On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
It is a very common complaint made by those who are in the habit of driving light wagons that the shafts rattle, and cause a most unpleasant noise, when the wagon passes over a paved street or road. To correct this evil, and at the same time to secure a better attachment of the shaft to the vehicle, John A. Boyce, of Monroe, N. Y., has invented the attachment which we now illustrate. Fig. 1 is a view of the end of a shaft attached to the axle shaft-; Fig. 2 is a view of the end of the shaft, and Fig. 3 is a portion of the axle shaft. To each side of the shaft, a, is secured by screws and nuts, a piece of iron, b, on the ends of which, where they project beyond the shaft, is a hemispherical piece, c. To the axle shaft is secured by an iron band, f, which has a screw worked on its ends, and thus can be tightened on the axle shaft by a nut, a piece, e, and this has hemispherical depressions, d, one on each side corresponding with the projections, c. The method in which they are attached is as follows:—The nuts of two of the screws that hold b on the shaft being loosened, the ends, c, can be separated enough to allow them to be passed into the depressions, d, each having first of all been covered with a piece of leather soaked in oil, to act as a washer. The screw, , is then passed through one piece, c, and through e, and then is screwed into the other piece, c, the nuts are again tightened upon b, and the whole is secure as seen in Fig. 1. There is n o rattle, and no. strain i s exerted upon the pin or screw, n, all the pull coming upon c and d, which being separated by a washer do not wear or rattle, and as only serves to keep the hemispheres, e, in close contact with d, should it by any accident becoms broken, the shafts will not be disconnected, but will beheld in contact by the nuts on b. This simple and valuable contrivance was patented April 27, 1858, and any further information can be had by addressing the inventor and patentee, as above.
