IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPRINGS FOR CARRIAGES AND SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Warcup, of Lyndhurst Villa, Coronation
Road, Bristol, in the County of Somerset, Contractor, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPRINGS FOR CARRIAGES AND
SIMILAR PURPOSES."
Sealed the 12th January 1855, and dated the 17th July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Warcup at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th
July 1854.
I, WILLIAM WARCUP, of Lyndhurst Villa, Coronation Road, Bristol, in the
County of Somerset, Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPRINGS FOR CARRIAGES
AND SIMILAR PURPOSES" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain modifications and improvements upon a
former Patent, granted to me on or about the 26th day of May 1858, for
"Improvements in the Construction of Springs for Carriages and similar Pur-
poses," and consists in connecting the V or U, or open angular double-blade
springs, to a plate secured to the under side of the carriage, waggon, or engine
framing, in place of fitting such springs into the interior of a spring box, as
described in the Specification of the former Patent herein-before referred to.
In the present arrangement, a series of V or U springs are placed side by
side, so as to form one compound angular double-blade spring. Or, if found
desirable, one or two V or U springs may be used in place of a series, such
springs being attached as herein-after described.

page_text: Two of these compound springs will be employed, if applied to an axle
box; one spring being situated at each side of such box. The extremities of
the two lower blades bear upon the top of the grease box, whilst the ex-
tremities of the upper blades will bear against a plate attached to the under
side of the carriage framing. The springs are attached to the framing by
means of a pin or small roller, on to which are threaded (at their apices) the
several small springs which constitute the compound spring herein-before
mentioned.
This arrangement and disposal of springs is obviously applicable, not only
to the bearing springs of carriages, waggons, and engines, but also to buffer
and draw springs, the same principle of compound springs, composed of a
series of thinner V or U springs, arranged side by side, and threaded on to a
fixed pin or roller as a working centre, being maintained throughout all the
applications.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Warcup in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th January 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WARCUP, of Lyndhurst Villa, Coronation Road, Bristol, in the County of
Somerset, Contractor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Warcup, Her special license that I, the said William
Warcup, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Warcup, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any timo 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
THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPRINGS FOR CARRIAGES AND SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Warcup, by an instru-
ment 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

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Warcup, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to certain modifications of and improvements upon
an an Invention secured to me by Letters Patent, dated on or about the
Twenty-sixth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, for
"Improvements in the Construction of Springs for Carriages and similar
Purposes," and consists in connecting the V or U, or open angular double-
blade springs, to a plate secured to the under side of the carriage, waggon,
or engine framing, in place of fitting such springs into the interior of a
spring box, as described in the Specification of the former Patent herein-
before referred to. In the present arrangement, a series of V or U springs
are placed side by side, so as to form one compound or angular double-blade
spring; or, if found desirable, one or two V or U springs may be used in
place of a series of such springs. Two of these compound springs will be
employed if applied to an axle box, one spring being situated at each side of
such box. The extremities of the two lower series of blades bear upon the
top of the grease box, whilst the extremities of the upper blades will bear
against a plate attached to the under side of the carriage framing. The springs
are attached to the framing by means of a pin or small roller, on to which are
threaded (at their apices) the several small springs which constitute the com-
pound spring herein-before mentioned. This arrangement and disposal of
springs is obviously applicable, not only as bearing springs for railway carriages
and other conveyances, waggons, engines, gun carriages, and ordnance work
generally, but also to railway buffer and draw bar springs, the same principle
of compound springs composed of a series of thinner single V or U springs,
arranged side by side, and threaded on to a fixed pin or roller as a working
centre, being maintained throughout all the various applications.
And in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood, I
shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a railway truck fitted with my
improved bearing springs. Fig. 2 is a large sized detail section of the axle
and axle box, shewing the application and mode of attachment of my improved
bearing springs. Fig. 3 is a corresponding end view of a series of V or U

page_text: springs, looking on their apices. Fig. 4 is a plan of the under side of a
portion of the truck framing, shewing the mode of connecting the series of
bearing springs thereto. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a buffer or
draw bar spring apparatus fitted with my or U springs; and Fig. 6 is a
corresponding longitudinal vertical section of the same, shewing the springs
in end elevation. (A, A, (Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4) are the " or U, or open angular
double blade springs, which are connected to a plate B, secured to the under
side of the framing C of the carriage or truck, thereby dispensing altogether
with the spring box described in the Specification of my former Invention
herein-before referred to. It will be seen, on referring to Figs. 3 and 4 of the
Drawings, that a series of these open angular or V or U springs are placed
side by side, so as to form one compound spring, but I do not restrict myself to
any particular number of springs, as any number, from one upwards, may be
employed, as may be found requisite. These springs are situated on each side
of the axle box, and the extremities of the upper blades of the springs will bear
against the plate or metal block or shoe E, rivetted or otherwise secured to the
under side of the main plate B, on the under side of the framing C. The
springs are supported by a transverse spindle or pin F, fixed or cast between
the cheeks G, G, of the bracket pieces H, which are bolted or otherwise
secured on to the under side of the framing. A key or cotter I is fitted trans-
versely behind, and, bearing against the apices of the series of springs, serves to
keep them forward, and retain them in their proper places.
When any one or more of the springs require to be removed, the transverse
cotter or key is knocked out by a tap of a hammer, and the spring or springs
may then be withdrawn with facility. The buffer and draw spring apparatus,
shewn at Figs. 5 and 6, is composed of a rectangular cast or wrought iron box
or framing A, which contains the series of single V or springs B. These
springs are held in position by pins C, which connect the upper and lower
series of lazy tong levers D, D, and form the lateral fulcra or working centres
thereof; but I may here observe that I lay no claim to the application of these
lazy tongs levers to buffer and draw bar springs. This arrangement of levers
for carrying the springs serves to keep their working centres C always at the
same distance from the inside of the box or framing A. Although I have
shewn a series of three pairs of springs in my Drawing, it will be obvious that
one or more pairs of springs may be adopted without deviating from the
principle of the apparatus. In order to shew the application of this apparatus
either to buffers or draw bars, I have represented a buffer at one end and a
coupling hook at the other end of the spindle E, which passes longitudinally
through the box or frame A. When applied as a buffer spring, the shoulder

page_text: F on the spindle E will be pushed against the ends of the two outside blades
of the first pair of springs, whilst the ends of the arms G, connected with the
shoulder F, will bear against the front ends of the lazy tongs levers, and as the
springs traverse, the levers will also traverse in proportion, and keep the two
opposite sets of springs at one uniform distance from the inside of the box
or framing A, as herein-before described. A precisely similar action will
obviously take place when a tractive power is applied to the coupling hook.
I propose to manufacture the Vor U springs, herein-before described, of steel,
wrought iron and afterwards converted into steel, or annealed cast iron, or
any other suitable metal.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself
to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the system or mode of constructing the bearing springs of railway
carriages and other conveyances generally, as herein-before described and
illustrated in my Drawings.
Second, the application and use of single V or U springs arranged side by
side, in the manner herein-before described and illustrated in my Drawings, in
the construction of bearing springs for railway carriages and other conveyances
generally.
Third, the application and use of one or more pairs of V or U springs in the
construction of buffer and draw bar springs, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Warcup, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of January 1855.
WILLIAM WARCUP. (L.S.)