IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC SPRINGS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lako, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC
SPRINGS."-A communication from abroad by Frederic Charles John,
of Moscow, Russia, Engineer.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd May 1872.
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 THE CONSTRUCTION OF
METALLIC SPRINGS," a communication, to be as follows:―
This-improved spring consists of a steel plate which has the form of
a truncated cone. This conc has flanches on both edges which serve
to join the different plates together. Such a plate will not be injured

page_text: by bending in the direction of the axle, and furthermore it will exert
in this direction a great resistance because the area of the cone is much
greater than the area of a plain disc. It is however possible to allow
this movement if the inner edge of the plate is bent, or if I make in
the plate a number of radial corrugations, for if the plate is flattened all
the semi-diameters must be shortened. The reduction of the semi-
diameters is possible because the plate is bent and the entry of the
semi-diameters in shorter circles is allowed by the corrugations which
thereby become deeper. If the plate returns from a flat position to a
conical position all parts of the said plate regain their normal state.
If therefore the dimensions of the plate and its elevations are such that
the first described movements are within the limit of clasticity the plate
will be a complete and durable spring. If two such plates are fastened
together, and if several such pairs are fastened together by screws, an
elastic cylinder is formed. The form of the corrugations will be changed
for different compressions given to the clastic cylinder. The elevation
of the discs can be enlarged if the corrugations subside in the same
manner from the middle to the inner or the outer edge of the plate.
These cylinders may oscillate very often without breaking or losing
their clasticity if the limit of clasticity is not exceeded. Experiments
with such a pair of plates have not shown any change in the flexibility
after twelve million oscillations.
These spring plates joined to elastic cylinders may be used in all
cases whero cylinders with pistons are now employed with steam engines,
air engines, gas engines, hydraulic engines, pumps, gasometers, hydro-
meters, and other similar apparatus, such cylinders have over others with
pistons the great advantage that they can be made durable and tight,
and that if they are completely flexible they work without loss of effect;
2nd, they can be substituted for all stuffing box constructions which
are employed in engines driven by steam and expansive gases or by 3
compressed fluids; 3rd, fastened together in the shape of cylinders they
can be used like springs for railway carriages; 1th, the plates may be
used in measuring instruments for determining the pressure of gases
and fluids for manometers and vacuum gauges.

page_text: 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 28th October 1872.
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 Second day of May in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth 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 exccutors, administrators, and 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 "IMPROVE-:
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METALLIC SPRINGS," a communication to me
from abroad by Frederic Charles John, of Moscow, Russia, Engineer,-
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 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 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
Drawing forming a part of this Specification.
If a steel plate has the shape represented in Figure II. in section, and,
by Figure III. in plan, that is, the shape of a cone, and by both its inner
and outer edges there is applied a series of radial corrugations m, n,
joining the bent edges, a spring is obtained of perfect elasticity that
can be worked with a stroke longer than any yet known.

page_text: The principle of this motion is explained as follows:-If the plate
moves from the position a, b,to the position a, b, all tho radii c, a¹, d, b¹,
must be shortened, and in consequence of this shortening all the points
of the radii approaching the axis should be allowed to form smaller
circles. These two conditions, however, can only be accomplished by 5
this steel plate, the shortening of the radii is allowed by the inner edge
c, c', d, d³, bending, and therefore becoming rounder, whilst the forming
of smaller circles is allowed by the corrugations of the plate which
becomes at the same time deeper. When the plate passes from the
position a, b, to the position a", 6", the bend at c, c', d, d, accommodates 1
itself to the compression and all the other parts of the plate return to.
the position occupied at the beginning of the compression.
A cone, as shown in Figure L., with two flanges a, b, c, d, will not
allow of its being bent in the direction of the axis x, y, so that it should
pass in the position a, c, d, b, a great resistance being produced by the 1
surface of the cone being larger than the ring surface a, c, d, b. If
the dimensions of the corrugated plate are so determined that the
motions remain within the limits of the clasticity a perfect and durable
spring will be obtained. Two such plates connected by rivetting,
soldering, folding, or otherwise, and several such pairs joined either by 2
rivetting, screwing, or by any other means will form an elastic cylinder.
Figure IV. shows such a cylinder compressed, and Figure V. the said
cylinder expanded.
The shape of the corrugations in the plate is shown in the longi-
tudinal lateral section Figure II., their form varies according to the 2
amount of side pressure produced by any liquid filling the cylinder. If
the corrugations extend from the middle to both the inner and the
outer edge and join in the same way the outer edge helps to increase
the stroke of the spring.
Such cylinders enduro repeated compressions and expansions or 3
oscillations without fracture and without loss of clasticity, all the
motions which take placo in the material of the plate remaining
within the limits of clasticity, in consequence of the above described
construction.
It has been found that after twelve millions of oscillations the 3
elasticity is not in the least diminished. The recent experiment of Styff,
Faibarian, and others have shewn that the elasticity of the steel hardly
diminishes if the temperature is below a dark red heat, therefore the

page_text: plates will certainly retain their elasticity even in a temperature of
300° C. As Styff has shown the decrease of the elasticity of steel is
0.03%, and this docrease never attains 0‘05%.
Such spring plates are capable of many important applications; first,
being connected so that elastic cylinders are formed that can always be
used where cylinders with pistons are employed as in steam engines,
caloric engines, air engines, gas engines, hydraulic motors, pumps,
gasometers, hydrometers, and the like. Such elastic cylinders compared
to cylinders with pistons are preferable, as they can be made perfectly
tight, and the more they represent perfect clastic springs the more they
work without loss of effect; second, the spring plates can be also used
instead of stuffing boxes. They are easily made tight and work without
the least friction; third, several of such plates laid together so that
cylinders are formed may be employed as buffers and springs for carriages
and railway vehicles; fourth, these plates can also be applied for
measuring the pressure of gas and liquids, for example, for manometers,
vacuum meters, indicators, gauges, and the like.
Having thus 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,-
First. The construction of a metallic spring representing a conical
steel plate which by the bending of one or both of its edges, and also
by radial corrugations joining the bent edges, is enabled to work as a
spring of perfect elasticity, and with a stroke far exceeding any as yet
attained by spring plates.
Second. The combination of such elastic cylinders and the application
of these elastic plates and cylinders for various uses.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
T
Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
W. ROB™. LAKE. (L.S.)