IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Gold Kimberley, of Great St. Helen's, in the City
of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR
RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 26th May 1877, and dated the 2nd December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Gold Kimberley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd December 1876.
NATHAN GOLD KIMBERLEY, of Great St. Helen's, in the City of London,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to springs of that class in which elliptic or semi-elliptic
springs are combined with a central spiral or auxiliary spring, and is designed to
render these springs more efficient and durable, and more generally applicable than
heretofore in all cases where such springs are required.
My improvements are more especially designed for the bearing springs of
railway carriages or wagons, but they may be used for buffer or draw-bar springs,
and for other carriages or vehicles, and for machinery and other purposes.
According to the said Invention 1 use for the elliptical or semi-elliptical portion
of my improved spring a bar or bars, which are transversely corrugated or curved
at the centre of the spring and flat at the ends of the same, that is to say, the
curves or corrugations are gradually diminished from the centre to the ends of the
spring, which ends are quite flat. The curves or corrugations may be either U, V,
or W shaped. Or the said bar or bars may be corrugated or curved throughout their
entire length. Or I modify the construction of my springs by using for the
elliptical or semi-elliptical portions thereof a bar or bars of a square, rectangular,
round, oval, or other section, which are preferably tapered or diminished in thick-
ness from the centre to the ends of the spring.
The central, spiral, or auxiliary spring or springs, which in all of the above
forms of my Invention must be combined with the said elliptical or semi-elliptical
portion may be arranged and applied to the spring in the manner described in the
Specifications of foriner Letters Patent dated 7th February, A.D., 1876, No. 490,
in which the spiral spring is fitted on the outside of a telescopic mandril, which
has at its lower end a clip for securing it upon the bars, and at its upper end a
flange for attaching it to the carriage frame. I sometimes modify this construction
by placing a telescopic sliding tube outside of the spiral spring or springs. Or I may use
[Price Gill

page_text: conical coiled or spiral springs. Or I may combine with the said spiral spring or
springs an elastic core formed of india-rubber, or of a combination of india-rubber
and other materials.
I may secure these various central springs upon the bars in the manner above
described, or by means of any suitable clips, bolts, keys, or other devices; and may
provide the springs with any convenient means for attachment to the carriage
frames or other structures or objects on which they are to be employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Nathan Gold Kimberley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
June 1877.
NATHAN GOLD KIMBERLEY, of Great St. Helen's, in the City of London,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to elliptic or semi-elliptic springs consisting of a bar or
bars combined with a central spiral or auxiliary spring, and is designed to render
these compound springs more efficient and durable, and more generally applicable
than heretofore in all cases wherein such springs are required.
The said improvements are more especially designed for the bearing springs of
railway carriages or waggons, but they may be used for buffer or draw-bar springs,
and for other carriages or vehicles, and for machinery and other purposes.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a semi-elliptical spring constructed according to
one part of my said Invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 are side elevations of an elliptical and semi-elliptical spring
herein-after described.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
a, a, are the bars; a', ', are eyes at their ends; b, is a central holding clip or
mandrel made in two parts fitted to work telescopically the one within the other;
b is the base or flange, whereby the said mandrel is fixed to the carriage or waggon
frame is the part of the said mandrel, in which the bars are fixed or secured;
c is the auxiliary spiral spring coiled around the said mandrel; and d is an
adjusting bolt.
According to one part of the said Invention, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, I use
for the elliptical or semi-elliptical portion of my improved spring a bar or bars a,
whose transverse section is flat at the ends a¹ of the spring and curved at its
central portion a², that is to say, the said bars are formed with longitudinal grooves
or corrugations extending from the centre towards the end of the spring, which
grooves are deepest at the centre of the spring, and are gradually diminished from
the centre to the ends of the same, which ends are quite plain or flat. The curves
or corrugations may be either U, V, or W, shaped; and if desired the said bar or
.bars may be corrugated or curved throughout their entire length.
I may sometimes modify the construction of my springs by using for the
elliptical or semi-elliptical portions thereof a bar or bars of a rectangular or oval
cross sectional shape, or of a square, round, or other section, tapered or diminished
in thickness from the centre to the ends of the spring.
The central spiral or auxiliary spring or springs e, which in all of the above
forms of my Invention I combine with the said elliptical or semi-elliptical portion,
may be arranged and applied to the spring in the manner shewn in Figures 1
and 2, and as described in the Specification of former Letters Patent dated 7th
February, A.D., 1876, No. 490, that is to say, the spiral spring is fixed on the
outside of the telescopic mandrel b, which has at its lower end a clip for securing
it upon the bars a, and at its upper end the flange b¹ for attaching it to the
carriage or wagon frame. I sometimes however modify this construction in the

page_text: manner shewn in Figure 3 by placing the telescopic sliding tube b outside of the
spiral spring or springs c. Or I inay use a conical coiled or spiral spring made
taper or conical from one to the other of its ends or from its centre to both ends,
as shewn in Figure 4. And in some instances I combine with the said spiral
spring or springs an elastic core formed of india-rubber, or of a compound of india-
rubber and other materials.
I inay secure these central or auxiliary springs upon the bars in the manner
above described or by means of any suitable clips, bolts, keys, or other devices,
and may provide springs constructed according to my Invention with any con-
venient means for attachment to the carriage or wagon frames, or other structures
or objects in or on which they are to be employed.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim in an elliptic or semi-elliptic spring for
railway or other purposes,
First. The elliptic or semi-elliptic portion or portions constructed of a bar or
bars curved or corrugated transversely and combined with a central auxiliary
spring, as above set forth.
Second. The elliptic or semi-elliptic portion constructed of a bar or bars of a
square, rectangular, round, oval, or other sectional form tapered or diminished in
thickness from the centre to the ends of the spring and combined with a central
auxiliary spring, as above set forth.
Third. The modification of my Invention in which the slide or mandrel is placed
outside of the central auxiliary spring in combinaiton with the curved or corru-
gated or taper bar or bars, as above set forth.
Fourth. The modification of my Invention in which I employ a taper or conical
central spiral spring in combination with the aforesaid curved or corrugated or
taper bar or bars, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Gold Kimberley, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
NATHAN GOLD KIMBERLEY. (L.S.)