IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Illius Augustus Timmis, of. Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES."-A com-
munication from abroad by George Godley, of the City and County
of Philadelphia, in the United States of America.
Scaled the 11th January 1876, and dated the 23rd September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Illius Augustus
Timmis at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd September 1875.
I, ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER
VEHICLES," (a communication to me from abroad by George Godley, of
the City and County of Philadelphia, in the United States of America),
_to be as follows :—
This Invention, which relates to improvements in springs for railway
and other vehicles, consists in certain novel arrangements and construc-
tions of springs and the parts thercof, whereby economy in first cost is

page_text: obtained, and the friction and partial inelasticity due to the construction
of ordinary springs is avoided, as hereafter described.
The first part of the said improvements relates to the construction of
the said springs in a helical or spiral form, and consists in forming the
bar from which the spring is coiled with flat and parallel sides and
edges, the advantage of which over a spring coiled from a round or
cylindrical bar is that when compressed to its greatest limit the flat
parallel surfaces of the bar composing the spring rests and are bedded
upon one another, and thus the integrity of the spring is more easily
preserved than when the surfaces in contact are represented by a mere
line or edge, as is the case when the bar from which the spring is coiled
is round or cylindrical in form.
Another improvement which I apply to the herein-before described
spring consists in forming the bar of which it is composed of unequal
thicknesses in cross section, or a groove or a recess may be hollowed out
in the direction of the length of the bar or a web or webs formed along
the sides thereof, the object of which is to increase the elasticity or
resilience of the spring, and render it yielding even when the outward
or projecting flat surfaces of the bar composing the same touch each
other.
The necessary qualities are obtained in the process of tempering, by
which operation the thinner parts of the bar become hardened quite
through, while the thicker portions are only partially or case hardened,
their central parts remaining ductile or tough, so that a spring thus
formed and treated possesses the requisite elasticity or resiliency by
virtue of its hardened thinner parts, while its strength and enduranco
against sudden shocks is provided for in the tough thicker put. By these
means the qualitics most valuable and requisite in a spring are obtained.
Springs made from bars of the foregoing description may be coiled
either in a cylindrical or conical form. When coiled into a cone shape
the compression of the spring exhausts the resilience of the largest part
first, so that as the pressure increases one coil lies flat upon the next
until the greatest load limit is reached. That a perfect coincidence of
the adjacent surfaces may be obtained, I havo however found it pro-
ferable to form the bar from which the spring is coiled with the two
opposite flat surfaces of the thickest part relatively inclined toward each
other, so that when the bar is coiled into a spring such inclined surfaces

page_text: shall become parallel with each other by reason of the outer part being
⚫ extended and thinned, while the inner part is compressed and thickened.
Springs thus formed may be placed between plates, and held in position
by means of pins or projections formed on the said plates, or they may
be placed in cases and employed as herein-after described with reference
to another part of the said improvements.
It will be observed that the coiled springs having flat bearing surfaces
require no boxes or packing.
Another part of the said Invention relates to the construction of
elliptical springs, which by these improved arrangements have their
spring bars or leaves placed side by side, but without touching each
other, thus doing away with friction and the many evils attendant
thereon. The said spring bars or leaves may be of any desired form in
cross section, round, flat, square, polygonal, or otherwise, or, which I'-
prefer, of the unequal sections mentioned in the former part of this
Specification. Supposing plates of iron, wood, or composite are also
provided having recesses formed therein, into which the ends of the
spring bars or leaves are placed, the arrangement of spring being such
that their own elasticity serves to lock and keep the ends of the spring
bars or leaves in their several recesses.
Any suitable number of the aforesaid spring bars or leaves may be
employed, and when two opposite series of the same are placed in con-
junction with the upper and under supporting plates they constitute a
light and durable elliptic spring.
And it will be understood from the foregoing description that should
any one of the spring bars or leaves break it can be easily removed
and replaced by a fresh member without disturbing any of the other
parts of the spring. By these improvements the ordinary eye bolts or
clamps are dispensed with, the bars or leaves being bent back at their
outer. extremities, and it is preferred that the form of the bight or bend
should be curved, the degree and shape of curve varying for the purpose
to which the spring is applied.
Another feature of my Invention is the employment of auxiliary or
secondary springs, which may either consist of spiral or helical springs
placed between the upper and under supporting plates, or otherwise flat
springs-may be applied thereto and arranged so as to come into contact
with each other only when the load upon the vehicle has reached a
previously determined point,

page_text: When helical springs are used they may be surrounded by india-
rubber tubing arranged so that when the spring is called into action the
and under ends of the tube are closed, and the air thus contained
becomes compressed and assists the helical spring also confined by the
upper
tube.
Instead of forming the spring bars or leaves with a single bight or
bend, as herein-before described, they may be made with two or more
such bights or bends, and auxiliary flat or other shaped springs may be
arranged so as to come into contact with the internal periphery of the
herein-before described curved or bent spring bars or leaves when the 1
load has reached a certain limit; also instead of forming a bight or bend
the bar or leaf may be bent so as to form a complete circular eye, or it
may be crossed or otherwise treated, these methods being merely a few
of the modifications of which this Invention is capable.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Illius Augustus Timmis in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ILLIUS
AUGUSTUS TIMMIS, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five, in the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Illius Augustus
Timmis, Her special license, that I, the said Illius Augustus Timmis,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Illius Augustus Timmis, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for “ IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES," (a communication to me

page_text: from abroad by George Godley, of the City and County of Philadelphia,
in the United States of America,) upon the condition (amongst others)'
that I, the said Illius Augustus Timmis, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Létters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Illius Augustus Timmis, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement and accompanying Drawings:-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in springs for railway
and other vehicles, consists in certain novel arrangements and con-
structions of springs and the parts thereof, whereby economy in first
cost is obtained, and the friction and partial inelasticity due to the
ordinary construction of. springs is avoided, as hereafter described, the
object of the said Invention being to produce a more efficient and lasting
spring than heretofore, and a reduction in cost.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention I will now
proceed to describe in detail the manner in which the same is to be
or may be performed or carried into practical effect, and in order that tho
same may be clearly understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of
Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof :—
The first part of the said improvements relate to the construction of
the said springs in a helical or spiral form, and consists principally in
forming the bar from which the spring is coiled with flat and parallel
sides and edges, the advantage of which over a spring coiled from a
round or cylindrical bar is that when compressed to its greatest limit
the flat parallel surfaces of the bar composing the spring rest and are
bedded upon one another, and thus the integrity of the spring is more
easily preserved than when the surfaces in contact are represented by a
mere line or edge, as is the case when the bar from which the spring is
coiled is round or cylindrical in section; but in order that the spring

page_text: when coiled shall have the surfaces of the various coils perfectly
coincident the bar (instead of being rolled with parallel sides at first)
should be formed, as shown in section at Fig. 1, with the two opposite
flat sides slightly inclined towards each other, so that when the bar is
coiled into a spring such inclined surfaces shall become parallel to each
other by reason of the outer part a being extended and thinned, whilst
the inner part 6 (which is next to the mandrel is compressed and
thickened) as shown by the dotted lines.
Another improvement which I apply to this kind of spring consists of
forming the bar of which it is composed of unequal thicknesses in cross
section, as shown at Figs. 2 and 3, or a groove or recess may be hollowed
out in the direction of the length of the bar, as at Fig. 4, or a web or
webs formed along the inside or outside thereof, as as shown at Figs. 5
and 6, the object of which is to increase the clasticity of the spring, and
render it yielding, even when the outward or projecting flat surfaces c, c,
of the bar composing the same touch each other.
The necessary qualities are obtained in the process of tempering, by
which operation the thinner parts of the bar become hardened quite
through, while the thicker portions are only partially or case hardened,
their central parts remaining ductilo or tough, so that a spring thus
formed and treated possesses the requisite elasticity or resiliency by
virtue of its hardened thinner parts, while its strength and endurance
against sudden shocks is provided for in the tough thicker parts. By
these means the qualities most valuable and requisite in a spring are
obtained. Springs made from bars of the foregoing description may be
coiled either in a cylindrical or conical form. When coiled into a cone
shape the compression of the spring exhausts the resilience of the
largest part first, so that as the pressure increases ono coil lies flat upon
the next until the greatest load limit is reached. Springs thus formed
may be placed between plates, and held in position by means of pins or a
projections formed on the said plates, or they may be placed in cases,
and employed as herein-after described with reference to another part of
the said improvements.
It will be observed that the coiled springs having flat bearing surfaces
require no boxes or packing.
Another part of the said Invention relates to the construction of
elliptical springs, which by these improved arrangements have thois
3

page_text: spring bars or leaves d, d, placed side by side, but without touching
each other, thus doing away with friction and the many evils attendant
thereon. The spring bars have no joint, but are each of them one piece
of steel. This form of spring is shown in side elevation at Fig. 9, in
plan view at Fig. 10, and end view at Fig. 11. The said spring bars or
leaves d, d, may be of any desired form in cross section, either round,
flat, square, polygonal, or otherwise, or (which I prefer) of unequal
thicknesses, as herein-before described with reference to coiled springs.
Supporting plates e, e, of iron or wood are also provided, having
recesses f,f, formed in the inner side (as shown in section at Fig. 12),
into which the ends of the spring bars or leaves d, d, are placed, the
arrangement of the springs being such that their own elasticity serves to
lock and keep the ends of the spring bars or leaves d, d, in their several
recesses.
Any suitable number of the aforesaid spring bars or leaves may be
employed, and when two opposite series of the same are placed in con- .
junction with the upper and under supporting plates e, e, as shown at
Figs. 9 and 10, they constitute a light and durable elliptic spring.
It will be understood from the foregoing description that should any
one of the spring bars or leaves d, d, break or become otherwise ineffi-
cient it can be easily removed and replaced by a fresh member without
disturbing any of the other parts of the spring. By these improvements
the ordinary bolts or clamps are dispensed with, the spring bars or leaves
being bent back at their outer extremities, and it is preferred that the
form of the bight or bend should be curved, the degree and form of the
curve varying according to the purpose to which the spring is to be
applied. Examples are shown at Figs. 13, 14, and 15, or the bar or leaf
may be bent so as to form a complete circular eye, as at Fig. 16, or be
crossed as at Fig. 17, or otherwise treated, these methods being merely a
few of the modifications of which the Invention is capable.
'
In some cases, instead of forming the spring bars or leaves with a
single bight or bend, they may be made with two or more bends, as
shown at Figs. 18 and 19, and they may be fixed to the trucks, as shown
at Fig. 20, or in the manner described with reference to Figs. 9, 10, 11,
and 12.

page_text: spring bars, and so arranged as to come into contact with each other
only when the load upon the vehicle has reached a previously determined
point, as shown at Fig. 21, but (by preference) helical springs are
employed for this purpose, as shown at Fig. 22.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention, 6
together with the manner in which the same is to be or may be
performed or carried into practical effect, I wish it to be understood that
I claim,―
First. Rolling the bars for coiled or helical springs with the upper
and under sides slightly inclined to each other, for the purpose herein- 1
before set forth.
Secondly. Rolling the bars for such springs with an inner or outer
web or otherwise of unequal thicknesses for the purpose herein-before
set forth.
Thirdly. Forming elliptical springs for railway or other vehicles of a 1
serics of spring bars or leaves placed side by side, but not touching each
other, and so arranged that any one spring bar or leaf can be readily
removed and replaced without disturbing the rest, substantially as
herein-before described. These bars have no joints, but each bar is one
piece of steel.
Fourthly. Using auxiliary coiled springs in conjunction with tho
above elliptics, substantially as herein-before described.
2
In witness whereof, I, the said Illius Augustus Timmis, have
hereunto set my hand and scal this Twenty-first day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and 2
soventy-six.
ILLIUS A. TIMMIS. (L.s)
Witness to the signature of the said
Illius Augustus Timmis,
SAMUEL COOK,
Clerk to the said Illius A. Timmis.