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Accidents from broken axles prevented
360
-Practical and Theoretical Mechardcs and Chemistry.
d e g r e e o f r i g i d i t y b e t w e e n the w h e e l s , to prevent tile axle from bending, or breaking, from concussion ; and, secondly~ t h e greatest quantity of elasticity and freedom in the particles of iron within the axle itself, to prevent the injurious effects of vibration, it was contended that the hollow axle was better able to resist these strains than a solid one, because the comparative strengths of axles a r e as tile cubes of their diameters, and their comparative weights only as their squares; consequently, with less weight in the hollow axle, there must bo an increase of strength, and also that the vibration had a free circulation through the whole length of the hollow a x l e , no part being subject to an unequal shock from the vibration, a n d that the axle would thereibre receive less injury from this cause than a solid one. A tong series of experiments, which had been made in the presence of Major General Pasley, and numerous engineers, was then read, and showed results confirmatory of the position assumed by the author of the paper. In the discussion which ensued, it was allowed that, theoretically, the hollow axles must be stronger than the solid o n e s , inasmuch as the same weight of metal was better distributed; and the practical experiments fully bore out the theory. Some curious specimens of solid axles, which had borne a great number of b l o w s before breaking, xvet'e exhibited by the Patent Axle Company, fi'om Wedi~esbnry. The quality of the iron was excellent, and, had the same material been mauufaetured into hollow axles, it was agreed that m a n y of the melancholy accidents upon railways would not have occurred. Lond. 5~ec!,.5{ag. greatest possible
,/]ceidenls fi'om !~roleen ,/lxles Prevenled. ~ We have been favored with au inspection of an ingenious method of preventing a carriage failing in ease the axlelree should become fractured, patents for which have been secured tbr Great Britain and the continent. The plan is simple, but effective. T w o thlse axles, of sufficient strength, are placed one befbre and one behind tlte axle of the carriage, and connected at each end by a box of melal large enough to take in the .~mve of" tlle wheel; a groove is sunk reread the nave about a quarter of" an il~cli in depth, into which a circular rim in the box is made to lit dose, but with sufficient play for the wheel to revolve in it; the box opens in half, similar to a pair of handcuffs, and the axle of the carriage passing through it, the wheel is properly placed, and the box shut and f~tstencd with a serexv, keeping the rim firmly in tim channel cut in the nave. As long as the axle of the carriage remains sount], these false axles and boxes })ear no part of the weight of the carriage ; but on a fracture taking place, the pressure is immediately transferred to the boxes supported by lhe false axles, and t h e wheel still keeps revolving in its place, held by the rim of the box in the groove of the llaVe. Mining aournal. * This is an expensive mode of attaining the same end, that has already been reached in this country, in a much more cheap and simple manner, by the well-tried contrivance known by the name of its ingenious inventor, as "Kite's Safety Beam."--Cox. Prim
-Practical and Theoretical Mechardcs and Chemistry.
d e g r e e o f r i g i d i t y b e t w e e n the w h e e l s , to prevent tile axle from bending, or breaking, from concussion ; and, secondly~ t h e greatest quantity of elasticity and freedom in the particles of iron within the axle itself, to prevent the injurious effects of vibration, it was contended that the hollow axle was better able to resist these strains than a solid one, because the comparative strengths of axles a r e as tile cubes of their diameters, and their comparative weights only as their squares; consequently, with less weight in the hollow axle, there must bo an increase of strength, and also that the vibration had a free circulation through the whole length of the hollow a x l e , no part being subject to an unequal shock from the vibration, a n d that the axle would thereibre receive less injury from this cause than a solid one. A tong series of experiments, which had been made in the presence of Major General Pasley, and numerous engineers, was then read, and showed results confirmatory of the position assumed by the author of the paper. In the discussion which ensued, it was allowed that, theoretically, the hollow axles must be stronger than the solid o n e s , inasmuch as the same weight of metal was better distributed; and the practical experiments fully bore out the theory. Some curious specimens of solid axles, which had borne a great number of b l o w s before breaking, xvet'e exhibited by the Patent Axle Company, fi'om Wedi~esbnry. The quality of the iron was excellent, and, had the same material been mauufaetured into hollow axles, it was agreed that m a n y of the melancholy accidents upon railways would not have occurred. Lond. 5~ec!,.5{ag. greatest possible
,/]ceidenls fi'om !~roleen ,/lxles Prevenled. ~ We have been favored with au inspection of an ingenious method of preventing a carriage failing in ease the axlelree should become fractured, patents for which have been secured tbr Great Britain and the continent. The plan is simple, but effective. T w o thlse axles, of sufficient strength, are placed one befbre and one behind tlte axle of the carriage, and connected at each end by a box of melal large enough to take in the .~mve of" tlle wheel; a groove is sunk reread the nave about a quarter of" an il~cli in depth, into which a circular rim in the box is made to lit dose, but with sufficient play for the wheel to revolve in it; the box opens in half, similar to a pair of handcuffs, and the axle of the carriage passing through it, the wheel is properly placed, and the box shut and f~tstencd with a serexv, keeping the rim firmly in tim channel cut in the nave. As long as the axle of the carriage remains sount], these false axles and boxes })ear no part of the weight of the carriage ; but on a fracture taking place, the pressure is immediately transferred to the boxes supported by lhe false axles, and t h e wheel still keeps revolving in its place, held by the rim of the box in the groove of the llaVe. Mining aournal. * This is an expensive mode of attaining the same end, that has already been reached in this country, in a much more cheap and simple manner, by the well-tried contrivance known by the name of its ingenious inventor, as "Kite's Safety Beam."--Cox. Prim