IMPROVE MENTS IN CAR AND CARRIAGE SPRINGS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John James Speed; j', of the City of Detroit, State:
of Michigan, United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN CAR AND CARRIAGE SPRINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John James Speed at the
'Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
.October 1855.
I, JOHN JAMES SPEED, j', of the City of Detroit, State of Michigan, United'
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR AND CARRIAGE SPRINGS" to be as follows:-
The nature of the Invention consists in the 'employment or use of
corrugated conical or dish-shaped metallic plates for car or carriage springs, "
which plates are placed together in pairs or sets, one set or pair resting upon
the other, as hereafter described, whereby from the peculiar construction and
arrangement of these plates the fibres of the metal are allowed to expand
and contract, and the desired elasticity obtained without straining the plates
or rendering them liable to be broken.
These conical or dish-shaped plates should be made of steel of a suitable
thickness, regard being had to the vehicle for which they are intended. Each,
plate is corrugated in a radial manner, and the number of such corrugations
may vary as wished. The corrugations should, however, be regular, or the
prominences should correspond with the depressions, so that the periphery of
each plate will form a regular wave line. These plates are placed together in

page_text: pairs, the edges of each pair being in contact, and the prominences of one
plate fitting into the depressions of the other, forming a chamber or space
between each pair to allow for the necessary depression or contraction of them.
The number of pairs of plates used may be increased or diminished, as found
necessary. Or, in cases where elasticity is more désirable, as in light carriages
or city railroad cars, the plates may be placed in contact, the depressions at
the edges touching; this arrangement will, however, be at the sacrifice of
strength to a certain extent to greater elasticity.
When it is desirable to increase the strength of the plates it may be done
by using smaller auxiliary ones, and exactly or nearly fitting within the others,
so that each set will in fact consist of four, or of any equal number of
plates.
The general form of these plates is like a dish or hollow plate, with the
corrugations radiating from the centre, and when the plate rests upon any
level surface or plane in a natural position without pressure, it bears only upon
the several corrugated points, between which the plate'shows slight arches or
In a nine-inch plate, and with four or six corrugations, each arch or
curve would show an elevation of about three-quarters of an inch, though the
size of the plates, the number of corrugations, and their depth, will vary
according to circumstances. These plates are generally placed upon a pin or
bolt passing through their centres, the lower end being attached to the truck,
and the upper end to the bolster of the car; and they can be applied to cars
in the place of the ordinary india-rubber springs, which they are more, par-
ticularly designed to supersede, without any expense, as these plates occupy the
same space, and are secured in the same manner. .
My claim is generally for the employment or use of conical or dish-shaped,
plates of metal corrugated radially or otherwise, and intended to be placed
together in pairs or sets, substantially as before referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John James Speed in- the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3
26th April 1856.
.;
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JAMES SPEED, jr, of the City of Detroit, State of Michigan, United States of
America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, A.D. 1855, in

page_text: the nineteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John, James Speed, j', Her special license
that I, the said John James Speed, jr, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John James Speed, j', 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 CAR & CARRIAGE SPRINGS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John James Speed, j', by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and, seal, 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
Letters Patent. !
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John James Speed, j', do hereby
declare the nature of my said. Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and the letters. of reference marked thereon, making a part of this Speci-
fication:-
The nature of my said Invention consists in corrugating or furrowing
metallic plates of a dish-shaped form for car and carriage springs, so that
from their peculiar construction the fibres of the metal can expand and
contract without straining the plates, or rendering them liable to be split or
broken; and these plates are placed together in pairs or sets, as hereafter,
described, so that any desired elasticity can be obtained.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of several pairs and sets of the springs A and B,.
showing square springs, but corrugated in a somewhat different manner, and
C showing a set of round springs; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Figure 1';,
Fig. 3 is a view of a single plate,..shewing the corrugations in a plainer
manner.
The general form of these. springs is concave, as more plainly seen in.
Fig. 2, with corrugations or depressions a; a, radiating from the centre, which
give the outside line of each spring or plate, a waving direction, or an alter-
nation of elevations and depressions, so that when any one plate or spring lies
upon any plane surface, without. pressure upon it, it rests only upon a few
points. The number of such corrugations and their depth will depend upon
the size of the plates. or springs, influenced also by other circumstances; but

page_text: they should be regular in the different sizes, so that the plates or springs of
'any one size will correspond to and fit each other, and more particularly that
the elasticity of the plates or springs-may be the most perfect, and be equally
distributed in all their parts. The particular shape of these plates or springs
is not, however, material, as they may be either square, round; octagonal, or
other shape, their corrugated construction being their peculiarly: valuable
characteristic.
any
"
When a square spring is used, the corrugations may be made as shewn at
A; Fig. 1, so that any two will be in contact only at the corners; or as shewn
at B, same Figure, touching only at the middle of.each side. When a round
spring is used, the plate will be so corrugated that the elevations of one will fit
the depression of another, as shewn at C (1), Fig. 1, or the elevations may only.
be allowed to be in contact, as shewn at C (2), Fig. 1. This latter arrange-
ment will give greater elasticity, but at some sacrifice of strength. These
plates or springs may be made of any metal having suitable elasticity, or
to which it may be imparted; but they are generally made of spring steel,
or of cast steel which is afterwards tempered. An eight-inch spring, made as
represented at A, Fig. 1, will be at its centre about an inch and a half above
a plane, and the elevations in each side about an inch above such a plane
The same sized spring, when made as represented at B, Fig. 1, may be less
dishing, and have slighter depressions in its sides; but whether the springs are
more or less dishing or concave, or the corrugations more or less deep, is
immaterial. And for light carriages thinner metal may be used, while for
railroad cars and carriages I generally make use of steel about one-quarter or
three-eighths inch thick. These springs are most easily attached to any car
or carriage by means of a bolt passing through their centres, the ends of
which enter the truck and bolster, and may be readily substituted in place
of any ordinary springs, but more readily in place of the ordinary rubber spring,
as both are secured in the same manner. These springs are also much less:
effected by variations in temperature than are such rubber springs::
When it is desirable to increase the strength of the springs without
increasing their heighth, it may be accomplished by using auxillary plates,
either smaller or larger, and placed within or without the principal ones, thus
making each pair or set consist of two or more plates on either side, or top or
bottom, as the case may be. The particular method of increasing the general.
strength or elasticity of the springs is, however, of but little importance, and;
may be varied, the same as the size of the plates, the exact degree of
concavity, and the depth of the corrugations, or the thickness of the material.
I am aware that circular steel plates have been used for springs, but any

page_text: pressure upon them necessarily enlarged their peripheries, and thus split and
broke the plates, and rendered them comparatively useless; and I am also
aware that to remedy this difficulty similar plates have been used with radial
slots, but this construction tended to destroy to a very great extent their
elasticity, and an unequal action was given to the fibres of the metal; but all
these objections are removed by the corrugated shape, as above described.
Even if a plate or spring has but two corrugations given it (in which case it
will be simply a curved disk), it will be elastic and far more reliable and
durable than those heretofore used, and will not be liable to fracture.
generally, however, make four corrugations in a plate, as this is a convenient
number, and secures the object desired.
I
What I claim as new in this Invention, and desire to protect by Letters
Patent, is, the construction of springs for cars, carriages, &c. made of
concave, conical, or dish-shaped metallic plates, corrugated radially, sub-
stantially as before described, and placed together in pairs or sets substantially
in the manner set forth.
In testimony whereof, I, the said John James Speed, j', have hereunto
1
JOHN JAMES SPEED, J. (L.S.)