USRE5898E - Improvement in car-axles - Google Patents

Description

A, HUNTER.

Car-Axles.

`Nm 5,898 Reissued June 2,1874.I

f-JP

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEj ANDREV HUNTER, OF QUINGY, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-AXLES.

Specifiralion forming part ol' Letters Patent No. 148,705, dated March i7, 1874; reissue No. 5.898, dated .lune 2, 1874; application filed May 2, i874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW HUNTER, of Quincy,-county of Adams, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Vheels and Axles, of which the follow .ing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which represents a front elevation', partly in section, of the car-wheel axle and wheels constructed in accordance with my invention.

In the Ordinar f construction of car wheels and axles in which the wheels are rigidly connected to and turn with the axle, alarge amount of friction is created in moving around curves, owing to the fact that one of the wheels is compelled to travel a greater distance than the other, and both being rigid upon a common axle, it is of course impossible for one of the wheels to rotate faster than the other; conse quently one or the other of the wheels must slip or slide upon the track, causing it to act as a heavy brake, greatly retarding the progress ofthe car or train, and, in some instances, causing the llange of the wheel to mount the rail, and thus throw the car off the track. Numerous efforts have been made to overcome this difficulty by applying one or both of the wheels to the axle in such manner as to permit their free rotation relatively to each other 5 but, owing to the rapid wear due to the construetions heretofore devised for carrying out this plan, the relation of the parts soon becomes disturbed, producing` a speedy destruction of the axle and wheels, and necessitating a return to the rigidly-connected wheels. Vheels have also been combined with tubular sleeves placed on the axle in such manner as to permit the independent movement ofthe wheels; but these sleeves were made to extend out over the ends of the axle and to rotate in the short stationary journal-boxes, and being necessarily made thin, they soon become worn out in the small portion resting in said boxes, and thereby rendered worthless.

The object of my invention is to overcome the difficulties recited; yand to this end the invention consists in combining the carwheels with a stationary through-axle by means of sleeves projecting on the' inner sides only of the wheels, and abutting against each other at their inner ends, thus formin g a tube or sleeve covering the stationary axle the entire distance between the wheels, while, at the same time, leaving the outer ends of the stationary` axle adapted to receive a stationary collar or rigid support, as hereinafter explained. It further consists in providing the inner ends of the independently-rotating wheel sleeves or tubes with enlarged wearing disks or collars for diminishing the wear and increasing the durability of the independently-rotating sleeves, as hereinafter described. It further consists in the combination, with the outer recessed face or sides of the independently-rotatin g wheels, of stationary collars or supports rigidly connected with or keyed to the outer ends of the stationary axle, as herein after explained. The invention further consists in certain details of construction and arran gement, hereinafter fully set forth.

In theaccompanying drawing, A represents the car-axle 5 B B, the wheels, rigidly connected with the outer ends of sleeves H H in anyusual manner of uniting car 'wheels to the axle. These sleeves H extend inward, and are provided at their inner ends with enlarged wearing-disks G G7 one of which is recessed to receive the other, or a projection formed thereon; and within the recess and between the disks G G is placed a metal washer, I, of different metal from the disks G, either harder or softer, as preferred, forming a wearing-surface and giving greater durability to the parts; The outer face or side of the wheeler wheel-hub is recessed to receive a stationary collar, F, provided with an enlarged wearing-disk at its inner end, which lits snugly within the recess in" the hub of the wheel, and between said disk and the wheel, within the recess formed in the latter, is placed a washer, I', similar to that, I, used between the disks G G, and for a similar purpose. The collar F is keyed to the axle A by means of a pin, at D, which passes through a perforation in the collar and through an elongated slot, G, in the axle near its end, as shown. E is a set-screw secured in the end of the axle, its inner end entering the slot C and forming a bearing-surface, against which the outer face of the pin or key D rests, said screw by its adjustment serving to hold the collar up against the wheel and to compensate for wear between the wheel and collar, while the keys D serve to prevent any rotation of the collars F and axle A relatively to each other. The sleeves may be provided, at any suitable points on their inner faces, with recesses for receiving lubricating-oil supplied thereto from oil-cups vof any suitable or preferred construction ap plied to the sleeves, as shown at J.

From the above description of parts it will be seen that the wheels are adapted to move or turn freely and independently of each other upon the stationary axle A, and that, being provided with sleeves extending the entire distance between the wheels and coveringthe axle, the axle is materially stii'ened and strengthened thereby, rendering it practicable to reduce the size and consequent cost of the axle. The use of the long sleeves, which constitute, in effect, a divided axle, increases the extent of the wearing-surface over that of the ordinary car-axle rotating in stationary boxes, inasmuch as the entire length of the axle between the collars F becomes a iixed or stationary wearin g-surface or journal, removing the wear from the short collars F, which aii'ord ixed points of attachment to, and support for, the truck. The washers I I', in connection with the keys D and set-screws E, afford a ready and convenient meansfor compensating for wear, as the washers, when they become worn, may be readily replaced by new ones, and any slighter wear of the saine may be compensated for by the adjustment of the end screws, which serve to prevent end play of the parts and to hold them in proper workin g relation to each other. The large disks Gr G at the inner ends ofthe sleeves H sustain the wear consequent upon the independent movement of the wheels with their respective sleeves relatively to each other, and being enlarged, as described, the wear is distributed over a greatly-extended surface,

thereby adding largely to the durability of the sleeves. V

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A stationary car-axle, in combination with the independently-rotating wheels B B, provided with sleeves H, projecting on the inner side of said wheels, and extending the entire length ofthe axle between the wheels, in such manner as to abut against each other at their inner ends, substantially as described.

2. The independently-rotatin g sleeves H H, projecting from the inner side of the car-wheels B B, in combination with enlarged wearingdisks G G, formed upon the inner ends of said sleeves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The independently-rotating wheels B B, with their sleeves H, in combination with the stationary through-axle A and collar F, keyed to said axle outside the wheels B, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination ofthe stationary throughaxle A, independently-rotating wheels vB B,

sleeves H, and outer collars F. constructed to operate substantially as and for the purpose set-forth.

5. The stationary axle provided near its ends with elongated slots and the keys 1) for securing` the collars F, in combination with the setscrews E, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The wheels B, recessed upon their outer faces, in combination. with the stationary collars F and the intervening washers l', substantially as described.

Witnesses: ANDRET HUNTER.

ALEX. MAHoN, N. B. SMITH.

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