US514379A

US514379A - patten

Info

Publication number: US514379A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 1911-02-06

Description

(N0 Model.)

WITNESSES:

' 2 Sheets-Sheet L J. S. PATTEN.

AXLE BOX LUBRIGATOR.

Patented Feb. 6, 1894'.

A TTORNE Y8.

mo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. S. PATTEN. AXLE BOX LUBRIGATOR. No. 514,379. Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

v INVENTOR 0522768 8.2621261;

I BY

ATTORNEYS.

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S. m, E w W UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JAMES S. PATTEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE PATTEN SELF-OILING AXLE AND JOURNAL COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY.

AXLE-BOX LUBRICATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,379, dated February 6, 1894.

Application filed February 24. 1393- Serial No. 463,586- (No model.)

. To (1% whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES S. PATTEN, residing at Baltimore city,in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Axle-Box Lubricator, of which the following IS a specification.

My present invention is an improvement in that class of car-axle lubricators which comprlse a box adapted to be inserted and held in a car-axle box proper, and for containing a liquid lubricant and means for taking up such lubricant and transferring it to the journal, also means for re-conveying into the box any surplus portion of the same which may accumulate on the journal. This form of advantages, that it is coming more and more into favor with, and being practically adopted by, railroad companies. An example of this kind of lubricator appears in my Patent No. $79,077. I have devised several important improvements upon the same, and embodied them in practical form in a working-size lubricator, and subjected it to practical experimental test, also to every-day use on railroad cars in ordinary service, with the most satisfactory results.

I will now describe my improvements by reference to accompanying drawings-two sheets in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of an ordinary car-axle box and my improved lubricator contained therein. Fig. 2 is a side view of the lubricator proper, together with the brass bearing and axle-journal. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line 4- of Fig.1. Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 55 of Fig.7. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the lubricator detached. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the lubricant-holding box.

The axle-box, A, (see Fig. 1,) having the lid a, and axle-journal, B, are of a common and well-known pattern, and with these I also employ the brass journal-bearing, O, and steel wedge, D, which are arranged one upon the other, and held in place, between the journal and top of the box, A, in the usual way.

My invention pertains solely to improvements in the following parts, namely: (first) the lubricant-holding box, and a cap-piece I adapted to fit over the end of the axle-journal, and to be supported on the ordinary brass, as hereinafter specified; (second) the means for taking up the oil or other lubricant, and transferring it to the axle journal; and (third) the device for removing the surplus lubricant from the journal and aiding its return into said box.

I will describe the improvements in the order above named.

The lubricant-holder, or box lsee Fig. 1- is supported adjustably by a curved, plate spring, 2. It is distinguished exteriorly by but one peculiarity of form, namely; its ends are beveled, at 3, on the under side, for the purpose ofvadapting the box to be conveniently inserted in and removed from the axlebox, A. That is to say, I adapt the box for use in the ordinary, or common, form of axlebox, and hence it must be of such size and shape as will enable it to be conveniently in sorted-and removed through the door. or opening provided in the ends of such boxes, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. l. The lubricant-holding box 1, is also made of considerabl y less width than the axle-box proper, A, so that it may shift laterally as required to enable it to follow the journal when it assumes different angles to the ax1e-box,as So often occurs. The box, 1, is divided into two compartments by a centrahtransverse partition 4 (see especially Figs. and 7), which has a narrow V-shaped, vertical slit 5. The function of this partition is to prevent the'oil, or other liquid lubricant, from flowing too quickly toward either end of the box, 1, when a car lurches, or when passing around curves in the road. In brief, the partition serves as a bathe-plate, which prevents free movement of the lubricant, so that it cannot overflow at either end of the box, 1; yet the narrow slit,

or slot, 5, permits the oil to feed slowly from one compartment into the other, so that a common level is practically maintained in 5 both compartments. The slot, 5, is practically superior to any other form of opening, since it is not liable to obstruction and may be readily cleaned it required. That is to say,

it is open at the top, and also V-shaped, so 10: that the permanent lodgment therein of any foreign substance that may be contained in the lubricant or may accidentally find its way 1nto the box, will rarely or never occur. Another feature of the box, 1, is a second partition, 6, (see Figs. 5 and 7) which is parallel to the other, 4, but located near the rear, or inner, end of the said box. Like the other partition, it is cast integrally with the floor of the box, 1, but, unlike it, is separated from the side walls of the box. The upper edge of this partition, 6, is semicircular, corresponding to the form and size of the axle-journal, B, and provided with a series of slots, or sockets, 7, for holding pieces, or blocks, 8, of leather, felt, or other suitable elastic material, which work in contact with the journal, B, and serve as so many scrapers for removing such portion of thelubricant as may creep, or flow, inward along the journal. Thelubricant thus removed by the elastic scrapers, 8, is redelivered into the box, 1, and any portion of the same that enters the space between the partition, 6, and the contiguous end wall of the box, 1, will readily flow around the ends of the partition and thus mingle with the main body of the lubricant. The sockets for holding the scrapers are arranged in a line parallel to an are which conforms to the circumference of the axle-journal, B.

I prefer the partition 6 should be unattached to the sides of the box 1, but it may instead be attached to one of them and not the other; or it may be attached to both, or made a separate piece, but provided with openings to allow passage of the lubricant.

Besides performing the above described function, the partition, 6, acts as a supple mental baffle-plate, aiding in preventing the oil flowing out over the rear end of the box 1, when the car lurches, 850. Its importancein this respect is very great, as has been demonstrated by actual use. That is to say, while one half pint of lubricant washed out of a box having no such partition, in a run of but thirty-two miles, the same quantity served for a run of six thousand miles in a box provided with the said partition.

The box is provided with lateral, inwardly projecting ribs, or flanges, 9-9 Figs. 4 and 7- one of which extends along each side of the box, from its outer end to the central partition 4. The function of the flanges is to prevent the lubricant from flowing up over the sides of the box 1, and from being thrown over them by the take-up and transfer rollers 10. In other words they serve as lateral fenders which aid in keeping the oil or other liquid lubricant within the required limits.

The two double rollers 10, 10 (Figs. 1 and 4), are journaled side by side in a bearing, 11, which consists of a metal block havingits under side conical or rounded, so that it may rock, or oscillate, freely, on its axis in every direction, and thus allow the rollers to work constantly in uniform contact with the journal, A, however the latter may be shifted in relation to the box, 1. The two rollers or sets of rollers are journaled on opposite sides of the median line of the axle-journal, so that the latter is, so to speak, bedded between them. The result is that the rollers readily follow the movement of the journal, or conform to its change of position relative to the box, at all times, as for example, when the car is braked, which could not occur if but one roller were employed or if two rollers were arranged in alignment. Hence, the action of the rollers in transferring lubricant to the journal is uniform under all conditions. In order to hold the bearing, 11, in place at or near the center of the outer compartment of the box 1, I provide the bottom of the latter with a comcal pin, 12, and the bearing block, 11, witha corresponding socket, so that the block is virtually pivoted in place, yet free to oscillate as stated. In practice, the bearing block, 11, will preferably be a casting of malleable iron, and the rollers of steel.

The last feature to be described is the de vice, -13,-shown detached in Fig. 6whose construction and functions are as follows. It consists mainly of a cap, or hollow, polygonal head, 14, and parallel longitudinal arms, or wings, 15. The said cap, or head, is adapted to receive, and fit loosely upon, the end of the brass C, (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3) and also receives and covers a portion of the end of the axle-journal, B. Such cap fits loosely in the box, 1, and its narrow arms, 15, extend along the sides of the same, and fill the spaces, that would otherwise be open, on both sides of the journal, l3, and below the brass C. By this construction and arrangement, it will be seen, that thedevice, 13, serves as a dust-excluder for the box, ],while its arms,15, also prevent the lubricant from being thrown laterally over the edges of said box in consequence of centrifugal action due to rapid rotation of the axle-journal 13. Such portion of the lubricant as may in this manner come in contact with the arms, 15, or by reason of their proximity to or loose contact with the brass, O, is reconveyed into the box, 1. For this purpose, the upper sides of the arms are beveled, or inclined inward, on the upper side (see Fig. 4), and their lower edges are provided with notches, 16-Figs. 4, and 6. Such bevel facilitates downward flow of the lubricant, and the notches, 16, provide ample space for its passage between the arms, 15, and contiguous sides of the box, 1. The end of the cap 14 is provided with a hole and lip, 17, to provide for introduction of the lubricant.

In order to hold the device, 13, supported horizontally, or practically parallel with the brass, C, I provide it with short fingers, 18-Fig. 6-which engage or rest upon the end of the brass-Fig. 2. They project inward from the cap, 14, one on each side, just above and parallel to the arms, 15, so that the end of the brass, C, fits easily between the latter and the fingers, as shown. This construetion and arrangement constituteno hinderance to placing the device, 13, in position, nor to removal of the same. In order, there- ICC fore, to provide an ordinary car-axle box with my lmproved lubricator, it is only necessary to remove the cotton-waste with which such boxes are usually supplied, and insert the parts comprising my improvement. This is easlly efi'ected, and the operation requires no description here.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A lubricant-holding box adapted for use beneath an axle-journal, the same having the transverse partition, or baffle plate, 4, separating two lubricant chambers and provided with a V-shaped vertical slot which is open at the top, as and for the purpose shown and described.

2. In a lubricator for a journal, a box having a partition, or support, provided with one or more elastic scrapers, adapted to work in contact with the journal, and one or more passages by which the lubricant removed from the ournal may return to the box, substantiall as shown and described.

3. In a caraxle lubricator,alubricant-holdlng box provided with a partition, or support, having one or more scrapers which are elastic and thus adapted to bend laterally, but held fixed in said partition, or support, as shown and described.

t. In a car-axlelubricator, the combination, with the axle journal and a car-axle box proper, of a lnbricant-holdingbox made of less dimensions to permit of lateral movement in the car-axle box, a spring supporting the said lubricant-holding'box elastically, and two rollers supported within the latter and arranged on opposite sides of the medianline of -the journal, as shown and described.

5. A lubricant-holdingbox for use in a caraxle lubricator, the same having a transverse partition with elastic blocks set in its curved upper edge and located near the rear wall of the box, but separated therefrom and also from one side of the box, to provide spaces which serve as passages for the lubricant, as shown and described.

6. In a car-axle lubricator, the combination, with a lubricant-holding box, of lubricanttransfer rollers, a block, or support, wherein said rollers are j ournaled and which is adapted to oscillate both endwise and sidewise, to enable the rollers to accommodate themselves to the position of the axle-journal relative-to the box, as shown and described.

7. In a car-axle lubricator, the combination, with the axle-journal, of a lubricant-holder, and two sets of transfer rollers, and a support for said rollers which has a universal rocking motion, the rollers being arranged opposite each other to work on opposite sides of the lowest point of the journal, as shown and described.

8. In a car-axle lubricator, the combination with a lubricant-holding box, of take-up and transfer rollers and a bearing block for the latter which is round or conical on the under side, and rests at a fixed point on the bottom of said box, but is adapted to oscillate, as shown and described.

-9. In a car-axle lubricator, the combination, with a'lubricant'holding box having a pivotpin projecting from its bottom, of take-up and transfer rollers, a bearing block for the latter which has a round or conical base provided with a socket adapted to receive said pivotpin, whereby the bearing block is supported and adapted to oscillate, as shown and described.

10. The combination with the detachable brass, '(J, of the detachable device, 13, composed of the hollow head, or cap, 14, having the parallel arms, 15, extending from its lower side edges, and arranged beneath the brass, as shown and described.

11. Ina car-axlelubricator,thecombination, with the lubricant-holding box, the axle-journal and brass bearing, 0, of the detachable device, 13, composed of a hollow head, or cap,

fitted over the end of said bearing, and fine gers-which project over and bear upon the bearing, 0, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified. JAMES S. PATTEN.

Witnesses:

THOS. M. DOBBIN, BENJ. .E. P. CRAMPTON.