US2992865A - Combined lubricant reservoir and side stop for railway car truck journal bearings - Google Patents

Description

July 18, 1961 c. L. KLASING, JR 2,992,865 COMBINED LUBRICANT RESERVOIR AND SIDE STOP FOR RAILWAY CAR TRUCK JOURNAL BEARINGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 20, 1959 INVENTOR. CHARLES L.K'.Asmq,Jq

July 18, 1961 c. KLASING, JR 2,992,865 COMBINED LUBRICANT RESERVOIR AND SIDE STOP FOR RAILWAY CAR TRUCK JOURNAL BEARINGS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 20, 1959 IflVINTOR. J 92 90 CHARLES LAsmGl! P WM A'rrY.

Sheets-Sheet 5 C. L. KLASING, JR UBRICANT RESERVOIR AND SIDE STOP WAY CAR TRUCK JOURNAL BEARINGS 3 July 18, 1961 COMBINED L FOR RAIL Filed Nov. 20, 1959 INVENTOR. CHARLES LKLAsmqJR. BY

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The present invention relates to a combined lubricating means and side stop for railway car journal bearings and has particular reference to an improved retainer pan by means of which an absorbent lubricator pad is maintained in intimate contact with the rotating journal within a journal box, and also by means of which lateral side sway of the journal relative to the journal box is effectively prevented.

The lubrication of railway car journal bearings has long presented problems in railway operation. One method of lubrication has entailed the use of oil-soaked waste packed into the journal boxes in such a manner that the waste makes contact with the underneath side of the journal so that the lubricant contained within the journal box is brought into contact with the journal by a capillary or wick action and is carried by the rotation of the journal into contact with the bearing element or brass which normally seats on the upper portion of the journal. Due to the fact that hot-boxes frequently result from the inclusion of strands of packing Waste drawn between the journal and the journal bearing by virtue of the rotation of the journal, or by abrasives and other foreign matter in the packing, car journal lubrication has been improved by the use of pads or similar lubricant-supplying devices which are used instead of Waste, these pads being yieldingly forced into contact with the underneath side of the journal by underslung pad-retainers or sealed reservoirs which partially oncompass the journal and serve to maintain various types of absorbent pads in contact with the journal. Such retainers and reservoirs are invariably suspended from the journal hearing or brass, or they are maintained in an elevated position above the curved bottom of the journal box by resilient supports which rest on the bottom of the journal box. Most of these retainers are specially designed to accommodate special types of absorbent pads. All of them serve the sole function of maintaining a supply of lubricant in intimate contact with the underneath side of the journal.

Retainers of this general character are possessed of numerous limitations principal among which is the difiiculty of inserting the retainer into the journal box and removing the same therefrom, as well as the difliculty of introducing and removing the replaceable pads associated with such retainers into the annulus existing between the journal and pad retainer. Many such devices must be inserted into the journal box through the inner end thereof and this necessitates axle pulling operations. Additionally, many of these pad retainers require the use of special fastening devices such as screws, clips and the like which are diflicult to apply due to their inaccessibility. Still other devices of this nature must be specially contoured to accommodate the shape of a given journal box, of the journal bearing within the box, and of the journal itself.

The present invention, insofar as its lubricating potentialities are concerned, is designed to overcome the abovenoted limitations and others that are attendant upon the use of conventional absorbent pad retaining devices and, toward this end, it contemplates the provision of a relatively simple pan-like retainer which is formed of sheet metal and which is capable of being introduced into the atent journal box from the outer end thereof, i.e. through the usual lid-covered opening provided at such outer end. The invention further contemplates a pan-like structure of this character which is made up of sheet metal possessing a considerable degree of resiliency and which is capable of being contracted manually so that it will readily pass through the journal box opening without interference, after which it may be caused to partially surround the journal and be released so that it will snap into operative position, so to speak, and engage the side walls of the journal box where it will be, at least in part, frictionally held in position and present an open front through which an absorbent pad, a series of such pads, or other lubricant confining means may be readily inserted and withdrawn.

Apart from the matter of journal lubrication, the present invention is concerned with the prevention of journal side sway within the journal box. The effect of journal side sway has long been noted in connection with railway car operation and it has been found that due to the swaying motion of a railway car, which frequently is a cumulative matter in that the amplitude of sway builds up as the car wheels rebound in opposite direction from their confined relationship on the tracks, the journal hearing or brass will ride upwardly on the filleted portion of the axle between the journal and the dust guard hearing surface, thus causing damage to the hearing or to any liner which may be associated with the same. Similarly, at the outer end of the axle, the hearing or liner may ride upwardly on the usual end collar and cause damage to the hearing or liner. To obviate this difliculty, various limit stops have been devised, these limit stops being applied to the side walls of the journal box at an elevation approximately at the horizontal midplane of the rotating journal so that when excessive side sway takes place they will be engaged by the rotating journal and the extent of such side sway limited thereby. While such devices may be satisfactory in operation, the fact that they are anchored to the side walls of the journal box presents numerous problems. Where such devices are bolted to the journal box side walls, they fail to meet recent A.A.R. requirements in that they necessitate the existence of bolt holes in the journal box side walls. Where the fastening means is entirely internal, the use of the tools for their application to the journal box side walls and for their removal therefrom is made diflicult, if not precluded entirely. Thus, after these limit stops have become worn beyond further usefulness, the matter of replacement thereof necessitates at least partial separation of the journal and journal box.

The present invention is also designed toovercome the above-noted limitations that are attendant upon the use of fixed journal stops within a journal box and, toward this end, it is contemplated that the resilient sheet metal pad-retaining pan or holder briefly outlined above be also employed for maintaining a pair of journal stops in position against the journal box side walls. The journal stops are removably but fixedly secured to the distal edges of the generally U-shaped sheet metal retainer so that they will be held by these edges of the retainer elfectively against the journal box side walls in their proper diametrically opposed relationship relative to the rotating journal where they may assimilate excess side sway of the journal. Novel means are provided for removably retaining the stops in position in the side edge regions of the retainer so that they may be removed for purposes of inspection or replacement without disturbing the retainer or pad associated therewith. The retainer and journal stops are so designed. that after the retainer has been operatively introduced into the journal box as previously described, and released, the

side edge regions of the retainer will move outwardly against the side walls of the journal box and afford sumcient clearance for easy insertion of the journal stops into position between the journal and the side walls of the journal box, as well as for removal thereof when desired. Additionally, interlocking means are provided between the retainer and side walls of the journal box, as well as between the journal stops and theside walls of the journal box, for effectively holding the entire assembled unit including the sheet metal retainer and its associated journal stops against longitudinal shifting movement within the journal box. The provision of a combined lubricant reservoir and side stop for railway car truck journal bearings of the character briefly set forth above being among the principal objects of the invention, numerous other ancillary objects and advantages will become more readily apparent as the following description ensues.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification one illustrated embodiment of the invention has been shown.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken substantially centrally, longitudinally and vertically through a railway car journal box, showing the improved combined lubricant reservoir and journal side stop of the present invention operatively installed therein;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a reduced end view of a journal box illustrating the manner in which a sheet metal pad retainer employed in connection with the present invention is inserted through the journal box opening;

'FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the manner in which the retainer pan is introduced into the journal box through the journal box opening, and also illustrating the manner in which the journal side stops are applied to and removed from the retainer pan;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the combined reservoirforming pan and side stop assembly showing the same in its free state;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of one of the journal side stops and its associated attachment fixtures by means of which the side stop may be operatively applied to the pad retainer; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken substantially along the line 88 of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, the combined lubricating device and journal side stop of the present invention is shown as being operatively applied to the axle journal 10 of a conventional wheel axle 11 within the journal box 12 of a railway car truck. The journal box 12 selected for illustration herein is of standard construction and is shown as being integrally cast with end portions 14, 16 of a truck side frame. The journal box 12 is provided with an outer end opening 18 adapted to be closed by the usual hinged journal box lid 20 which is pivotally carried on a pin 22 supported between a pair of lugs 24- formed integral with the journal box casing. Spring means 26 is provided for maintaining the lid 20 in either its fully opened or its fully closed position.

The inner end of the journal box 12 is provided with an opening 30 through which the axle journal 10 projects inwardly of the journal box. The journal box is provided with the usual dust guard slot 32 carrying a dust guard 34 which bears against a dust guard bearing 36 of the axle 11 to exclude dust, dirt or other foreign material from entering the journal box through the opening 30.

A journal bearing member or brass 40' overlies the axle journal 10 and is provided with a liner 42 of babbitt or the like which partially encompasses the axle journal and rests thereon. A wedge member 44 is interposed between the bearing member or brass 40 and the top of the journal box 1'2 and has an end 46 hearing against a lock shoulder 48 formed integrally on the journal box.

In order to minimize axial movement of the journal relative to the bearing 40, the inner edge region of the bearing member is rounded as at 50 and follows the flared inner end of the journal 10 where the latter meets the dust guard bearing 36, while the forward end face 54 of the bearing 40 opposes a rearwardly facing shoulder 56 of the end collar 58 which is provided on the extreme outer end of the journal 10. The spacing of these various parts is such as to permit only a limited degree of axial shifting movement of the bearing member 40 on the journal 10.

Although the combined lubricant reservoir and side stop of the present invention is capable of use with a large variety of journal boxes, i.e. journal boxes having varying shape characteristics, the assembly is particularly well adapted for use in connection with journal boxes which are formed with integral opposed side lugs 60 (FIG. 2) which are cast on the side walls 62 of the journal box, and which are also formed with recessed portions 64 in the form of side wall indentations in the upper regions of the side wall 62.

The details of the journal box structure 12 thus far described are purely conventional and no claim is made herein to any novelty associated with the same, except insofar as these details cooperate with the improved combined lubricant reservoir and side stop of the present invention and the nature of which will be set forth in detail presently.

As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the combined lubricant reservoir and side stop of the present invention is in the form of a composite assembly of parts which has been designated in its entirety at 70 and which includes an arcuate sheet metal retainer or pan 72, and a pair of journal stops 74 the latter being removably secured to the pan 72 by certain fastening elements which have been shown in detail in FIG. 7. As has been explained above, the journals and journal boxes of the prior art have been lubricated by packing the bottom of the journal box with oil soaked waste which contacts the underneath side of the journal so that the rotating journal will wipe a film of lubricant from the waste to maintain lubrication between the bearing brass, its liner and the journal. According to the present invention, the retaining pan 72 is adapted to receive therein a suitable absorbent pad 76 (FIG. 2) which is deformed thereby so as to fit closely around the underneath side of the journal to the end that the journal hearing or brass will at all times be supplied with proper and adequate lubricant which is conducted to the journal and forced into intimate contact with the same by the wick or capillary action ordinarily associated with such absorbent pads.

The reservoir-forming retainer 72 is arcuate in transverse cross section and is approximately semi-cylindrical. This pan 72 is described herein as being formed of flexible, resilient sheet metal although other flexible sheet material is contemplated as for example any one of a number of suitable plastic materials such as neoprene, or the like which possesses the necessary degree of resiliency to permit it to function in the journal box in the intended manner. As best seen in FIG. 2, the arcuate pan 72 is adapted to be seated on the bottom of the journal box 12 and closely follow the contour of the journal'box bottom and the lower regions of the side walls 62.

Still referring to FIG. 6, the inner and outer arcuate edges 76 and 78 of the trough-shape pan 72 are rolled radially outwardly and reversed upon themselves to not only reinforce the edges and lend additional springiness to the structure, but also to protect the fingers of an operator against damage during installation or removal of the assembly in and from the journal box respectively, as

well as to facilitate insertion of the absorbent pad 76 into the open annulus existing between the pan 72 and underneath side of the journal after the assembly is installed. The upper longitudinal edge regions of the general U-shaped pan 72 terminate in longitudinally extending channels or troughs 80 which are afforded by bending the metal of the pan inwardly as at 82 (FIG. 8) upwardly as at 84 and outwardly as at 86, this latter portion providing a flange which terminates in an outwardly facing edge 88. The channel portions '80 are commensurate in cross sectional size and shape to the cross sectional size and shape of the lugs 60 so that when the assembly 70 is installed within the journal box, the lug 60 will extend into the channels 80 as shown in FIG. 2, while the lower regions of the pan will closely follow the curved contour of the lower regions of the journal box. Because of the rolled edges 74, 76, a thickness of metal adjacent the a front and rear edges of the pan serves to maintain the main body portion of the pan slightly spaced from the curved bottom wall of the journal box, thus affording a small or thin annular clearance 90 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 8) between the pan and journal box. The base portion of the U-shaped pan 72 is formed with an elongated hole or slot 92 therethrough (FIG. 6) which, in conjunction with a series of four holes 94, appropriately spaced along the bottom region of the pan, enable the lubricating oil which is supplied to the journal box to pass through the pan and become absorbed by capillary action in the absorbent pad 76. An additional pair of holes 96 are formed in the forward regions of the pan 72 on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the pan and function in the manner of pulling eyelets to receive therein one end of a suitable hook or the like associated with a pan-removal tool. The small clearance 90 between the body portion of the pan 72 and the inside face of the journal box enables the hook portion of the tool to be passed completely through the holes 76 for engagement with the edges of the holes prior to the application of pulling force to the pan.

The absorbent pad 76 may assume various forms and no claim is made herein to any novelty associated with the same. Various other forms of pads may be employed if desired and, in certain instances, it is contemplated that the semi-cylindrical annulus between the pan 7-2 and the underneath side of the journal may receive therein a multiplicity of absorbent pads or it may be simply packed with cotton waste or other suitable filler material. Preferably however a single pad such as the illustrated pad 76 is employed. This pad includes an outer covering or jacket of relatively thick felt sheet stock of rectangular design which is folded upon itself as at 100 to provide an upper pad side or section 102 and a lower pad side or section 104 (FIGS. 1 and 2). The edge regions of the felt material are stitched together as at 106 thus providing an open pocket 108 within the structure adapted to receive therein an inner pillow 110 including a fabric covering 112 and a core 114 of absorbent material which may be sponge rubber, asbestos or other fibrous material. The stitching 106 may extend inwardly along the front edges of the pad to leave a small opening 116 at the front of the pocket and through which opening a canvas or other flexible pulling strap 118 may pass. The strap 118 is suitably afiixed to the pillow and it is provided with a metal eyelet 120 designed for cooperation with a suitable hook or tool for pad removal operations as will be described presently.

The details of the journal box and its associated pan structure 72 thus far described have been set forth specifically in connection with the novel lubricating means of the present invention. The retaining pan 72 also functions properly to maintain the journal stops 74 in their correct diametrically disposed relationship on opposite sides of the journal and against the side walls 62 of the journal box so that these stops will find reaction support on these side walls and assimilate any shock which may be transmitted thereto during side sway of the journal relative to the longitudinal axis of the journal box.

Accordingly, the fastening means which has been illustrated in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7 serves removably to retain the two journal stops 74 in position along the upper side edge regions of the U-shaped pan 72. As clearly shown in FIG. 7, the upper outwardly turned portion 86 of each channel is formed with a pair of spaced elongated rectangular slots 122 and 124 respectively, the slot 122 being designed to receive therein a hook lug 126 and the slot 124 being designed to receive therein a lug 128 formed on the underneath side of each journal stop 74 when the stop is mounted in position over the outwardly turned portion or flange 86 at the extreme upper edge of each side of the pan 72. Each stop 74 is in the form of a metal body, preferably formed of brass, and which is generally of a configuration conforming to the cross sectional configuration of a structural eye beam having enlarged front and rear head portions 130 and 132 respectively, and a relatively thin interconnecting web portion 134. The depending lugs 128 and 126 are formed on the head portions 130 and 132 respectively, both lugs being formed on the underneath side of a downwardly facing shoulder 136 occasioned by the provision of a groove or recess 138 formed in the lower outside edge of the journal stop 74. The inside face of the journal stop 74 is curved as indicated at 140 in conformity to the curvature of the cylindrical journal 10, these curve faces being designed for contact directly with the journal when the journal, duringside sway exceeds a predetermined displacement.

Each stop member 74 has associated therewith a sheet metal shim retainer (FIGS. 6, 7 and 8). Each shim retainer 150 has a fiat side 152 which extends along the outside faces 154 of the enlarged heads 130 and 132. A pair of inturned ears 156 and 158 straddle the front and rear ends 160 and 162 respectively of each stop while an elongated inturned flange 164 underlies the downwardly facing shoulder 136 of the cutaway recess 13 8 so that the shim retainer 150 as a whole closely hugs three side surfaces of the associated journal stop 74. Clearance notches 166 are provided in the flange 164 at the front and rear ends thereof to accommodate the downwardly extending lugs 125 and 128 when the parts are assembled. A rectangular clearance notch 170 accommodates the adjacent side wall indentations 64 on the side wall 62 of the journal box 12 when the assembly 70 is operatively installed and in its final position within the journal box.

Still referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a small sheet metal keeper .180 is provided for the purpose of retaining each journal stop 74 in its properly seated position on the upturned flange portion 86 of the channel 80. This keeper is generally of U-shape configuration and includes a lower arm 182, an upper arm 184, and a connecting vertical bight portion 186. The keeper is adapted to straddle the front end face 160' of the journal stop 74 with the arm 182 underlying the inturned flange 164 of the shim retainer 150, a notch 188 being provided in the arm 182 to clear the depending lug 128 for-med on the underneath shoulder 136. The upper arm 184 overlies the upper face of the head 130 and it is provided with an upturned ear 120 which fits against the forward face of a small rectangular lug 192 which projects upwardly from the upper face of the head 13!]. A cotter pin 194 is adapted to extend through holes 196 and 198 which are drilled in the ear and lug 192 respectively to maintain the keper 180 in position on the head 138. Although no shims have ben illustrated in FIG. 7, it is contemplated that when necessary, one or more shims such as the shims shown at 200 in FIGS. 6 and 8 may be inserted between the inside surface of the large face 152 of the retainer 150 and the outside face 154 of the associated journal stop 74. Each shim is in the form of a flat rectangular section of shim stock of suitable thickness having a rectangular cutaway portion 202 providing a clearance notch in exact register with the clearance notch 170. An upstanding post 210 (FIGS. 2, 6 and 7) is formed on the upper face of the head 128 of each journal stop 74 and, when the entire assembly 70 is in its operative position within the journal box, this post 110 is adapted to fit behind the adjacent recessed portion of the journal box side wall 62 in direct opposition to a rearwardly facing shoulder Z12 existing by virtue of the recessed portion 64 as clearly shown in FIG. 4 to limit the forward movement of the assembly within the journal box.

Installation of the combined lubricant reservoir and journal stop 70 within a journal box such as the box 12 may readily be effected without the use of tools. Prior to application of the two journal stops 74 to the side edges of the sheet metal reservoir pan or retainer 72, the pan is collapsed by applying inward pressure to the sides thereof, thus decreasing the curvature of the unit and bringing the side edges thereof sufficiently close together that the unit may be inserted through the outer journal box opening 18 as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5. By inclining the thus partially collapsed pan 72 at an angle of approximately 54 relative to a horizontal plane, the rear rolled edge 76 of the pan may be slid, so to speak, into position beneath the journal end flange 58. The pan may then be pushed further inwardly of the journal box chamber while at the same time it is gradually straightened out or levelled so that its axis tends to assume a horizontal position with the two channel portions 80 moving into horizontal register with the two opposed side lugs 60 which are integrally formed on the inside face of the journal box side walls 62. After the pan 72, still in its collapsed condition, has been forced rearwardly to such an extent that the vertical post 210 passes the adjacent recessed portion 64 of the journal box 12 (FIG. 4), the pan may be released so that the sides thereof will spring outwardly under the influence of the inherent resiliency of the sheet metal of which the pan is formed. The side lugs 60 will then enter the channels 89 and assume positions within the channels between the slots 122 and 124. The rolled edges 74 and 76 of the pan will bear against the curved bottom wall and the vertical sides 62 of the journal box, while the vertical post 210 will fall behind the shoulder 21?. (FIG. 4) so that the pan assembly is securely held within the journal box chamber against tilting movement in any direction and aganst axial shifting in either direction.

After the pan 72 has thus been released and allowed to spring into its final or home position within the journal box chamber, the two journal stops 74 are applied to the upper side edge regions of the pan. Application of either stop 74 is made by inserting the same endwise into the journal box through the outer opening 8-1? and then causing the depending hooked lug 125 to enter the slot 122 in the upper flange 86 of the channel 80 as clearly shown in FIG. 5. Thereafter, the rear or outer end of the stop 74 is lowered so that the depending lug 128 enters the slot 124 in the flange 86. Finally, the sheet metal keeper 186 is applied and fastened in position by the cotter pin 194 in the manner previously described and the assembly is then complete.

Withdrawal of the combined lubricant reservoir and journal stop 7i; is effected by a reversal of the various installation steps set forth above, the holes 96- in the lower and outer regions of the pan 72 being employed in conjunction with a pulling hook or other suitable tool as previously described.

While the invention has been described in terms of a selected preferred embodiment which it may assume in practice, it is not intended that the same be limited to the specific construction of the embodiment shown nor otherwise than by the terms of the claims here appended.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a rotating journal of a railway car axle, a journal bearing supported on said journal,

and a journal box enclosing said journal and journalbearing, said journal box having a curved bottom wall and upstanding side walls, each side wall being formed with an upwardly extending side lug in the medial region thereof, of a combined lubricant reervoir and journal side stop disposed within said journal box and comprising a flexible resilient sheet metal retainer pan of troughlike configuration having a curved bottom and generally planar sides, said retainer pan fitting within the journal box with its curved bottom and planar sides closely following the contour of the bottom wall and side walls respectively of the box, means extending along the upper edges of said planar sides defining a pair of oppositely facing channels, and a journal stop removably mounted on the upper longitudinal edge region of each of said planar sides and having a curved reaction face designed for contact with the rotating journal when the latter is displaced from its normal position within the journal box, an upstanding post on each of said journal stops and designed for engagement with an inwardly facing shoulder on the adjacent side wall of the journal box for preventing outward shifting movement of the journal stops, and consequently of the retainer pan within the journal box, and a lubricant absorbing pad interposed between said retainer pan and the underneath side of the journal.

2. A combined lubricator and journal side stop for use in a journal box for holding a body of packing material in contact with the journal and for preventing undue axial misalignment between the journal and box, said lubricator and stop comprising an elongated flexible sheet metal retainer pan having an upwardly concave bottom adapted to hold a body of packing material, side walls rising from the sides of the concave bottom of the pan and adapted to engage the sides of the journal box by outward flexing pressure thereagainst, each side wall in the upper region thereof being turned inwardly toward the journal to provide a lower channel wall, then upwardly to provide a channel bottom, and finally outwardly to provide an upper horizontal channel wall, said channel walls and bottoms defining a pair of oppositely facing outwardly opening channels along the upper edges of the side walls respectively and adapted to embrace respective side lugs on the journal box sides, a journal stop removably secured to each of the upper channel sides and having an inside face opposing the journal and an outside face designed for engagement with the adjacent journal box side wall to assimilate lateral journal thrust when the journal becomes axially misaligned in the journal box, each upper horizontal channel wall being formed with a pair of longitudinally extending slots therein, one adjacent each end of the pan, each journal stop having a portion thereof overlying one of the upper horizontal channel walls and being provided with a downwardly projecting hook lug extending through one of the slots in such wall and with a second lug extending through the other slot in such wall, and a lubricant absorbing pad adapted to be interposed between the bottom wall of the pan and the underneath side of the journal.

3. A combined lubricator and journal side stop for use in a journal box for holding a body of packing mate rial in contact with the journal and for preventing undue axial misalignment between the journal and box, said lubricator and stop comprising a flexible sheet metal retainer pan having an upwardly concave bottom adapted to hold a body of packing material, side walls rising from the sides of the concave bottom of the pan and adapted to engage the sides of the journal box by outward flexing pressure thereagainst, each side wall, in the upper region thereof being turned inwardly toward the journal to provide a lower channel wall, then upwardly to provide a channel bottom, and finally outwardly to provide an upper horizontal channel wall, said channel walls defining a pair of oppositely facing outwardly opening channels along the upper edges of the side walls respectively and adapted to embrace respective side lugs on the journal box sides, said upper channel wall being formed with a pair of spaced slots therein, a journal stop removably carried by each side Wall of the retainer pan, each stop comprising a brass body having an inside face adapted to oppose the journal and an outside face designed for engagement with the adjacent journal box side wall to assimilate lateral journal thrust when the journal becomes axially misaligned in the journal box, said upper horizontal channel wall being formed with a pair of spaced slots therethrough, a pair of depending lugs on the journal stop adapted to project into said slots respectively for removably retaining the stop in position on said upper channel wall, a removable keeper having spaced retaining arms straddling the upper channel side Wall and journal stop for locking the journal stop in position on said side Wall, and a lubricant absorbing pad adapted to be interposed between the bottom wall of the pan and the underneath side of the journal.

4. A combined lubricator and journal side stop for use in a journal boxas set forth in claim 3 including, additionally, an upstanding post on said journal stop designed for engagement with an inwardly facing shoulder on the journal box for preventing outward shifting movement of the journal stop, and consequently of the retainer pan, within the journal box.

5. A combined lubricator and journal side stop for use in a journal box for holding a body of packing material in contact with the journal and for preventing undue axial misalignment between the journal and box, said lubricator and stop comprising a flexible sheet metal retainer pan having an upwardly concave bottom adapted to hold a body of packing material, side walls rising from the sides of the concave bottom of the pan and adapted to engage the sides of the journal box by outward flexing pressure thereagainst, each side wall, in the upper region thereof being turned inwardly toward the journal to provide a lower channel wall, then upwardly to provide a channel bottom, and finally outwardly to provide an upper horizontal channel wall, said channel walls defining a pair of opposite facing outwardly opening channels along the upper edges of the side walls respectively and adapted to embrace respective side lugs on the journal box sides, said upper channel wall being formed with a pair of spaced slots therein, a journal stop removably carried by each side wall of the retainer pan, each stop comprising a brass body having an inside face adapted to oppose the journal and an outside face designed for engagement with the adjacent journal box side wall to assimilate lateral journal thrust when the journal becomes axially misaligned in the journal box, said upper horizontal channel wall being formed with a pair of spaced slots therethrough, a hook member depending from said journal stop and adapted to project into one of said slots, at lug depending from the journal stop and adapted to project into the other slot, a removable keeper having spaced retaining arms straddling the upper channel side wall and journal stop for locking the journal stop in position on said side wall, and a lubricant-absorbing pad adapted to be interposed between the bottom wall of the pan and the underneath side of the journal.

6. A combined lubricator and journal side stop for use in a journal box as set forth in claim 5 including, additionally, a shim retainer slidably disposed on the journal stop and overlying the outside face thereof, said shim retainer being adapted to maintain one or more shims in position against said outside face for increasing the effective width of the journal stop.

7. A combined lubricator and journal side stop for use in a journal box for holding a body of packing material in contact with the journal and for preventing undue axial misalignment between the journal and box, said lubricator and stop comprising a flexible sheet metal retainer pan having an upwardly concave bottom adapted to hold a body of packing material, side walls rising from the sides of the concave bottom of the pan and adapted to engage the sides of the journal box by outward flexing pressure thereagainst, each side wall in the upper region thereof being turned inwardly toward the journal to provide a lower channel wall, then upwardly to provide a channel bottom, and finally outwardly to provide an upper horizontal channel wall, said channel walls and bottoms defining a pair of oppositely facing outwardly opening channels along the upper edges of the side walls respectively and adapted to embrace respective side lugs on the journal box sides, a journal stop removably secured to each of the upper channel sides and having an inside face opposing the journal and an outside face designed for engagement with the adjacent journal box side wall to assimilate lateral journal thrust when the journal becomes axially misaligned in the journal box, an upstanding post on each journal stop designed for engagement with an inwardly facing shoulder on the adjacent journal side wall to limit the extent of outward shifting movement of the lubricator within the journal box, and a lubricant-absorbing pad adapted to be interposed between the bottom wall of the pan and the underneath side of the journal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,117 Carnarius Ian. 27, 1942 2,684,878 Foss July 27, 1954 2,819,126 Ortleb Jan. 7, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 684,788 France Mar. 24, 1930

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