IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE SPRINGS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE SPRINGS."―A
communication from abroad by Heman Gardiner, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th August 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGE
SPRINGS," a communication, to be as follows :—
The nature of this Invention consists,-
First. In combining with an india-rubber cylinder an external and
internal jacket, coating, or covering of wool, hair, felted cloth, or other
table material This jacket coating

page_text: or covering is designed to prevent the contact of the rubber with the
inner surface of the metal box in which the rubber is placed, and also to
prevent the contact of the inner surface of the rubber cylinder with a
spiral spring enclosed within it. I thus keep the metal from chafing or
granulating the rubber and destroying its clasticity, as would be the case
if the surfaces of the metal and rubber were allowed to come in
immediate contact with each other.
Secondly. In combining with the said spiral spring a cylindrical roll
of felt, wool, or hair cloth, or other felted or woven fabric suitable for the
purpose. The said roll must be of sufficient length and diameter when
tightly rolled to fill the core or central part of the spiral spring, for the
purpose of supporting it; at the same time, in consequence of the for-
mation of the said roll and its confinement within the core of the spiral
spring, it will act as a perpetual elastic force to assist in supporting the
load on the carriage.
In practising the said Invention I employ a metal barrel or box about
six inches in diameter at its ends to the depth of one to two inches, as
required, and about six and one-half inches in diameter at its middle
part, and of any suitable length, according to the length of spring used.
By making the middle part of the said box of greater diameter than its
ends the hollow cylinder of india-rubber is allowed to expand, and thus
when under pressure develop an easy and constant elastic force; and by
making the end of the box of a uniform diameter to the depth of one to
two inches, the rubber is confined in a vertical position in the box, and
at the same time will act as a guideway to keep the follower squarely on
the rubber and spiral spring, and thus overcome all tendency to break
down the springs at one side more than another.
The said follower or plunger has on one side a shank of metal, upon
which the spring is supported on the carriage truck, and on the upper or
inner side or face it has a centre pin encircled by an inclined plane. A
similar centre pin and inclined plane are also formed upon the inner face
of the solid end or top of the box.
Inside the aforesaid box I place the hollow cylinder of india-rubber,
about the same length as the box and about one-quarter of an inch less
in diameter than its ends. Upon the internal and external sides of this
india-rubber cylinder is secured the aforesaid jacket or covering of felted
cloth, wool, hair, or other similar fabric, or any material of a suitablo
nature.

page_text: The spiral spring is made in the usual manner, and is of a length pro-
portionate to the length of the box, and of such diameter as to fill the
cavity of the rubber cylinder. Its ends are centred upon the aforesaid
centre pins and inclined planes, and it is thus firmly held in a vertical
position within the said box. In the core of the spiral springs is inserted
the aforesaid roll of felt, wool, or hair cloth, or other similar fabric. This
roll is made by taking a piece or pieces of such cloth or fabric equal to
the length of the spiral spring, and rolling the same into a solid cylinder
of sufficient diameter to fill the central part of the spiral spring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
-
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th February 1874.
'
· TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of.
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the-said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 RAILWAY CARRIAGE SPRINGS," a communication to
me from abroad by Heman Gardiner, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said William Robert Lake, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :—
The nature of this Invention consists,―
First. In combining with an india-rubber cylinder an external and
internal jacket, coating, or covering of wool, hair, felted cloth, or other
similar fibrous material, or any suitable material. This jacket, coating,
or covering is designed to prevent the contact of the rubber with the
inner surface of the metal box in which the rubber is placed, and also
to prevent the contact of the inner surface of the rubber cylinder with a
spiral spring enclosed within it. I thus keep the metal from chafing or
granulating the rubber and destroying its elasticity, as would be the
case if the surface of the metal and rubber were allowed to come in
immediate contact with each other.
Secondly. In combining with the said spiral spring a cylindrical roll
of felt, cloth of wool or hair, or other felted or woven fabric suitable for
the purpose. The said roll must be of sufficient length and diameter
when tightly rolled to fill the core or central part of the spiral spring for
the purpose of supporting it; at the same time, in consequence of the
formation of the said roll and its confinement within the core of the spiral
spring it will act as a perpetual elastic force to assist in supporting the a
load on the carriage.

page_text: ends to allow the hollow cylinder of india-rubber to expand, and thus
when under pressure to develope an easy and constant elastic force; and,
second, by making the end of the box of a uniform diameter to the
depth of one to two inches to confine the rubber in a vertical position in
the box, and at the same time form a guideway to keep the follower
squarely on the rubber and spiral spring, and thus overcome all tendency
to break down the springs at one side more than another, as would be the
case if the follower was not rigidly held by the sides of the box in a
vertical position.
B is the follower or plunger, having on one side a shank of metal C,
by which the spring is supported on the carriage truck, and on the
upper or inner side or face a centre pin D, encircled by an inclined
plane E. This device of the centre pin and inclined plane is also formed
upon the inner face of the solid end or top of the box. The length and
diameter of the centre pin are about one inch, but may be varied
according to the size and length of spiral spring used.
F represents a hollow cylinder of india-rubber of about the same
length as the box A, and about one-quarter of an inch less in diameter
than its ends. The thickness of the sides of this rubber cylinder is about
one inch, or more or less, as may be required. Upon the internal and
external sides of this india-rubber cylinder is secured a jacket or covering
of felted cloth of wool or hair, or other similar fabric, or any material of
a suitable nature to produce the desired result, indicated by the letters G
and H. The purpose of jacketting the rubber cylinder is, first, to
prevent the friction of the iron box and spiral spring from chafing the
rubber, and thus by breaking its skin weaken and destroy its elastic
properties, as is well known to be the case with rubber railway springs
when their sides are broken or chafed; and, second, to form a packing
to support the sides of the rubber, and isolate it from direct contact
with the sides of the box A and spiral spring ;, arranged within its
centre.
This spiral spring is made in the usual way, and is of a length pro-
portionate to the length of the box A, and of such diameter as to fill the
cavity of the rubber cylinder. Its ends are centred upon the centre
pins D and inclined planes E, and it is thus firmly held in a vertical
position within the box A. In the core of the spiral spring is inserted
in a columnar form a roll of. felt, cloth of wool or hair, or other
fabric of similar properties, as indicated by K. This roll is made by

page_text: taking a piece or pieces of cloth, as described, equal to the length of the
spiral spring, and rolling it into a solid cylinder of sufficient diameter to
fill the central part of the spiral spring.
It will be obvious that a roll of felt or other cloth thus made and con-
fined in the core or central opening of the spiral spring prevents any ↓
possibility of the matting of the felt or cloth, as would be the case if
loose wool packing was used, and at the same time, as the pressure is
upon the edges of the several layers of cloth composing the roll it pre-
serves a constant and durable elastic resisting force for the centre pins D
to act upon, and thus keeps the spiral spring from being fully exhausted
of its elastic force, or breaking by being overloaded.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,
My
First. The combination of the hollow cylinder of rubber F with the
jackets G and H, as herein set forth and for the purposes specified.
Second. The combination of a cylindrical roll of felt, cloth of wool, or
hair cloth, or other similar fabric of like properties with a coil or spiral
spring, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The combination of the barrel A, made as described, with the
hollow cylinder of rubber F, isolating jackets G and H, spiral spring J,
and roll of felt cloth K, centre pins D, and inclined planes E, operating
as described, and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, 2
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)'