US1739119A - Method of reclaiming car axles - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 10, 1929. J. R. BLAKESLEE' 1,739,119

METHOD OF RECLAIMING CAR AXLE-5 Filed Dec. 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l BIZ] I I V V I I :4 i I I I I J) v i l l I I N V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY5 D l929.- J. R. BLAKESLE'E METHOD OF RECLAIMING CAR AXLES Filed D80. 10, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS Patented Dec. 10, 1929 [UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN R. BLAKESLEE, OF W'ILLOUGHBY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO'THE AJAX MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF EUCLID, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO METHOD OF RECLAIMING CAR AXLES Application filed December 10, 1926. Serial No. 153,895.

This invention relates more particularly to the reclaiming of railway rolling-stock axles which have worn down at the journals to an extent precluding their further use; and it is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved procedure and equipment which makes possible the reconditioning of such axles to again go into service. Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the features hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a worn axle; Figs. 2, 3 and l are similar views of such axle as undergoing treatment in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 5 is a side view of a die, punch and heading tool embodying features of the present invention; and Fig. 6 is an end view of the assembled die.

A worn axle as retired from service is shown in Fig. 1, the worn journal dimensions being indicated by the full lines as compared with the original journal dimensions which are indicated by the dotted outline. In accordance with the present invention, such an axle is heated to forging temperature at least to a point well back of the wheel seat S and is placed in the die groove 1 of a stationary die 2 and the mating die 3 is closed thereupon such that the end collar 4 of the axle is engaged in the annular recess 5 of the assembled dies. The punch 6 is now forced in against the end ofthe axle and with its further movement shears the end collar 4 cleanly oif, leaving the axle as shown in Fig. 2. The dies and punch may be actuated by any suitable mechanism, the general features of which are well known in the art, and need no detailed illustration.

The axle is next transferred to the diegroove 7, and the dies are brought together and then released, and the axle is turned to about 90 and the dies are again brought together. This lengthens the axle, as indicated in Fig. 3, sufiiciently to allow a liberal finish at the worn inside journal fillet lt and if the swaging be on the seat portion, as is preferable, it also establishes a predetermined diameter at the wheel seat for gripping the axle in the next operation. The axle is now placed in the die groove 8, and the dies are brought together and a heading tool 9 is brought into action against the end of the axle such as to upset the metal into the annular space 10 and thereby form a new end collar. At the same time, a point 11 on the heading tool forms a center seat for use in subsequent latheoperation. Any excess metal may flow off into the overflow channel 12. The axle as now withdrawn from the dies is of the general character indicated in Fig. 4, and by machining down, as shown by the dotted outline in Fig. 4 to an axle of the next smaller size, a product is had ready to be annealed and receive the wheels and be put into commission. The annealing not only eliminates stresses incurred from the forking treatment, but also any fatigue stresses resulting from the prior. service of the axle, so that as returned to ser vice it is in as good condition metallurgically as when originally put in service. By reason of the further working of the metal at the points to be mounted, the journal surfaces are as good and even better than in the case of new stock, and where the lengthening compensatory for the loss of the stock at the ends is taken at the expense of the wheel seat, it becomes merely necessary to apply wheels having correspondingly smaller openings. In some cases the lengthening of the axle as necessary to compensate for any stock lost, may be provided by swaging centrally. As a rule though, it is preferable to swage at the wheel seats.

In some cases, it will be preferred to heat only one end of the axle at a time for the forging operation and then heat and forge the other end, but it is also entirely feasible to heat both ends at once and forge at one handling.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change be ing made as regards the details disclosed, provided the steps or means stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such be used.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. A method of reclaiming axles, which comprises punching off the end collars, and sWage-lengthening the axles, upsetting new end collars, and finishing to dimension.

2. A method of reclaiming axles, which comprises punching OK the end collars, swaging the Wheel seats, upsetting new collars on the ends, and finishing to dimension.

Signed by me this 6th day of December,

JOHN ,R. BLAKESLEE.

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