, where the fit of the dust guard is .relatively tight so as to alord but `a small `eiTective `area for intake and dischargerof air, a `movement of the journal through a particular axial distance `and at a `particular axial rate, tends to `produce exceedingly high air velocity, and because of this .the

electiveness of the air in carrying and undesirably discharging lubricant is increased. Similarly, where the Vlateralmovement of the ,journal takes place at a high Vrate, a correspondingly higher air ow rate is produced for any particular area of discharge opening and hence under such conditions the lubricant loss is accentuated.

With the foregoing in mind it is a `further and more specilic object of the present invention to enable compensation to be provided in a journal box for variation in air pressure and air volume that would otherwise take place, and to thus prevent loss of lubricant due to rapid discharge of air from the journal box.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which by way of illustration show preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof, and what is now considered to be `the best mode in which to apply these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be made as desired 'by those skilled in the ait with- `out departing from the invention.

AIn the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View through a jour- `nal box having lubricant-conserving means associated therewith `in accordance with the present invention; and

`Fig. 2 is a view similar to` Fig. `l and at a much smaller scale and which illustrates an alternative `form of means for conserving the lubricant.

For purposes of disclosure the invention .is herein illus- `trated in Fig. 'l as embodied in a railway wheel mount embodying a conventional journal box 11 which may be either of the integral orsepara'ble type. .The journal box 11 'has the usual wedge 12 `and journal bearing 13 .therein .for cooperation with a journal 14 that extends Yinto `the right .hand .end of the 'journal box 11. The journal box 11 has .the usual dust guard pocket 15 that forms aborder 'for the inner opening 116 of .the journal box, and a dust guard 17 of any conventional type may be positioned Within .the dust lguard pocket I5. The dust guard 17has the usual central opening 17C formed there- 4in for cooperation with .the dust `guard seat 14S of the journal 14, and while the opening 517C of the dust guard theoretically .engages the dust `guard seat 14S `to form a relatively `tight seal `about the journal, the normal wear `of the dust guard tends to enlarge the opening 17C so as to Vproduce van ,annular clearance space 18 between the .dust guard seat andthe `opening 17C. This annular space may vary in its effective area in accordance with the type 0f dustguard or with the wear to which .the .dust guard 'has 'been subjected, but for illustrative purposes `a relatively large annular .clearance space 18 .has been .'illustrated.

To the left of the .dust .guard seat, the journal 14 has the usual fillet `14F that `is arranged to engage the adjacent and rounded .end of the journal bearing 13 to limit the Alefthand shifting movement of the journal 14 with respect .to the bearing 13. The bearing 13 is of course engaged'by the usual .bearing surface 14B .of the journal 14, andthe left lhand or outer end of the bearing surface 14B is deiined by the usual 4flange 14A which by engagement with the left .hand end .of the journal bearing .13, serves to limit the right hand shifting movement of the journal.

The spacing o'f the fillet 14F and the ange .14A of the journal normally ,provides for limited endwise shifting movement of the journal, this shifting `movement being `termed the lateral of the journal. The shifting movement tends .to increase with wear of the flange, .the llet and the bearing 13.

'In Fig. 11, means are shown for applying lubricant .to

the journal, and since such a lubricant-applying means may take many different forms, such means having been diagrammatically indicated at 20 as being located in the journal box 11 beneath the journal and in an operative association with the bearing surface 14B of the journal. Lubricant such as oil is fed by the lubricator to the bearing surface 14B, and as Vthis lubricant is carried with the rotating journal 14 into contact with the journal bearing 13, such lubricant tends to be distributed over the bearing surface 14B and over the bearing surface of the journal bearing 13, and excess lubricant is forced toward opposite ends of the bearing surface 14B and particularly toward the area provided at the fillet 14F. There is thus an accumulation of lubricant on the journal in this area which is closely adjacent to the annular space 18.

Where a journal box is closed by one of the usual forms of journal cover or is tightly sealed by some of the more recent kinds of journal box covers, there is a tendency for the accumulated oil in the area of the fillet 14F and the dust guard seat 14S to be discharged from the journal box so as to deplete the oil supply. This undesired discharge of 4the lubricant is caused by the reciprocation of the journal 14 endwise within the journal box, such reciprocation producing a pumping action that causes air to flow in and out of the journal boxV through the space 18 and to carry oil through this vspace to discharge the same outside of the journal box.

This same pumping action is also objectionable in that when air is being drawn into the journal box, such air tends to carry dirt and water into the journal box to contaminate the oil supply contained therein.

Under the present invention, the aforesaid objectionable pumping action is rendered ineffective or is counteracted by means that are made a part of the journal box enclosure and which are responsive to the endwise shifting of the journal to maintain substantially the same air volume and substantially the same air pressure within the journal box. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, a special journal box cover is provided having hinge lugs 26 adapted for association with a pivot pin 27 and the usual lugs 28 of the journal box to pivotally support the cover 25 in position over the open or access end of the journal box. The cover 25 may be held in its closed position by any of the usual lid-closing arrangements, and as herein shown, a torsion spring 29 has been associated with the cover to impart yieldingly closing force thereto.

The lid 25 comprises a frame 30 having one edge portion 30B adapted to seat against the usual seating surface that surrounds the open access end of the journal box, and it is upon this rim 30 that the lugs 26 are provided. At its outer edge the rim 30 has a flange 30P, and an outer cover member 31 has an exposed flange 31F so that the border of a flexible member such as a diaphragm 32 may be clamped between the flanges 31F and 301;` by means of bolts 33. The diaphragm 32 has

pressure plates

34 and 35 located on opposite sides of its central portion to which the plates are clamped by means of bolts 36, and an expansive coil spring 37 is disposed between the pressure plate 34 and an opposed wall 31W of the outer housing so as to normally press the flexible member or diaphragm 32 toward the right as shown in Fig. l. Suitable positioning means 38 are provided on the pressure plate 34 and the wall 31 for holding the spring 37 in position.

On the pressure plate 36, projecting strut 40 is provided so that the strut extends parallel to the axisv of the journal 14 and toward the adjacent face of the flange 14A. On the extreme end of the strut 40, a head 40H is provided for engagement with the end surface of the journal 14.

It will be noted that the exposed diameter of the flexible member or diaphragm 32 is somewhat larger than the diameter of the journal 14, but this relationship is such that the diaphragm or flexible member 32, when exed or actuated to the left by a corresponding left hand movement of the journal 14, will maintain substantially the same internal volume within the journal box 11.

Thus, when a left hand movement of the journal 14 into the journal box tends to produce a reduction in the air volume within the journal box 11, the diaphragm or flexible member 32 will be correspondingly actuated to the left to tend to increase the volume of the journal box and this, therefore, amounts to an equalizing action which maintains substantially the same air volume and substantially the same air pressure within the journal box during such shifting movement of the journal box therein. It might be pointed out that the outer housing 31 of the cover 25 is vented, preferably by opening 31D formed near the bottom thereof so that this opening 31D serves not only as a vent but also as a drain opening for the enclosed space within the housing '31.

With the structure that is thus provided, the maintenance of substantially the same air pressure and substantially the same air volume within the journal box 14 during the endwise shifting back and forth of the journal 14, eliminates and prevents fast ow of air through the space 18, and hence loss of lubricant is prevented and the contamination of the lubricant by dirt or water is minimized.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 the flexible member 32 is relatively heavy and is positively actuated from the journal 14 in its reciprocating movements. Such positive actuation, however, is not essential to the present invention since any volume and pressure compensating means that operates to avoid volume changes and pressure changes in the journal box will accomplish the objectives of the present invention. Thus, in Fig. 2 of the drawings, a journal box 111 is shown having journal 114 associated therewith in the same manner as in Fig. l, but in this embodiment of the invention, a journal box cover is provided wherein a relatively light and extremely exible diaphragm 132 is clamped in position between the two sections of the cover 125. 'Ihe flexible member 132 is waterproof and substantially air tight and hence the flexible member 132 may respond to very slight changes of pressure that may be induced in the journal box 111 by axial movement of the journal 114. Thus the flexible member 132 may be shifted from its full line position of Fig. 2 to the dotted line position that is shown, and this is accomplished by very slight pressure changes so as to compensate for volume changes that would otherwise take place. The arrangement shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing is thus effective to prevent oil loss as well as contamination of the oil by dirt or water.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention enables oil loss and oil contamination in journal boxes to be substantially eliminated, and it will also be apparent that these desirable objectives are obtained through the use of structure that is simple and reliable in its operation, and which may be economically manufactured and serviced and may be applied readily and easily to conventional railway journal boxes.

Thus, while preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated herein, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appending claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a railway wheel mount, a journal box with a journal extending into said journal box, a dust guard at one end of the journal box surrounding the journal, a cover at the other end of said box, means including a journal bearing in said box associating said box and said journal for limited relative movement axially of the journal, and a movable member exposed on one side within the box and exposed to atmospheric pressure on its other side and shiftable in response to such relative movements of the journal and before any substantial change in air pressure within the box to offset the airpumping action of the journal.

2. In a journal box cover, an open frame having an inner face adapted to seat on the bordering edges of the access opening of a journal box, hinge lugs at one side of the frame for hinged connection with the lid-mounting lugs of a journal box, a exible member positioned against and in spanning relation to the other side of said frame, an outer member clamping said exible member against said frame, a spring acting between said members to urge said flexible member inwardly of the frame, and a rigid strut carried by said flexible member and projecting from the inner face thereof for engagement by the end of a journal when the cover is in closing posit-ion on a journal box.

3. -In a journal box cover, an open frame having an inner face adapted to seat on the bordering edges of the access opening of a journal box, hinge lugs at one side of the frame for hinged connection with the lid-mounting lugs of a journal box, a flexible member positioned against and in spanning relation to the other side of said frame, an outer member having a border portion disposed opposite said bordering edges and clamping said exible member against said frame, said outer member having walls protecting said flexible member and defining a substantial clearance space opposite the outer side of said ilexible member, a spring acting between said members to urge said exible member inwardly of the frame, and

a rigid strut carried by said exible member and projecting from the inner face thereof for engagement by the end of a journal when the cover is in closing position on a journal box.

4. In a journal box cover, a body having an inner rface adapted to seat on the bordering edges of the access opening of a journal box, hinge lugs at one side of the body for hinged connection with the lid-mounting lugs of a journal box, a volume adjusting member mounted in said body for movement to adjust the effective volume of a journal box, spring means urging said mem-ber inwardly of said body, and means carried by said volume adjusting member and projecting therefrom for engagement by the end of a journal when the cover is in closing position on a journal box.

5. A railway wheel mount according to claim `1 wherein said movable member comprises an extremely flexible waterproof diaphragm that is responsive to very slight changes in air pressure within the box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,071,989 Dehu Sept. 2, 1913 2,477,177 Hackedorn July 26, 1949 2,676,073 Boden Apr. 20, 1954 2,714,046 Barber July 26, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 839,034 France Dec. 26, 1938