AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPRINGS FOR RAILROAD CARRIAGES AND OTHER USES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Nowton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPRINGS FOR RAILROAD
CARRIAGES AND OTHER USES, " -A communication.
Sealed the 5th May 1857, and dated the 27th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th February 1857.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPRINGS FOR RAILROAD
CARRIAGES AND OTHER USES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to what are known as volute steel springs, and is
intended for the purpose of preventing such springs from being injured and
broken by the effects of the vibrations and sudden or sharp concussions to which
the springs of railroad carriages are constantly exposed, particularly when
trains are driven at very high speed.
It has been ascertained by practical experiment that volute springs in a very
short time break under pressures much inferior to the force to which they
were subjected when proved; and the Inventor of the present improvements
bas discovered by experiment that any spring which is firmly held by one end

page_text: in a vice will be readily broken when struck with light but sharp and quick
blows, but that if the other end be held in the hand it will successfully resist
such concussions; such result is due to the fact, that by holding one end of
the spring in one hand the vibrations to which it would be otherwise sub-
jected are prevented by contact of the elastic substance of the hand, in the
same way that the vibrations of a bell are prevented by the pressure of the
hand or any elastic substance against the rim. Induced by these consider-
ations, after observing the fact that volute steel springs when applied to
carriages so readily break under the action of forces far below the forces to
which they were subjected in the proof, the Inventor was led to the con-
clusion that the texturo of the metal was rapidly destroyed, not by the weight
of the load which the springs sustained, but by the sharp and hammer-like
concussions to which they were subjected on carriages running on railroads,
particularly at high speed; and, that the effect was analogous to that of
breaking a spring by the slight blows of a hammer when one end is firmly
held in a vice, if the vibrations thereby induced be not prevented by an elastic
substance or cushion at the opposite end.
The present Invention consists in combining with one end of a steel volute
spring an elastic cushion, placed and held in contact with the inner end of
such spring, so that during the play of the spring such elastic cushion shall at
all times be in contact with the end only of such spring, and by such contact
prevent the vibrations which would be otherwise induced in the metal of such
spring; and by vibrations, I do not mean the elastic play of the spring, but
the vibrations among the particles of matter, such as take place in a bell
when struck.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th August 1857.
S
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED 3
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of 3
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the said

page_text: Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to tinie
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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN SPRINGS FOR RAILROAD CARRIAGES AND
OTHER USES," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates to what are known as volute steel springs, and is intended for the pur-
pose of preventing such springs from being injured and broken by the effects of
the vibrations and sudden or sharp concussions to which the springs of railroad
carriages are constantly exposed, particularly when trains are driven at very.
high speeds.
It has been ascertained by practical use that volute springs in a very short
time break under pressures much inferior to the force to which they were
subjected when proved; and the Inventor of the present improvements has
discovered by experiment that any spring which is firmly held by one end' in:
a vice will be readily broken when struck with light but sharp and quick
blows, but that if the other end be held in the hand it will successfully resist
such concussions. This result is believed to be due to the fact, that by holding
one end of the spring in one hand the vibrations to which it would be other-.
wise subjected are prevented by contact of the elastic substance of the hand,
5 in the same way that the vibrations of a bell are prevented by the pressure of
the hand or any elastic substance against the rim. Induced by these con-
siderations, after observing the fact that volute steel springs when applied to
carriages so readily break under the action of forces far below the forces to
which they were subjected in the proof, the Inventor' was led to the conclusion

page_text: that the texture of the metal was rapidly destroyed; not. by the weight of the
load which the springs sustained; but by the sharp and hammer-like con-
cussions to which they were subjected, and that the effect was analogous to
that of breaking a spring by the slight blows of a hammer when held firmly at
one end in a vice.
Now, the present Invention consists in combining with one end of a steel
voluto spring an elastic cushion, placed and held in contact with the inner end
of such spring, so that during the play of the spring such elastic cushion shall
at all times be in contact with the end only of such spring, and by such
contact prevent the vibrations which would be otherwise induced in the metal
of such spring; and by. vibrations is not meant the elastic play of the spring,
but the vibrations among the particles of matter, such as tako place in a bell
when struck.
In the accompanying Drawings, a represents a steel volute spring made in
the usual way, by coiling up a long and thin plate of steel on a central core or
mandril, or in any other suitable manner; the outer circumference of this
spring is fitted into the cylindrical part of a case or hollow housing 6, which is
to be attached in the usual or any suitable. manner to the required part of a
carriage. Above the cylindrical part this case or housing is hollow, in the
form of an inverted frustrum of a conc, as at c, leaving between the invertod
base of this hollow frustrum and the, cylindrical part, a shoulder d; to sustain
the outer coil or coils: of the spring. A coree, of wood' or other substance, is:
inserted in the central space of the spring, and to the upper end of this core. is;
secured a disc f of leather or equivalent. substance, which extends over the
upper edge of the inner coils; and where the spring is to be inserted in the.
case or hollow housing b, a small, cylindrical piece of india-rubber g, or equi-
valent elastic substance, is interposed between the discf and the top of the
case or housing. A metal plug h. projects into, the central space of the spring,
and it is provided with a shoulder i, on which rests. the lower edge of the
inner-coils.
By the above described arrangement it will be seen, that as the inner coils
of the spring play up and down under the load, the leather or equivalent disc
fis always kept in contact: with the upper edge of the inner coils by the
tension of the india-rubber spring 9, which has the effect of preventing the
bell-like vibrations of the spring which would otherwise take place to the
great injury of the metal.
I would remark, that: I do not wish to be understood as limiting my claim
of Invention to the form of casing or pedestal for sustaining the spring, or the
plug for applying the load to the inner coil of the spring, nor to the kind of

page_text: material constituting the elastic cushion to prevent the bell-like vibrations of
the spring, as other equivalent forms and substances may be substituted.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improvement in
Springs for Railroad Carriages and other uses," as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent, I claim the method of preventing the bell-like vibrations of steel
volute springs induced by the concussions to which such springs are exposed
(as when in use on railroad carriages), by combining with the edge of the
inner coil or coils of such a spring an elastic cushion, substantially as
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (Ls.)