US3096987A

US3096987A - Railway axle box oil and dust seal

Info

Publication number: US3096987A
Application number: US182157A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr James J Hennessy
Original assignee: Hennessy Lubricator Co Inc
Current assignee: Hennessy Lubricator Co Inc
Priority date: 1962-03-19
Filing date: 1962-03-19
Publication date: 1963-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1980-07-09

Description

July 9-, 1963 Filed March 19, 1962 J. J. HENNESSY, JR 3,096,987

RAILWAY AXLE BOX OIL AND DUST SEAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 9, 1963 J. J- HENNESSY, JR

RAILWAY AXLE BOX OIL AND DUST SEAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1962 y 9, 1963 J. J. HENNESSY, JR 3,096,987

RAILWAY AXLE BOX OIL AND DUST SEAL Filed March 19, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 74 74 FIGIO. FIGH. R

United States Patent 3,096,987 RAILWAY AXLE BQX OIL AND DUST SEAL James J. Hennessy, J12, Chambersburg, Pa., assignor to Hennessy Lnbricator Co., Inc, Chambershurg, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 182,157 17 Claims. (Cl. 277-175) The invention relates to dust and oil guards for railway axle journal boxes of the Association of America Railroads (A.A.R.) type which are commonly provided with an upright pocket at one end for receiving a. guard. This application is a continuation in part of earlier applications filed June 26, 1959, Serial No. 823,189, and filed February 1, 1961, Serial No. 87,052, and both now abandoned.

The objects of the invention are to simplify the guard to reduce its cost and to facilitate its insertion into and removal from the pocket; to construct the guard so that it may be applied and removed as a single unit without requiring the railroad workman to select and assemble a plurality of units, at the time the guard is installed, which possibly could be assembled in an improper and ineffective relation; to construct the guard to accommodate abnormal shifting of the axle in the box lengthwise of the axle; to arrange the guard for inclination about the axis of the pocket so that it may flex to accommodate angling of the axle in the box and thereby avoid bending or breaking of guard parts; and to afiford an adequate seal between the axle and the box and at the same time accommodate maximum axial movement of the axle in the box without impairing the seal.

The guard is particularly adapted to meet extreme conditions in which the axle and guard shift so that the dry seat portion of the axle comes completely out of the dust guard cavity and may be inclined transversely of its normal axis due to humping or brake application and then moves back into the cavity. Such return action tends to tear the center of the usual seal due to the abrupt engagement of a portion of the guard inner periphery by the shoulder between the axle dry seal and the journal. The present invention will avoid or minimize the effects of the movements described where a plastic ring is used to form a seal.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through an A.A.R. journal box showing the wheel mount portion of the axle, the dry seat portion of the axle and the journal and also showing the bearing and wedge supporting the box on the journal.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the guard looking toward the right in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the guard looking in the opposite direction.

PEG. 4 is a detail section on line 44 of FIG. 2 and is drawn to an enlarged scale.

MG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of the different relative positions of the guard and axle during the shifting of the axle in the box.

FIG. 6 corresponds to FIG. 2 but shows another form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section on line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 corresponds to FIG. 5 but shows the structure of FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 9 corresponds to FIG. 6 but illustrates another form of the invention.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are vertical transverse sectional views on lines 1010 and 11-41 respectively of FIG. 9.

The box has the usual bottom Wall 1 merging with an upturned front wall 2, an inner rear wall 3 and an outer rear Wall 4, said rear walls being spaced apart, side walls 3,096,987 Patented July 9, 1963 of the box extending between

walls

3 and 4, said walls defining the guard pocket between them. The axle includes a portion 5 for mounting the wheel W, a dry seat portion 6 of smaller diameter, a journal portion 7 of smaller diameter than the dry seat portion and having a fillet 8 between them, and a collar 9. The bearing 10 is fitted to the journal and supports a wedge 11 which mounts the box top wall 12. All these parts are familiar and of generally standardized dimensions and structures.

The guard is inserted into the pocket between

box walls

3 and 4 and comprises a main body plate 15 of stiff metal or plastic material and having a periphery corresponding to the peripheral contour of the box pocket. Preferably the entire periphery of the plate is flanged at 16 toward the front of the box. A compressible packing or sealing strip 17 is stapled at 18 or otherwise secured to flange 16 and extends continuously around the plate periphery and has sealing contact with the pocket side walls. The plate has a central opening 19 of substantially greater diameter than the dry seat portion 6 of the axle to accommodate free movement of the axle across the openmg.

An annulus 20, preferably of plastic material, has a flat face 21 in contact with the forward face of body plate 15. The inner periphery of the annulus is thickened, and shouldered at 22, as best shown in FIG. 5, so as to project in one direction through the opening 19 in plate 15 and is rounded convexly at 23 and faces in the same direction as the rear face of plate 15 to serve as a guide when the annulus moves to the right from its extreme left hand position indicated in FIG. 5 and avoids tearing the annulus. Widely spaced relatively thin tabs 24 project in the opposite direction and are normally inclined toward the axis of the opening and, when distorted, form spaced wipers for engaging the surface of the axle dry seat portion 6 to interrupt the passage of oil adhering to the surf-ace. As the thickness of the oil layer is built up by the wipers, the oil flows back over fillet 8 to the journal instead of flowing past the annulus and out of the box.

The annulus is held in sliding contact with the body plate independently of

pocket walls

3 and 4 by spring and bearing means comprising three spaced apart bearing

plates

25, 26, 27 provided with

individual springs

28, 29, 30, respectively. Each spring is anchored to body plate 15 by a pin 32 headed at each end and extending through substantially larger openings 33 in the annulus. The pins limit the movements of the annulus and plates relative to each other transversely of the axis of the central opening =19. Each spring provides two spaced apart contacts with the respective bearing plate, and each spring is free to yield with its bearing plate independently of the other springs and bearing plates. Accordingly, as the journal reciprocates in the box and the axle is inclined transversely of its axis, the plane of the annulus may be inclined relative to the box end wall 3. The friction between the annulus and body plate 15 is substantially uniform irrespective of variations in spacing of the

pocket end walls

3, 4, nor is the annulus in frictional contact with either of the pocket end walls. in other words, the shifting of the annulus is not affected by packing between the body plate and pocket walls.

The construction facilitates relative movement of the annulus and the axle to the different positions indicated in FIG. 5. The solid line position may be considered the normal posit-ion, but as the axle plays crosswise of the box, particularly after substantial wear has taken place on the ends of the bearing and the: opposed faces of the fillet 8 and collar 9, the relative positions may be as indicated in the dot-and-dash showings in FIG. 5. Springs 28, 29, 3t) and

bearing plates

25, 26, 27 yield,

if necessary, to accommodate temporary angling of the annulus as may be induced by sudden shifts of the journal relative to the annulus. If the annulus moves to the left hand position, shown in FIG. 5, and simultaneously the annulus shifts transversely of the journal axis, the flexible annulus may yield, as it moves back to normal full-line position, along an axial line, that differs from that assumed in its earlier movement, instead of being unduly distorted by such return movement as is prevalent in earlier guards. In this way undesirable bending or scoring or breaking of the annulus is avoided.

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 illustrate another form of the guard in which the main body plate 35, flanged at 36, and the cornpressible packing 37 are the same as described above. The plastic annulus 40 corresponds generally to annulus 33 but in addition to the thickened, shouldered, arcuate inner periphery 4 1 (FIG. 8) it is provided with a thin annular rib or flange 42 extending from the side of the gaurd facing toward the journal. While rib 42 possesses some flexibility, it is sufficiently rigid to be form-sustaining and to function as a baffle or dam to resist surging of the oil over the inner periphery of the annulus, during play of the journal in the box, and to better prevent loss of oil if the guard is on the axle of an open top car which is unloaded in a rotary dumper. This is particularly effective if the dry seat portion 44- of the axle is undersize.

Spaced tabs 46 correspond to tabs 24 and are distorted fromthe dotted line position (FIG. 8) to the full-line position as the seal is applied and wipe oil from the surface of the axle. Tabs 46 are radially outward from rib 42 and protect it from injury by the inclination or other shifting of the journal transversely of the axis of the assembly. Rib 42 is spaced a short distance radially from the inner periphery of the annulus and this permits oil which may gather around the line of contact between the annulus and axle, from wiping or otherwise, to drain back into the box sump instead of accumulating and working out past the guard toward the wheel side of the device.

The annulus is held to body plate 35 by a continuous backing plate 48 having a continuous peripheral flange 49 and thrust toward the body plate by flat springs 51 distorted by headed pins 53. These parts function as do the spaced

bearing plates

25, 26, 27 previously described and assure continuous contact between the annulus and body plate around the axle. Flange 49 on plate 48 rigidifies the plate so that substantially uniform pressure is applied to the annulus throughout its circumference.

FIGS. 9, 10, ll illustrate another form of the guard in which the main body plate 55 flanged at 56, the compressible packing 57, the continuous backing plate 58, its peripheral flange 59, and springs 61 pressing the two main plates together are substantially the same as shown in FIGS; 6, 7, 8.

The intermediate annulus 60 corresponds generally to that. shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8 but it is split radially at 6 between its inner and outer peripheries and a short section-of the annulus is removed along the split whereby the annulus may be contracted to contact its inner periphery with the dry seat of an axle which may have been turned down or otherwise is of less diameter than the normal or full size dry seat. Conversely, if the dry seat is of abnormally large diameter, the annulus may be spread at the split portion to fit over the seat. Radial slots 67 extend inward-1y from the outer periphery of the annulus. A flat spring 69 has terminals 74 seated in slots 67 and between its terminals is bowed to present a convex. intermediate section toward the edge of the annulus. When the spring is applied to the annulus it is distorted by spreadingits terminals so that its tendency is to thrustthe split ends of the annulus toward each other to maintain contact between the inner periphery of the annulus and the dry seat. The width of the spring strip corresponds to the thickness of the annulus or is slightly less so that the spring is received between inner and

outer plates

58, 55 respectively.

The inner periphery 72 of the annulus opposed to the dry seat is continuous except for the split 67. Immediately outwardly (radially) of the inner periphery 72 are a series of stiff spaced lugs 74- protecting the edge of periphery 72 and acting as wipers to scrape surplus oil tending to collect on the dry seat and interrupt its movement outwardly of the box. A substantially continuous flange 76 projects laterally from the annulus and contributes to trapping oil if the car is tilted bodily in a mechanical dumper to discharge its load. This tab and flange correspond generally to the parts shown at 46 and 42 in FIG. 8.

The main body plate 55 and spring 61 are assembled by bolts 75 with nuts 77 which facilitates removal of plate 59 and replacement of the annulus.

It will be understood that coil springs may be used instead of the leaf springs shown and that variations in the cross section of the annulus and other details may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming with: in the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway journal box dust and oil guard compris ing a body plate having a flat forward face and having an outer periphery corresponding generally to the contour of a journal box pocket into which it is to be inserted, but of less width, and having a central opening of sub sta-ntially greater diameter than the dry seat of the axle to which it is to be applied, an annulus having a flat face opposing said plate forward face and having an opening smaller than said plate opening and corresponding to the diameter of a dry seat to which it is to be applied, and a spring means including a part having a fixed anchor to said body plate and a part spaced from the fixed anchor and bearing against said annulus and thereby thrusting said annulus against said body plate but accommodating relative sliding movement of said annulus and body plate over each other and accommodating limited movement of said annulus away from said body plate.

2. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 1 in which a peripheral edging is secured to the body plate and is formed of material compressible in a direction parallel tothe plane of the plate to form a seal between the plate and the pocket sidewalls opposing the edges of the plate.

3. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 1 in which the spring means comprises individual units spaced substantially from each other angularly about the annulus and operable independently of each other to accommodate different movements of restricted portions of the annulus away from the body plate.

4. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 1 in which the periphery of the body plate comprises a peripheral flange extending laterally of the plate and the anchor for the spring means holds the spring means within the space between the body plate and a parallel plane through the edge of said flange.

5. A railway journal box dust and oil guard comprising a body plate with a flat face and with an outer periphery corresponding generally to the peripheral contour of a journal box pocket into which it is to be inserted, there being a central opening in said plate for the passage of an axle dry seat portion, a plurality of bearing plates paralleling said body plate and spaced about the axis of said opening, individual elongated flat springs each having its ends seated on a respective bearing plate, there being an anchor pin extending through each spring and bearing plate and through the body plate and headed at each end, whereby the bearing plates are independently thrust toward and are positively limited in their movement away from the body plate, and a sealing member in the form of a flat continuous annulus of plastic material between the body plate and all the bearing plates and confined by the pins and providing an opening for the dry seat of an axle passing through the guard, said annulus being slidable over said plates transversely of said axis to the extent limited by the pins and normally held in contact with the body plate by said springs but being movable away from the body plate throughout restricted areas by the yielding of individual springs to accommodate inclination of the axle and the box in which the guard is seated.

6. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim in which the marginal portion of the body plate is flanged perpendicularly and a strip of compressible packing material is secured to said flanged periphery and projects therefrom in the general plane of the plate to engage the opposing wall of a dust guard pocket in which the guard is inserted.

7. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 6 in which the annulus is shouldered to project from its flat body-plate-engaging face through the opening in the body to the opposite side of the body plate and the inner periphery of the annulus is convex toward the edge of the projection.

8. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 1 in which the spring means holding the annulus to the body plate comprises separate spring units spaced apart angularly of the axis of the central opening in the plate and accommodates tilting of the annulus as a unit relative to the plane of the body plate.

9. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 1 in which the inner periphery of the annulus projects transversely and rearwardly of the body plate and has a convex contour facing inwardly and rearwardly of the central opening in the body plate.

10. A railway journal box dust and oil guard accord ing to claim 1 in which the spring means includes a backing plate with a circular opening and having a substantially continuous contact with a face of the annulus and providing substantially uniform pressure of the annulus against the body plate.

11. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 10 in which the backing plate is rigidified by a substantially continuous flange about its periphery and the spring means are flat springs positioned inwardly of the flange and bear against the plate, and pins extend (through the body plate and the springs and are headed exteriorly of the body plate and springs and hold the body springs distorted.

12. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 1 in which the annulus is provided with an annular rib adjacent to but spaced radially outwardly from the inner periphery of the annulus and extending away from the body plate and forming a baffle for oil tending to flow toward said inner periphery.

13. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 12 in which the annular rib is thin and flexible, and relatively stiti spaced lugs on the annulus project therefrom bet-ween the rib and the inner periphery of the annulus and protect the rib from contact with an axle to which the guard is applied.

14. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 12 in which the annular rib is thin and flexible and the annulus is provided with relatively stiff means projecting between the rib and the inner periphery of the annulus to protect the rib from contact from the journal to which the guard is applied.

15. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 1 in which the annulus is split radially from its central opening and its central opening is expandable and contractible to contact its entire periphery against axle dry seats of different diameters, there being yielding means contracting the periphery of the annulus opening about its axis.

16. A railway journal box dust and oil. guard according to claim 1 in which the annulus is split radially from its central opening and its central opening is expandable and contractible to contact its entire periphery against axle dry seats of different diameters, there being another spring spanning the split portion of the annulus with its ends embedded in the annulus at opposite sides of the split and yieldingly contracting the annulus about its central opening.

17. A railway journal box dust and oil guard according to claim 1 in which the annulus is split radially from its central opening and its central opening is expandable and contractible to contact its entire periphery against axle dry seats of different diameters, the annulus being slotted inwardly from its outer periphery at each side of the split, and 'a flat strip of spring material disposed along the periphery of the annulus across the split and having inturned terminal portions fitting in said radial slots, the face of the strip opposite the split being bowed lengthwise between said terminal portions. with a convex section bearing against the edge of the annulus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,672,345 Schneider June 5, 1928 2,114,662 Barrows Apr. 19, 1938 2,532,449 Hennessy Dec. 5, 1950 2,840,346 Hennessy June 24, 1958

Claims

1. A RAILWAY JOURNAL BOX DUST AND OIL GUARD COMPRISING A BODY PLATE HAVING A FLAT FORWARD FACE AND HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERY CORRESPONDING GENERALLY TO THE CONTOUR OF A JOURNAL BOX POCKET INTO WHICH IT IS TO BE INSERTED, BUT OF LESS WIDTH, AND HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING OF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER DIAMETER THAN THE DRY SEAT OF THE AXLE TO WHICH IT IS TO BE APPLIED, AN ANNULUS HAVING A FLAT FACE OPPOSING SAID PLATE FORWARD FACE AND HAVING AN OPENING SMALLER THAN SAID PLATE OPENING AND CORRESPONDING TO THE DIAMETER OF A DRY SEAT TO WHICH IT IS TO BE APPLIED, AND A SPRING MEANS INCLUDING A PART HAVING A FIXED ANCHOR TO SAID BODY PLATE AND A PART SPACED FROM THE FIXED ANCHOR AND BEARING AGAINST SAID ANNULUS AND THEREBY THRUSTING SAID ANNULUS AGAINST SAID BODY PLATE BUT ACCOMMODATING RELATIVE SLIDING MOVEMENT OF SAID ANNULUS AND BODY PLATE OVER EACH OTHER AND ACCOMMODATING LIMITED MOVEMENT OF SAID ANNULUS AWAY FROM SAID BODY PLATE.