AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SPRING FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Webster, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION
OF SPRING FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Webster at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th October 1859.
I, JAMES WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer;
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OF SPRING FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the construction of a spring of great strength and.
elasticity without friction.
For this purpose I take a number of steel rods tapered from near the
middle to the ends, and bind and weld the ends together, and when a broad
bearing is required a T-piece is shut on both ends of the bundle; being thus
prepared the whole is heated regular, twisted spirally, and bent over a convex
block of the desired form; its ends are then dressed and it is hardened and
tempered.
•

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Webster in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WEBSTER, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Webster, Her
special licence that I, the said James Webster, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Webster, 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 "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF SPRING
FOR CARRIAGES AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Webster, 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 James Webster, 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 (that is
to say):-
My Invention relates to the construction of a spring to supersede the lami-
nated spring; it is comparatively stronger, and in consequence requires less
space when in use; it also has no frictional parts except the ends. And
I, in the first place, manufacture my said spring of a number of steel
rols (one of such rods for example is represented in Figure 1 of the annexed
Drawings) taking a number sufficient for one spring, and allowing extra
length for the twisting; these rods are tapered from near the middle to the
ends to about half size as in Figure 2, and then evenly bound in a bundle às in
Figure 3 for the purpose of welding the ends firmly together, this being done, the

page_text: welded parts or ends of the bundle are formed into the desired or usual form,
and then the whole is heated regular, twisted spirally, and bent over a convex
block of the desired sweep (or form) as shewn in Figure 4, and after the ends
are dressed, it is hardened and tempered.
Secondly, I take a number of steel rods of any length or shape (an even
number and round form preferred) and twist them as a rope, cut the so
twisted rope (or coil) into lengths as Figure 5, then weld the ends, and dress
them as Figure 6, then bend the whole into the desired form; it is next
hardened and tempered.
Thirdly, I take one of the before-mentioned lengths, as Figure 5, and after
the ends are welded, I swage or roll the coiled bundle from near the centre
to the ends leaving them of an uniform shape (as Figure 7) and proportionate
strength, the ends are then formed as required; it is afterwards bent (or
shaped), hardened and tempered as Figure 8.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the mode of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to the number, shape, or size of the rods for my spring; but what I claim is,
the manufacture of a bowed or straight spring consisting of a number of steel
rods welded together at their ends and twisted spirally.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Webster, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
JOSEPH COOKE,
2, Bennett's Hill,
Birmingham.
JAMES WEBSTER. (L.S.)