US3062597A

US3062597A - Insertable and removable oil container for journal boxes

Info

Publication number: US3062597A
Application number: US20152A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peter L Lopez
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-04-05
Filing date: 1960-04-05
Publication date: 1962-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 1979-11-06

Description

nited States Patent 3,062,597 INSERTABLE AND REMUVABLE OIL CONTAINER FOR JGURNAL BOXES Peter L. Lopez, 540 St. Louis St, Toledo 5, Ohio Filed Apr. 5, 1960, Ser. No- 20,152 3 Claims. (Q1. 30887) The present invention generally relates to a lubricating device for railway car axle journals and more particularly to an oil pan or tray for positioning in the housing normally provided for such journals for holding and retaining an oil lubricant in position whereby the lower peripheral portion of the axle journal will at all times run in the oil thereby providing proper lubrication for the axle journal and preventing overheating thereof with subsequent damage to the journal and possible failure of the axle.

Normally, the journal boxes are packed with a waste packing that is impregnated with oil to lubricate the axles. This is satisfactory to a certain degree but there are many objections to the waste packing with the failure of the waste packing quite often causing failure of the axle with resultant damage to the railway cars and the like. Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a tray-like member forming an oil container for insertion into the journal box and having an open upper end for receiving the lower peripheral portion of the journal whereby the journal will be running in oil disposed within the tray or container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a container for insertion into a journal box having means on the inner end thereof conformably engaging with the axle journal and means on the outer end thereof forming a handle for removing and assembling the container and also for engaging with the journal box for holding the container in position in the journal box.

Stiil another object of the present invention is to provide an oil container for axle journals for installation in a journal box which is simple in construction, semi-rigid, shape sustaining, easy to assemble and disassemble and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the oil container of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a journal box with the container of the present invention incorporated therein;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 illustrating further structural details of the container and the relationship thereof to the journal box; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of an end element attached to the axle journal for preventing oil from being discharged from the end of the axle journal.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the oil retainer which includes a substantially semi-cylindrical peripheral wall portion 12 defining generally a semi-cylinder. One end of the semicylindrical wall 12 is provided with an end plate 14 of generally semi-circular configuration having a circular notch 16 formed in the upper edge thereof. The other end of the semi-cylindrical wall 12 is provided with an upwardly curved end wall 18 having an outwardly extending handle or flange 20 at the upper edge the'eof and only extending for a portion of the length of the end wall 18. The free end of the flange 20 is reversely curved and formed into a cylinder which forms a handle and also slidably receives the angled short end of an L-shaped pin which holds the container in place when filling so that it will slip in the journal box. This cylinder is designated by the numeral 22.

The container 10 is inserted into a railway journal box generally designated by the numeral 24 which includes a generally semi-cylindrical bottom 26 and vertical side walls 28 interconnected by a top wall 30. The bottom wall 26 is upwardly curved as indicated by the numeral 32 but is provided with an enlarged opening 34. The opening 34 is closed by a cover or lid 36 hingedly supported at its upper edge by hinge pin or bolt 38.

The journal box 24 includes spaced walls or flanges 4t and 42 at the end thereof remote from the opening 34 and these flanges include an opening 44 receiving the axle 46. There is a dust guard bearing 48 between the flanges 4t) and 42 in engagement with the axle 46.

The axle 46 is provided with a journal 59 of reduced cross-sectional area and the journal 50 is engaged by a journal bearing or brass 5'2 disposed between the journal 50 and the top of the journal box with the bearing 52 being held in position by the usual wedge 54. The structure of the journal and journal box is of a conventional nature and as is conventional, the journal 59 is provided with a peripheral flange 53 at the outer end thereof.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the oil container 10 is inserted into the journal box and rests on the bottom wall 26. The notch 16 receives the inner end of the journal 50 and the journal will be disposed in the surface of the oil 53 contained within the container 10.

An absorption pillow 60 may be disposed within the container 10 for absorbing the oil and engaging the journal 50 in order to assure that the journal will be properly lubricated.

In order to prevent oil from being thrown from the flanged end of the journal, there is provided a ring-like end cap 62 having a peripheral flange 64 engaged over the flange end 53 of the journal 50. Relatively short bendable lugs 66 are provided on the flange 64 for bending over the inner and outer surfaces of flange 53 adjacent the periphery thereof thus securing the cap 62 on flange 53. The cap 62 also has relatively long inwardly extending lugs 68 thereon for engagement with the outer side edges of the top brass bearing 52 thereby retaining cap 62 on the flange 53 of the journal 50 and preventing rotation of the cap 62. Thus, any lubricating oil climbing onto the flange 53 and normally being discharged therefrom in a centrifugal manner will be collected by the cap 62 and retained between the flange S3 and flange 64.

The container 10 may be constructed of any suitable material such as plastics, hard, semi-flexible oil resistant rubber or the like which may be semi-rigid in nature and impervious to attack by oil.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a railway vehicle axle journal and a journal box therefor, a removable and insertable oil container comprising a substantially semi-cylindrcal semi-rigid open topped receptacle having smooth side, end and bottom surfaces conforming to the surface of the interior of the journal box with the open top thereof receiving the lower peripheral portion of the journal, the inner end wall of said receptacle being substantially vertical and disposed against the inner wall of the journal box, the upper edge of the inner end wall of the receptacle having a notch therein engaging the lower periphery of the journal thereby enabling the journal to be disposed with the lower periphery below the upper edge of the receptacle, said bottom surface being disposed in surface to surface contact with the interior bottom surface of the journal box, the outer end of the receptacle being upwardly inclined and terminating in a horizontal flange, the free end of said flange being reversely curved and formed into a cylinder forming a handle for engagement with the outer inclined wall of the journal box and for facilitating removal and placement of the receptacle, said receptacle being provided with an enlarged pillow of fabric-like waste material of an absorbent nature resting in the container and engaging the lower surface of the axle journal thereby transmitting lubricating oil from the receptacle to the axle journal.

2. The combination of claim 1 together with a stationary end cap on the free end of the axle journal, said free end of the axle journal having a peripheral flange,

said end cap including a ring, said ring having a peripheral flange disposed in overlying relation to the periphery of the end flange on the axle journal, said ring flange having inwardly extending bendable lugs circumferentially spaced about both the inner and outer edges of said ring flange for positioning in overlying relation to the inner and outer surface of the peripheral flange on the axle journal, said ring flange further including inwardly extending lugs engaged with a stationary abutment in the journal box thereby preventing rotation of said cap.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the flange on the receptacle extends only along the central portion of the other end wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,510,377 Blose Sept. 30, 1924 2,534,045 Massy Dec. 12, 1950 2,846,279 Day et al. Aug. 5, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 418,717 France Dec. 17, 1910