IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE SPRINGS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Skelly, of Kilcurry, Ireland, Coach Builder,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE SPRINGS."
Sealed the 27th August 1858, and dated the 2nd March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Skelly at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd March 1858.
I, JOHN SKELLY, of Kilcurry, Ireland, Coach Builder, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE SPRINGS," to
be as follows, that is to say :-
The nature and intention of my Invention is to so form carriage and other
similar springs that they shall be more simple in their construction than those
in ordinary use, and possess a graduated action; and the improvements con-
sist, first, in using a single top and bottom leaf, meeting at their extremities,
made tapering from the middle to the ends and curved in proportion to their
required strength, with centre longitudinal bars bearing a spiral spring, and
other suitable appurtenances for regulating the elasticity of the said leaves or
springs. By having the bottom leaf of the spring hinged at the centre, opening
from below, with other appropriate arrangements for effecting the required

page_text: pressure on the axle of the wheel, a propelling action can be produced when
the vehicle is in motion, especially on uneven roads. For light carriages with
two wheels I construct springs of four separate leaves, that is to say, two on
either side crossing each other, the upper ends of which being secured to the
body of the carriage, and the lower ends to the shafts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Skelly in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SKELLY, of Kilcurry, Ireland, Coach Builder, send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said. John Skelly, Her special licence that I, the said
John Skelly, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Skelly, my executors, 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
IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGE SPRINGS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Skelly, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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-
áfter the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Skelly, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, that is to say:-
The nature and intention of my Invention is to form carriage and other
similar springs, so that they shall be more simple in their construction than
those. in-ordinary use, and at the same time possess a graduated action;" and

page_text: the improvements consist, first, in using a single top and bottom leaf, which
meet at their extremities, and are there united by any convenient means in
ordinary use. These leaves taper from the middle to their ends, and are
curved in proportion to their required strength; and between them a centre
longitudinal metal bar passes from end to end, with one extremity projecting,
and having a screw thread upon it to receive a nut for regulating the elasticity
of the said leaves or springs.
And, secondly, by making one spring answer the purpose of the two, as above
described, when so required, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 6, and 8; and in giving to
a spring a propelling power when the vehicle is in motion, which latter is
accomplished in the following manner: The bottom leaf is hinged at the
centre, opening from below, with two flanges projecting downwards, the under
one being longer than the front one, and is made to receive the axle of the
wheel, as shewn in Fig. 8, and by the hinder flange pressing on the axle of
the wheel from behind, a propelling effect is produced, especially on uneven
roads. For light carriages with two wheels I construct springs of four separate
curved leaves, that is to say, two on either side, the upper ends being bolted to
the body of the carriage, and the lower to the under side of each shaft, fore
and back, as seen in Fig. 7.
But in order that these my said improvements may be more fully understood
and readily carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe them by the ac-
companying Drawings, the same letters representing similar parts as they occur
in each Figure. Fig. 1 represents a side view of one kind of spring according
to my Invention, there being, of course, as will be understood similar parts on
the opposite side of the carriage. a is the single (lower) leaf, suitably curved
with an eye at each end for the purpose of being secured to the shaft 6 by
means of the fastenings c and d; c is a sliding plate which works in a cast-
iron box fastened to the under part of the shaft marked X, and takes the fore
eye of the spring leaf a; d is a scroll iron, and is bolted to the under and
hind part of the shaft, and takes the other eye end of the spring leaf a; e is a
spiral spring. contained in a cast-iron box, secured to the under part of the
shaft with a portion of the box removed to shew the spiral spring and the
rodf passing through its centre, which runs parallel with the shaft, and takes
the sliding plate c with one of its ends, and with the other end a nut, which
end has a suitable screw thread on it to receive the nut, by which latter
means the spring leaf is made hard or easy as the nut shortens or lengthens
the rod f; g is the axle box. Fig. 2 is another of my Invention, and shews
a side view of the spiral spring differently placed. In this case, the spiral
spring, inserted in a box, made fast to the under part of the shaft, opposite to

page_text: the front end of the spring leaf, which end is attached to a sliding plate, as
in Fig. 1, but varying somewhat in form to that therein referred to. Heré
the end of the sliding plate c is bent downwards, and forms a shape similar
to this,
to fill the box, so that when the spring leaf gives down
with the working of the carriage, it causes this plate to move in its box, and
the spiral spring being placed in the inner part of the box, it resists the
pressure thus made by the sliding plate. I have described this action in the
singular number, but of course it will be understood that the corresponding
parts on the opposite side of the carriage will be effected in the same way.
I may here observe, that when the back end of the spring leaf is fastened to
the shafts, the working all comes on the opposite end, so that when the spring
gives down it must at the same time work the spiral spring e in the box.
Fig. 3 is another modification, and is formed of a top and bottom leaf spring.
In this case, the mode of coupling the ends together is, by the same ends
having on the top leaf a box end, and the bottom leaf a common scroll end,
so that the latter is taken into the former in the ordinary way, as shewn in
Fig. 4; the bottom leaf, however, has a second curve to admit the spring rod f
to pass through it. In this case the spiral spring e is inserted in a round case
made of iron or brass X, which box or case has a solid bottom with a hole
through it to admit the spring rod f to pass through it, and in which hole a
screw thread is cut to correspond with the screw on the spring rod f, for the
purpose of regulating the elasticity of the spring by lengthening or shortening
the spring rod f; and this is done by turning the case one way or the other,
as may be required. The opposite end of the rod f passes through the shifting
bottom h, and also through the spiral spring e, as shewn in Fig. 11, and extends
its other end to receive the bolt which couples the other ends of the spring
leaves. Fig. 5 is another form. Here, like the last Figure, a top and bottom
leaf is used, but differing in shape. In this Figure shackles are used, back
_and_front, and it will be seen that the rod fpasses through the front shackle,
with a bolt head on the outer side, the other end taking the knuckle of the
spring leaf; a slot hole is cut in the centre of the knuckle, and one bolt is
made to take the linking plate i, the rod f, and the end of the spring leaf a
together. Fig. 6 shews another modification with but one leaf, which has a
different curve to any of the others, and consequently is rendered stronger and
stiffer. As the spring leaf gives down it will be observed both the ends lie
closer to the shaft or frame to which it is attached, and the fore end works
in a box similar to that shewn in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a side view of another
form of my Invention. The springs in this instance cross each other, the set

page_text: being formed of four, two on each side; the upper ends of these springs are
bolted to the under part of the body of the carriage. The lower ends have
each an eye turned in it to receive one end of the linking plate i, the other end
of the linking plate being attached to the lower part of the shaft, so that
these lower ends of the springs are suspended from the lower part of the
shafts or bars. By bars I mean wooden bars, which when they are used
cross between the shafts. These, like all the other spring leaves of my
Invention, are 'suitably curved on the breadth, and in this case the curve is
greatest towards the ends, which are bolted to the bottom of the carriage
body, and towards which they gradually diminish both in curve and size.
Fig. 8 is a propelling spring, and is formed of a single spring hinged at
its centre, with its ends secured to the shafts, in a similar way to those
described in Fig 2, with the exception that in this case the front end of
the front part of the leaf has a roller attached to it, and works inside the
cast-iron box X, and an india-rubber buffer being in place of the spiral
spring. The roller k is shaded in front by a small face plate, which comes in
.contact with the india-rubber buffer at the inner end of the cast-iron box. I
use the india-rubber buffer in this and in other cases where the spiral spring
would be too weak, as in railway work and with heavy carriages. Fig. 9
shews a side view of a cranked round iron bar, running under the body of the
carriage, with the short cranks uppermost, and these taking two eyes back
and front, which are inserted on the underneath part of the carriage. By this
means a free side action is afforded, and an easy motion given to the carriage.
Fig. 10 is similar to the last, but with each end terminating in an eye instead
of the short arm, as shewn in Fig. 9. These eyes take a staple back and
front driven either in the top or bottom of the shaft, if on top, then the ends
must be curved, and the staples driven in as shewn in Figs. 12 and 13, where
the squares seen standing in the curve represent end views of the shafts.
Fig. 11 shews a section of the box X containing the spiral spring, as described
when speaking of Fig. 3, but it may here be mentioned that the spiral spring
when closed together, one coil goes into the other, as shewn in Fig. 14; when
compressed, therefore, it occupies but little more space than the thickness of
the material of which it is composed. The steel, of which the spiral spring is
formed, is drawn taper, so that the smaller coils play freely with a light weight.
in the carriage, and as the weight increases, the larger coils are brought into
action, by which the resistance of the spiral spring is in proportion to the
pressure presented. The spiral spring itself may be made taper or parallel,
according to the amount of ease required. Fig. 15 is an india-rubber buffer
or washer, placed between the shifting end h of the cast-iron box X, as shewn

page_text: enlarged in Fig. 11 and 17, and the flanges of the said box made fast by
means of three small screws; Fig. 16 is an end view of the box, which contains
the spiral spring in Fig. 1. In all cases the sliding plate may be substituted
by a roller on the point of the spring leaf, as shewn in Fig. 8. In Figs. 3
and 5 the box may be substituted by an india-rubber casing with double rods,
and the same
their ends overlapping each other thus,
may be done where the spiral spring may happen to be too weak or the spring
too supple; and where great strength is required two spring leaves may be
used, with their width in proportion to their required strength, and their
curve greatest at the widest part of the leaf. In cases where it may fit best,
the springs may be set inside the shafts, and will answer as well as under.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the separate parts of the arrangements; but what I claim is the
combination and application thereof herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Skelly, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JOHN SKELLY. (L.S.)