IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTUre of LAMINATED SPRINGS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert Woodruff, of Sheffield, in the County of York,
Spring Manager, and George Barson, of Sheffield aforesaid, Foreman Spring
Maker, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTUre of
LAMINATED SPRINGS, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert Woodruff and George
Barson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th January
1882.
HERBERT WOODRUFF of Sheffield in the County of York Spring Manager
and GEORGE BARSON of Sheffield aforesaid Foreman Spring Maker. "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LAMINATED SPRINGS AND IN APPARATUS TO BE
USED FOR THIS PURPOSE."
In the manufacture of laminated springs according to this invention the
several plates of steel which are to form a spring are by means of pressure
brought to bear upon them moulded to the required form, they are then caused
or allowed to separate a short distance apart one from the other and plunged
into water to harden them-afterwards they are tempered and put together to form
a complete spring.
To bend the plates into form and to hold them whilst they are being hardened
we employ a machine composed of a narrow oblong four-sided frame or cramp
mounted on wheels or suspended from a crane arm or otherwise supported in such
a manner that it can readily be moved from place to place. Preferably it is
formed with legs projecting downwards from one of its longer sides near its
centre such legs having supporting wheels mounted upon them so that the frame
may be wheeled from place to place like a bogie or truck. At one end of the
frame is fixed a bar of a curved form corresponding to the chamber required to
be given to the spring or the curved bar may have set screws passed through it
for the ends of the spring plates to rest against so that by screwing the set screws
more or less inwards the camber given to the springs may readily be varied.

page_text: The curved bar is made to extend equally from both sides of the frame or cramp.
Through the opposite end of the frame or cramp passes a long screw in a line
parallel with the longer sides of the frame or cramp and on the outer end of the
screw is a wheel or handle by which it can be turned.
The several plates requisite for forming a spring having been heated in a furnace
are inserted into the frame or cramp and made to project equally from opposite
sides of it. Against the plate furthest from the fixed curved bar above mentioned
is also placed one or more strong spring plates. The screw is then turned and its
end thereby caused to force these spring plates against the heated plates. The
heated plates are thereby pressed up to and against the fixed curved bar or against
the ends of the set screws carried by it and in this way they are moulded to the
required form.
In place of a screw or screws being used to force the spring plates against the
heated plates other mechanical appliances might be used for the purpose.
When the plates have been bent the pressure of the screw upon them is relaxed
and the plates may be separated a short distance apart one from the other by
interposing distance pieces between them near their centre-these distance pieces
may be in the form of a comb. A long lever handle is now attached to the outer
end of the screw and by the aid of this handle the frame or cramp carrying the
screw plates is wheeled away to a bosh or water tank. The lever handle is then
elevated so as to lower the opposite end of the frame or cramp which carries the
spring into the water in the tank and by moving the lever backwards and forwards
the spring can be moved to and fro in the water and the water thereby caused to
flow through the narrow spaces between the spring plates and so quickly cool
.thein.
Subsequently the plates are tempered previous to hooping and completing the
spring.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert Woodruff and George Barson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th July 1882.
HERBERT WOODRUFF of Sheffield in the County of York Spring Manager
and GEORGE BARSON of Sheffield aforesaid Foreman Spring Maker. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LAMINATED SPRINGS AND IN APPARATUS TO BE
USED FOR THIS PURPOSE."
In the manufacture of laminated springs according to this Invention, the plates
of steel which are to form the spring, are by means of pressure brought to bear
upon the plates moulded to the required form. They are then separated a short
distance from each other and plunged into water to harden them, and are
afterwards tempered and put together to form the complete spring.
To bend the plates into form and hold them whilst they are hardened, we employ
a narrow oblong frame or cramp A such as is shown in the drawings hereunto
annexed. The cramp may be mounted upon wheels B as the drawing shows or it
might be otherwise supported or suspended as may be found most convenient,
either in a vertical or horizontal position or otherwise (in the drawing it is shown
horizontal) so that it may readily be moved about from place to place.
The axle of the wheels is carried by legs which project downwards from one of
the longer sides of the cramp near its centre. At one end of the frame or cramp is
a long block C of a curved form having screw bolts D passed radially through it
with nuts on each side of the block so that the screw bolts may be set to project
from the inner circumference of the curved block to any desired extent and may
be firmly secured in any position.
These bolts have heads formed upon them as shown and the heads are made to
bear upon a plate of steel E. The plate E is at its centre secured to the centre of
the curved block Cit is curved to conform to the outer circumference of the
laminated spring to be made but its ends are each pressed inwards by a spring or
springs so that they follow up any change in the form of the spring during the
process of manufacture and form both a sliding and pressing surface acting upon
the ends of the plates of steel of which the spring is made.
In the drawing volute springs F are shown to be used for pressing inwards the
ends of the plate E. Through the other end of the cramp or frame passes a long
screw G parallel with the longer sides of the cramp on the outer end of which
screw is attached a hand wheel H.
The spring plates N having been heated in the furnace are inserted in the frame
or cramp A so that their ends rest upon the steel plate E. They may be threaded
upon a mandril (if the plates have holes in the centre) or if studded placed in
position with the studs in the recesses. A block I composed of one or more spring
plates which have been previously cambered or bent to the required form may also
be put into the frame or cramp against the back of the heated plates or this
block I may be attached to the end of the screw G.
By turning the hand wheel. H the screw is then put in motion and the heated
plates which are to form the spring are pressed into the form of the plate E
sustained by the screw bolt D and springs F at the back of it, and to the form of
the block or plates, at the top of the spring. In place of a screw being used to
force the spring plates I against the heated plates other mechanical appliances
might be used for the purpose.
The placing of the heated plates into the cramp will be done while the machine
is standing at a suitable work plate K cast with a groove or opening in it to
receive the lower part of the frame or cramp so that whilst the end of the cramp is
resting in the groove the heated steel plates may be slid over the surface of the
table and be so inserted into the cramp. Afterwards when pressure has been

page_text: applied to the spring the wheel H may be reversed and the pressure being relieved
the plate E and springs F will cause the plates to separate from each other.
To ensure the complete separation of the plates a tool in the form of a comb L is
used the number of teeth corresponding with the number of spaces between the
plates of the spring, the teeth of the comb are to be driven in between the plates
so forcing them open (the comb may or may not be removed before the cramp and
spring carried by it are inserted into the water). Having fixed the comb in
position a long lever arm M is secured on to the end of the screw as shown by the
drawing and the apparatus is ready for removal to the bosh or water tank to be
immersed in the water to harden the spring. The lever M is elevated so that the
spring is thrown or tipped into the water and by moving the lever backwards and
forwards a reciprocating motion is given to the spring in the water which will
force the water through the spaces and ensure the complete and uniform hardening
of the spring plates. When the spring is cold the lever m may be drawn down
and the apparatus wheeled away to the furnace for tempering previous to hooping
and completing the same.
In some cases in place of bending and hardening all of the plates which are to
form a spring at one time it may be desirable to bend and harden some of the
plates at one operation and subsequently bend the others at a second operation.
The advantages obtained by this Invention are.
1st. The facility with which laminated springs may be cambered the cambering
being effected by means of pressure upon a block fitted with set screws plate and
spring arrangement to give elasticity.
2nd. The machine being portable may be easily and quickly moved about from
place to place.
3rd. The simplicity with which the spring may be lowered into the water.
4th. The being able to give a reciprocating motion to the spring in the water.
5th. That the spring may be pressed at one operation or if desirable may be
made in sections.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
performing the same we would have it understood that we claim―
First. The process for bending and hardening the plates which are to form a
laminated spring, substantially as herein before described such process consisting in
first compressing the several plates which are to form the spring in an elastic mould
then separating the plates a short distance apart from one another then removing
the cramp still holding the plates to a tank containing water or other liquid and
immersing the cramp and the plates held in it into the liquid so as to harden the
plates.
Second. The combination of apparatus substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in the drawings for bending and hardening the steel plates of a
laminated spring.
Third. The combination consisting of the cramp A block C screws D plate E and
the spring plates I for forcing the heated plates against the plate E substantially
as described also the use of springs F for pressing inwards the ends of the
plate E.
Fourth. The employment of the comb L for
immersing them in liquid substantially as described.
separating the plates before
In witness whereof I the said Herbert Woodruff have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Fifteenth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
HERBERT WOODRUFF. (L.S.)