IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND APPLICATION OP ELASTIC SPRINGS, POR SUSTAINING LOADS OR MODERATING CONCUSSION IN FIXED OR MOVING MACHINES OR CARRIAGES."
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bridges Adams, of. No. 1, Adam Street,
Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND APPLICATION OP ELASTIC SPRINGS,
POR SUSTAINING LOADS OR MODERATING CONCUSSION IN FIXED OR MOVING
MACHINES OR CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bridges Adams
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th February 1855.
I, WILLIAM BRIDGES ADAMS, of No. 1, Adam Street, Adelphi, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND APPLICATION OF ELASTIC
SPRINGS, FOR SUSTAINING LOADS OR MODERATING CONCUSSION IN FIXED OR MOVING
MACHINES OR CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
My improvements consist, first, in the modes of constructing laminated
metal springs used in railway and other carriages, which are usually provided
with central bolts or studs to keep the several plates in longitudinal position
with each other, and with slots and studs to keep them in lateral position with

page_text: My improvement is to form the plates with an angle more or less obtuse nt
their central length, either by hand or by machines, with moulds or dies, so that
they will all lie one within another, the angle being such that any pressure will
force each plate to the lowest central point of the adjoining one. The other
portions of the spring may be made flat, or in curves, as desireable, though I
prefer the form to be two straight lines converging to an angle at the centre,
so that when the load is applied it will bend the spring to two curves without
moving the central portion, which is stronger by reason of the angle. To keep
these spring plates together, I use a plate fitting the re-entrant angle above, and
another fitting the salient angle below, with two or more bolts passing through
both, one on each side of the spring, with nuts, so that when screwed firm they
will hold the plates as a vice, or a clip or clips may be applied for the same
purpose, or keys and cotters, or any convenient mode, and the spring plates
thus fixed will not move from their central position either longitudinally or
laterally so long as the fastenings are firm. These springs may be used for
bearing or buffing springs for carriages, or as springs for inachines.
Another part of my improvements consists in the application of springs to
hold collars or half collars in contact with axles and boxes, or the bearings of
machinery, to retain oil or grease, and prevent it from being wasted, the
springs being either of spiral, straight, or curved metal, or other material.
Another part of my improvements consists in forming a spring by rolling a
long flat bar into a cylindrical coil, the external circumference of which being
supported, the weight or pressure may be applied to the centre, or vice versa,
and thus the spring will act in two directions at a right angle to the plane of
tho coil.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Bridges Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office ou
the 8th August 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BRIDGES ADAMS, of No. 1, Adam Street, Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Bridges Adams, Her special licence that I, the said William Bridges

page_text: Adams, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Bridges Adams, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND APPLICATION OF ELASTIC SPRINGS, FOR SUSTAINING
LOADS OR MODERATING CONCUSSION IN FIXED OR MOVING MACHINES OR CARRIAGES,".
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Bridges Adams,
by an instrument 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 William Bridges Adams, 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:-
My improvements in the construction and application of elastic springs, for
sustaining loads or moderating concussion in fixed or moving machines or
carriages, consist of several varieties, that is to say:-
First, in an improved mode of constructing laminated springs, or such springs
as are composed of two or more plates lying one on another, so that their form
will give them a tendency to keep the relative position which is desireable with
regard to each other, even without the usual appliances of central bolts or studs,
or of the slots and studs used to preserve the parallellism of the plates with each
other; and for this purpose, instead of making the central portions of the
spring a series of flat planes or hollows in a line with the spring, I make them
a positive indentation, either in a sharp angle or in a curve, so that when the
clips are fixed which hold the plates together they cannot possibly move
endwise, nor can they, if accurately fitted, move sidewise. Any convenient
form of angle or hollow may be used, but I prefer to make an angle of two lines,
following the rise of the spring plates at or about ten degrees, so that in
forming the plates they may all be pressed to one form in a die or mould while
heated; and it is obvious that a short curve may serve the same purpose as
the angle.
Figure 1 shews a spring of this kind, the long plates at top and the plates
below decreasing in length, all connected together by the clip A, which fits the
angular bottom plate, and is connected to the coupling plate a, which fits

page_text: the angular top plate by its bolts b. The dotted lines across the clip indicate
the form of the plates. This spring is shewn with the bearing ends at the
extremities curved in the usual mode; but rolled eyes, or welded eyes, or any of
the usual modes may be applied, as most desireable for the circumstances; and
the ends of each plate may be tapered, or what is called "spear pointed," or
drawn in any of the usual taper methods; but I prefer to leave them square,
without tapering, or drawing off both, for facility and economy of manufacture.
and also because I find them to work more elastically. The ends of the shorter
plates are either to be rounded where they touch the upper ones, or to be bent,
as preferred, to give free movement; and this form of spring has, as regards its
clastic action, great superiority to the ordinary curved spring used for railway
or other wagons. It is obvious that if a spring be made in a semicircular form,
the periphery bearing on the fulerum with the load bearing on the'ends, it will
be an abutting arch, little disposed to yield elastically, and the greatest tendency
will be to yield over the fulcrumm at the centre, so that the spring must be made
very heavy and strong with additional short plates to afford resistance; and
although springs are not usually complete semicircles, still it is found that the
centres are apt to yield before the ends, and consequently the spring will not
act elastically at the ends, save under a heavy load. The action of the ordinary
spring is to force a curve to a straight line, but the action of the spring shewn
at Figure 1 is to force the straight line to a curve, or the curved line to a
greater curve; consequently the yield of the spring is first at the extremities
under a light load, and the yield approaches the centre as the load increases,
but there is no tendency whatever to yield at the centre, which is very strong
by reason of the angle form, the spring acting as a pair of springs or two wings.
whereas the ordinary curved spring acts mostly as a single spring by the mis-
chievous yielding of the centre. There is another reason for the light load
elasticity of the spring Figure 1. The upper plates bend over the ends of the
lower ones, and the frictional surface is reduced by the weight being on the
rubbed and polished ends instead of being on the intermediate portions; and
as the load increases, the plates are more evenly pressed together, and the power
increases, so that a given weight of steel in this form will carry a varying load
better, and a larger total amount than any other form. And note, though the
spring is shewn of flat or straight-lined form, any curved form may be used for
convenience, provided the central angle or equivalent short. curve which holds
the plates together be preserved. Figure 2 shews a spring with an arrange-
ment the roverse of Figure 1, for the long plates are below and the diminishing
plates above. In this case the spring is supported or sustained by the ends,
and the weight or load is suspended by the centre of the spring. Thus, the

page_text: action in Figure 1 tends to open or elongate the spring, and in Figure 2 to
close or shorten it; but in the former case the expansion or elongation of the
spring will be proportionately less than with the ordinary curved springs.
Figure 3 shews a spring with an angled centre, similar to Figure 2, but
differing in form, by the plates being formed in curved instead of straight lines.
Figure 4 bears a similar relation to Figure 1. At Figure 5 is shewn a spring
with an angled centre, the plates all fitting into each other at the centre, but
radiating from each other, so that the long top plates may first take the load
lightly, and each other plate take the bearing in succession as the load comes
down. Figure 6 is a spring with a reverse action, the long plates being below
and the short plates above, as Figure 2, but arranged to take bearings in suc-
cession; and all these springs are shewn to act singly, resting on their centres,
and taking the load on their ends, or vice versa; but they may be used also in
pairs one on the other in various modes, and they may be used as buffer springs
or as traction springs. Figure 7 shews a light spring of double action, formed
with two central angles and curves of differing obliquity; it is shewn of two
plates, but may be, if preferred, of single plates, or of many; the lower spring
resting on the axle A of a light carriage, and the upper spring sustaining the
load at B. The two springs are connected together at the ends by notching
together, or they may be connected by bolts, with a layer of caoutchouc or
leather or other soft material between them, as Figures 8 and 9, or in contact
with each other. As the load descends, the lower spring will take a greater
curvature or compression, and the upper spring will take a lesser curvature by
extending. Figure 8 shews a light spring of single plates with the central
angles in opposite directions, the ends being bolted or rivetted together, with
caoutchouc or other soft or elastic material between them. These springs may
also be applied to railway carriages, if made of proportionate size, and may be
applied as traction springs by applying the force endways. Figure 9 shews a
mode of applying the caoutchouc at the ends as a cylinder, held between two
curves with the bolt passing through; or the caoutchouc may be a sphere, and
the bolt head and nut may be formed as hemispherical washers, the spring plates
being slightly cupped to receive them, the holes being larger than the diameter
of the bolt to give easy play. Figure 10 shews a section, and Figure 11 an
end view, of a spiral steel spring rolled in a coil to serve as a traction spring
for railway and other carriages. This spring was patented by me in the year
One thousand eight hundred and forty-six as a traction spring, being eligible
for drawing in two opposite directions, but the mode of application was different
from that which I now employ, being à dragging of the ring or coil in the
direction of the plane of the coil. Figures 10 and 11 show the coil placed

page_text: between inner ribs of a cylindrical iron casting in two halves, which are bolted
together, and which ribs embraco the outermost folds of the coil. Through the
centre opening of the coil is passed the traction rod A, A, with a collar and
key B, B, B, on each side the coil to hold it in its place. The cylinder being
fixed to the frame of the carriage by the lugs C, C, the spring will yield in
either direction, and moderate the shocks of traction. Figure 12 shows in front
view a spring applied to clip a pair of half collars, the upper one A sliding in
the lower B, to prevent the exit of grease or oil from the bearings of railway
axles, and also the entrance of dirt. The forked or horse-shoe collar B is fitted
to the under side of the axle, and between the horns, rising upwards; the top
half collar A is made to slide in grooves. A spring, either of flat or rounded
section C, rests on the top of this half collar, which, passing through the horns,
constantly pulls the horse-shoe collar upwards, and keeps it tight at the bottom
side of the axle. The elastic collar thus formed is bored out conically, and
being placed on a corresponding cone of the axle, constantly presses against the
back of the axle box by the elastic action of the spring; Figure 13 is a side
view. The form of the collars may be varied in many ways to produce the
same effect. Figure 14 shews a half collar A, intended to place inside the axle
box, bearing against the cone of the journal with a horse-shoe spring B, the
ends of which support the collar, while the middle of the spring bears on the top
of the axle, for which provision is made either by recessing the spring into the
axle collar cone or into the bearing; Figure 15 is a side view of the same.
Figure 16 shews a similar half collar A, with the spring B bearing upward,
between the bottom of the collar and the bottom of the box, and pressing the
collar against the axle; Figure 17 is a side view.
Having now described my said Invention, I wish it to be understood that
what I claim as original is,
First, forming laminated springs with central angles or curves, so that the
several plates may retain their desired position with regard to each other by
mere central clipping by external bolts or otherwise, without needing centre
bolts, or studs, or slots to keep them central or parallel, as herein-before
described, and illustrated by Figures 1 to 6 inclusive.
Secondly, forming the ends of the diminishing or shorter plates square or
untapered either in width or thickness, rounding them on the exterior edge
or bending them to prevent cutting in, as herein-before described, and
illustrated by Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Thirdly, constructing laminated springs with the diminishing or short plates
in the hollow side, so that the springs will shorten their length when the load
is on, as herein-before described, and illustrated by Figures 3 and 4.

page_text: Fourthly, constructing Jaminated springs with the plates set apart from each
other to take bearings in succession with increasing loads, as herein-before
described, and illustrated by Figures 5 and 6.
Fifthly, constructing springs, as herein-before described, and shewn, at
Figures 7, 8, and 9.
Sixthly, constructing coiled springs to act in two several directions within a
case or cylinder which retains them, so as to serve as traction springs for
railway carriages, as herein-before described, and illustrated by Figures 10
and 11.
Seventhly, constructing and applying springs to form an elastic adjustment
for collars and half collars to railway axles, to keep in grease or oil and
exclude dirt, being an improvement on my axle box, patented in the year One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, as herein-before described, and shewn
at Figures 12 to 17 inclusive.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bridges Adams, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Eighth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
WILLIAM BRIDGES ADAMS. (L.S.)