CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON AXLES OR AXLETREES, AND COACH AND OTHER SPRINGS
Year: 1829

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
KING SCULTHORPE, of Robert Street, Chelsea; in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Fourth day of July, in the tenth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George King Sculthorpe, His special licence that I, the said George King
Sculthorpe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George King Sculthorpe, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON AXLES OR
AXLETREES, AND COACH AND OTHER SPRINGS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso obliging me, the said George King Sculthorpe, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, and to cause the same to be enrolled in His said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George King Sculthorpe, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
to consist, first, in causing the arm of the axle to be separate from the bed, to
revolve in the bed while it is fixed in the nave, and in a mode of impeding of

page_text: And
retarding the revolutions or action of the said arm by means of a wedge; and,
secondly, in forming a spring for a carriage or other purposes by the action
of a forked spring against the inner sides, of an inverted hollow cone.
in further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said George King Scul-
thorpe, do hereby describe the manner in which my said Invention is to be'
performed, by the following description thereof; reference being had to the
Drawing annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to
say)-
And first.of my improvements on axle-or axletrees.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING:
Figure 1 is a vertical section of an axle or axletree containing my said
improvements. A.is what is usually, called the arm of, the axle, but is in this
case only part of the arm, and I shall designate it as the outer branch of the
arm, B. being what I shall call the inner branch of the arm, which turns in
two bearings formed on to the bed, but not shown in this Figure, for- fear of
making it confused; C is the iron bed or bar extending from arm to arm, and
.D is the wooden bed above it; E is an adjusting screw to increase or diminish
the play of the wheel; F is a box or case clipped on over the inner branch
of the arm by the clipps G, G, to preserve it from the dirt; and hold the oil.
The small part coloured scarlet is a wedge, which, being drawn into the opening
made for it, acts upon the the inner branch of the arm so as to impede the
-motion of the wheel, as will be better, explained hereafter.
Figure 2. is a view of the iron bed C, showing the bearings formed on to it
in which the inner branches of the arms B turn, and with the box F and
"clipps G, G, removed, to make the Figure more clear:
"
Figure 3 is fa plan or 'bird's-eye view of an axle containing my said improve-
ments. H is the perch; D, the wooden bed; G, G; the clips; and I another
smaller clip on the iron bed; J is a-lever turning on a bolt at K, and fastened.
-at M to the wedge L, so that when the chain N-is pulled in the direction of
the arrow the wedge L'is drawn into the place cut for it in the box, and
-acting between the iron bed and the inner branch of the arm impedes the
action of the wheel when required, as in-going dowin hill, or with a runaway
horse, and it is hardly necessary to state-that the chain N may be led to any
-convenient part of the carriage; such as the coachman's or footman's, seats
or inside of the body. Oisa-spring-to-throw out the wedge when restraint
is no longer necessary, and the chain Na is released.
Figure 4 is an elevation of Figures I and 3, and similar letters of reference
being used where it is intended to represent similar parts, no further descrip-
tion of this Figure will be necessary. ·

page_text: Having now described my said. improvements on axles or axletrees, I will
proceed to describe my said improvements on coach and other springs.
Figure 5 represents a section of one of my improved springs. P, P, is an
inverted hollow cone, supposed in this case to be made of cast iron, and in
two parts, to admit of its being screwed to the iron bar or support Q, Q;
which has a hole bored through it to correspond with the two parts of the
cone. R is a rod passing up through the cap and coller S, which cap and
coller keep it steady. On this rod whatever weight is to be supported must
be placed. t, t, is a strong forked steel spring, of course proportioned in
strength to the weight it has to carry. And it will be readily understood
from the Drawing, that when the rod R is pressed down into the small part
of the cone, where it should be observed oil should be poured, the fork is
compressed by their action against the inner sides of the cone, while the said
sides cause a constant inclination to reaction in the forked spring, which it
avails itself of when opportunity offers, and thus gives elasticity to the action
of the rod R.
Figure. 6 represents my said improved spring as applied to a coach.
Now whereas I claim as my said improvement,―
First, the double-branched arms A, B, Figure 1, and the manner in which
the part B works in the iron bed C, and is fed with oil by the box F, as
herein-before described,-
Secondly, the manner herein-before described of applying a wedge for
the purpose aforesaid,--And,
Thirdly, my said improved spring, whether applied to a coach or other
purpose,
•
And such my improvements being to the best of my knowledge and
belief entirely new, and never before used within that part of His said
Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
His said Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, I do hereby
declare this to be my Specification of the same, and that I do verily believe
this my said Specification doth comply in all respects fully and without
reserve or disguise with the proviso in the said herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent contained, wherefore I do hereby claim to maintain exclusive
right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said George King Sculthorpe, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of January, in the year of
our Lord 1830.
GEORGE KING (L.s.) SCULTHORPE.

page_text: AND BE IT-REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of January, in the
year of our Lord 1830, the aforesaid George King Sculthorpe came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery; and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
!
Introlled the Fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
-eight hundred-and thirty.