IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR RAILROAD CARS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES.
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Davies, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn,
in the County of Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City
of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR RAILROAD CARS AND OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES. A communication from abroad by Augustus Ball Davis,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Davies at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th November 1863.
I, GEORGE DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of
Middlesex, and No. 28, St. Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS FOR RAILROAD CARS AND OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES," (being a communication to me from abroad by Augustus Ball
Davis, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America,) to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of one or more series or nests of springs, those of each
nest being arranged side by side and free from contact with each other, and so
confined within a box or attached to or confined between plates, that the said
nest or nests of springs shall with the said box or plates form a single self-
contained car spring of a simple, cheap, durable, and efficient character.

page_text: It is advisable that all of the springs contained within the box should be alike
as regards rigidity and length, so that each must perform its appropriate share
of the duty to be accomplished by the whole, and in order that there may be
so much unity in the action of the combined spring as in an ordinary
single spring. Springs of simple round wire coiled by suitable appliances
are to be preferred, as they are more readily made than other springs.
It will be evident, however, that the springs may be coiled or twisted round
a tapering rod, so that they will be larger in diameter in one part than the other
as in ordinary cushion springs. The springs, too, without departing from the main
feature of the Invention, may be made of square wire or flat steel bars, the
same being coiled or twisted or otherwise bent in whatever manner the con-
structor may deem most appropriate.
Many methods either of attaching the springs themselves to the plates or
confining the springs between plates or within boxes, without departing from
the main features of the Invention, might be pointed out, and will suggest
themselves to experienced artisans, but whichever mode of constructing the
spring may be adopted, or whatever modifications of these modes may be
employed, it will be evident that the same object is attained throughout,
namely, that of producing a car spring composed of a number of separate
springs so confined within a box or attached to or confined between plates
that the whole of the springs act in unison and constitute with the box or
plate one self-contained car spring possessing many important advantages over
those heretofore in use for such purposes.
•
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Davies in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
DAVIES, of No. 1, Serle Street, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
and No. 28, Saint Enoch Square, in the City of Glasgow, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the 27th year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Davies, Her special license that I, the said, George Davies, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George

page_text: Davies, my executors, administrators, or 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 SPRINGS
FOR RAILROAD CARS AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," being a communication
to me from abroad by Augustus Ball Davis, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Davies, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them,
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 George Davies, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference being had to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings, that is to say:-
This Invention consists of one or more series or nests of springs, those of
each nest being arranged side by side and free from contact with each other,
and so confined within a box or attached to or confined between plates, that
the said nest or nests of springs shall with the said box or plates form a
single self-contained car spring of a simple, cheap, durable, and efficient
character.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improve-
ments in Springs for Railroad Cars and other similar Purposes," I will now
proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or
may be performed or carried into practical effect; and in order that the same
may be distinctly understood, I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings
illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of
reference corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof, that is
to say :-
Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating one mode of constructing the
improved spring for railroad cars and other similar purposes; Figure 2, a
transverse sectional plan of Figure 1; Figure 3, a sectional view of a modified
form of spring; Figure 4, another modification; Figure 5, a third modification
of the Invention; Figure 6, a plan view of Figure 5; Figures 7, 8, and 9,
views illustrating different modes of constructing the springs.

page_text: On reference to Figures 1 and 2, A is a metal box or casing, the form and
dimensions of which may be modified in accordance with the locality in which
the improved spring has to be placed, and the duty which it has to perform.
One end of the box is open, and to the open end a plate C is so adapted that a
portion of the said plate can move to and fro freely within the said box, the
Inward movement of the plate being limited by its flange or projection c
coming in contact with the end of the box, and the outward movement thereof
being limited by a bolt D which passes freely through both box and plate, one end
of the bolt having a head d and the other end being furnished with a nut e.
Between the plate C and the closed end of the box are arranged a number of
spiral or coiled springs B, nine such springs only being shewn in the present
instance as being sufficient to illustrate the Invention, whereas in car springs
of ordinary size from twenty to eighty springs are used. The springs are
arranged side by side and are maintained free from contact with each other by
the projections a, a, on the closed end of the box and on the plate C. In
confining the springs to the box the lid is forced against the ends of the
springs by turning the nut e of the bolt D until the whole of the springs are
simultaneously compressed to such an extent only as will suffice to keep them
from moving about in the box, and becoming displaced.
It will be seen that each spring is separate and distinct from the others,
and may be considered an independent spring until the whole are confined
between the closed end of the box and the plate C. The moment the springs
are thus confined, however, each spring loses its individuality, and while it
contributes its quota to the formation of the entire elastic medium, must be
considered an integral part of the same, the box with its nest of springs being
a single self-contained car spring.
A number of very elaborate and careful tests have proved the fact that
a car spring composed of a number of small springs arranged side by side in
the manner described possesses advantages of the most important character.
In the first place it has been found that the improved spring moves more
easily and smoothly under sudden pressure than a single spiral or coiled spring
of the same rigidity as that of the whole nest of springs combined.
Secondly, the improved springs are more durable than ordinary springs of
the same rigidity, an assertion fully borne out by the fact that while
ordinary springs are constantly breaking, no such accident has occurred to
the improved springs during any of the severe tests to which they have been
subjected.
A third advantage of the improvement is this, that if one of the springs in
the box A becomes impaired or weak, and thereby ceases to perform its duty.

page_text: as an integral part of the whole, the entire car spring is weakened to such an
inconsiderable extent, that it continues to perforın its proper functions. In
this respect the Invention possesses a most important advantage over that
class of car springs which is composed of a number of springs.so dependent
on each other that when one spring is broken or damaged the entire car
spring becomes useless.
As regards simplicity of construction, it will be evident to those familiar
with this branch of manufactures that when compared with other car springs,
the advantage is on the side of this improvement.
It is advisable that all of the springs contained within the box should be
alike as regards rigidity and length, so that each must perform its apportionate
share of the duty to be accomplished by the whole, and in order that there
may be as much unity in the action of the combined spring as in an ordinary.
single spring. Springs of simple round wire coiled by suitable appliances are
to be preferred, as they are more readily made than other springs. It will be
evident, however, that the springs may be coiled or twisted round a tapering rod,
so that they will be larger in diameter in one part than the other, as in ordinary
cushion springs. The springs, too, without departing from the main feature of
the Invention may be made of square wire, or flat steel bars, the same being.
coiled, or twisted, or otherwise bent in whatever manner the constructor may
deem most appropriate. The simple spiral springs which are illustrated in the
Drawing, and which are preferrable to all others, may be made of steel wire,
although ordinary wire is equally as serviceable if treated in a proper manner,
and much more economical than steel. In practice the following mode of treating
the iron wire springs is adopted; after the coil has been made and cut to the
appropriate length it is compressed, either gradually or by impact, to the extent
or nearly to the extent to which it has to be hereafter limited. On the removal
of the pressure, or after the blow imparted to it, the spring will not resume its
former length, but on subsequent pressure being applied, or on a subsequent blow
being imparted, providing it does not exceed the first in force, the spring will
invariably recoil to the extent to which it expanded after the removal of the first
pressure. Hence the advantage of limiting the compression of the spring in the
box by causing the plate C to come in contact with the box, when the proper
limit of compression has been reached. When a spring of greater elasticity
and capable of more extended movement is desired the method of construction
illustrated in Figure 3 is sometimes adopted, A being the box, and C the plate
adapted to the box within which the springs shown by dotted lines are arranged
in two tiers or nests separated from each other by a plate H which fits
snugly but so as to move freely within the said box. The springs B, if made

page_text: longer than about six times their diameter, are apt when compressed to bend
or "sag" laterally, and consequently to come in contact and interfere with
each other, so as to become abraded, thereby frustrating one of the main
objects and most important features of the Invention. This difficulty is over-
come in the spring illustrated by Figure 3, in which the springs are short
enough to prevent lateral "sagging" and the entanglement of one spring with
another, and yet sufficiently long to obtain the required increased elasticity
over and above that of the spring, Figure 1. In springs requiring a still
greater movement, two plates H may be used so that there may be three
nests of springs, and still greater movement and elasticity may be obtained by
the use of three plates and four nests of springs, and so on.
In the modifications illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the box A is dispensed
with, and the springs simply confined between plates which may be considered
equivalent to the box. In this case the springs are arranged in two nests, one
between the plate A and plate H and the other between the latter plate and
the plate A¹. The central bolt D is dispensed with in this instance, the plates
being held together by rods'; thus the plates A and H are held together by four
rods x, whilst the plates H and A¹ are held together by similar rods Y, these
rods being so arranged that while they prevent the plates from being moved
beyond a given distance apart from each other yet they present no obstruction
to the movement of the plates towards each other.
It will be evident that the projections a may be dispensed with, and simple
recesses formed in the boxes or plates for the ends of the springs which are
thus maintained at a given distance from each other. The springs B them-
selves may be made to maintain the plates A, H, and A', in their proper
relative positions by adopting the plan illustrated in Figure 8, in which spiral
grooves coinciding with the spiral springs B are formed in the plates into which
the springs are simply screwed, so that neither a central bolt D nor rods and y
are required. Or the springs B may be attached to the plates in the manner
illustrated in Figure 7, the end of each spring being placed in a bevilled
recess m formed in the plate, and suitable metal being poured into these
recesses to which the springs are thereby confined.
Still another plan of constructing the improved car spring is illustrated in
Figure 9, where two plates with spiral springs between them are connected
together by the rods q and q', which are so linked together as to permit the plates
to be moved towards each other.
Many other methods, either of attaching the springs themselves to the plates
or of confining the springs between plates or within boxes without departing
from the main features of the Invention, might be pointed out, and will suggest

page_text: themselves to experienced artizans, but whichever of the above-described
modes of constructing the spring may be adopted, or whatever modifications of
these modes may be employed, it will be evident that the same object is
attained throughout, namely, that of producing a car spring composed of a
number of separate springs so confined within a box, or attached to or confined
between plates, that the whole of the springs act in unison and constitute
with the box or plate one self-contained car spring, possessing the advantages
described above.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention for
"Improvements in Springs for Railroad Cars and other similar Purposes,"
together with the manuer in which the same is to be or may be performed
or carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that the Inventor
does not desire to confine himself to the use of any particular number of springs,
as in some instances four or five spiral or coiled springs (or springs otherwise
bent) may suffice, although in most cases from twenty to eighty springs are
demanded for ordinary use. Neither does he desire to confine himself to the
bolt D for confining the plate C to the box A, or to the rods or links for con-
fining the plates within a given limit, as other equivalent fastenings might be
used, or the springs themselves might be made to retain the plates in the
manner described.
Neither does the Inventor desire to confine himself to any particular form of
the car spring, as the same may be made square, round, oblong, and of other
forms without departing from his Invention, but he claims as his Invention,
a series or nest springs, those of each nest being arranged side by side, and
free from contact with each other, and so confined within a box, or so attached
to or confined between plates, that the said nest or nests of springs shall with
the said box or plates form a single self-contained spring, substantally as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Davies, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
GEORGE DAVIES. (L.S.)