Improvements in connection with the Suspension of Road and other Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with the Suspension of Road and other
Vehicles.
I, SIMEON BILLETT, of 50, Old Market Street, Bristol, in the County of
Gloucester, Tailor and Outfitter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved method of, and means for, suspending
vehicles upon their axles, and which may be adapted for use in connection with
both heavy and light road vehicles, bath or invalid chairs, perambulators, and the
like, and in fact all vehicles the axles whereof are stationary, and by a slight
structural modification the same may be employed in connection with tramcars
and railway and other carriages whose axles usually revolve, and in some cases
I may incorporate with my system of suspension, a means for automatically
indicating the weight of the contents of the vehicle, thus rendering my invention
of great value when applied to coal or railway companies' road vehicles, as a
means for automatically registering the weight of the contents of the vehicle
thereby dispensing with the expensive weighing platforms usually employed for
this purpose.
It has hitherto been customary in the building of spring horne road vehicles,
to interpose the springs between the upper surface of the axle or axles and the
under surface of the vehicle, thus concentrating the entire weight of the vehicle
and its contents at a point above the axle, and more or less on a level with the
body of the horse, but according to my invention the weight of the vehicle and
its contents is concentrated at a point below the axle or axles, by which I estimate,
that the draft will be materially reduced, and less motive power needed to propel
the vehicle, hence one of the objects of my invention, and I attain this by pro-
viding at each end of the axle a pair of plates, arranged to slide vertically one
within the other, one of which (preferably the outer) is fixed by rods or plates to
the body of the vehicle, the inner plates being arranged to carry the ends of the
axle, and connected to the outer plates by suitable springs, the tension of which
operate to keep the inner plates in their lowest position within the outer plates,
when the vehicle is empty, but, raised more or less therefrom by the weight
contained in the vehicle.
In order that my invention and its application to vehicles generally may be fully
understood I have appended bereunto two sheets of drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 Sheet 1 is a front elevation of one method employed by me of constructing
the said plates, and the manner of arranging the springs to which they are
connected.
Fig. 2 is a section of the same upon the line A. B.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the same viewed from left to right of Fig. 1, with the
springs in section or broken away.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken upon the line C. D. of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a front elevation of an alternative method I may employ of arranging
the apparatus for use upon light vehicles.
Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 5 taken upon the line E. F.
Figs. 7 and 8 Sheet 2 are part front elevations, similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating
ome of the methods I employ for connecting together the free ends of the plate or
principal springs of the vehicle.
Figs. 9 and 10 are views illustrating the manner of attaching the apparatus to
›rdinary vehicles having a level bottom surface.

page_text: Fig. 11 illustrates the manner of connecting the same to omnibuses and similar
welled vehicles.
Similar reference letters are used throughout, when referring to the same or
like parts.
According to the method of construction illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4
I carry my invention into effect by providing from any suitable metal or metalloid,
a pair of plates A and B, in each of which is formed an opening C, and between A
and BI place, vertically, metallic pieces D. E (Fig. 2) A B and E being fastened
gether by screws or bolts F, F, while A. B and D are similarly connected by
screws or bolts G G¹. The surfaces of D and E, opposed to each other, are
provided with vertical recesses or grooves which may be rectangular, V, or
W shaped or dovetailed in cross section so that in these may freely slide a
similarly shaped metallic plate H, preferably, but not imperatively of the same
length as A and B (Fig. 4).
The plate A has upon its bottom end an outwardly projecting flange a while the
plate B has a like flange b, both of which may be shaped in any fanciful way
desired. To the upper end of the sliding plate H is fixed or formed integrally
therewith a plate e the edges of which may be shaped to correspond with a and b
The sliding plate H is provided with a preferably rectangular hole, through
which, and the opening C in A and B, is passed one end of the axle J of the cart,
carriage, or other vehicle, and upon the faces of H immediately above the said hole,
and against which J would abut, are projections dd' which may be either welded or
otherwise connected to H, or formed thereupon by the metal removed for the
formation of the said hole, and by the means of ordinary screw clips e, e¹, seated
behind d, d, the sliding plate H is firmly fastened to this end of the axle J,
shown more graphically by Figs. 3 and 4. A duplicate of the apparatus so
far as described would be fixed in like manner upon the opposite end of the
shaft J.
It is customary in the building of the elliptical or plate springs usually employed
upon road vehicles, to place the longest plate thereof nearest the axle, for the
reason, that it is usual to interpose the complete spring between the axle and the
body of the vehicle, whereby the two sets of plates are brought nearer together as
the weight of the load in the vehicle is increased, hence the necessity of having
the shortest plates of the spring outermost, but according to my invention the
axle is interposed between the upper and lower sets of plates, and the action
of the plates is the reverse of that stated, that is to say, the upper and lower
sets are parted when the load is imposed, and for this reason I build my springs
in reverse order, with the shortest plates nearest the axle, as shewn by Figs. 1
and 2.
One set of plates K of an elliptical spring thus formed would be bolted by the
means of ordinary clips f, to the horizontal plate e of the vertical sliding
plate H, while the opposite set I would be similarly fastened by like clips gg',
passing through a plate and the flanges a and b of the fixed plates A. B.
I do not confine myself to any particular method of connecting the apparatus to
the vehicle, as this would be determined by the build or kind of vehicle to which it
is to be attached, but for waggons, carts or other vehicles having a flat under
surface I prefer to attach to the plate B a pair of stays L, L', and when bolts F, F',
G G¹ are employed for bolting A and B together, these may be of such a length as
to receive and hold the said stays, as at Figs. 1 and 3, but when screws are used
instead of the bolts F, F, G, G₁, for connecting A B other means would be
employed for connecting the said stays to B. The stays L, L', may be bolted to
the under surface of the outer bottom plates M of a. van or cart or the like as at
Fig. 1, or to the outer face of same as at Figs. 9 and 10 Sheet 2.
Thus the weight of the vehicle and is contents would be borne by the
plates A, B, and as the plate H is firmly connected to and upon the axle J, it is
obvious that, as the load is increased the plates A, B, would descend, sliding upon
the plate H and consequently the plates a and c and the centre of their respective

page_text: springs K K would be parted a more or less distance according to the weight of
the load imposed.
I may further improve the elasticity of the vehicle by forming lugs,, upon
the side piece D, and similar lugs k,, upon the opposite piece E, and pass through
the former a rod 1, and the latter a rod 1, both firmly connected to the plate e, the
lugs i, i, and k, k thus forming a guide for said rods. Upon each of these rods
above the lower lugs and I fix a plunger N, and between these and the lugs i
and I provide spiral springs m, m, which are compessed as the plates a and c are
parted in the manner stated.
The spring plates K, K', may be connected at their extreme ends by means of
the ordinary swivel clips usually employed for that purpose, but I may further
provide for the elasticity of the vehicle by fixing upon the ends of the said springs,
cup shaped cylinders O and P, as at Fig. 7, each provided with a plate n, screwed
thereinto, and having a central hole through which passes a vertical rod p, upon
each end of which is a plunger pand in each of said cups between the plates n and
the plunger surrounding p, I place a spiral spring p". The mouths of O and P
may be in actual touch with each other when at rest, or a slight distance apart as
shewn in Figs. 7 and 8 in which the cup O is shown in section for the purpose of
explaining the position of the spring etc. therein. The parting of the cups O and P,
with K and K', would compress the springs p, and the tension of these being of
less strength than that of K K³, would be called into play with a light load
insufficient to operate upon the tension of K K', thus preventing the vibration that
usually occurs in heavy vehicles when only partly or lightly loaded. Or in lieu
of O and PI may employ tubes O and P₁ similarly constructed, the free ends of
which pass through holes in the ends of the longest plates of K K¹ and be retained
in position by pins t, t', as at Fig. 10.
may in some cases arrange the springs K, K', as at Fig. 8, in which case ()
and P would be lengthened to compensate the extra width between K and K'
as therein shewn.
I may in certain cases such for instance as in connection with two wheeled
vehicles, fix upon the plate H at, either or both sides of the vehicle, a pointer R,
and upon either or both the plates A and B a graduated dial or scale S, which may
be marked with degrees from 1 cwt. or less upwards, to any extent desired,
according to the type or weight of the vehicle and its capacity, and this may
be arranged to stand at zero when the vehicle is empty. By this means upon
the lowering of A and B as the vehicle is loaded, the pointer R, would indicate
upon the dial S, the weight of the contents of the vehicle or approximately so.
Or the same ends may be attained if the positions of S and R be reversed.
In Fig. 9 I show the means I may employ for maintaining the lateral stability of
the vehicle in combination with my improved method of suspending the same,
which I attain by extending either or both of the stays L L', so that this or these,
is or are firmly connected to the axle J by the means of clips s, sl, or by any other
suitable device or equivalent.
In Fig. 11 I show the manner in which I employ my invention in connection
with omnibuses, waggonettes, brakes and similar vehicles that have a well for the
feet of the passengers.
In this method the stays L, L' may be arranged as shewn,
and may be bolted, screwed or otherwise fastened to the under surface of that part
of the vehicle which forms the seats for the passenges. In this form of vehicle
the axle is bent or bellied, in order, that the boxes of the axle may be above the
well of the vehicle, notwithstanding which the same method of connecting the
stays L L would apply, but in this case they would necessarily be less in length
according to the bend of the said axle.
In adapting my invention in connection with the fore carriage of four wheeled
vehicles, the stays L L' would be of a suitable length that these may be attached
to the framework of same, preferably below the transil plate.
It is obvious that my invention as described and shewn may be constructed in
any size so as to be adaptable for heavy waggons or carts, or for light carriages or

page_text: invalid chairs and perambulators, but for very light vehicles I may construct the
same as at Figs. 5 and 6. In this method 1 attach to the upper end of Ha
projection H, and to the lower end of A and B a like projection B', and form the
springs K, K, as therein shown, the ends of K being pivotally connected to
rods T, T', having upon their free ends a right handed male screw thread, the ends
of K' being similarly connected to rods V, VI, having upon their free ends a left
handed male screw thread, and these I cause to engage with cylinders W W',
formed externally to receive a spanner, and provided internally at either end
with a right and left handed female thread, by the means of which the rods T, V,
and TV may be lengthened or shortened at will, and the springs K and K¹ be
thereby placed more or less in tension. This would be particularly adaptable for
bath chairs, when the elasticity of the vehicle could be easily adjusted to suit the
weight of the passenger. In this method the stays L L would preferably be
attached to the vehicle as at Fig. 11. I may in the case of perambulators and the
like employ box or other hard wood, or material other than metal in the construction
of the plates A, B and H.
It will be understood that by a slight modification of the method of construction
shewn by Fig. 1 that my invention may be arranged after the manner of an
ordinary horn-plate, and be adaptable for use in connection with tramcars, and
railway carriages, or other vehicles having rotating axles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:-
First. As an improved means for, and method of, suspending road and other
vehicles upon their axles, the construction and use of the herein described apparatus,
and the several alternative methods of arranging the same, connected combined and
operating substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and shewn by the
appended drawings.
Second. In an improved method of and means for suspending road and other
vehicles upon their axles, the construction and use of a pair of plates A, B, with
openings C, and suitably grooved intervening plates D and E, connected and held
firmly together by bolts or screws G, G, F, F, with central plate H arranged to
slide in the grooves of the plates D and E, and having an aperture for the reception
of an axle J, and lugs d and d for connecting H to J, by the means of clips, e
The manner of connecting the plates A and B by the means of flanges a and b,
plate h, and clips g and gl to the spring plates K', and the plate H by the means, of
a plate e and clips, to the spring plates K, the whole fixed by stays L, L', to
the bottom or other part of a vehicle M, connected, combined, and operating with
or without the springs m, m', substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and shewn hy Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, of the accompanying drawings.
>
Third. In combination with the apparatus set forth in the preceding claim, the
manner of arranging the plate springs K and K' as at Fig. 7 or at Fig. 8, with the
longest plates thereof farthest from the axle J, and with the ends connected by
the form of clip in general use, or having connected thereto cups or cylinders
and P, or O and Peach provided with a screw plate n and spiral spring p
surrounding a rod passing through both plates n, and having upon each end a
plunger p, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and shewn by
Figs. 7 and 8 and 10 of the appended drawings.
Fourth. In combination with the parts set forth in the preceding claims, the
employment of graduated scales S, upon the plates A and B, and pointer R upon
the plates H or R upon A B and S upon H substantially as and for the purposes
herein described and shewn by Fig. 7.
Fifth. In combination, the alternative method of construction shewn by Fig. 5,
in which the plate H is connected by a projection H' to the spring K, and the
plates A B by an extension B¹ to the spring K', the ends of K K being connected
to rods T, V, and T, V', capable of being lengthened or shortened by the means

page_text: of cylinders W W₁ for adjusting the tension of K, K', substantially as described as
shewn by Figs. 5 and 6.
Sixth. In combination the manner of attaching the said apparatus to omnibuses
and similar welled vehicles substantially as shown by Fig. 11 of the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 31st day of July 1893.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant,